Rondeau Ric

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.