Rondeau Ric

We normally get these large gulls in late August to early September, so they are right on time. There is no mistaking the adults for any other gull. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 30, 2025, Larus marinus This is the largest gull in the world. Its broad wings and powerful appearance give it a regal look that have impressed naturalists for years. In the words of one early observer: “It surely seemed to be a king among the gulls, a merciless tyrant over its fellows, the largest and strongest of its tribe. No weaker gull dared to intrude upon its feudal domain.” The average length of 71-79 cm (28-31 inches), a weight of 1300-2000 g (46-70 oz), and a wingspan of 146-160 cm (57.5-63 inches) The oldest Great Black-backed Gull on record was at least 26 years, 9 months old, when it was spotted in new Jersey in 1994 and identified by its band. It had been banded in Massachusetts in 1968. source- allaboutbirds.org

  This is one of several dragonflies that were in the yard today. Very cool/cold overnight and they appeared to be waiting for the temperature to climb before becoming active. If you look closely you can see the outline of the rear wing that has the blotches. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 29, 2025. Tramea lacerata The black saddlebags     is a species  of skimmer dragonfly     found throughout North America. It has distinctive wings with characteristic black blotches at their proximal ends, which make the dragonfly look as though it is wearing  saddlebags. The black saddlebags is a relatively large dragonfly at about 5 centimetres (2 in) in length. The body is thin and black, and the female may have lighter spotting or mottling dorsally. The head is much wider than the rest of the body and is dark brown in color. The insect can be found at bodies of stagnant water, such as ponds and ditches. source inaturalist.

 Looking out from a snag in the yard to see if the coast is clear. We had a Cooper's hawk in a tree and the red-breasted wasn't going out until it was sure it was clear. The hawk left without breakfast. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario , Canada., August 27, 2025. Sitta canadensis The Red-breasted Nuthatch collects resin globules from coniferous trees and plasters them around the entrance of its nest hole. It may carry the resin in its bill or on pieces of bark that it uses as an applicator. The male puts the resin primarily around the outside of the hole while the female puts it around the inside. The resin may help to keep out predators or competitors. The nuthatch avoids the resin by diving directly through the hole.

 Drinking at the Spotted Rock, open 24/7. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 26, 2025. Dryobates pubescens. Woodpeckers don’t sing songs, but they drum loudly against pieces of wood or metal to achieve the same effect. People sometimes think this drumming is part of the birds’ feeding habits, but it isn’t. In fact, feeding birds make surprisingly little noise even when they’re digging vigorously into wood.

  Fall migration is on. This chestnut-sided dropped by the water feature for a quick bath. Photo by Anne. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 24, 2025. 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. Some males sing only unaccented songs, and they are less successful at securing mates than males that sing both songs. source - allaboutbirds-org.

  Another of the migrants moving south through our yard.  Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 23, 2025. Cardellina canadensis Canada Warblers can be a little more difficult to find than other warblers due to their declining populations and northern breeding distribution, but they are not impossible to find. Look for a forest patch with a mossy understory filled with ferns, shrubs, and rhododendrons

 Fall migration is under way. This Blackburnian warbler is one of the species we have seen over the last few days. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 21, 2025. Setophaga fusca Tiny Blackburnian Warblers are strong fliers that travel between North and South America twice each year, so perhaps it isn’t surprising that they’re occasionally found very far off course. At times, “vagrants” have been recorded in Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, and the Azores off western Africa.

 This is one of the flycatchers we see in the yard. Not an everyday bird so it is nice when it does visit. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 21, 2025. Empidonax flaviventris Yellow-bellied Flycatchers don't stick around on the breeding grounds for long. They have one of the shortest stays of any Neotropical migrant, often less than 70 days. source- allaboutbirds-org.

  A handsome bird still in spring plumage.  It was our only warbler today. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 20, 2025. Setophaga tigrina.  The average clutch size of the Cape May Warbler (6 eggs) is greater than that of other warblers. This large clutch size may allow Cape May Warbler populations to expand rapidly during outbreaks of their preferred prey, spruce budworms.

 I need coffee NOW! A very young mourning dove at our water feature. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, July 31, 2025. Zenaida macroura The oldest known Mourning Dove was a male, and at least 30 years, 4 months old when he was shot in Florida in 1998. He had been banded in Georgia in 1968.

Spotted the five-lined skink on a log near our water feature. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 16, 2025. Common five-lined skink   is a small (up to 8.6 cm ) black or grey coloured lizard. Juveniles have five cream-coloured stripes along their back and a blue tail. It is the only   lizard native to Ontario. Found in a small area of southwestern Ontario near the shorelines of Lake Erie, St. Clair, and Huron. This population is considered endangered due to habitat loss and other threats. Plestiodon  fasciatus 

It's what's for breakfast. This Chipping Sparrow came to the water feature in the yard with a shoreline wolf spider in its beak. It seemed to be washing it before eating it. I always thought they were strictly speed eaters. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 12, 2025 Spizella passerina. The nest of the Chipping Sparrow is of such flimsy construction that light can be seen through it. It probably provides little insulation for the eggs and young. source-allaboutbirds-org

This yellow-breasted chat showed up today , a first for the water feature. More likely to be heard than seen as they like heavy, thickets.  Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 12, 2025.  Icteria virens The Yellow-breasted Chat offers a cascade of song in the spring, when males deliver streams of whistles, cackles, chuckles, and gurgles with the fluidity of improvisational jazz. It’s seldom seen or heard during the rest of the year, when both males and females skulk silently in the shadows of dense thickets, gleaning insects and berries for food. Larger and chunkier than a warbler, the chat is a widespread breeder in shrubby habitats across North America, venturing to Central America for the winter. source allabouttbirds-org

  The prothonotary was back today and I managed to get an image of it with a yellow warbler. It was a good day, as well as the prothonotary we had brown creeper, scarlet tanager, and a black and white warbler. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 11, 2025. Protonotaria citrea Setophaga petechia

  While out on the pontoon boat we came across this small map turtle. Anne thought it looked like a Chinese lantern. August 8, 2025, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. Graptemys geographica Mating in spring; females lay eggs in sandy or soft soil Nesting occurs in late spring to early summer Hatchlings emerge in late summer or overwinter and emerge in spring

In the hedge above the pond. It was a 10 second bird. If you blinked, you missed it. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 9, 2025. Setophaga virens One male Black-throated Green Warbler was observed singing 466 songs in one hour.

 We haven't seen a red-head for about two weeks. We hear then most days, but they have been shy, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 7, 2025. 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.

  This American robin was showing off his lunch to the crowd at the pond. For some reason nothing tried to steal his meal. Rondeau Provincial  Park, Ontario, Canada, August 1, 2025. Turdus migratorius Robins eat different types of food depending on the time of day: more earthworms in the morning and more fruit later in the day. Because the robin forages largely on lawns, it is vulnerable to pesticide poisoning and can be an important indicator of chemical pollution.

  A loud caller and a fast mover, Carolina wrens can be a challenge to photograph. This one was feeding along the edges of the water feature which made it easier. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 5, 2025. Thryothorus ludovicianus One captive male Carolina Wren sang nearly 3,000 times in a single day. source - allaboutbirds-org

  This yellow warbler looks like it is having a bad feather day after bathing in the water feature in the yard. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 3, 2025. Setophaga petechia Yellow Warblers eat mostly insects, so they don’t come to backyard feeders. Larger yards that have small trees or are near streams may provide nesting habitat for these birds.

 Eastern wood peewee diving through a water feature in the yard. They rarely bath, instead they splash through the water then groom on a perch. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 1, 2025. Contopus virens The olive-brown Eastern Wood-Pewee is inconspicuous until it opens its bill and gives its unmistakable slurred call:  pee-a-wee! —a characteristic sound of Eastern summers. These small flycatchers perch on dead branches in the mid-canopy and sally out after flying insects.  source - allaboutbirds-org

Today Anne spotted and I saw prothonotary warbler at the water in the yard. It moved into the hedge and started grooming. They breed close by but we haven't seen or heard one in the yard before. Not the greatest image but for something like this you take what you can get. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, July 31, 2025., Protonotaria citrea Most warblers nest either on the ground, in shrubs, or in trees, but the Prothonotary Warbler and the Lucy's Warbler build their nests in holes in standing dead trees. They may also use nest boxes when available.