The White-throated Sparrow bows its head so we can see the black and white strips on top, one of its identifying marks.
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet pauses on its way north. It has subtle wing bars that help identify it.
Among the many kinds of warblers working their way north to Canada is this female Yellow Warbler.
The male Cowbirds (above) have fancier feathers than the female (below). Cowbirds are parasites. They lay their eggs in the nests of smaller songbirds. If there are already eggs in the nest, the female will throw them out when she lays her eggs. If the songbirds lay their eggs after the cowbird, the newly hatched cowbird will throw out the other eggs. The cowbirds developed this behavior because they once followed herds of buffalo on the great plains, depending on the buffalo to stir up insects for them to eat. Because the buffalo were constantly moving, the cowbirds couldn't stay in one place long enough to hatch and raise their young. Their parasitic behavior has contributed to a decline in the population of several other species.
This is a male Red-winged Blackbird, near the Killbuck Wetland. Red-winged Blackbirds are often found near water and like to nest among reeds at the water's edge. It's hard to get close enough to them to clearly see the red and yellow "chevrons" on the shoulders of the male.
The Cardinals are year around residents, but they are always a welcome and colorful sight.