Late May rare bird round-up for the north shore

Single Northern Mockingbirds were seen and heard in three far flung residential neighbourhoods in the Town of Marathon in the past week. One visited our street on May 25.

May 25, 2012. Town of Marathon.

Luck was on my side yesterday when I pulled into a friend's driveway in Heron Bay and a Lark Sparrow flushed from the ground and perched momentarily on the Hydro line - just long enough for a silhouetted photo - before it flew off.

May 27, 2012. Heron Bay.

This was the second Lark Sparrow to show up on the north shore recently. On May 19, Sue and Mike Bryan spotted one visiting a feeder on the Dorion Loop Road, near Nipigon. It stuck around long enough to be seen by others in the following days.

May 20, 2012. Photo courtesy of Susan Fagan.

Some other good north shore sightings:

• Gary Selinger photographed a Summer Tanager at his Longlac feeder on May 26th.

May 26th, Longlac. Courtesy of Gary Selinger.

• A Red-headed Woodpecker was a regular visitor to Susan Fagan's feeder in Dorion between May 20th and 26th.  
• Christine and Kyle Drake admired a male Scarlet Tanager on Penn Lake Road, Marathon (May 25). 
• A male Bobolink sang from the top of a Black Spruce at the mouth of the Pic River on May 26. [Pic River residents recall a time, decades ago, when Bobolinks nested in the fields on the Pic River flood plain in their community.] 
• A Trumpeter Swan's arrival at Penn Lake, Marathon May 27th was noticed by many.

May 27, 2012. Penn Lake Park, Marathon.

May 28 additions: Unusual for Peninsula Harbour were a Ruddy Duck and an American White Pelican, both near the Town of Marathon boat launch.

May 28. Town of Marathon.

May 28. Town of Marathon.