Rondeau Ric

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 20, 2021. Going through older photos and decided to post this one. I enjoy getting images of the birds in our little water feature. Colaptes auratus Like most woodpeckers, Northern Flickers drum on objects as a form of communication and territory defense. In such cases, the object is to make as loud a noise as possible, and that’s why woodpeckers sometimes drum on metal objects. One Northern Flicker in Wyoming could be heard drumming on an abandoned tractor from a half-mile away. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, spring 2021. One of the jewels of sping migration through our area. Setophaga magnolia The male Magnolia Warbler has two songs. The first song, issued in courtship and around the nest, consists of three short phrases with an accented ending. The second song, possibly issued in territory defense against other males, is similar to the first but is sweeter and less accented. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

May 21, 2017, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Going through some older photos and came across this one. 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 fenceposts, and under roof shingles. Grasshoppers are regularly stored alive, but wedged into crevices so tightly that they cannot escape. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Don't know what it is but it looks nice. Our yard, Aug 1, 2021.

 When  I saw the cattle egret earlier this was the horse that shooed him  closer to me.

Chatham-Kent Ontario, Nov 30, 2021. Received a rare bird alert about an egret close to our place. Unusual in our area and this time of year. Bubulcus ibis Cattle Egrets are native to Africa but somehow reached northeastern South America in 1877. They continued to spread, arriving in the United States in 1941 and nesting there by 1953. In the next 50 years they became one of the most abundant of the North American herons, showing up as far north as Alaska and Newfoundland. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 28, 2021. Fairly late for us to have a field sparrow in the yard. Spizella pusilla The oldest recorded Field Sparrow was at least 10 years, 4 months old when it was recaptured and rereleased at a banding station in Maryland in 2007. It had been banded in the same state in 1999. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Blackpoll warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, 2021. One of the most dramatic changes between fall and spring plumage. Setophaga striata The sharply marked Blackpoll Warbler is nature’s hearing test, with a high-pitched, almost inaudible song that floats through the boreal forests of Canada. This long-distance athlete weighs less than half an ounce yet makes the longest overwater journey of any songbird—nearly 1,800 miles nonstop over the Atlantic Ocean to its wintering grounds. In the fall, this black-and-white warbler molts into yellow-green plumage and loses its black cap. Although still numerous, it has lost an estimated 88% of its population in the last 40 years. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

I'm so old I remember when this was a store. Maybe it was just a Canadian thing.

Cute but voracious and ingenious when it comes to getting on peanut feeders. Sciurus carolinensis The tail has many important functions. It acts as a rudder when the animal jumps from high places, as a warm covering during the winter, as a signal to other eastern grey squirrels indicating an individual’s mood, and perhaps as a sunshade. Finally, the tail can be used to distract a pursuing predator.

House finch, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 23, 2021 A vistor to the water feature. Haemorhous mexicanus The red of a male House Finch comes from pigments contained in its food during molt (birds can’t make bright red or yellow colors directly). So the more pigment in the food, the redder the male. This is why people sometimes see orange or yellowish male House Finches. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male they can find, perhaps raising the chances they get a capable mate who can do his part in feeding the nestlings. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Tufted titmouse, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 22, 2021. Classic side view of a titmouse with the crest up. Baeolophus bicolor Tufted Titmice often line the inner cup of their nest with hair, sometimes plucked directly from living animals. The list of hair types identified from old nests includes raccoons, opossums, mice, woodchucks, squirrels, rabbits, livestock, pets, and even humans. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

American goldfinch, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 21, 2021. Another forager in the back of the yard. We have planted the majorty of the property in native tall grases and floweres for the wildlife. Also I hate cutting grass. Spinus tristis Goldfinches move south in winter following a pattern that seems to coincide with regions where the minimum January temperature is no colder than 0 degrees Fahrenheit on average. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

American tree sparrow, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 20, 2021. A fall/winter bird for us. When they come along with the juncos winter isn't far behind. Spizelloides arborea American Tree Sparrows need to take in about 30 percent of their body weight in food and a similar percentage in water each day. A full day's fasting is usually a death sentence. Their body temperature drops and they lose nearly a fifth of their weight in that short time. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Cats are either very smart or extremely weird, maybe both. It has long since cooled down from being used. Does he know it used to be warm?

Rufous hummingbird, southwestern Ontario, Sept 24, 2021. A rare bird for our area, had the priviledge of going to a private residence to view the bird. Normal range pacific coast and American south west. Selasphorus rufus The Rufous Hummingbird breeds as far north as southeastern Alaska – the northernmost breeding range of any hummingbird in the world. Of the western hummingbirds that occasionally show up in the east, the Rufous Hummingbird is the most frequent. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

An upclose conversation with a bison. Parc Omega, Quebec, Canada, April 2019.

A dog house perhaps? Or something very tall that can get down low. We will never know. Quebec, April 2019.

This northern pintail looks like it has been weight lifting and is showing off. Texas Jan 2012. Anas acuta Northern Pintails migrate at night at speeds around 48 miles per hour. The longest nonstop flight recorded for a Northern Pintail was 1,800 miles. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

 Who knew it was an alternative fuel.

Yellow-rumped warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 9, 2021. New photo blind/hide set is finished. One of the first birds to come in to the pond area. Setophaga coronata The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only warbler able to digest the waxes found in bayberries and wax myrtles. Its ability to use these fruits allows it to winter farther north than other warblers, sometimes as far north as Newfoundland. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Sage thrasher, a long way from home. Mitchell's Bay, Ontario, Canada, Nov 7, 2021. It was moving around in stag horn sumac bushes and grape vine and wouldn't come all the way out. Good looks at the wanderer. This bird is way out of it's normal range in the American Southwest. Oreoscoptes montanus In the high desert of the sagebrush steppe there can be extreme daily fluctuations in temperature. Sage Thrashers often orient their nest entrances eastward to capture solar heat in the cold mornings and to shade the eggs in the hot afternoons.

Red-bellied woodpecker, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Nov 4, 2021. Alright it doesn't really have a red belly, more of a pinkish blush, live with it. Melanerpes carolinus A Red-bellied Woodpecker can stick out its tongue nearly 2 inches past the end of its beak. The tip is barbed and the bird’s spit is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. Males have longer, wider-tipped tongues than females, possibly allowing a breeding pair to forage in slightly different places on their territory and maximize their use of available food. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Dark-eyed junco, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 31, 2021. At a glance they can look grey and white but there is a little colour in there. Be kind, I am partially colour blind or if we are being fancy - colour perception disorder. Junco hyemalis The Dark-eyed Junco is one of the most common birds in North America and can be found across the continent, from Alaska to Mexico, from California to New York. A recent estimate set the junco’s total population at approximately 630 million individuals. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Eastern towhee, May 6, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Usually skulking in the undergrowth, this male came out into the sunshine. 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. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Field Sparrow, April 27, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Spizella pusilla Field Sparrows often breed more than once a season. They build a new nest each time, building them higher and higher off the ground as the season progresses. Early spring nests are often on the ground, where they’re less visible. As leaves and groundcover grow the birds build their nests in bushes and trees, where they’re safer from snakes and other predators. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Palm warbler, fall plumage, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 13, 2021. We see these warblers during the spring ad fall migrations. Setophaga palmarum Canada's boreal forests stretch for miles and miles. The great boreal forest, often called “North America’s bird nursery,” is the summer home to billions of migratory birds and an estimated 98% of all Palm Warblers. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

One of our feeder poles was taken down last night by a raccoon. Somehow it broke a metal pole in two places. Just missed our little water feature. Rondeau Provincial Park, Oct 27, 2021.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 22, 2021. Flitting though the hedge, dashing to the water and gone again. Elapsed time 3 seconds or less. Regulus satrapa Though barely larger than a hummingbird, this frenetically active bird can survive –40 degree nights, sometimes huddling together for warmth. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

House finch, Sept 26, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Haemorhous mexicanus The House Finch was originally a bird of the western United States and Mexico. In 1940 a small number of finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York, after failed attempts to sell them as cage birds (“Hollywood finches”). They quickly started breeding and spread across almost all of the eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Tennessee warbler, Sept 25, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Migration is nearing its end so here's one from a month a go. Leiothlypis peregrina Tennessee Warblers are dainty, thin-billed warblers that breed in the boreal forest of Canada. Though they lack the brilliant colors of other warbler species, breeding males are a crisp mixture of gray head, white stripe over the eye, and green back. Females and nonbreeders can look more generally yellowish, inviting confusion with species like Orange-crowned Warblers, but they always show white under the tail. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Immature white-crowned sparrow, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 19, 2021. Another visitor to the water feature in the yard. Zonotrichia leucophrys A migrating White-crowned Sparrow was once tracked moving 300 miles in a single night. Alaskan White-crowned Sparrows migrate about 2,600 miles to winter in Southern California. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Every morning he scrapes the fur off his face.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 26, 2021. Migration has slowed, this is from Sept. Setophaga ruticilla Like the Painted Redstart and other “redstarts” of the Neotropics, the American Redstart flashes the bright patches in its tail and wings. This seems to startle insect prey and give the birds an opportunity to catch them.

Black saddlebag glider. Near Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 17, 2021. We saw this when we went looking for the glossy ibis at McLean's Conservation area. We saw it flying but I wasn't able to get a good image.

Yellow-rumped warbler. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 12, 2021. We had an influx of at least 12 in or around the pond at one time. This one was displaying the yellow rump which is often hidden on a perched bird. They also have yellow on the crown and the sides. Setophaga coronata The Yellow-rumped Warbler is the only warbler able to digest the waxes found in bayberries and wax myrtles. Its ability to use these fruits allows it to winter farther north than other warblers, sometimes as far north as Newfoundland. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Sept 25, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Didn't seem happy that the goldfinch was intruding on his bath time. Setophaga magnolia In 1810, Alexander Wilson collected a warbler from a magnolia tree in Mississippi, giving it the English name "Black-and-yellow Warbler" and "magnolia" for the scientific species name, which became the common name over time. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Can you find the American bittern? Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 7 2021. While out on the pontoon boat, well hidden. Botaurus lentiginosus The American Bittern's yellow eyes can focus downward, giving the bird's face a comically startled, cross-eyed appearance. This visual orientation presumably enhances the bird's ability to spot and capture prey. The eyes turn orange during breeding season. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 3, 2021. Hairy woodpecker - Dryobates villosus Downy woodpecker - Dryobates pubescens Hairy and Downy woodpeckers occur together throughout most of their ranges. The Downy Woodpecker uses smaller branches while the Hairy Woodpecker tends to spend more time on trunks.

Just a tuck here and a push there and it will fit. The chipmunk looks like it is in danger of blowing out his cheeks. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Oct 3, 2021. Tamias striatus The amount of food a chipmunk can hold in their cheeks will increase with age. Once their cheek pouches reach capacity, the chipmunk will return to its nest, and put their food in the storage chamber. source - Wildlife in Ontario.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 24, 2021. Sitting above the little pond wathcing for flying insects. Occasionally does a splash and dash bath. I've not seen them sitting in the water and aggressively bathing like some other birds. Sayornis phoebe In 1804, the Eastern Phoebe became the first banded bird in North America. John James Audubon attached silvered thread to an Eastern Phoebe's leg to track its return in successive years. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 27, 2021. Difficult to get a clear image of this bird as it flits around never seeming to stop for longer than a second. Corthylio calendula A tiny bird seemingly overflowing with energy, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet forages almost frantically through lower branches of shrubs and trees. Its habit of constantly flicking its wings is a key identification clue. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 27, 2021. We have had ovenbirds for the last two days, not rare but not common in the yard. Seiurus aurocapilla The Ovenbird gets its name from its covered nest. The dome and side entrance make it resemble a Dutch oven.

A large raccoon plopped down at the top of the stream and looked around for about three minutes before wandering off after having a drink. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 14, 2021. Procyon lotor Average lifetime in the wild is 2-3 years. They are not fussy eaters, if they can pick it up they will probably eat it.

Two black-throated green warblers were in the pond at the same time doing synchronized looking/bathing. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, Sept 21, 2021. Setophaga virens One male Black-throated Green Warbler was observed singing 466 songs in one hour. source- Cornell Lab of Ornithology.