Birds and Blooms

Field Trip Finds

Killdeer

A friend and I spent most of May 14 in the Fredericton area and in Maugerville and Sheffield looking for nature's spring abundance.  Pictured above is a welcome spring bird, the Killdeer.  It is a bird that says its own name and is a very welcome sound in spring.  It likes gravelly areas and is often seen close to roadsides.  It nests on gravelly areas and this bird was doing its broken-wing display to try to distract us from the area, probably indicating its nest was nearby.

Eastern Kingbird

This Eastern Kingbird was perched on a barren branch.  It was intent on catching an insect and paid us little attention.  Note the white band on the tip of its tail.

Greater Yellowlegs

There were about 20 yellowlegs in the roadside ponds, both Greater and Lesser.  This Greater Yellowlegs was sporting its dark breeding plumage.  It will soon move northwest to its breeding range.

Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis

In the rich hardwood areas around Fredericton we found some interesting plants.  The Bloodroot pictured above is reasonably common.  The specimen pictured above is shown in the morning before it had fully opened to the sun.  

Round-lobed Hepatica Anemone americana

Round-lobed Hepatica

Round-lobed Hepatica

The Round-lobed Hepatica (also called Round-leaved Hepatica) is very rare in the province and is found in dry hardwood stands often on slopes.  It has been found in the lower St. John River valley, in one site along the Bay of Chaleur and in one area alone the St. Croix River.  We were lucky to find both white and blue specimens in full bloom.  The leaf is 3-lobed like the anatomy of a liver, hence the name.  The leaf is a dark greenish purple colour.

Baltimore Oriole

When I got home, this beautiful male Baltiore Oriole was enjoying the oranges I had put out for it.

Spring is an exciting time!