Millbrook. ON. June 22nd.2021. For the first time in a while, two of us got together for some birding purely for the entertainment value. We headed to a tract of dry scrubby habitat, quite unlike anything close to home and known to us for a good variety of birds.
Half way there, and Barry was starting to explain his latest bird-advocacy project, him against the weight of local government, when I broke into his train of thought to insist we investigate a certain roadside wetland just coming into view. It was a very rich spot, well worth the stop.
Surrounded by marshy vegetation we could make out small, shallow lakes sparkling beyond our clear line of sight. It set us wondering what uncommon wetland birds would be in there, and who you’d need to know to go and see. A Belted Kingfisher rattled past and we could hear Warbling Vireos and Red–eyed Vireos in the willows around, although to keep it in perspective, I should note that bird song was often lost to early morning truck traffic. As we were trying to be sure of a small flotilla of Wood Ducks, with a jolt I realised that a Yellow–throated Vireo was singing close overhead. A wow moment.
It’s not that a Yellow-throated Vireo has a particularly melodious song, probably more monotonous than melodious, but it is an uncommon bird distinctive for sounding like a hoarse-throated version of its Red-eyed Vireo cousin. None of which may sound all that important or engaging to a far-away reader, but some will recall that I have a soft spot for vireos of all stripes. Yellow-throated Vireo is a colourful, once-in-a-blue-moon bird anyway and rather lovable in a thuggish way. At that moment I knew it would be My Bird of the Day!
We moved on, Barry finished his story and we spent a couple of rewarding hours of entertainment-value birding. I would not do justice to a good morning’s birding if I left out that we saw several Clay–coloured Sparrows (which I think may have been a close-to lifer for me), Field Sparrows,Grasshopper Sparrows, and a Blue–winged Warbler; any of which could hold its own as a Bird of the Day were it not for the vireo.
Super nice find!!