The birds which live along the Rotary Trail are not as tolerant of people as those along the boardwalk in Summerside. On the Rotary Trail, they are more difficult to observe as they flit around the treetops so high above one’s view.
However, I was able to take a few photos and videos of the spring avian song and dance here on Prince Edward Island. I hope with time to improve the quality of my work.
Patience is important in this endeavour. My husband walked on while I waited and followed a Red-breasted Nuthatch among the trees.
It had a nest, a hole in a tree which it tended. Back and forth it went to the hole.
After a few minutes it started a step dance along nearby branches, doing footwork and moving back and forth. It turned around on the branch and repeated the performance. It did this for several minutes, then moved to another branch and repeated the behaviour. The entire time it called out in its best nuthatch way. A video is here. While it is not great quality, you can see and hear its dance and song.
Another interesting sight was the American Robin, with the breast which looked like velvet.
It flitted around, calling out as it went. It wasn’t as high in the trees and was easier to photograph and video which you can see here.
There are lots of Black-capped Chickadees at the Rotary Park and on the Confederation Trail. On the latter trail a few days ago, we could hear the chickadees in one section of the trail singing.
We stopped for a time and watched one in an apple tree. It was the same song being sung by chickadees all along that section of trail. The wind made it impossible to take a good video.
Yesterday my husband and I rode along the Confederation Trail again, this time near O’Leary. I watched and listened to two Northern Flickers high in a tree.
The birds had a unique song I didn’t recognize and though I recorded them, the video quality is terrible.
The birds are singing and dancing their way through April here on the island and we are privileged to witness their performance.