Rondeau....always a good choice!

I've been to Rondeau a few times lately, with varying number of photos to capture. The shoreline has definitely been 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:

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.

Killdeer

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.

Eastern Phoebe

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.

Long-tailed Aphideater Complex

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!

 

If you would like to subscribe to Nature Nuggets, send an email to: prairietramper@gmail.com 

 

Bald Eagle Bonanza, and a couple of Killdeer

 What a difference a few days make. This first photo was taken on Dec 1.

 And three days later, it looked like this.

 The bay was almost entirely frozen, much earlier than normal. Needless to say, the waterfowl hunt came to an end earlier this year as a result.

I had been out those two times looking for things to photograph while I was out for some hiking. Bald Eagles were the order of the day, on both occasions!

On Dec 1, was checking the lake front, and I noted this adult heading my way. It was following the shoreline, and it came closer....

...and eventually flew almost right overhead.

It continued southward, but after a bit longer flight, noted another eagle in a large cottonwood tree amongst some cottages, and flew in to join it.

  On Dec 4, I was again checking the cottonwood trees a bit south of the traffic circle, and came across this one. 

Just as I got to the traffic circle, I came across a couple of others, quietly resting in cottonwood trees.

 I very quietly got out of the vehicle so I could get a slightly better angle and keep the hydro wire out of the photo. The eagles didn't like that, so quickly left and flew up along the lakeshore.

 And there they joined another eagle, this time an adult. Whether all of these over the two days were different individuals, I don't know, but there were at least 5 birds.

 There were a few other things to photograph, some along the lake shore, 

Canada Geese at siesta time

Ring-billed Gull

And a few other things away from the lake. A flock of about 27 Cedar Waxwings landed high in a distant tree. Most of the flock were in this one tree, but there were a few others in adjacent ones. I looked for one to be a Bohemian, but was not successful.

Downy Woodpecker

While checking the feeding stations for the upcoming deer cull, I thought I saw something peering out at me from a hole in a tree. It was at quite a distance, but thinking it might be a screech owl, I took a photo and cropped it heavily at home. Turns out it was an Eastern Grey Squirrel, probably visiting the cracked corn at the feeding station when no one was around.

There were the usual few White-throated Sparrows, and other sparrow species, along with Dark-eyed Juncos feeding on the grasses and goldenrod along the road side.

One of the unexpected species was this Killdeer. It was feeding along the road side where the snow had been scraped. It was always a bit back lit, so not the best situation, and I tried to carefully get beyond it so as to have better lighting, but it was too skittish for that. Not all that unusual for the time of year in a normal year, but with the snow and cold, most of them should be long gone by now. I saw a second Killdeer by the road between the store and the yacht club, but although the light was a better angle, the bird was even more skittish.

I had kept an eye open for the super moon on Dec 4th, but there was cloud at the horizon and it wasn't until I got part way home that I noticed it above the cloud. So when I got home, I took this photo.

 

 If you would like to subscribe to Nature Nuggets, send an email to me at: prairietramper@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Autumn migration continues

 The weather ups and downs continue, as does the bird migration. The snow of a few days ago is just a memory. Not sure how long that will last.

I've been out here and there, although one of my regular 'go to' spots, the St. Clair NWA, continues to be off limits due to trail maintenance. I have meandered around the former Dover Twp a bit, and have managed to get a few photos of seasonal things, including the following.

At one spot that I regularly check out at this time of year, I encountered at least 14 Sandhill Cranes back against the edge of the field. This first photo is of a few at the south end of Walpole Island.... 

...and this next flight shot is of 4 of the 14 a bit farther north....

 ...that flew from the far edge of this field.

Tundra Swans are arriving in ever increasing numbers. Soon many will be seen in flight almost anywhere in the southwest, or out on the recently harvested fields of corn. That is until the corn stubble is plowed up.

Heading south, a stop at the Keith McLean Conservation Lands did not turn up much in the way of shorebirds, but I did manage photos of a few Red-breasted Mergansers swimming by...

...and three Killdeer showed up about the time I was ready to leave. A low, searching flyby of a Northern Harrier did short work of the Killdeer stay, however.

Camping is over at Rondeau, and now it is all available to fellow birders, a few dog walkers, and some birds. This Blue Jay was maybe hoping for a return of some campers, to provide some handouts on the picnic table.

Cedar Waxwings are fairly plentiful and widespread these last few days.

Dark-eyed Juncos are quite abundant.

It is always a highlight to see Fox Sparrows, and this is their time. They can be found at the edge of the roadways...

...or partially hidden as they dig out something in the leaf litter.

Northern Cardinals are here year-round, but not always cooperative for a photo, as this female was, sort of.

White-breasted Nuthatches are fun to watch going up or down a tree either searching for something they have hidden in the cracks in the bark, or putting something away for a future meal.

White-throated Sparrows are increasingly abundant, and at least some will stay over the winter.

Blackbirds are passing through in good numbers, including the Rusty Blackbird. Note to potential Rondeau hikers, the park will be closed for a couple of days at a time in order that the November/December deer hunt can take place. In preparation for this hunt, some cracked corn has been put out at feeding stations, and I sometimes check them to see what critters are taking advantage of the food. I found 6 Rusty Blackbirds at one spot, as shown next.

The raptor migration is winding down, and although technically not a raptor, Turkey Vultures are always counted at the various hawkwatches. Turkey Vultures have gone through in their normal many thousands, and seeing one now is more of a rarity.

 In other news, not related to Rondeau, I had a friend from the K-W area send me a photo of a bird that had been coming to his suet. He is not an avid birder, but enjoys what comes to his back yard feeders. At first he thought it might be a female Evening Grosbeak, and indeed a few of them are making their way south. However it turned out to be a female Summer Tanager! Summer Tanagers are not common or predictable in Ontario at anytime of year, but more likely to be encountered in the summer. That said, they can show up at really unexpected times. In checking the rare bird report for this past week, there had been one seen in Toronto a few days ago. This next photo is of one I photographed at Rondeau back in December of 2015! It was feeding on the berries of a vine that had been growing up the chimney of this cottage.

With birds, expect the unexpected!

If you would like to subscribe to Nature Nuggets, send an email to: prairietramper@gmail.com