Rondeau Ric

Earlier this year there were a number of short eared owls in Essex County. This is one of several hundred photos I took of the birds. Asio flammeus As suggested by their wide global distribution, Short-eared Owls can travel long distances over vast expanses of ocean. Witnesses have reported seeing these owls descending on ships hundreds of miles from land. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

The water flow isn't on but the little pond is open and this red-winged blackbird was having a wonderful time having a bath. In February. In Canada. Agelaius phoeniceus Male Red-winged Blackbirds fiercely defend their territories during the breeding season, spending more than a quarter of daylight hours in territory defense. He chases other males out of the territory and attacks nest predators, sometimes going after much larger animals, including horses and people.

Boreal Chickadee, Algonquin Provincial Park, Feb 23, 2017 The rain stopped and the fog lessened enough for me to get this shot of a boreal chickadee. A lifer for both Anne and me. Poecile hudsonicus The oldest recorded Boreal Chickadee was at least 5 years, 4 months, when it was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in Nova Scotia.

We went to Algonquin Provincial Park and the weather was terrible. Heavy fog, downpours and poor lighting. Regardless we had a good time and got one life bird and one life mammal. The mammal was the pine marten, a shy yet curious animal that are agile climbers and spend much of their time in trees, where they prey on squirrels and chipmunks. Martes Americana

We where visiting in Amherstburg and I spotted this bald eagle sitting near the road. A few shots and it was off. Haliaeetus leucocephalus Bald Eagles have been known to play with plastic bottles and other objects pressed into service as toys. One observer witnessed six Bald Eagles passing sticks to each other in midair.

Golden naped tanager, Tandayapa, Ecuador. Just the same old birds around the feeders so another shot from warmer climates. Tangara ruficervix The Golden-naped Tanager is omnivorous and eats arthropods, fruit, and nectar.

A pond bird from warmer times. Sitta canadensis Red-breasted Nuthatches migrate southward earlier than many irruptive species. They may begin in early July and may reach their southernmost point by September or October.

Golden tanagers, Tandayapa, Ecuador, March 2016 Tangara arthus The Golden Tanager occurs in groups of up to five individuals that travel in mixed species flocks, usually with other species of tanager

A low pass by a bald eagle. Haliaeetus leucocephalus Rather than do their own fishing, Bald Eagles often go after other creatures’ catches. A Bald Eagle will harass a hunting Osprey until the smaller raptor drops its prey in midair, where the eagle swoops it up. A Bald Eagle may even snatch a fish directly out of an Osprey’s talons. Fishing mammals (even people sometimes) can also lose prey to Bald Eagle piracy.

Still eager for the spring migration. In the meantime here's a male magnolia warbler decked out in breeding plumage. Setophaga magnolia The name of the species was coined in 1810 by Alexander Wilson, who collected a specimen from a magnolia tree in Mississippi. He actually used the English name "Black-and-yellow Warbler" and used "magnolia" for the Latin species name, which became the common name over time.

Another summer shot taken from the pontoon. Phalacrocorax auritus The double-crest of the Double-crested Cormorant is only visible on adults during breeding season. The crests are white in cormorants from Alaska, and black in other regions.

Yellow-crowned Euphonia at Tandayapa, from our 2016 trip to Ecuador. There are only to flat places in Ecuador, the airport and the soccer field. Euphonia luteicapilla

This american coot was grooming and shook so hard it popped out of the water. Fulica americana Although it swims like a duck, the American Coot does not have webbed feet like a duck. Instead, each one of the coot’s long toes has broad lobes of skin that help it kick through the water. The broad lobes fold back each time the bird lifts its foot, so it doesn’t impede walking on dry land, though it supports the bird’s weight on mucky ground.

From last year, a juvenile black crowned night heron in Rondeau Bay, Rondeau Provincial Park. Nycticorax nycticorax Young Black-crowned Night-Herons leave the nest at the age of 1 month but cannot fly until they are 6 weeks old. They move through the vegetation on foot, joining up in foraging flocks at night.

Amazing what a bird will do to get a high quality meal. This blue jay regularly hovered under the suet feeder to grab a bit. Cyanocitta cristata The Blue Jay frequently mimics the calls of hawks, especially the Red-shouldered Hawk. These calls may provide information to other jays that a hawk is around, or may be used to deceive other species into believing a hawk is present.

We watched a least bittern fishing for about 1/2 hour one day while out on the pontoon. Ixobrychus exilis Thanks to its habit of straddling reeds, the Least Bittern can feed in water that would be too deep for the wading strategy of other herons.

From last year along the marsh edge. Porzana carolina A small, secretive bird of freshwater marshes, the Sora is the most common and widely distributed rail in North America. Its distinctive descending whinny call can be easily heard from the depths of the cattails, but actually seeing the little marsh-walker is much more difficult. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Came across a large flock of snow buntings on Friday the 3rd. Probably 500 or more. This is a small part of the flock. Plectrophenax nivalis The Snow Bunting places its nest deep in cracks or other cavities in rocks. Although such nest sites are relatively secure from predators, rocks are cold. The thick nest lining of fur and feathers helps keep the eggs and nestlings warm, but the female must remain on the nest for most of the incubation period. The male feeds her while she is incubating so that she does not need to leave the nest very often.

Tandayapa, Ecuador, March 2016. Chlorostilbon melanorhynchus Sometimes grouped with other species in the taxonomically confusing Chlorostilbon genus, the Western Emerald is often now considered its own species. These emeralds inhabit gardens, partially open or shrubby areas with trees, and cultivated areas. They have a more straight flight pattern than do many hummers, and they forage individually at flowers in the lower and middle strata. Males sparkle with green throughout while females are green above and gray below. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Neotropical birds

Horned Grebe, Rondeau Provincial Park, summer 2016. Podiceps auritus A sleeping or resting Horned Grebe puts its neck on its back with its head off to one side and facing forward. It keeps one foot tucked up under a wing and uses the other one to maneuver in the water. Having one foot up under a wing makes it float with one "high" side and one "low" side.

Went to Erieau,Ontario to see what ducks were around. One of the few was this male bufflehead duck in breeding plumage. Bucephala albeola Unlike most ducks, the Bufflehead is mostly monogamous, often remaining with the same mate for several years.