Hickory Valley, Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton ON. April 28th.2021. Last night was supposed to be wet and unsettled with thunderstorms, but it didn’t happen. There was nothing likely to spoil a morning birding. I followed one of our transect routes and was pleased to find many Ruby-crowned Kinglets hanging on slender twigs gleaning for an insectivore’s meal, White–throated Sparrows scratching in leaf litter and Blue Jays rushing back and forth with the sole purpose of making counting them impossible. It was clear that here had been a strong overnight migratory push and birder-news trickling in from around the area confirmed it.
I was happy enough with our walk though, spiced as it was by brief sightings of a Pileated Woodpecker and a couple of Pine Warblers. But I think the best of the day was this Great Blue Heron with a meal-size Brown Bullhead (a species of catfish).
You know the way a domestic cat will capture and play with a mouse, giving it hope of release but is never quite serious about it? I think the heron was doing much the same thing. It wanted to play some more although there was no sport to be had, the fish had given up by now. Maybe periodic dunkings just kept the meal fresh.
Wonderful to hear of these new arrivals. Looking forward to seeing some in Bright’s Grove. Never yet saw a heron catching anything despite long patient waits like statues. Looks as though that bull head was transfixed. Is that common?