Rondeau Ric

Black Duck, December 19, 2019, Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. Anas rubripes As soon as their down feathers dry, newly hatched ducklings are able to leave the nest, a depression on the ground lined with plant materials. They follow their mother to rearing areas with a lot of invertebrates to eat and plenty of vegetation for cover. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Red Admiral, July 6, 2019, Leamington, Ontario, Canada. Vanessa Atalanta First described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae

Ozzie was carefully watching the deer in the yard to ensure they didn't attack the Christmas village. Dec 12, 2019

Schonberg, Ontario, Canada, Dec 15, 2019. Made the 7 hour round trip to get this life bird. Well worth the trip. Lots of close views, not over crowded and no one was harassing the bird. Surnia ulula Northern Hawk Owls are thought to detect prey primarily by sight. Along with their tendency to hunt in the daytime, their symmetrical ear openings are cited as evidence for daytime hunting—their ears presumably have less acute hearing than the asymmetrical ear openings of species such as Boreal and Great Gray Owls. Even so, hawk owls can still find prey by sound, even when it is under a foot of snow. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Hawk_Owl/

December 12, 2019. The pond and stream froze over last night. The water was still running under the ice. Warmer temperatures tonight and tomorrow but it is getting close to the end of the season.

Sept 18, 2018, Cooper's Hawk, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Slim pickings for photographing just now so this is one from the archives. Accipiter cooperii A Cooper's Hawk captures a bird with its feet and kills it by repeated squeezing. Falcons tend to kill their prey by biting it, but Cooper’s Hawks hold their catch away from the body until it dies. They’ve even been known to drown their prey, holding a bird underwater until it stopped moving.

Red phalarope and a dunlin at Keith McLeans Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada, Dec 7, 2019. Unusual for this late in the year. Later they were feeding at the edge of the ice where some melting had occurred. Phalaropus fulicarius - red phalarope Calidris alpina - dunlin

Northern Flicker, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, July 23, 2018. You know when you have an itch that's just out of reach? Colaptes auratus The oldest known yellow-shafted form of the Northern Flicker was a male and was at least 9 years, 2 months old when he was found in Florida.

Common Garter Snake, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, April 30, 2011 Going for a little swim. Thamnophis sirtalis The common garter snake is a species of natricine snake, which is indigenous to North America and found widely across the continent. Most common garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a black, brown or green background, and their average total length is about 55 cm, with a maximum total length of about 137 cm. The average body mass is 150 g. Common garter snakes are also the state reptile of Massachusetts.

Snowy Owl, near Shrewsbury, Ontario, Canada, Dec 1, 2019. Would have been better if he was closer but I will take what I can get. Bubo scandiacus The oldest-known Snowy Owl was a female, and at least 23 years, 10 months old when she was recaptured in 2015 during banding operations in Montana. She had been banded in Massachusetts in 1992.

Eastern Towhee, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 5, 2019. A female or immature eastern towhee in the pond earlier this month. Pipilo erythrophthalmus Eastern Towhees tend to be pretty solitary, and they use a number of threat displays to tell other towhees they’re not welcome. You may see contentious males lift, spread, or droop one or both wings, fan their tails, or flick their tails to show off the white spots at the corners. Studies have shown that male towhees tend to defend territories many times larger than needed simply to provide food.

Red phalarope, Nov 24, 2019, Erieau, Ont. It is getting harder to get a life bird without traveling long distances. This red phalarope was an exception. phalaropus fulicarius  A brilliant red bird with a white face and yellow bill in summer, the Red Phalarope becomes a subdued gray-and-white speck on the open ocean in the nonbreeding season. Red Phalaropes sometimes gather around gray and bowhead whales to feed in the plumes of muddy water the great mammals stir up. Whalers once called Red Phalaropes “bowhead birds” and looked for the flocks when searching for whales.

Quito, Ecuador, March 16, 2016. From the archives. Ensifera ensifera This is the only bird species with a bill length that exceeds the body length.

Brown creeper, Nov 14, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. A slightly grainy image of a brown creeper having a bath. First time I have seen one in the water. Certhia americana Brown Creepers burn an estimated 4–10 calories (technically, kilocalories) per day, a tiny fraction of a human’s daily intake of about 2,000 kilocalories. By eating a single spider, a creeper gains enough energy to climb nearly 200 feet vertically. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

What are you doing here? Baltimore Oriole, Nov 13, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. He's been around the yard for 3 days now feeding on peanuts. Dug out a grape jelly feeder hoping he will fuel up and move out. If you put out jelly use small amounts so they don't foul their feathers. Survived a very cold night, supposed to warm up starting Thursday. Icterus galbula Baltimore Orioles sometimes use their slender beaks to feed in an unusual way, called “gaping”: they stab the closed bill into soft fruits, then open their mouths to cut a juicy swath from which they drink with their brushy-tipped tongues.

Birds are hiding in the snow laden hedge, water is still flowing in the water feature. Rondeau Provincial Park, Nov 12, 2019, Ontario, Canada.

Eastern bluebird, Nov 9, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Sialia sialis Eastern Bluebirds eat mostly insects, wild fruit and berries. Occasionally, Eastern Bluebirds have also been observed capturing and eating larger prey items such as shrews, salamanders, snakes, lizards and tree frogs.

A poor photo through the window of a Baltimore Oriole, Nov 7, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. I don't recall having an oriole in the yard this late in the year. He checked out the peanuts then flew off. 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.

Red-headed woodpecker, Nov 5, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. According to our records this is the latest that we have had a red-headed woodpecker in the yard. It is very cautious and it takes two or three passes before it will settle on the feeder. Through the Wonderful Wildlife Window. Melanerpes erythrocephalus The Red-headed Woodpecker is one of only four North American woodpeckers known to store food, and it is the only one known to cover the stored food with wood or bark. It hides insects and seeds in cracks in wood, under bark, in fence posts, and under roof shingles. Grasshoppers are regularly stored alive, but wedged into crevices so tightly that they cannot escape. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Hermit thrush, Nov 4, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Late in the day we had a flurry of birds, including this hermit thrush, coming into the water feature in the yard. Catharus guttatus Hermit Thrushes sometimes forage by “foot quivering,” where they shake bits of grass with their feet to get insects. They also typically begin to quiver their feet as they relax after seeing a flying predator. Some scientists think the quivering happens as the bird responds to conflicting impulses to resume foraging or continue taking cover. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Black and white warbler, sept 29, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. The birds are using the pond as a splash pad, everybody gets wet. Mniotilta varia Black-and-white Warblers have an extra-long hind claw and heavier legs than other wood-warblers, which help them hold onto and move around on bark.

Black-throated blue warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 8 2019. Setophaga caerulescens On the wintering grounds males and females use slightly different habitats. The male is most common in forest at lower to middle elevations, while the female uses shrubbier habitat at higher elevations.

Rusty Blackbird, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 22, 2019. We have a flock of approximately 500 blackbirds drop into our yard several times a day. Along with grackles, redwings and cowbirds there have been a few rusty blackbirds. Euphagus carolinus The Rusty Blackbird feeds mostly on insects and plant matter, but it sometimes attacks and eats other birds. It has been documented feeding on sparrows, robins, and snipe, among others.

Purple sandpiper, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 19, 2019. Got a call from a fellow birder of a cooperative purple sandpiper on the beach. It allowed us to get close and only flew when an eagle buzzed the beach. it returned a few minutes later. Calidris maritima The Purple Sandpiper has the northernmost winter range of any shorebird.

Swainson's Thrush, Oct 14, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Catharus ustulatus Territorial disputes between males often take the form of singing duels, with song volume and frequency escalating until the combatants’ physical exertions are clearly evident. During these contests, rivals very occasionally invert their customary melody so that it spirals downward in pitch. A sing-off can lead to a chase and even occasionally to physical attack

Pine Warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 14, 2019. Had a swarm of birds come into the water feature, 5 species of warbler, 3 or more sparrows and the usual suspects. Setophaga pinus The Pine Warbler is the only warbler that eats large quantities of seeds, primarily those of pines. This seed-eating ability means Pine Warblers sometimes visit bird feeders, unlike almost all other warblers.

Northern Walkingstick, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 11, 2019.   Haven't seen many walking sticks this year. Anne spotted this one on the siding of the cottage. Rotated image 90 degrees. Diapheromera femorata

Dragonfly, skimmer family, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Aug 23, 2019. Not out much right now so this is from the archives.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 29, 2019. Another visitor to the water in the yard. Migration is slow and spotty but there are birds showing up. Toxostoma rufum An aggressive defender of its nest, the Brown Thrasher is known to strike people and dogs hard enough to draw blood.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 29, 2019. I hear this species much more often than I see one. Pipilo erythrophthalmus Eastern Towhees tend to be pretty solitary, and they use a number of threat displays to tell other towhees they’re not welcome. You may see contentious males lift, spread, or droop one or both wings, fan their tails, or flick their tails to show off the white spots at the corners. Studies have shown that male towhees tend to defend territories many times larger than needed simply to provide food.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 26, 2019. A pleasant surprise at the pond yesterday. 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.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 20, 2019. Looking ratty during its molt. Cardinalis cardinalis A perennial favorite among people, the Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven states.

Peregrine Falcon, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 20, 2019. Managed to get out on the pontoon for a short cruise along the south beach to look for shore birds. Saw a few sanderlings and gulls but nothing else. We came upon this peregrine grooming on a snag which may have had something to do with the shortage of small birds. Falco peregrinus The Peregrine Falcon is a very fast flier, averaging 40-55 km/h (25-34 mph) in traveling flight, and reaching speeds up to 112 km/h (69 mph) in direct pursuit of prey. During its spectacular hunting stoop from heights of over 1 km (0.62 mi), the peregrine may reach speeds of 320 km/h (200 mph) as it drops toward its prey.

Sora, Chatham Kent, Ontario, Canada, Sept 18, 2019. Went looking for a life bird which I missed, but it was still a nice outing. Large number of soras running through the grasses. This one stopped long enough to ge its photo. Porzana carolina Soras might not look like they can fly long distances with their stubby wings and chubby bodies, but they fly hundreds of miles each spring and fall to wetlands in Central and South America.

A two fer. Magnolia Warbler, Setophaga magnolia and a Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica, in the little water feature in the yard. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 16, 2019. More warblers moving through the yard, still in small numbers.

Black throated. green warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 11, 2019. Another of the fall warblers stopping for a break in the yard. Setophaga virens In areas where multiple species of warblers breed close together, Black-throated Green Warblers are generally dominant to Blackburnian Warblers, Yellow-rumped Warblers, and Northern Parulas, but subordinate to Magnolia Warblers.