May birds and bugs

It's been a pretty crazy last few weeks for me doing presentations about the Important Bird Area program around southern Ontario but it has been a great excuse to be out and about and seeing lots of fun stuff. I've even had a chance to take a couple photos of some of the goodies - check em out!

Acadian Flycatcher in the Norfolk Forest Complex IBA

Many migrants, like this Wood Thrush have nesting well on the way already

An Ovenbird nest with eggs

Eastern Tailed Blue nectaring on strawberry blossoms

Eastern Pine Elfin on garlic mustard

Female Yellow-rumped Warbler

One of my favourites of the spring - Golden-winged Warbler

Hooded Warbler on our birdathon

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

One of my all-time favourite species, Philadelphia Vireo

My Dad's find on our birdathon - a Prairie Warbler that was enjoyed by many at Pelee this spring

Ken found this Yellow-breasted Chat at Pelee and it stuck for lots of people to see.

Ovenbird

Blackburnian Warbler

Five-lined Skink

It's not too late to support my Baillie Birdathon! If you want to hear all about our day of birds and fundraising you'll need to sponsor me. See here for more details. If you already have sponsored me, thanks very much, the report should be going out to you in the next week!

Baillie Birdathon

To donate directly (credit cards accepted) go to my personal Birdathon page and click "Give Now"

http://birdscanada.kintera.org/birdathon/mikeburrell

For the 16th consecutive year I am participating in the Baillie Birdathon, the oldest sponsored bird count in North America, raising money for bird research and conservation. As usual, I am participating on a team with my Dad and my brother. We have raised about $20,000 in that time and look forward to adding to that total this year.

Our birdathon team - Dad, Ken and I (photo: Barb Charlton)

If you pledge support to my Birdathon, part of that money will go to support the Long Point Bird Observatory and the great work they do. If you’d like to support the Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists, please pledge money to my Dad (James Burrell). Simply click "Give Now" on my Birdathon page to make a donation or contact me directly at mike.burrell.on@gmail.com

I'll take you birding! (photo: Mark Peck)

INCENTIVES – if you pledge $100 or more I will take you birding for a day anywhere in southern Ontario (if you want to put up with me for a whole day)! And of course, everyone who pledges to support my Birdathon will get a write-up with photos of the day’s highlights. On top of these incentives, pledges over $10 get an official tax receipt for income tax purposes and pledges over $35 get a year’s subscription to Birdwatch Canada.

How about $5 per woodpecker species? Get creative!

I’m also happy to accept per species or other creative pledges...do your worst! Some ideas for creative pledges are built in bonuses for particular species/combos or pledges per bird family; really the sky’s the limit. We usually see between 130 and 150 species during our Birdathon which we do in the Point Pelee area.

On the birdathon, all species count!

Thank you in advance for your generosity!