Northern Bobwhite!

 A few days ago I had a call from someone who photographed a bird in his yard, and didn't know what it was. The description over the phone sounded game bird-like, but there wasn't anything that jumped to my mind other than a female Ring-necked Pheasant. The observer was quite definite that it wasn't a pheasant. The bird had been seen several days earlier, and he didn't have a way of getting the photo to me, so I agreed to stop by in the near future. I did, and he showed me the photo, and it was immediately apparent that it was likely a female Northern Bobwhite!

I used my 'phone to take this photo from the back of Mr. Rivard's camera, just to look at it more closely on the computer at home. It was a female Northern Bobwhite, indeed.

How could it be? Where had it come from? Northern Bobwhite (NOBO) had been recognized as an endangered species in Ontario and Canada for at least a couple of decades. I remember hearing them occasionally on the farm where I grew up, just a bit north of Rondeau Prov Park. In checking the results on the Rondeau/Blenheim Christmas Bird Count, which began in 1939, they were seen somewhat regularly with a few gaps, between 1939 and 1977. In 1944, as many as 89 were observed! More typically half a dozen to a dozen were observed in any given year when they were seen, although the last year there were 32 reported on Dec 18, 1977.

It was a species whose numbers fluctuated considerably over the years, and that was a known trend. According to the account in the unpublished manuscript "The Birds of Kent County, Ontario" by A. A. Wood, it was stated that "in 1892, E. W. Sandys wrote that Quail were plentiful, River Road traversing Howard Township" and in 1896 Sandys stated that "Quail increasing in Southern Ontario near Lake St. Clair after being so nearly destroyed a short time ago."

While I was the park naturalist at Rondeau in the 1970s and 1980s, I came across this next photo in the slide files. It is that of a NOBO nest which had been found nearby in the 1960s, and photographed by R. D. "Dick" Ussher, the park naturalist at the time. Knowing how desperate the species was even then, I took the slide with me when I moved into my District Ecologist position in Chatham, and eventually had it scanned. The roundish nest with a dome of grass is quite distinctive.

Woods also described an interesting series of events in 1944, where eight tobacco moth traps had been set out around a two acre field of Burley tobacco. "A count of moths was made July 2 totaling forty-five moths but on July 6 all that remained in the traps was the bits of wings of the moths. The soil was smoothed in front of all trap openings to check for tracks and on the next visit Bob-white tracks were around and in all of the traps. They continued to eat the moths in the traps until July 21. The county seems to be well suited to this game bird but until more protection is given them there is little hope for much increase."

What has contributed to the demise of NOBO in Ontario? There are several main reasons, the first being the loss of good quality grassland. But in more recent decades, other things have factored in, mainly weather. It was in early March of 1976 that a major ice storm hit much of southwestern Ontario, and it was several days before the temperature warmed up enough to melt the ice. In late January of both 1977 and 1978 there were major snow storms. On the one occasion, the temperature started at about freezing, so not a big deal. But then came the rain, turning to snow and then the bitter cold arrived. Temperatures dropped to close to minus 18C. It was a recipe for disaster. I remember hearing about various birds such as crows and starlings dropping dead from their perch due to the rain, snow and bitter cold. With three severe weather events in three successive years, it spelled the end of NOBO in southwestern Ontario, other than at Walpole where at least they had some quality prairie to survive in.

Northern Bobwhite is a species that likes large tracts of tallgrass prairie, and when that isn't available, can adapt to grassland such as pasture or hayfield. And certainly the larger the better. Some people have suggested that the species can do well, or at least okay, in smaller tracts, which have shelter from severe weather by trees, hedgerows, and such. That might be true to a point. However this must just be the case when the population is doing well in the first place. It is important to realize that the main predators of NOBO are things like hawks, foxes, coyotes and cats. Where do hawks perch to search for prey with their incredible eyesight? On trees, which would line the prairie or pasture. Where do most four-legged predators travel as they roam the landscape? Along fence-rows and tree lines. So by forcing NOBO to spend a significant amount of their time in or close by fence-row type habitat, it only served them up as a food source for predators. If they have large areas of grassland, and ideally the native tallgrass prairie, they stand a much better chance for survival. Here are a couple of examples of large tallgrass prairies I've visited in Missouri.

Treaty Line Prairie

Wa Kon Tah Prairie

 Even with grassland, tallgrass prairie is so much better than a pasture or hayfield. To start with it has a greater diversity of seeds and invertebrates to feed on, and just as importantly, many of the grasses in a tallgrass prairie are bunch grasses. This means that the grass grows up in a clump, with the stems at the edge of the clump often falling over, leaving space at ground level for the birds to travel through, sight unseen by aerial predators. With the predominant species of a healthy prairie being made up of up to 75% bunch grass, such as Big Bluestem, the NOBO has lots of ability to travel throughout its territory without much danger.

Big Bluestem

 The only place I have ever photographed NOBO was in Missouri on one of my major forays to that state to explore the fabulous tallgrass prairies there. I had heard them regularly giving their diagnostic Bob-bob-white whistle, but seeing them was not easy. This one was in a leafless, thorny shrub of some type not far from where I parked, but the light was harsh and I couldn't get closer, so this heavily processed and cropped photo is the best I could do.

It was immediately adjacent to the Charles Schwarz prairie, shown below. Clearly this is a huge tallgrass prairie site and it is in very good condition. It is owned by the Missouri Prairie Foundation, which is an amazing not-for-profit organization with the primary goal of protecting and restoring the tallgrass prairie that is particularly well represented in the southwestern part of the state.

 Sadly, it seems that NOBO is almost, if not actually, extirpated from Ontario. Although good sized parcels of prairie used to occur, it is also very productive, so it was converted to agriculture many decades ago. Even pastures and hayfields are declining. The only naturally occurring population of NOBO left in Ontario, at least considering the map of Ontario, is the unceded territory of the Walpole Island First Nation. Even there, in spite of the continued presence of tallgrass prairie, NOBO is not doing well. They seem to have disappeared from parts of the island complex, probably due in part to the expansion of the needs for residential area, the decline in fire which would have kept the prairies in good condition and the increasing presence of predators such as coyote and cats. This site below, which we call Island Prairie, is one of the few fairly large remnants, and it was near here where I last saw NOBO during a visit about 5 years ago.

The observation of a single, female NOBO was described at the beginning of this post. And it still begs the question regarding its origin. Given that the species is not migratory, and the closest population is at least 15 to 20 kilometres away in a straight-line direction at Walpole, it likely didn't leave the best quality habitat there to arrive at the edge of a small village community surrounded by intensive agriculture. NOBO is sometimes kept as a game bird in private collections, and some in the hunting community even raise and release birds for hunting purposes. I am not aware of anyone in the immediate area doing this, but it could be happening. So it is likely that this is either an escaped or released bird, and in its wanderings ended up at Mr. Rivard's yard, at least for a few minutes, and it has not been seen since.

(Mostly) Bird highlights of late January

 Since winter hasn't gotten all that vicious yet (and hopefully won't get too vicious!), there are still birds around. Some which you expect, and others that definitely aren't normally here.

Water birds are the most likely to be found. Along the Lake Erie shoreline, flocks of ducks are regularly noted flying by, usually well out of camera range. Mergansers, bot Common and Red-breasted, are still around in good numbers, as are some scoter species.

Common Mergansers

Most Wood Ducks are long gone by now, but this one is hanging around the Thames River with several dozen Mallards, feeding on things that people put out for them on the river bank.

A water bird that really shouldn't be here, but four of them were still around a few days ago, is the Great Egret. When I was out to the Jeannette's Creek boat launch on the weekend, I saw not one, but all four of them. Three were together, but one left when I stopped the vehicle, with camera in hand.

I caught up to the fourth one a little way down the mostly frozen canal.

Snowy Owls have become more reliable in the last dozen or so years. It used to be quite a novelty to see even one other than in an irruption year. At least in the former Dover Twp, it isn't all that hard to find at least half a dozen on any given day, as long as the landscape remains fairly snow free.

Still on the subject of owls, I roamed around the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons yesterday to see if I could scare up a Short-eared Owl that had been reported from time to time. After a lot of walking to check the berms and grassy fields, I did literally scare one up. And immediately the crows in the area noticed, and began mobbing it. The owl climbed higher and higher and eventually I lost sight of it. Due to the heavy overcast, I only got a couple of record shots, shown here, and even these have been greatly processed and then cropped to the equivalent of about 85X.

These three muskrats didn't have to worry about the owl or the crows, it seems, as they were busily feeding on some vegetation at the edge of one of the cells.

Roaming around Rondeau hasn't been especially birdy lately, although it is still great for a nice vigorous and refreshing hike. As in previous visits, one sometimes is lucky to see more than one species per kilometre of walking. But on occasion, one will encounter a flock of sparrow types which are worthwhile checking over carefully. Most will be American Tree Sparrows, but sometimes a lingering Chipping Sparrow or Field Sparrow will be mixed in. I came across a couple of different flocks of sparrows in the park, and each one had two or three Field Sparrows, as in the following photos.

Next up, I plan to feature Northern Bobwhite!

Outings in mild mid-winter settings

 I've been out a few times since the last post. The mild, open winter conditions certainly make it easier to get around, and there have been very few other people out and about, so it is easy to keep a distance.

 I did want to check on the Great Egrets that have been hanging around the mouth of the Thames River, and in particular the Jeannette's Creek boat launch area. Sure enough, there were at least three birds still there, as well as one or two Great Blue Herons and a few Bald Eagles. The egret was in the canal right beside the boat launch, and the heron was on the far side of the river. No eagles were within photographic distance on this trip.

 A drive around the former Dover Township can be worthwhile, and with no snow on the ground, the Snowy Owls are a lot easier to find even if they are well out in the fields. A fair bit of cropping is usually required.

I haven't been to Rondeau a lot in the last couple of weeks, but a couple of times. Woodlands are fairly quiet, and one can go for long walks without seeing many species, or even birds. I did manage to see and photograph a few, including the Bird of the Year highlighted in the previous post.

This American Tree Sparrow seems to have something not quite right with its eye.

The cardinal was more intent on feeding on something on the ground than it was in avoiding the stare of my camera lens.

The cavity in this American Beech tree has been a popular spot for a roosting Eastern Screech Owl. However I only see it there about one time in ten, so it must have multiple roosting cavities, or it can sit down and out of sight.

With no ice along the shoreline, and lots of wave action along with the high water levels, shoreline erosion continues unabated. This concrete slab is associated with the former south campground office, which was in operation from the late '50s (I think) until the early '70s when, record high levels at the time, caused flooding in the campground and it was closed. Depending on the wind and wave action, sometimes there is enough deposition of sand and gravel to cover the concrete, but at the moment, it is quite visible again, and a definite reminder of the constant of change.

At one point just before returning to the parking lot, this Virginia Opossum scampered across the road in front of me. It disappeared in some thick shrubby undergrowth, so I was not able to get anything different.

Yesterday I decided to take a drive to Erieau, since I hadn't been there for several weeks. There was the usual gull mix, but not many duck numbers. A bit of this and a bit of that, but no large numbers of anything. However the entire bay as far as one could see was open, so waterfowl had lots of area to choose from to avoid the wind and waves. The more protected area of the marina harbour did have a few things.

Canvasback

Redhead female

I was pleased to find the previous two species, as well as a couple of scaup that I couldn't get photos of. I was especially glad to have caught up with this Horned Grebe hanging out in the main marina slip. It is in its full basic, non-breeding plumage. A closer look at the first photo shows the position of the legs, towards the back of its body. This is typical of the grebes and loons, and it makes it difficult for them to walk on land. Hence you almost always see them on the water, unless you happen to find a nest which is close to the water's edge to minimize the requirement for walking on land.

House Sparrows aren't hard to find, but it has been a long time since I have bothered to photograph them. This one was in a group of about 60 birds all huddled in some dense shrubbery. It was quite open, obviously, but the sky background was not exactly what I would like. But you have to take what you get and make the most of it.

A side trip to Shrewsbury did not turn up much other than lots of Canada Geese and at least three Bald Eagles. These two were at the edge of the ice, while a third was in a nearby tree and was camera shy.

Now that the colder weather has arrived, and with it a little bit of snow, it will be interesting to see what turns up at feeders, or a few open patches of water that will be slowly decreasing in size. Winter has arrived, at least for the moment.

And the 2021 Bird Of the Year Is.....

 ,,,,Pileated Woodpecker!

For those readers who are members of the American Bird Association, and get periodic email updates, you will likely already know this. For the past few years, the ABA has picked a bird to be the Bird of the Year, and it has included species such as Ruddy Turnstone, Cedar Waxwing and Green Heron, all of which are great, popular choices. The Pileated Woodpecker is no less a favourite of many people, birders and non-birders alike and probably better known to non-birders than the three mentioned above. It is a large bird, and very distinctive with its red crest, and probably where the idea for the Woody Woodpecker cartoon character came from. The Pileated Woodpecker has a very distinctive call, which also possibly resulted in the Woody Woodpecker laugh.

The Pileated Woodpecker generally likes large woodlands. I have read where normally a territory for a single pair of these woodpeckers is approximately 600 acres. But they have become somewhat accustomed to people, as some people living in or adjacent to woodlands have them coming into their yards. Once you have seen one of these, it is not something easily forgotten.

The species is widespread across the eastern and northern USA, and across much of southern and eastern Canada. At Rondeau Provincial Park, there are probably at least 5 or 6 pairs. On the most recent Christmas Bird Count, only a few short weeks ago, there were 7 birds reported. They can be notoriously hard to find when you are looking specifically for them, and at other times, they can be very tolerant, even cooperative for the photographer. Here are a few images I've taken of this impressive woodpecker at Rondeau.

You are more likely to see evidence of their presence than the actual bird. Their holes are distinctive, often showing elongation.

With their massive beaks, they can really tear into a tree trunk to go after the beetles and such that they can tell are working away inside. They can leave an impressive amount of large chips on the ground below.

Nests are hard to find, and the adults are quieter and more wary in the nest vicinity. The nest cavity access is fairly small considering the size of the bird, and mostly rounded, but a little flattened at the bottom. The photos above show a male, with the crest being red from the beak to the tip. The bird in the next photo is the female, as the forehead is brown, and only the last part being red.

It is truly an impressive bird, and an excellent choice for Bird of the Year, as it happens to also be the bird featured on the Ontario Field Ornithologist's logo.

The Last Christmas Bird Count, Red-throated Loons, and a Great Egret!

 Last weekend was the Skunk's Misery Christmas Bird Count. The weather was not promising, but hey...it is winter and when you pick a day several weeks in advance, you have to take what you get. There was a bit of wet snow over night and into the early morning the day of the count. When I got to my first site, the St. Vincent de Paul Camp, this is what I saw.

I got a few birds, but as is often the case, the woodlands are a bit quiet this time of year. A few woodpeckers, such as this Hairy shown next, as well as some Wild Turkeys, Mallards and a single Herring Gull were among some of the species I came across.

I drove a few roads, checking out some places before I met Brett, who I typically team up with to cover a sizeable county forest in extreme southwest Middlesex. Even roadside habitat wasn't terribly productive, other than Am Tree Sparrows, a Black-capped Chickadee and some Mourning Doves, in the next photo, among other species. The day was quite overcast and even foggy, as the photo shows.

The county forest had a few things, such as Great Horned Owls, Pileated Woodpeckers, a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Red-tailed Hawk. Other than crows, which could be heard off in the distance almost constantly, in the approximately 3-4 kilometres we walked, we had about two birds per kilometer! Not exactly what one hopes for, but it is what it is.

Due to the light precipitation and increasing fog where one could only see about 100 metres, I decided to call it a day around 2 p.m. I ended up with 22 species, not one of my better days on this count. The overall count ended up with 64 species.

The next day I met up with Kevin, a seasonal Rondeau staff naturalist member, who was home from university. Kevin and I did a lot of black lighting this past year. On this day, we were on the lookout for cocoons of some of the large silk moths, which are a little more visible when the trees are leafless. We found a few, including about 8 of the Promethea Moth, which looks like this. This photo was taken a few weeks ago, on a sunnier day than the day we were out. Unfortunately the pupae in all of the cocoons we saw had emerged, which left us wondering where the ones to emerge in 2021 were.

In addition to the several Promethea Moth cocoons, we saw this Cecropia Moth cocoon. It too had emerged. Undoubtedly there are many more, so hopefully there will be a few of these species come to visit our black lights in 2021. Who says you can't go mothing in the middle of winter!

There has been quite a number of Red-throated Loons off the east beach of Rondeau some days. On one day earlier this week, Steve counted about 143 swimming or flying by the Dog Beach access, in only a couple of hours! Very impressive! So the next day, I decided to check out the lake from various vantage points. The northern most access points in the park did not seem to have any loons, but there were a few things like American Tree Sparrows that popped out of the vegetation.

By the time I got to the Dog Beach access, there they were. They were about 300 metres or so south of the access point, so I started walking south to try and get better looks and, hopefully, some photos. Unfortunately there was a fish tug heading towards the loons, so I didn't have much time. I got a few photos from quite a distance. The loons were probably at least 400 metres off shore. Some were swimming and diving, while others were getting a bit nervous with the approaching tug, and started flying around. After just a few minutes, they all got up and headed southwest and out of sight. I got a few distant photos, and these are all heavily cropped. I counted about 45 birds altogether.

 As I left the park, one of the many resident White-tailed Deer was casually munching away on something along the roadside.

Today I spent a bit of time at first, roaming around the former Dover Township. I came across 7 Snowy Owls, including this one.

A male Northern Harrier was out hunting, and I managed this distant, quick photo.

At one point I came across an adult Bald Eagle out in a field, and clearly it was hanging on to something. In a matter of minutes, the eagle eyes of some of its compatriots arrived to see if they could get in on some of the pickings.

There was a bit of harassing going on, but the adult kept possession of its meal as far as I could tell.

A little later I decided to check out the area of the Thames River near its mouth, since there had been a couple of Great Egrets seen here over several days in late December and into early January. Undoubtedly they were present during our St. Clair NWA bird count, but due to the weather, were not seen so they will go into the record as a count week species. We had one on count day back in 2016.

I checked from the Jeannette's Creek boat launch. Looking downstream, I did see an egret on the Chatham-Kent side, but it was at a great distance, and even after being heavily cropped, this is the best photo I could get at this point.

It certainly isn't very clear, so I decided to try some better vantage points in the Lighthouse Cove area. I didn't see any sign of it there, but did see a few Double-crested Cormorants, considered a bit rare for the time of year according to eBird, but seeing how everything is open, it isn't all that surprising. 

Leaving Lighthouse Cove, I headed back to the Jeannette's Creek boat launch. The bird had moved across the river, and it stood out a bit more as it was in the vicinity of the marina there. The photo is ever so slightly better.

As I was mulling over returning to Lighthouse Cove, I slowly moved away from the boat launch, and suddenly got a glimpse of something white partially hidden by Phragmites along the small canal on the north side of the parking lot I was leaving. It was another Great Egret! I maneuvered the vehicle to a better spot and got a photo through a gap in the Phragmites.

And then I maneuvered even closer, getting some much better and closer photos from the truck.

No question that it was a great way to end an outing!