Some recent 5MR birding

Before I start writing this post, I feel like I shoud clarify what 5MR means. Basically it's a circle, 5 miles in diameter, with the centre point on your house. I'm not sure who started it, but 5MR has got popular recently with Ontario birders, especially after the pandemic. Since I started "5MR listing", It has really been fun to bird around my local area, finding undiscovered hotspots and species I nevee knew occurred in my area (Blue-gray Gnatcatchers on territory for example).

Yard birding is quieting down (nothing new since May 29th) recently, so I've started exploring my 5MR more. Since April, while I have ventured out to local hotspots occasionally, I spent most of my time birding in my yard. And don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed the yard birding, but it left a few big gaps in my list. Most notably field and wetland species.

Over the last week I've made a few trips to Sky and Isaac Lake, both of which are among my favourite 5MR locations. I added some cool species to my 5MR yearlist, including;  Black-billed Cuckoo, Willow Flycatcher, Black Tern and Marsh Wren. I also had good looks at Black-crowned Night-herons and a few American Bitterns, among other things...

Some pics...

Blue-winged Teal

- Egret of Greatness

- Bufflehead & friends

Black-crowned Night-heron 

- Can you see the bittern?

My biggest highlight came on June 3rd, when I decided (for some reason) that I should bike around my neighbourhood looking for odes (dragonflies and the like) after dinner. I was approaching the intersection of my road and Hwy 6, when I heard crows mobbing something. I quickly stopped and grabbed my bins.. just in time to see a MISSISSIPPI KITE fly over my head, heading south with crows in close pursuit...  And I do mean right over, like it was under 10 meters away. The bird disappeared as quicky as it had appeared though, so I had no time to get my camera out of my pack (I had a macro lens on anyway.. so it probably wouldn't have mattered). Of course all thoughts of dragonflies were gone from my head instantly. 

It took me a few seconds to recover from my shock, but I then remembered to text Jarmo Jalava, who lives a few roads south of me. He went out in his yard with his scope and I spent the next hour & a half biking all around the area, but sadly it didn't want to be refound.

 Of course I would have loved pictures, but sometimes that just isn't possible! I'm still really happy with the experience though! Definitely my birding highlight this spring. My MIKI was the 2nd record for Bruce, with Alfred Raab finding the first a few years ago (2015 north of Lion's Head).

So yeah, spring migration is basically over... but there are still lots of birds to see! I still have to track down 15+ breeders around North Bruce, plus hopefully turn up a few unexpected things too (coughscissortailedflycatcher).

I'll end this post with an interesting weather system.. Tropical storm Cristobal, which is predicted to hit the US coast sometime Sunday evening. After that, it swings up towards the Great Lakes (hopefully), slowly losing it's force along the way. Of course the forecast might change, as it usually does.. but some cool birds might get blown up... frigatebird? A southern heron species? Maybe a tern? My guesses could continue...

I guess we'll just have to wait and see! I'll certainly be watching the storm closely👀.