Lincoln Sparrow and More

Lincoln Sparrow looking golden in the early morning sunlight

My husband and I are spending a week on Manitoulin Island, an extension of the Niagara Escarpment that is near the north shore of Lake Huron, Ontario. We took the ferry from Tobermory yesterday afternoon and the weather has been superb. We have been here many times in the past 15 years, staying at a very rustic fishing camp where Bass Creek flows into Lake Manitou. It is very quiet and peaceful and I had two naps already today! It is just what I needed. 

I was up shortly after 5 AM (as usual), awakened by an unfamiliar bird song outside the window of the cabin. It sounded like a sparrow but it was still too dark to see what was singing. I ventured out a few minutes later and started my bird count for the week. Sandhill Cranes were rattling noisily across the road in a farm field. As the sun rose, I could see familiar birds for the area, but I also found a sparrow I had never identified before. Fortunately I was able to get a few good ID photos.

Lincoln Sparrows are secretive birds that have ground nests in thickets. They migrate through our home area, but breed further north. July birding is excellent on Manitoulin Island and many species of migratory birds are breeding at this time. They are easy to see as they forage for food for their nestlings. I listened to the recorded call of the Lincoln Sparrow and it was the call that woke me up this morning.

There are an excessive number of Common Grackles around and I felt like I was in Alfred Hichcock's movie The Birds at one point this morning. Fortunately, they are not aggressive toward humans as they are in the fictional horror story! There is one bird that is not a Grackle in the photo below, and it is a beautiful bird that is common here. Can you find the Northern Flicker?

By 10 AM this morning I had identified 28 species in the area around the camp. I hope to add to that count each day this week and I explore different habitats around the creek, meadows, and the lake by boat. 

Sandhill Crane, Yellow Warbler, E. Phoebe, American Kestrel, Herring Gulls
Bobolink (m), N. Flicker, Cedar Waxwing, Brown Thrasher, Song Sparrow

View from our cabin- Lake Manitou