Wheatley, May 9-11 2014

We are out on the road starting another year of enjoying the great sights and sounds in our wonderful parks. It was an amazing week-end for our first adventure in nature for 2014. We enjoyed a brief thunderstorm of Friday evening and sunny and very warm weather for the rest of our trip. Saturday we spent the day at Point Pelee National Park enjoying the migration of all the birds that are passing through on there travels to there summer homes. We did lots of hiking and enjoyed all of the spring flowers that are blooming throughout the parks. Things are a little slower at blooming this year after the late cold winter we had. The birds are a little later arriving this year and are coming in smaller groups compared to the previous year. I was able to get a few new pictures of bird that I had not seen before so that was exciting. We enjoyed a short campfire on Saturday evening because we were so late getting back to our site.
Sunday we had a quiet morning enjoying all our feathered friends flying in and out before having a yummy breakfast. We packed up early and headed to Rondeau Park for the afternoon. We hiked the Tulip Trail on a very sunny afternoon and enjoyed some quiet time on a bench in the woods with the sounds of spring all through the air. We watched the migrating birds as they enjoyed some of the treats that the visitors center has out for the travelers. It was a busy but exciting first weekend away. I can hardly wait for Friday to arrive as we are heading to Killbear Park for the first time.

Palm Warbler at Point Pelee. A first for me.

The tiniest flowers I have seen

 Eastern Kingbird showing its orange spot on it head

Male Common Yellowthroat Warbler

Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus at Pelee (endangered)

Gray Catbird, another first

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Female Red-winged Blackbird in the reeds at the marsh

Male Red-winged Blackbird standing guard by the female

Mrs. Wood Duck. They nest six metres high in a tree cavity

Mr. Wood Duck in all his colours

New lily pads at the marsh

Another first and so exciting to see.

A Male Scarlet Tanager in his breeding colours

You can't miss this bird if it is flying around near you

Male Baltimore Oriole enjoying some orange

Check out the tongue on this Red-bellied Woodpecker

The Toad Lilies were all over the forest floor

Female Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Male Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Sap icicles on a pine tree log

Western Skink on a tree at Rondeau Park

Tiny flowers in the evening sun

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Ruby-throated Hummingbird resting on a branch