I've been to Rondeau a few times lately, with varying number of photos to capture. The shoreline has definitely bee changing. This first photo shows what the south end of the park looked like in mid-January before the cold, snowy spell.
Next is the same spot in late February, with the lake covered with ice.
These next two photos show the lakefront, just a bit farther along the beach from the previous two. These were taken about two weeks after the previous one.
Still some ice, but by now, even most of the ice is gone, and the birds are on the return, or at least more active! Some of the more cooperative birds were:
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| Song Sparrow |
This Pileated Woodpecker seemed really intent on this tree trunk, a little way from the boardwalk, perhaps digging a nest cavity?
Cardinals are always fun, and sometimes cooperative.
Mute Swans, well they are attractive in their own way, although they play havoc with native species all too often.
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| Killdeer |
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| Hairy Woodpecker |
Fox Sparrows are nicely coloured and distinctive.
Not many flies around for this member of the flycatcher family, but I have known it to eat berries when necessary.
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| Eastern Phoebe |
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| Black-capped Chickadee |
Although there has been the occasional Robin stay over winter, they have returned in large numbers in the last week or so. On one day I looked out my kitchen window and counted 47 scattered around in the community park beside the house!
Some birds were playing a little harder to get, such as this Yellow-rumped Warbler, next....
....and this very active Golden-crowned Kinglet.
One of the bird highlights of the last week or so was the sighting of a Brewer's Blackbird in the park. It was associating with a mixed flock of blackbirds, which were always moving around. I saw the photo of the one, and it was convincing. However only one other person thought they saw it a day later. I checked flocks of blackbirds a few times when I was out, but never saw it. Brewer's Blackbirds are fairly rare in this area, although back in about 1978, a pair nested in a small tree along Erieau Road, across from McGeachy Pond. I didn't have the camera equipment then that I have now, but did photograph the nest.
In June of 2011, on one of my excursions to the Bruce Peninsula, I managed to get a couple of photos of a Brewer's Blackbird on its territory. They have a bit of a glossy head, like a Grackle, but they are smaller, and the beak is smaller.
At times, they can look a bit like a Rusty Blackbird, which is quite regular in southwestern Ontario, although on the decline. I photographed this one a couple of days ago. It is transitioning from its overall dark appearance, showing much more of the rusty appearance.
Of course as the weather fluctuates, there are even some warmer species of overwintering insects showing up.
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| Long-tailed Aphideater Complex |
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| Black Blow Fly |
Other things that captured my eye, include this Eastern Chipmunk, which had emerged on a sunny day. Its tail is still in the hole it emerged from, and although the critter was kindly cooperative for me, it didn't take long to get back down the hole.
Eastern Squirrels are active all year, but on some days they seem to be extra numerous.
Even fungi will survive the winter. This next photo is of a Splitgill Mushroom.
There's always something! Can't wait to get back out there again!
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