Rondeau Ric

From the archives, a junco new  the water feature at rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada,  March 29, 2019. Junco hyemalis Juncos are the "snowbirds" of the middle latitudes. Over most of the eastern United States, they appear as winter sets in, and then retreat northward each spring. Other juncos are year-round residents, retreating into woodlands during the breeding season, or, like those of the Appalachian Mountains, moving to higher elevations during the warmer months. ource, all bout birds org

Lincoln's Sparrow, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 28, 2023. A semi-regular fall visitor to the yard and water. Sometimes, singing a beautiful song might not be enough to win over a female. In a laboratory study, female Lincoln's Sparrows were more attracted to males that sang during colder mornings more than those singing during warmer mornings. This may be because males singing in the cold showed off more than just their song; singing in the cold requires more energy and could mean that males singing in the cold would make better mates.

 A yellow warbler in its version of a coat of many colours. Part way through its molt. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, July 9, 2023. Setophaga petechia The oldest-known Yellow Warbler was a female and was at least 11 years old when she was recaught and rereleased during banding operations in New York. Source, all bout birds org

  A very large number of yellow-dumped warblers descended on our little water feature today . This went on for about 20 minutes, then everything left only to come back about an hour later to repeat the action. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 19, 2023.

 Female purple finch, Rondeau Provincial Park, October 17, 2023. Not common this time of year which makes it nice to see. Haemorhous purpureus Purple Finches seem to be losing numbers in eastern North America as House Finches have moved in after being brought to New York City in the 1950s. One study of finch behavior found that Purple Finches lost out to House Finches more than 95% of the times the two birds encountered each other. Source, all bout birds org

  A rare shot to a red-crested nuthatch stalking a spruce cone, a dangerous proposition Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, March 12, 2018. Sitta canadensis During nest building, the Red-breasted Nuthatch is aggressive, chasing away other hole-nesting birds such as the House Wren, White-breasted Nuthatch, and Downy Woodpecker. A particularly feisty nuthatch may go after Yellow-rumped Warblers, House Finches, Violet-Green Swallows, and Cordilleran Flycatchers., 

Black-throated green warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 1, 2023. Fall plumage the black bib is much later than in the spring migration. 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.

 White-booted racket-tail, Tandayapa, Ecuador, May 13, 2016. Forest hummingbird, tiny except for male’s long tail.   Ocreatus underwoodii. Source, all bout birds org

  Palm warbler, October 7, 2023, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario Canada. We see palms more in the fall than the spring migration. Setophaga palmarum Though the Palm Warbler’s name might imply it is a tropical bird, it’s actually one of the northernmost breeding of all warblers (only the Blackpoll Warbler breeds farther north). They got their name from J. P. Gmelin who named them based on a specimen collected on Hispaniola, a Caribbean island with a lot of palm trees. Source, all bout birds org

Common yellow throated warbler, October , 2023, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada Not rare but we don't get many at the water, particularly this time of year. Geothlypis trichas Adult Common Yellowthroats sometimes fall prey to carnivorous birds such as Merlins and Loggerhead Shrikes. Occasionally they have more unexpected predators: one migrating yellowthroat was eaten by a Chuck-will's-widow, while another was found in the stomach of a largemouth bass. source - allaboutbirds org

  Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 1, 2023. They have been showing up regularly over the last few days. Getting a photo is still a challenge. Certhia americana The Brown Creeper builds a hammock-like nest behind a loosened flap of bark on a dead or dying tree. It wasn’t until 1879 that naturalists discovered this unique nesting strategy. . Source - allaboutbirds org

Rondeau Provincial Park, October 1, 2023.  Leiothlypis ruficapilla. Nashville Warblers have been known to use porcupine quills as nest material.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 2, 2023. Loots of kinglets moving through, both ruby crowned and golden crowned. Regulus satrapa. Each of the Golden-crowned Kinglet's nostrils is covered by a single, tiny feather. Source - allaboutbirds org