Rondeau Ric

House finches.  April 8, 2025, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. In the hedge in the yard a pair of house finches displaying courting behaviour with the male giving seeds to the female. 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. House Finches feed their nestlings exclusively plant foods, a fairly rare occurrence in the bird world. Many birds that are vegetarians as adults still find animal foods to keep their fast-growing young supplied with protein.

Ruby-throated hummingbirds, hopefully coming in 2-3 weeks. We have a feeder ready although we had rain/snow then sunshine today.  A few years ago we had up to 19 hummingbirds in the yard. this one has 5 co-operating. July 12, 2019, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Archilochus colubris Ruby-throated Hummingbirds normally place their nest on a branch of a deciduous or coniferous tree; however, these birds are accustomed to human habitation and have been known to nest on loops of chain, wire, and extension cords.

 A new life bird, seen at Erieau, Ontario, Canada, April 5, 2025. Aythya fuligula Tufted Ducks are voracious in winter, eating up to three times their body weight in mussels in a single day, according to a study in the Netherlands. Tufted Duck is a rare but regular visitor to North America, with records from 30 U.S. states and all 10 Canadian provinces. These vagrants are usually single birds that associate with flocks of scaup or Ring-necked Ducks.

Hey, America, any ideas on why trump Trump Enterprises, a whole owned subsidiary of Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg Et All, thinks we would accept you as ou releventh Province? Elbows up Canada.

  One of our granddaughters received a bubble making machine a few years back. It was an immediate hit.

 Needed a pop of colour on a grey rainy day. High winds, heavy rain, cold and  miserable. Welcome to spring in Canada. Kirtland's are uncommon in our area and are a treat to see. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 13, 2017. Setophaga kirtlandii Though the Kirtland’s Warbler was described in 1853, the first nest of the species was not discovered until 1903—perhaps because of the species’ restricted range and dense habitat.

  March 27, 2025, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Song sparrows have been regular visitors to the yard for the last 2-3 weeks. This one took the opportunity to have a bath. Melospiza melodia t It perches on a low shrub, leans back, and sings a stuttering, clattering song.

From the archives , February 17, 2017. Short-eared owl near Blenheim Ontario, Canada. Asio flammeus As suggested by their wide global distribution, Short-eared Owls can travel long distances over vast expanses of ocean. Witnesses have reported seeing these owls descending on ships hundreds of miles from land.

Ducks waddle, Grackles strut their stuff, Woodcocks walk like an Egyptian,  But Turkey vultures rock. 

Not many ants around, so this flicker was rooting around in the grass for what ever was edible. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, March 21, 2025. Colaptes auratus Although it can climb up the trunks of trees and hammer on wood like other woodpeckers, the Northern Flicker prefers to find food on the ground. Ants are its main food, and the flicker digs in the dirt to find them. It uses its long barbed tongue to lap up the ants.

Red-winged blackbird, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, March 13, 2025. One go the feeder raiders that cleans our feeders out first thing in the morning . Agelaius phoeniceus  Winter flocks can be congregations of several million birds, including other blackbird species and starlings. Each morning the roosts spread out, traveling as far as 50 miles to feed, then re-forming at night.

  First of year, March 16, 2025, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Taken through the wonderful wildlife window. Say the first on the 15th finally got a shot the next day. Also had a northern flicker but didn't get an image. 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.

First decent image of a chickadee this year. Also had a male towhee and a make flicker in the yard on the 15th, no photos, maybe tomorrow.   March 13, 2025, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Poecile atricapillus Chickadee calls are complex and language-like, communicating information on identity and recognition of other flocks as well as predator alarms and contact calls. The more  dee   notes in a   chickadee-dee-dee  call, the higher the threat level.

 In our yard, March 13, 2023, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Still not much of a variety of species, it should pick up in about a month. Melospiza melodia. The Song Sparrow is found throughout most of North America, but the birds of different areas can look surprisingly different. Song Sparrows of the Desert Southwest are pale, while those in the Pacific Northwest are dark and heavily streaked. Song Sparrows of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands chain are even darker, and they’re huge: one-third longer than the eastern birds, and weighing twice as much.

  A fast mover, just above the water in the yard. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October 21, 2018. Not much selection on bird species just now. Corthylio calendula Ruby-crowned Kinglets seem nervous as they flit through the foliage, flicking their wings nearly constantly. Keeping an eye out for this habit can be a useful aid to identifying kinglets.

     I taught Mickey to fetch my slippers. Well, actually, one slipper. He delivers it. After playing with it for 10 minutes. Sometimes he hides it instead.  Okay, he always hides it. Not sure if I'm teaching him to fetch or if he's teaching me to play hide and seek.

  April 8, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Spice bush trail. As a food, spicebush was used for beverages and the fruit was eaten. It was used to flavor foods such as possum or groundhog. Medicinally, any part is diaphoretic. It was used. to treat colds, coughs, phthisis, croup, female obstructions, and white swellings.    The berries taste like. a blend of orange, all spice and clove: they can be eaten raw or, to extend the season as the restaurant does, dried for use in small amounts to enhance fall games dishes.

  May 23, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Taken in our yard. It took about 3 days for the local robins and barn swallows to strip every bit off moss.  from the stream edges for nest building. Hirundo rustica Swallows often cruise low, flying just a few inches above the ground or water. True to their name, they build their cup-shaped mud nests almost exclusively on human-made structures.

 June 2, 2021, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Seen from our pontoon boat at the marshes edge. Doing the splits. Cistothorus palustris Marsh Wrens are boisterous songsters that sing not only at dawn and dusk, but sometimes throughout the night.

 Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 21, 2015. The lines on the log are from the emerald ash borer that eventually kills the ash tree. Thamnophis saurita septentrionalis , The emerald ash borer is an invasive insect that was first discovered in Ontario in June 2002. The beetle likely crossed into Ontario at Windsor after establishing in the Detroit area, where it probably arrived in wood packaging or pallets.

 Thanks to some fellow birders and a very nice home owner we were able to see this long eared owl. The home owner was great, helping us see the birds in one of his cedar trees. He saw 9 in the tree in the morning but we "just" saw two. A real treat. Southern Ontario, Canada, February 25. 2025.. Asio otus The hoot of the male Long-eared Owl can sometimes be heard up to 1 kilometer (0.7 mi) away.

  Suns trying to come out on this blustery, grey late winter day and I need some colour. Common yellowthroat warbler, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 10, 2017. 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.

  Now that's an ice-cycle! Anne broke it of the corner of a gutter.

 Sharp-shinned hawk with a tree sparrow meal.  Couldn't have grabbed one of those pesky house sparrows. Taken through the wonderful wildlife window. Our yard, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, February 20, 2025. Accipiter striatus The size difference between the sexes in Sharp-shinned Hawks influences the size of prey they can catch. Nestlings feed first on small prey caught mainly by their father, switching as they grow to the larger prey that their mother can bring. Before delivering prey to their mates or young, male Sharp-shinned Hawks typically remove and eat the head.

It is really sad to watch an old, friendly neighbour slide into dementia while the family doesn't' do anything because they are in denial. It's time to care for Uncle Sam America.

  Another from the archives, so ready for spring. Yellow-rumped warbler. October 7, 2023, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, in our yard. Setophaga coronata Yellow-rumped Warblers winter across much of central and southeastern U.S., and they sometimes come to backyards if food is offered. To attract them, try putting out sunflower seed, raisins, suet, and peanut butter.

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, October2, 2023. From the archives on a cold blustery winters day. Corthylio calendula Ruby-crowned Kinglets seem nervous as they flit through the foliage, flicking their wings nearly constantly. Keeping an eye out for this habit can be a useful aid to identifying kinglets.

On a very crisp winter's day -15.4C or 4.3 F, I give you a touch of spring. A male American goldfinch to remind you that spring is coming and then it will be summer. Remember today when you are complaining about the heat. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. July 30, 2014. Spinus tristis Spring males are brilliant yellow and shiny black with a bit of white. Females and all winter birds are more dull but identifiable by their conical bill; pointed, notched tail; wingbars; and lack of streaking. During molts they look bizarrely patchy.

In the middle of a snow storm we had a few jays drop in to have a snack. Not a lot  of feed available with the 6 inches that came down. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, February 16, 2025. You might be a birder if you shovel your yard so birds can get at the seed before shovelling  the sidewalk. If you shovel your yard and don't shovel the sidewalk you are a birder. Cyanocitta cristata   Blue Jays lower their crests when they are feeding peacefully with family and flock members or tending to nestlings.

 Sitting on an icy branch, probably dreaming of a warm spring day just like me. Our yard, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Cardinalis cardinalis A perennial favorite among people, the Northern Cardinal is the state bird of seven states.

 We catch looks of the Carolina wren most days but photographing them can be difficult. Rondeau Provincial Park Ontario, Canada, February 13, 2025. Thryothorus ludovicianus Unlike other wren species in its genus, only the male Carolina Wren sings the loud song. In other species, such as the Stripe-breasted Wren of Central America, both members of a pair sing together. The male and female sing different parts, and usually interweave their songs such that they sound like a single bird singing.

I could tell it was election time in Canada and Ontario. Had a rafter of 7 turkeys show up in the yard today. Not sure which political party they represented but they all fed off the corn that was out for the little birds. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, February 10, 2025. Meleagris gallopavo The Wild Turkey and the Muscovy Duck are the only two domesticated birds native to the New World.

He's not going to do it, of course, not today. Maybe later. Probably never.

 Northern cardinal on the ice in our water feature, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, January 2025. Cardinalis cardinalis The male cardinal fiercely defends its breeding territory from other males. When a male sees its reflection in glass surfaces, it frequently will spend hours fighting the imaginary intruder.

Bluejay up close and personal, Rondeau Provincial Park , November 18, 2022, in our yard. Cyanocitta cristata Familiar but stunning jay found year-round throughout most of eastern North America. Bright blue above and pale gray below with a fluffy crest. Also look for black necklace and black and white markings on the wings and tail. Pairs or small groups travel through mature deciduous or coniferous woodlands, often revealing their presence with loud, harsh “jay” calls. Frequently visits bird feeders, where it is often aggressive towards other birds.

 Don't know what type of butterfly this is but I liked the eyes. Taken in our front yard July 2023. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario , Canada.

I am tired of the grey skies and cold weather so I am posting one from the archives to warm us all up.  Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, May 6, 2010. Sialia sialis Eastern Bluebirds eat mostly insects, wild fruit and berries. Occasionally, Eastern Bluebirds have also been observed capturing and eating larger prey items such as shrews, salamanders, snakes, lizards and tree frogs.

Not much variety in bird species in the yard these days. Went out looking for snow buntings and horned larks but nothing came close enough to photograph.  This one is from the archives.  January 14, 2015, Kent county, Ontario, Canada. Eremophila alpestris. Female Horned Larks often collect “pavings”—pebbles, clods, corncobs, dung—which they place beside their nests, covering soil excavated from the nest cavity. The “paved” area resembles a sort of walkway, though the birds don’t seem to use it that way. While nobody fully understands the function of these pavings, they may help prevent collected nesting material from blowing away while the nest is under construction.

It has just been reported, that as a part of the Inauguration ceremonies that the 51st state has joined the union. It is the State of Depression, and the state song is Suicide is Painless as performed by the German band , Despair, a thrash metal band . In other breaking news the symbol of the United States, the Bald Eagle, will be replaced by the Clownfish. More details as they become available.

We have a lot of juncos in the yard just now, up to 20+ feeding and getting water from the water feature. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, January 17, 2025. 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.  

A standard winter resident in our yard over the winter. A handsome little bird. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, January 15, 2025. 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.

 Snuggle up.

A rare visitor from  the south-central Great Plains. Seen near Blenheim, Ontario, Canada, January 12, 2024. Zonotrichia querula Unless you are ready to brave a trip to far northern Canada in the summer, you'll need to catch the Harris's Sparrow during migration or on the wintering grounds.     North America's largest sparrow (except for towhees) and the only songbird that breeds in Canada and nowhere else in the world. 

f  A dull grey day, a grey and white bird straddling the stream. Dark eyed junco, Rondeau Provincial Park, January 11,, 2025.

Nice sunny day but far too cold to be trying to get decent images. Therefore, back to the archives for this  hummingbird from Ecuador, March 2016 near Tandayapa, about 37 miles (60km)   outside of Quito   Colibri coruscans  3.5 cm (5.3 in) .  The Sparkling Violetear is “sparkling” green with conspicuous violet sides of the cheeks and ear tufts. It has a blue patch on the belly. The undertail coverts are green with feathers fringed with whitish. The tail is green and square with a dark terminal band.  The bill is black and gently decurved.

  March 19, 2016,  flame faced tanager, Ecuador. Near Quito.

 Some colour on a cold winters day. Ecuador March 16, 2016

Everyone complains about the cost of living but no one wants to give it up.

Overcast, below freezing, snowing. Some colour for your day.