Rondeau Ric

Black throated green warbler at the pond Sept 2, 2017. I will have to close the pond soon due to freezing temperatures. Setophaga virens   The male Black-throated Green Warbler sings persistently during the breeding season. One individual was observed singing 466 songs in one hour. source -   https://www.allaboutbirds.org/…/Black-throated_…/lifehistory

This is the only time of year I can get decent waterfowl photos so here's another one. Redhead duck on Rondeau Bay, Nov 2017. Aythya americana Many ducks lay some of their eggs in other birds’ nests (a strategy known as “brood parasitism”), but female Redheads are perhaps tops in this department. Their targets include other Redheads as well as Mallard, Canvasback, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Duck, American Wigeon—even Northern Harrier. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Redhead/lifehistory

Townsend's warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Nov 2017. This rarity has been around for several weeks and I keep trying to get a good photo. To say the least, it isn't cooperating. Up high and /or far away. Setophaga townsendi A bird of the Pacific Northwest, the Townsend's Warbler nests in coniferous forests from Alaska to Oregon. It winters in two distinct areas: in a narrow strip along the Pacific Coast, and in Mexico and Central America.

Yet another of the ducks we saw last Tuesday. Mergus serrator The Red-breasted Merganser breeds farther north and winters farther south than the other American mergansers.

Another of the ducks we saw while out and about on Tuesday. It was riding the waves on Rondeau Bay. Anas strepera  We don’t tend to think of ducks as pirates, but Gadwall often snatch food from diving ducks as they surface. This widespread, adaptable duck has dramatically increased in numbers in North America since the 1980s. source -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Gadwall/lifehistory

Spotted this American Coot in a drainage ditch, seems he know the hokey pokey. "Now put your right foot in Your right foot out Right foot in Then you shake it all about" 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. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Coot/lifehistory

A number of ducks were in  a small cove at the shore due to big waves on the bay. There was a group of wigeon that stayed reasonably close to shore giving me a photo op. Anas americana The American Wigeon's short bill enables it to exert more force at the bill tip than other dabbling ducks, thus permitting efficient dislodging and plucking of vegetation. source -https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Wigeon/lifehistory

We have a lot of deer coming into the yard at this time of year. There is a deer herd reduction happening just now and the deer seem to know they are safe around the cottages. At one time there were 900 deer in the park. The environment can handle approximately 60.

As soon as it was out of the box Crash decided this was a cat spa.

Why American Bitterns are hard to find. Mostly they hide along the edges of a marshy area and blend into the reeds. They will sway with the wind so they move like the reeds.

Taken at the  Canadian Raptor Conservancy facility on  a rainy day. Bubo virginianus Great Horned Owls are fierce predators that can take large prey, including raptors such as Ospreys, Peregrine Falcons, Prairie Falcons, and other owls. They also eat much smaller items such as rodents, frogs, and scorpions. source -https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Horned_Owl/lifehistory

Two of more than 40 horned grebes we saw Oct 26 while boating on Rondeau Bay.. We tend to see them during spring and fall. 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. source -https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Horned_Grebe/lifehistory

A rare visitor in our area on L ake Erie. We followed up on a rare bird posting and were lucky enough to find the bird within minutes of arriving. Long distance shots until the bird flew up and went west over Lake Erie. Pelecanus erythrorhynchos Pelican chicks can crawl by 1 to 2 weeks of age. By 3 weeks they can walk with their body off the ground and can swim as soon as they can get to water. Older chicks move up to running, then running with flapping their wings, and by the age of 9 to 10 weeks, they can fly. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_White_Pelican/lifehistory