A Belated Spring Near Kingston

2019 seems to be a year when spring is especially reluctant to commit to anything except rain. I’ve been busy with family matters but on the one sunny day this week which landed on the mid-point of the month of May I went for a ramble at Lemoine Point in Kingston. (I grew up calling it Lemoine’s Point so I have serious trouble remembering its “proper” name! Although the temperature has been late to rise this year, the birds have landed in almost on time and the wildflowers have enjoyed the late leaf-out of the trees giving them extra time to blossom and fruit.

Chipmunks were eager to pose everywhere in the park.

Bellwort is common here though I rarely seen it nearer to home.

This Black and White warbler was too busy hunting to pose.

I heard the Baltimore Orioles long before I spotted one high up in the canopy.

These Spring Beauties had attracted a small Bee Fly.

A Wealth of Warblers

I always get a jolt of surprise when I spot the startlingly bright flash of orange under the chin of a Blackburnian Warbler–particularly when I thought I was trying to re-find a more modestly coloured Palm Warbler.

Too bad this Black-throated Blue Warbler male was skulking so far from the path in the Cedar trees-he was a beauty.

Black-throated Green Warbler’s, on the other hand, seem to enjoy posing at the ends of exposed branches.

It took me a while to get this Blue-headed Vireo into focus to figure out what it was.

The Chestnut-sided Warblers were signing steadily as they hunted.

This is one of several Downy Woodpeckers that swooped right at me quite indignant that I had no seeds to offer.

I heard the Grink Grink of the Great Crested Flycatcher before I spotted this one.

This Northern Parula was a welcome sight–I last saw one in the fall at Colonel Sam Smith Park.

Lemoine Point is a fabulous spot to look at Trilliums and there are a fair number of Red Trilliums in bloom there as well.

This Palm Warbler was wagging its tail so much it seemed unstable when flying.

Some Other Spring Beauties

I was expecting to see a Comma or a Mourning Cloak but instead found a Red Admiral that also had flown north for the summer.

There were both Red-breasted Nuthatches like this one and also White-breasted. Both were annoyed that I hadn’t brought seeds.

I spotted this Scarlet Tanager using my principal of photo first, id later. Northern Cardinals are plentiful in the park but this one had black wings, no crest, and a totally different style of flying and perching!

This poor little Snavely nearly got stepped on by an impatient hiker.

I’m not entirely sure what Thrush this was–I’ll have to double check my field guide. I’m so used to seeing the front clearly I’ve forgotten what other field marks to look for!

These Spring Beauties are aptly named.

Overall it was a wonderful walk with lots of spring favourites to admire!

Related Reading

• Spring Butterflies Sip Sap

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