Brown Thrasher

Today I happened to find my first Brown Thrasher. There were two of them just off of a trail behind where I work. Yesterday I saw them, but I wasn't sure what they were and didn't have time to stop to figure it out.

Chesnut-sided Warbler & female Northern Cardinal

It has been just pouring for the last 48 hours or so. There was a brief break in the rain this morning though so I went for a walk with my boys and got out in my yard before it started again. I was forunate enough to find a Chesnut-sided Warbler (lifer) on our walk and a female Cardinal showed up in our yard. A male has been hanging around for the past couple of days so I have been on the lookout for the female.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I had my first hummingbird of the year this morning. It will be nice to see them on a consistenly basis for the rest of the summer now. The picture is from a few years ago, but I wanted to post it since I have yet to post one of a hummingbird.
A male cardinal also showed up and was eating along with a mourning dove and some song sparrows.

* I got my first picture of the hummingbird in my yard this morning, see below!

Common Yellowthroat & Veery

I went for a walk along the Meduxnekeag orange trail today and found two new birds. The first was a Blackburnian Warbler (didn't get a good picture, just a blurry one of its orange head) and a Veery (second picture). I saw four Common Yellowthroats during my walk and managed to get this shot of a male one singing.

Blue-winged Teal & Gray Catbird

I couldn't sleep this morning so I ventured out to go birding before 6am. It was my plan all along to get out early on Victoria Day, but I didn't think there would be much to see with all the rain. I was wrong however, and I have decided I should get out in the rain more often actually. Here are some highlights from my morning:

American Redstart (first of year)
Ring-necked Pheasant
Wild Turkey
Baltimore Oriole (first of year)
Belted Kingfisher
Osprey

Picture 1 - Gray Catbird - I heard this one in the distance and keep going through the woods until I found it. My son was quite interested in a bird by such a name so I played him a video that included it meowing. Yesterday I found 2 in Mactaquac, but couldn't get a picture so I was pleased to get one today.

Picture 2 - Blue-winged Teal (found in two different locations). This was a lifer for me and brought me up to 100! for the year and 121 for life in New Brunswick.

Mactaquac area

I saw 27 different birds today in 3 different areas (Woodstock, Keswick Ridge and Mactaquac). I got to add 4 to my life list today (Common Tern, Gray Catbird, Cliff Swallow and Black-throated Green Warbler) and two were the first of the year for me (White-crowned Sparrow and Common Yellowthroat).

Killdeer

Yesterday I was in the St.Stephen area for most of the day for a birthday party. I had about 10 minutes before everyone else arrived so I went down the road to Moores Mills lake where I thought I might be able to see at least one bird. I lucked out and found a Killdeer! The last time I saw one was as a small child when they used to nest in a rock pile near the yard of my parents home. This was the first picture I've ever taken of one and it brought my total up to 90 for the year and 115 for life in NB.

Spotted Sandpiper

Along with the two Warblers from my previous post, I also found this Spotted Sandpiper yesterday. I have now found 88 different birds in NB so far this year and 114 in my lifetime.

I still have yet to see any Ruby-throated Hummingbirds this year (I did put my feeder up over the weekend because they are in NB now) and there aren't any Great Blue Herons around Woodstock yet.

Magnolia & Yellow Warbler

Today I was out looking for birds in three different places around Woodstock and the Nackawic area. I managed to find two Warblers during my travels!

The first was a Magnolia Warbler which I've never seen before. Someday I hope to get a better quality picture. At first I thought it was a Yellow-rumped, but since I did get a picture, I was able to study and more at home and properly identify it.

The second was a Yellow Warbler. It was the first of the year for me and I am a little happier with the photo.

Green Heron & Bald Eagle

I stopped in Bull's Creek on the way to work this morning and saw these two birds. The Green Heron was my first and I noticed the Bald Eagle perched up high in a tree. Thanks to my friends at http://birdingnewbrunswick.ca/ for helping me ID the heron!

Savannah Sparrow and Blue-headed Vireo

Over the weekend, this Savannah Sparrow visited my in-laws backyard (first of the year for me) and this Blue-headed Vireo was on one of the UNB Woodlot trails (first one for me). I'm now up to 85 species in NB for the year and 111 for my life list in NB.

Northern Shoveler

I saw my first Northern Shoveler at the Keswick flats yesterday just before dusk.