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.