Marsh Walking

We recently visited Tiny Marsh in Ontario, a large wetland in Simcoe County located to the west of Barrie. This is a great birding spot. We walked along a dyke trail just before dusk, when activity was at its peak. One of the highlights was the large number of Yellow Warblers, a species also found in BC and pretty common. But in Tiny Marsh they were everywhere, flitting in and out of bushes, often at eye level. As we walked, we noticed several nests just along the trail, including the one below. It was located in a honeysuckle bush growing immediately adjacent to a little bridge that crossed a deep channel. You could reach out and touch this one. We managed to get a peak inside as the bird flew in and out to feed. What was interesting was just how close some of these nests were to each other, often only twenty feet apart. It would be interesting to know just how many Yellow Warblers this marsh supports.