Rondeau Ric

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 30, 2020. Such gorgeous colour on the throat. Archilochus colubris The Ruby-throated Hummingbird beats its wings about 53 times a second. source -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/gui…/Ruby-throated_Hummingbird

American goldfinch, May 30, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. The number of species and volumes of birds has dropped significantly in the past week. Looks like th spring migration is largely over. Spinus tristis Goldfinches are among the strictest vegetarians in the bird world, selecting an entirely vegetable diet and only inadvertently swallowing an occasional insect. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goldfinch

After a long bath at the pond this black throated blue gave himself a good shake. Black throated blue warbler, May 28, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Setophaga caerulescens In the Dominican Republic, Black-throated Blue Warblers take advantage of a sweet treat created by insects harvesting tree sap. These insects feed on tree sap and excrete drops of sweet sap or "honeydew" from their back ends that the warblers drink up. source -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/g…/Black-throated_Blue_Warbler

McLeans Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada, may 28, 2020. Went over to the marsh with friend, David, who showed me the area the marsh wren frequents. Popped up within minutes. Cistothorus palustris The secret life of the Marsh Wren plays out under the cover of reeds. Here, males routinely mate with 2 or more females and build at least 6 dummy nests for every female they mate with. One male built 22 nests on his territory source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Marsh_Wren/

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 26, 2020. Another shorebird seen from the pontoon. Calidris pusilla Semipalmated Sandpipers from eastern populations probably undertake nonstop transoceanic flights of 3,000 - 4,000 km (1,900 - 2,500 mi) from New England and southern Canada to South America, powered by extensive fat reserves. source -   https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Semipalmated_Sandpiper

A less colourful find. Ruddy turnstone, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 26, 2020. Seen along the shore while out on the pontoon boat. Arenaria interpres Young turnstones need to grow up and learn to fly quickly. They take their first flight when they are around 19 days old and fly thousands of miles to the nonbreeding grounds 2 days later. To make things harder, their parents will have departed by this time, leaving the youngsters to make their first migration on their own. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruddy_Turnstone

May 25, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park,  Ontario, Canada. Things seem to be slowing down with the warbler migration but there are still a few birds passing through. Setophaga americana Before this species received the name Northern Parula (a diminutive form of parus, meaning little titmouse), Mark Catesby, an English naturalist, called it a "finch creeper" and John James Audubon and Alexander Wilson called it a "blue yellow-backed warbler." source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Parula/

Erieau, Ontario, Canada. Had a great time walking a trail in Erieau on Saturday. Got the prairie, Connecticut and Kirkland's warblers in a short distance. Got a image of the Kirtland's but my Connecticut were unusable. Total of 24 warbler species 48 others. Setophaga discolor Female Prairie Warblers commonly eat the eggshells after their young hatch, consuming the shells in 15 to 90 seconds. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Prairie_Warbler

May 22, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. We were headed towards a reported hooded warbler when Anne spotted a woodcock at the side of the road. A quick stop and stalk resulted in a photo op. Scolopax minor Wouldn’t it be useful to have eyes in the back of your head? American Woodcocks come close—their large eyes are positioned high and near the back of their skull. This arrangement lets them keep watch for danger in the sky while they have their heads down probing in the soil for food. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Woodcock/

May 19, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. One of my favourite warblers, he put on a show up close and personal. Setophaga pensylvanica The Chestnut-sided Warbler sings two basic songs: one is accented at the end (the pleased-to-meetcha song), and the other is not. Males sing the accented songs primarily to attract a female; once nesting is well underway they switch over to the unaccented songs, which are used mostly in territory defense and aggressive encounters with other males. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Chestnut-sided_Warbler

May 20, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Canada warblers were numerous in the park today but i was always a few minutes late. Finally caught up with one in the afternoon and it was worth the wait. Cardellina canadensis Canada Warblers fly more than 3,000 miles from their wintering grounds in South America to their breeding grounds in the United States and Canada.

May 18, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Helping to maintain the stereotype of the weird birder, I was out in the rain and heavy wind trying to find birds. Floppy hat, rain jacket, binoculars and camera slogging along the edge of the road. Saw a few and got one decent if not spectacular image. Catharus fuscescens

May 16, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. A fairly rare visitor to the park, this one came out from the grass on occasion allowing for a lot of photographers to get photos. Setophaga kirtlandii The Kirtland's Warbler requires areas with small jack pines for nesting. The jack pine requires fire to open its cones and spread its seeds. The warbler first appears in an area about six years after a fire when the new growth is dense and is about 1.5 to 2.0 meters (5.0-6.5 feet) high. After about 15 years, when the trees are 3.0 to 5.0 meters (10.0 to 16.5 feet) high, the warbler leaves the area. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Kirtlands_Warbler

May 15, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Finally a spring like day with good bird activity. Coccyzus americanus Yellow-Billed Cuckoos have a primal-sounding, croaking call that they often give in response to loud noises. Their tendency to call at the sound of thunder has led to their colloquial name, the “rain crow.” source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-billed_Cuckoo

May 13, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. They've been back for awhile and are in our yard daily. Pheucticus ludovicianus Rose-breasted Grosbeaks build such flimsy nests that eggs are often visible from below through the nest bottom. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Rose-breasted_Grosbeak

May 13, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. The red-head finally came back to the yard. We had one until mid February then it disappeared. Melanerpes erythrocephalus Pleistocene-age fossils of Red-headed Woodpeckers—up to 2 million years old—have been unearthed in Florida, Virginia, and Illinois. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-headed_Woodpecker

May 12, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Not much variety especially in warblers. Warmer weather on the way after another sub-freezing night. Catharus fuscescens A study of migration using radio telemetry showed that the Veery can fly up to 285 km (160 mi) in one night, and that it can fly at altitudes above 2,000 m (1.2 mi). source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Veery/

May 10, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. There were 4 little ones running around near an adult. Charadrius vociferus A well-known denizen of dry habitats, the Killdeer is actually a proficient swimmer. Adults swim well in swift-flowing water, and chicks can swim across small streams. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Killdeer/

May 9, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Still just a few species of warblers and low numbers, snowed this morning, freezing temperatures overnight. Setophaga virens One male Black-throated Green Warbler was observed singing 466 songs in one hour. source - https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-throated_Green_Warbler

May 8, 2020, Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Not a lot of warblers around and the few that are here are hard to find. This yellow came to a feeder in the yard today. Using an old jelly feeder to put out cut up grapes. Evidently the sugar hit from grape jelly isn't good for orioles. Don't know about warblers. Setophaga petechia Life can be dangerous for a small bird. Yellow Warblers have occasionally been found caught in the strands of an orb weaver spider’s web. Source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

May 1, 2020, Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Back in the same roost hole as last year. A fair distance from the road. Megascops asio Like most raptors, male Eastern Screech-Owls are smaller than females, and are more agile fliers and hunters. The female doesn’t hunt while on the nest; she and the chicks depend on food brought them by the male. Though the male is smaller, his voice is deeper than the female’s. source -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl

May2, 2020, Southwestern Ontario, Canada. They only pause for a moment so you best be fast on the shutter. Polioptila caerulea A pair of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers can build up to seven nests in a breeding season. They often re-use nest material from previous nests, which speeds re-nesting. This can be essential to breeding success, since predation, nest parasitism, or mite infestations frequently cause nest loss and brood failure. source -  https://www.allaboutbirds.org/…/Blue-gray_Gnatcatc…/overview

May 3, 2020, Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Hammering away about 10 feet from me. Love the little crest. Dryocopus pileatus The Pileated Woodpecker prefers large trees for nesting. In young forests, it will use any large trees remaining from before the forest was cut. Because these trees are larger than the rest of the forest, they present a lightning hazard to the nesting birds.

May 2, 2020, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. The hummer has started showing up at the feeders at the cottage, regularly today. He has 4 to choose from. Archilochus colubris Ruby-throated Hummingbirds prefer to feed on red or orange flowers (though it's not necessary to colour the sugar water you put in a hummingbird feeder). Like many birds, hummingbirds have good colour vision and can see into the ultraviolet spectrum, which humans can’t see. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

American avocet, May 1, 2020, Keith McClean Conservation Area, Ontario, Canada. Got a call the there were 3 avocet just outside Rondeau Provincial Park. Close enough to get few shots. Recurvirostra americana American Avocet chicks leave the nest within 24 hours of hatching. Day-old avocets can walk, swim, and even dive to escape predators. source - Cornell Lab of Ornithology.