May 22nd, 2011

Just as the fireworks were being lit around the neighbourhood I heard a familiar sound coming from my backyard – the unmistakeable song of the Common Yellowthroat. I had to hear it again to make sure and then it also gave two call notes.

I called my brother-in-law (who called me to let me know he had an Eastern Towee in his backyard this spring) and he said ‘What? Did you plant a marsh back there this weekend?’ The Common Yellowthroat is a bird of marshland and wet scrubby habitats, of which I have none. I also had an Orchard Oriole in my cherry tree on Friday.

A couple of neat birds and as I was typing I was thinking that both are semi-significant-ish to Peter and I… the Common Yellowthroat, or the whichity whichity bird as he referred to it the first time I asked about it, is one of his favourite species, and I was with Peter when he saw his first ever Orchard Oriole along the river.