Home, Burlington, ON. June 24 2020. June has been a funny month for any number of reasons. Personally, it’s held many ups and downs, all distracting in their way. I have scarcely been birding at all, instead I’ve enjoyed closer study of the handful of urban birds of my neighbourhood: American Robin, House Sparrow, House Wren, Carolina Wren, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Song Sparrow being the most regular.
There are two ornamental Serviceberry bushes (Amelanchier species) flanking our back yard and both are loaded with ripe fruit. In the centre of Canada, the shrub is common and known as Saskatoon berry for the high, sweet quality of its fruit, which taste like apples to me. But few around here bother gathering them, probably believing that anything not in the grocery store is inedible. Anyway, the birds and I like them. In the past day or two, at least one brood (and I suspect two separate broods) of American Robins have left the nest and are gorging on these serviceberries.
It has been intriguing to watch the all-day comings and goings of robins. The adults, as master fliers, know exactly where they’re going and how to get there; the young are learning fast but sometimes over-reach or wobble-land where they shouldn’t. And there is some possessiveness going on, I could never tell whether squabbles were between birds of different families or parents forcibly telling their own kids to grow up. On this otherwise quiet day American Robins made my day – Birds of the Day.
