Rondeau Ric

Our rescue cat, also brought home her brother. Nellie is always exploring and watching out the window for birds and chipmunks Her brother Mick clumsys his way through the house following her.He's the tough, fairly dense one, and provides the muscle. Nellie is wearing the equivalent of a hospital gown, and, yes like a humans one it is open at the back. Hers has to stay on for 10 days after her spaying. It is 1889 and Nellie Bly, a young female journalist, champions causes for the downtrodden. Feisty, she is ahead of her time as an investigative journalist. She is somewhat restless as well and soon decides make a name for herself by traveling around the world inside of 80 days. This in an effort to make real Jules Verne  Around the World in Eighty Days . Bly uses every mode of transportation then <1889> available to her. She took 72 days to make the journey

They may attract fish by dipping their bill into water and vibrating it rapidly, creating a disturbance in the water that mimics motions made by prey fish, which this one was doing. Once they have caught prey, they shake their head rapidly, much like dog, until the prey is stunned or killed. Black crowned night heron, Rondeau Bay  Area, August 27, 2024, Ontario, Canada. Nycticorax nycticorax

 A pretty good day at the pond, had 4 warbler species plus all the usual ones. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 22, 2024. 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. 

  The warblers are starting to pass through on the fall migration. Plumage on most is duller than the spring migration where they are showing off to attract  a mate. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario. Canada, August 20, 2024. Setophaga tigrina.  The tongue of the Cape May Warbler is unique among warblers. It is curled and semitubular, used to collect nectar.

Seen August 15, 2024 at the water feature, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. A rather enthusiastic bather. Icterus spurius Orchard Orioles migrate north late in the spring and head southward early, with some returning to their wintering grounds as early as mid-July. Because of the short breeding       season, researchers have trouble distinguishing between breeding orioles and migrating ones in any given location.

 Seen from the pontoon boat August 14, 2024, Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.. Ardea herodias.  Great Blue Herons can hunt day and night thanks to a high percentage of rod-type photoreceptors in their eyes that improve their night vision.

I don't usually have the kingbird come down to the water but this one did. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada,August 10, 2024. Tyrannus tyrannus The scientific name  Tyrannus  means “tyrant, despot, or king,” referring to the aggression kingbirds exhibit with each other and with other species. When defending their nests they will attack much larger predators like hawks, crows, and squirrels. They have been known to knock unsuspecting Blue Jays out of trees.

It's time for those confusing fall warblers. This is a Blackburnian warbler seen in our yard at Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, August 8, 2024. Setophaga fusca.  No other North American warbler has an orange throat.

Enthusiastic. Having or showing intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval. Black and white warbler enjoying its morning bath. Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. August 4, 2024. Mniotilta varia. The Black-and-white Warbler is the only member of the genus Mniotilta. The genus name means “moss-plucking,” a reference to its habit of probing bark and moss for insects.