Some late winter encounters

 There certainly have been some ups and downs of the weather as of late! But it is March, being March, so it is to be expected. Hopefully there won't be a major ice storm like there was in early March of 1976, when almost every tree in Rondeau (and likely elsewhere) was affected to some extent, resulting in the park being closed for several days due to the massive clean-up required.

One of the highlights of the last couple of weeks was to continue on my photographic search for owls. In my previous post, I managed a poor record shot of a Long-eared Owl. A few days later this one perched in quite an open spot, allowing this photo.

There have sometimes been several birds roosting in this thick cedar hedge, but are hard to see, with the occasional exception such as this.

Open water is becoming more prevalent, now that temperatures are getting above the regular intensity of cold over the last few weeks, and this has resulted in more waterbirds being visible.  At one location a bit northeast of Chatham, I came across this Great Blue Heron, presumably hoping for a small fish to come by and become a meal.

Swimming by just in front the heron, note the heron's legs, was this pair of Hooded Mergansers.

Nearby were some Wood Duck boxes, with an Eastern Screech Owl residing in one.

 Elsewhere in open water spots near Erieau was a variety of ducks in relative close proximity. There were lots of other ducks, but most were too far to even identify easily, let alone photograph. With the approach of the breeding season, many of the males are showing their attractive colours and patterns.

Bufflehead

This next one is of a Canvasback, a young male not quite in its prime breeding plumage.

This next one shows an older male, in its prime pattern. However a closer look shows that its right eye appears to be damaged. I see that somewhat regularly, and especially if food is a bit scarce, there is some fighting going on when a duck emerges with something. Other waterfowl of various species will fight to gain possession, and some damage can occur.

These next two photos are of Greater Scaup, with the male first, and a pair which follows.

Redheads, especially males, are quite distinctive....

...as are male Ring-necked Ducks, one of my favourites.

I stopped at McGeachy Pond CA on one occasion, and finally caught up to a long-staying Northern Mockingbird, surviving on some of the berries that linger. Most of the berries that persist this late in winter are that of European Highbush Cranberry. The berries look tempting, but are quite bitter early in the winter. They become more palatable to birds later in the season.

On another day at McGeachy Pond, I watched and waited for a River Otter to appear. One has been seen on a couple of occasions in the past week or so, in the proximity of the beaver lodge. River Otters are not typically found in this part of southern Ontario. However I recall back in the 1970s, when we were trying to assemble mammal records for Rondeau, a mammalogy specialist from the University of Guelph, a former professor of mine, was in the park checking on things. He reported seeing River Otter tracks near the south end of the park, but there was never a confirmed sighting of an actual animal. It is interesting to note that one was seen at McGeachy Pond, just a short distance from Rondeau, about 50 years later! Of course it wouldn't be the same one, but it just goes to show that some mammals can be present but hard to confirm. Whether the species is a short or long-term resident of the area is open to speculation, but the habitat is suitable. As in the case of beavers, they were almost totally gone from southwestern Ontario in the latter half of last century, but there is no question that they have re-established themselves in many aquatic habitats here in the southwest.

While I didn't seen any sign of the otter, I did photograph this pair of Mute Swans, even exhibiting courtship and breeding behaviour. It won't be long before their nesting is underway.

Sandhill Cranes have continued here and there, in small numbers. They are often quite a distance from the road, so even with a good photo lens, they are not as crisp as I would like, and the sunlight haze over the distance interferes with the clarity to some extent. These two were part of a group of five, foraging in a field near St. Clair NWA.

Typically by late February, birds such as Horned Larks are well represented near agricultural fields. They were almost non-existent in January and early February, especially with the snow and cold, but since that weather is abating, this species is fairly common in small groups. They will be forming up pairs, soon to be nesting. Many of them get underway well before agricultural activity begins, in the hopes that they can raise a brood before having the nest turned under by equipment. Others will continue to move north, nesting in the wide open tundra habitat of the Hudson Bay lowlands.

 Here is a photo of a nesting Horned Lark that I took while doing wildlife surveys in Polar Bear Prov Park back in 1991.

As hints of spring arrive, species like Killdeer are beginning to show up, at least on those occasional days with southerly winds and relatively warmer temperatures. There have been a few reported already in the last few days, but I haven't caught up to one yet. This next photo is of a lingering one I photographed in January.

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Winter waterfowl, Sandhill Cranes and Eastern Bluebird

 For a change of scenery, I went up along the St. Clair River a few days ago. At this time of year it is typically a significant overwintering area for ducks, and this year was no exception There are thousands scattered wherever there is suitable open water. There is often lots of ice on the river, and that concentrates the ducks, which is especially good for photographing them, as long as one of the open spots is close by, but isn't always the case.

 One of the most productive spots for me on this day, was near Fawn Island. I could stay in my vehicle and photograph from there.

Wide angle phone photo

Getting out to get a bit closer, only caused the ducks to move farther away, which I observed happen when another photographer walked out onto a ramp. And with the steady cool breeze and freezing temperatures, it was certainly more comfortable inside with my telephoto lens!

Redheads, with a few Canvasbacks mixed in, were by far the most numerous where I was.

Canvasback stretching its wings

Common Goldeneye were not common, but scattered here and there.

Female Common Goldeneye

Bufflehead pair

Hooded Merganser female

Red-breasted Mergansers, next, were not common.

A highlight for me is to see Long-tailed Ducks. This river is one of the better places to see them here in southwestern Ontario, although they are often not very close. If one scans the open spaces that are well out in the middle of the river, they can be much more abundant.

Mostly Long-tails, at a distance

Occasionally one or two will be closer, in proximity to the other ducks. This first photo shows the male, where the 'long-tail' is evident.

These next two photos are of a female.

Due to the concentrations of ducks, not all of which will stay healthy over the course of the winter, there are usually a few Bald Eagles ready to pick off a susceptible duck. Sometimes one can spot as many as 7-8 from one vantage point! I saw 4 from the Fawn Island locale during my time there.

 There were a couple of adults such as this one.....

 ...and a sub-adult, probably about a 2 or 3-year old.

 After leaving the river, I headed inland along a quiet gravel road. Much to my surprise, I came across not one, but 50-60 Sandhill Cranes!

A vehicle passed by quickly, and a bit noisily, causing the flock to take to flight, but only for a short distance before returning to the snowy field.

Finding Sandhill Cranes used to be quite a rarity at any time of year; they definitely have been more abundant in recent years. However given the cold and snowy conditions over the last few weeks, it is a bit surprising to see so many lingering this late into the winter.

Yesterday, I headed in a different direction, on the search for eagles, and especially Golden Eagles which are sometimes known to overwinter in the southeastern part of Lambton and adjacent Middlesex counties. I roamed the back roads for a bit, but only saw a single eagle. I only got a quick look, and it was a bit backlit, before it disappeared over a forest adjacent to the road. I cannot be sure which species it was, but perhaps was a Golden. However I have left it as an eagle sp.

But while I was out roaming, I came across a flock of 5 Eastern Bluebirds on a wire!

The second photo of the same bird appears to show some damage to its left eye. However it didn't seem to affect it in any way.

 

 

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Nesting begins, waterfowl on the move

 I was going to continue with the series on Birds of Kent County, then and now, but decided to hold off until next time. It is the time of year when as spring slowly arrives, evidence of its arrival involves more than just the weather. It involves birds, of course.

Waterfowl is present in large numbers, although some of the most visible ones have already moved on to a great extent. Tundra Swans were around by the thousands just a short time ago. In this first photo, there are a few mixed in with several other species of waterfowl, mostly geese in this case. Once I got the image on the computer and processed it, a closer look revealed a single Greater White-fronted Goose. If you click on the image it will be visible in a larger format, and if you look closely to the left of one of the closer swans, and just above the 'e' in my name, you may see the white-fronted goose facing this direction.

The swans were on the move, some just to a local field.....

...while others were noticed gaining a much higher altitude than if they were going out to a field, and then heading north. Many swans are now gone.

While I was out enjoying the spectacle of waterfowl, I came across about a dozen Sandhill Cranes. Most were in small loose groups, but some seemed to be paired up already.

The sewage lagoons at Blenheim are completely ice free these days, and there are lots of waterfowl making use of them. There were several hundred ducks there quite recently, most of which were Ring-necked Ducks. Unfortunately for me, the ducks in general were rather skittish. Wherever I went, they seemed to be on the move to the farthest sides of the lagoons, making photography difficult. At least the light was fairly good.

There were a few Redheads.....

...and several Bufflehead, although they were more apt to be on the move rather than sitting still for me.

Canada Geese were paired up. I didn't see any evidence of nests yet, but it won't be long.

There were even a few American Coot.

Red-winged Blackbirds were present, but not in large numbers. It might have something to do with all of the cattail and phragmites trimming that has taken place since last season, leaving them with less suitable habitat.

Muskrats were there in abundance. There were easily three dozen along the edges of all of the lagoon cells, and some were busily digging out a new burrow entrance. Hopefully their activities won't jeopardize the integrity of the berms separating the cells and containing the water.

I've been out to Rondeau a couple of times recently, just to see what is new and to go for some nice long walks. With camera in hand, of course.

I went along the east side of the South Point Trail a few days ago, which I hadn't been to for several weeks. The birds were few and far between, not surprisingly. I did see a couple of adult Bald Eagles soaring over....

....and with the ice now gone and the sometimes brisk southeast winds, the concrete block associated with the old camp office, is now about as exposed as I have ever seen it.

Some explorations in the campground at the north end of the park are often worthwhile, especially before the opening of the camping season in just three weeks from today. House Finches continue to be fairly abundant.

One of the notable activities I came across here was a pair of Carolina Wrens in the business of building a nest. Regular birders roaming the campground may recognize this location, as they are building under the dome of a propane tank. If there is enough propane in it to get through the first few weeks of the camping season, maybe the nest will be successful. If not and the propane suppliers have to gain access to the dome......

Closer to home, just yesterday I noticed three Red-breasted Nuthatches scavenging for tidbits of something in the trees outside the kitchen window. I haven't seen any of this species for at least a couple of months, so it would appear that this species is on the move.

Marie and I have been over to Paxton's Bush a couple of times recently. The Great Horned Owls are back in nesting mode again, and apparently have found this artificial nesting basket satisfactory. At least it is easy to keep an eye on, and at certain angles, one can see through the sides to note a bird, and eventually young, present in it.

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