Avian Rock Stars

My husband and I spent the morning birding along the Nith River and then stopped by the only place in our region where I see Bobolinks each year. Meadow birds like Bobolinks and Larks have lost much habitat due to farming and urban development. It upsets me to see acres and acres of corn that are destined to fatten cattle quickly for human consumption. This meadow exists because several large telecommunication towers have been erected on the land and access is restricted. It is home to species that are increasingly difficult to find in southern Ontario.

And I was happy to find that Bobolinks have returned from South America for another breeding season. We heard them before we saw them, their distinctive, metalic, bubbly call being very unique. (Here is a link to the sound). The males in their mating plumage are true showmen that remind me of punk metal musicians.

Just look at the back of this male Bobolink in full display! According to information on All About Birds, "after arriving on the breeding grounds, males compete vigorously for territories by singing, displaying, fighting, and chasing each other." Four males were rocking out together as we watched.

Here is the front view of a male showing us why he thinks his mating plumage is the best of the group. Bobolinks are related to blackbirds but they have far more style and attitude than the average blackbird, not to mention their awesome vocals. 

I could have watched them for hours. We saw one man who had parked his car on the rural road beside the field and was sitting in a lawn chair reading a book, presumably absorbing the energy of the Bobolinks. Here is a link to a blog that has two poems about Bobolinks, one by Emily Dickinson and another by William Cullen Bryant.

We had more places to explore and we tallied a good bird count for the morning of at least 35 species. 

Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Am. Goldfinch, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Bobolink, Savanah Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Am. Tree Swallow, Am. Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Pileated Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, Eastern Kingbird, Song Sparrow, Grey Catbird, House Wren, Chipping Sparrow, American Crow, Starling, Brown-headed Cowbird

Great Blue Heron, Am. Coot, Canada Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Mute Swan, Mallard duck, Sandhill Crane, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Wild Turkey, Killdeer