Rondeau Ric

Forget snakes on a plane, there are snakes in the water. We were out on the pontoon looking for shorebirds when Anne spotted something swimming towrds the boat. Initial reaction was that was the fastest turtle we had ever seen. As it came closer it turned into a snake. It would swim on the surface, dive and resurface. Rondeau's own little Loch Ness monster. It's hard to tell but it may be a eastern fox snake. We have seen them in the water before. If you can help with the id I would appreciate. It could also be a northern water snake. Assuming it is an eastern fox it is - Pantherophis gloydi

We have a pair of brown thrashers that come to our yard most days. We think they are nesting close by. Today they showed up together and one wasn't happy when the other tried to join them in the pond. Toxostoma rufum An aggressive defender of its nest, the Brown Thrasher is known to strike people and dogs hard enough to draw blood. The oldest Brown Thrasher on record was at least 11 years, 11 months old. It was recaptured and then re-released at a Florida banding station.

These pretty little warblers are being cooperative this year. They can be seen most days on the Tulip Tree Trail in Rondeau Provincial Park. Protonotaria citrea

This female Baltimore oriole took some of the nesting material that anne puts out for the birds. It is empty woven seed bags. It is interesting to watch them come to the feeders with their mouths full and then try to eat. The often leave half the nesting material behind Icterus galbula Unlike robins and many other fruit-eating birds, Baltimore Orioles seem to prefer only ripe, dark-colored fruit. Orioles seek out the darkest mulberries, the reddest cherries, and the deepest-purple grapes, and will ignore green grapes and yellow cherries even if they are ripe. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Female ruby throated hummingbird at the oriole feeder. We have had males for about 2 weeks and the females have started arriving. Let the games begin. Archilochus colubris The Ruby-throated Hummingbird beats its wings about 53 times a second. The oldest known Ruby-throated Hummingbird was 9 years 1 month old.

This great horned owl chick is in still in the nest. It's sibling left yesterday and is somewhere else in the tree. The nest appears to be a broken branch in the shape of a bowl. Bubo virginianus When clenched, a Great Horned Owl’s strong talons require a force of 28 pounds to open. The owls use this deadly grip to sever the spine of large prey. The oldest Great Horned Owl on record was at least 28 years old when it was found in Ohio in 2005. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

If I do this you can't swallow me. Actually he can and did. We watched a garter snake take about 15 minutes to swallow an American toad. At this point the toad spread his legs as far as it could in an effort to get free. Seen while we were out bird watching. The horned snake of Rondeau.

This gray catbird was in the cat bird's seat at the top of the feeder. The cat's meow is an old expression, before my time, meaning  - An individual who is just really cool! Very likable and suave. Dumetella carolinensis The Gray Catbird’s long song may last for up to 10 minutes. The oldest known Gray Catbird lived to be 17 years 11 months old. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

You got mud on yo' face You big disgrace Kickin' your can all over the place Singin' We will we will rock you We will we will rock you Probing in the dirt for things to eat can be a muddy business. Protonotaria citrea Prothonotary Warblers feed on butterflies, moths, flies, beetles, mayflies, and spiders throughout the year The name "Prothonotary" refers to clerks in the Roman Catholic church, whose robes were bright yellow. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

I think Scarlet tanagers are a stunning bird.  Bright red with black wings, simple but elegant. Piranga olivacea The female Scarlet Tanager sings a song similar to the male's, but softer, shorter, and less harsh. She sings in answer to the male's song and while she is gathering nesting material. The oldest Scarlet Tanager on record was nearly 12 years old. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

We watched this chestnut-sided warbler feeding for several minutes. It was bouncing around a branch checking each leaf bud for insects. Setophaga pensylvanica The Chestnut-sided Warbler sings two basic song types: one is accented at the end (the pleased-to-MEETCHA song), and the other is not. The accented songs are used primarily to attract a female and decrease in frequency once nesting is well under way. The unaccented songs are used mostly in territory defense and aggressive encounters with other males. Some males sing only unaccented songs, and they are less successful at securing mates than males that sing both songs. source - Cornell Lab of ornithology.

It seems I'm slipping backwards off this log. A helping hand would be appreciated. I promise not to bite. Chelydra serpentina In Ontario, females do not begin to breed until they are 17 to 19 years old. A single clutch usually consists of between 40 and 50 eggs, which hatch in the fall. Snapping turtles only occasionally emerge from the water to bask. Despite their highly aquatic nature, they do not swim particularly well and are often observed simply walking on the bottom source - Ontario Nature.

This hermit thrush looks like he is about to breakout of jail. Catharus guttatus East of the Rocky Mountains the Hermit Thrush usually nests on the ground. In the West, it is more likely to nest in trees. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Harry, a friend of ours gave us an ID tip for this bird. He said it had a spangled back. It is a quick and effective way of identifying this bird. Tringa solitaria The Solitary Sandpiper is commonly seen in migration along the banks of ponds and creeks. While not truly solitary, it does not migrate in large flocks the way other shorebirds do. The Solitary Sandpiper lays its eggs in the tree nests of several different song birds, particularly those of the American Robin, Rusty Blackbird, Eastern Kingbird, Gray Jay, and Cedar Waxwing. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Not a rare bird but one we don't see every year. This Lincoln's sparrow showed up at the pond this evening. Melospiza lincolnii The Lincoln's Sparrow shows less geographical variation in song than any other species in its genus, perhaps a result of high dispersal rates among juveniles.