Bobolinks

For several years, now, I’ve been trying to get a decent photograph of a bobolink. The male, in his breeding plumage, is particularly striking with his bright yellow skullcap. Back in 2007, I saw several in a field by the Ottawa River at Marais des Laîches in east Gatineau, but didn’t have adequate lens power to pull in an acceptable capture.

I’ve returned almost every spring for five or six years since, to carry out this quest, but with scant success. I had thought they had abandoned the habitat. But this year, they’re back at the Marais (or at least they have made themselves visible to these eyes) and I managed to take a few respectable photos of one who graciously posed for me on a fencepost.

Bobolinks are long-distance migrators, wintering in South America, and crossing from North to South America over the Caribbean Sea instead of the isthmus. In the non-breeding season, the male loses his bright colours and becomes a dun brown, like the female.

Although there is some evidence of population declines in recent years, the species is not considered at risk. (Encyclopaedia of Life: http://eol.org/pages/1051993/details )