Flakey Friday

Okay I realize that many people look forward to Friday as it means the weekend is almost here. My title is in reference to the snow flakes that are gently falling on this Friday as I write this, and winter is still more than three weeks away. But if every year and season were identical and predictable, it would be boring, right?

I've been out and about a little since my last post. The former Dover Twp between Chatham, Mitchell's Bay and Lake St. Clair is often worth checking at this time of year. Snowy Owls are arriving in larger numbers, at least for now. On the day I was out looking, I came across 5 of them. Whether they stay for most of the winter or keep moving farther south, remains to be seen. There have been 4 or more along Lagoon Road, a bit north of Rondeau Bay as well.

Most of the Snowies that I have seen tend to be out in the partial shelter of a recently harvested cornfield.

 Once in awhile, one is a little closer to the road.

While out looking for Snowies, I came across a large number of Tundra Swans. Large numbers of them have been a little slower arriving in the Lake St. Clair area than some years, it seems. On this day I saw an estimated 7000 or more in several fields. This first photo is of a very small portion of one of the larger fields.

 They were frequently on the move, seeming to be startled when vehicles slowed down or ATVs roared by.

I looked for other birds mixed in such as Ross's Goose or Snow Goose, but did not see any at the time. However there have been Trumpeter Swans hanging out in southern Chatham-Kent in the last few weeks, sometimes at the Blenheim Sewage Lagoons or McGeachy Pond or somewhere in between. These were photographed at McGeachy Pond one cloudy, late afternoon.

A Great Blue Heron was at McGeachy Pond as well, taking shelter from the brisk westerly wind.

The forested landscapes are generally quiet these days, although they are still attractive in their own right.

Harrison Trail

Southeast Oak Savanna (Rondeau)

McKerral Woods

There are still berries around, but they are disappearing in response to birds feeding on them so as to withstand the colder season.

Bright red berries such as those in the first photo, are appropriately called Winterberry (Ilex verticillata). This native species is widespread but not abundant.

 Unfortunately another bright red berry producing shrub is much more abundant but not native. It is Japanese Barberry and is a real problem species in our landscapes.

Northern Saw-whet Owls have been migrating through the area from their northern haunts. They can be difficult to find, however. This next photo shows one that I was able to find, but only due to some kinglets and chickadees that were heard scolding it, which alerted Steve Charbonneau to find it and pass on the directions to others. Even with the very good directions it was hard to pick out quite high in this White Pine of the Rondeau campground. This bird was an estimated 25 feet up, much higher than they are normally found.

Of course bird feeding areas are often the best place to seek out birds, and the feeders at Rondeau are worth checking out at anytime.

 Winter finches, including Evening Grosbeaks, are irregular winter visitors to southwestern Ontario. This fall and winter seems to be one of those times that local birders look forward to, and at least a few of these grosbeaks have been sighted over the last couple of weeks or so. I photographed these at the drinking pool of the Rondeau Visitor Centre.

 Pine Siskins are another irregular winter visitor. Here are a few feasting on the niger seed at the Visitor Centre.

 White-throated Sparrows are fewer in number than they were a few weeks ago, but some remain.

Red-breasted Nuthatches are another, mostly winter visitor.

One has to work a little harder to find birds this time of year but the results, even if it is just being out for a nice long walk, can be quite satisfying.

Spring is trying to get here!

Spring is teasing us, but is not here to stay yet. The waterfowl are building up in diversity and overall numbers, in response to the improving weather, longer daylight and promise of better weather to come. As Rondeau Bay and the lake become more ice-free, the birds are a lot farther out, and difficult to identify let alone photograph.

Erieau is always worth checking out. I've been looking for the reputed Harlequin Duck, but so far it has stayed in hiding whenever I am around. Others have been more fortunate, but then again some of them (Jim B, Steve C) live closer and check the harbour front more frequently than I do. So I take some solace in photographing things like American Coot, as they are comical and cooperative, sticking pretty close to the interior part of the harbour. As the ice increases during a cold spell, their movements are more limited. It seems that there are only a few remaining of the ~4000 that were around before Christmas. I saw 14 today.

They are normally plant eaters, but when they get really hungry, as I am sure they are right now, they will eat whatever they can survive on. This next image shows one picking away at some fish remains. But it didn't get much of it, as a Herring Gull swooped in moments later and took off with the fish.

 There are usually a few Bald Eagles out on the ice, feeding on fish or crippled ducks. I saw this one just north of Shrewsbury, only a few hundred metres from a possible new nest site. This bird is not quite a full adult, which normally takes 5 years. This one is likely into or approaching its 4th year.

In a healthy population, eagles will not normally breed until their fifth year, but where there are empty territories as there is now, some birds will breed at age 4. There have even been records of eagles attempting to nest at age 3, but I don't think they successfully fledged any young.

One day while I was at Erieau, I looked across to Rondeau and noticed the south end of the marsh going up in smoke. And that was a good thing.

Prescribed burn of the Rondeau marsh

As many of you know, Phragmites is a very aggressive, non-native vegetative form that has taken over many wetlands. One of the few methods of keeping it somewhat under control is by spraying an approved herbicide to kill as much of it as possible, then rolling it when it has died, followed by burning it to remove the extensive thatch so that any stems that were missed can be seen during the next growing season. These will be hit with a subsequent touch up herbicide application. It is far from perfect, but it is about the best approved option to keep it from taking over completely.  Hopefully in the next growing season or two, the natural cattail vegetation will return, and as that happens, it will be more conducive for declining species such as Black Tern to nest successfully.

Black Tern at nest

The pair of Trumpeter Swans was still around as of a few days ago. They aren't normally migratory, at least not to the same degree as the Tundra Swan which is so abundant around here these days. Perhaps the Trumpeters will remain to nest as they did historically.

A recent visit to Rondeau included a walk along the southeast beach area. I hadn't been there for a few weeks, and I was surprised to see how much more exposed this recent historical feature was.

 In looking at it from the north side, it is apparent that it is closely associated with a large slab of concrete, which is visible at the right side of the next photo. The concrete slab is all that is left of the former campground office, which was operational until about 1972/73 when late that fall and early spring, the high water arrived and flooded the campground. The campground was closed except for a very brief time in the late summer of 1985. But by 1986, the campground was closed for good. The large block of concrete was probably all that remains of a vault toilet attached to the camp office.

The South Point Trail has few birds along it at this time of year, but once the spring migrants begin to arrive it will be a priority for checking out. However the feeders at the Visitor Centre are always worth stopping by, even if only to see some of the regular winter visitors.

In thinking of Blue Jays, note that the Grapefruit League games of baseball's spring training season have now begun! And I read just today that the Blue Jays logo was considered the best logo of all the baseball teams. I'm sure that could be debated hotly, but that is way beyond the purview of this blog.

Pine Siskin

The Ridgetown Sewage Lagoons continue to attract a dozen Greater White-fronted Geese, eleven of which are shown in this next image.

Some interesting winter birds

I will get back to my previous theme of Species At Risk on Pelee Island, the complications and an interesting solution to one of the more challenging issues but first, an interlude on some recent winter birding.

Winter birding can be fun, but requires a lot more effort since birds are relatively few and far between compared with the other seasons. Nonetheless, and especially if you are able to find much open water or a well-stocked feeder, the birds are there!

The Rondeau Visitor Centre has had a fair bit of activity, even in this recent mild spell. Hairy Woodpeckers are around.....

Hairy Woodpecker

 ....and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are quite regular.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

 Pine Siskins are quite erratic....they were no where to be found not that long ago, but in the last week or so, at least a few have been there regularly.

Pine Siskin

 Fox Sparrows are not seen very often in winter, but the feeder this year has kept at least one bird well fed.

Fox Sparrow

There are always a few things to be found here and there. A Great Blue Heron has been seen at a creek along Stefina Line from time to time.

Great Blue Heron

 Wild Turkeys are well established.

Wild Turkey

 If you find a berry bush, such as a cluster of Staghorn Sumac, you might find American Robins or sometimes a group of those non-native and noisy European Starlings busily scarfing down the fruit.

European Starling

And birds, beware of the feral cat! Unfortunately one sees a lot of these scattered across the landscape.

Where there is open water, there is often a greater diversity of birds to look through. In the Rondeau Bay area, Erieau and Shrewsbury are the places to be. And that is where I spent some time today. Redheads are not abundant, but scattered around.

Redheads

 There is still the occasional Ruddy Duck.

Ruddy Duck

 Tundra Swans are on the move, although  a few hundred that arrived late last fall, never really left.

 A bonus this year has been the presence of a couple of Trumpeter Swans at Shrewsbury. There is only a handful of records for the Rondeau area. I took this next shot on a very cold day a week or so ago. The pointed feathering at the top of the bill, the large more or less straight bill and the wider black patch just in front of the eye (it is less pinched than for a Tundra Swan), the lack of yellow on the bill, and overall their larger size are all helpful clues as to their identity.

Trumpeter Swans

 Today, the two birds were right close to the dock area, and the light was nice and even. I even heard them give their distinctive nasal honk a few times.

 After a little while, they drifted off to the southwest and then arrived at the edge of the ice 400 metres or so away, but they still stood out due to their size. I also had  a Paul D. Pratt sighting at Shrewsbury who, along with a couple of others, was also out looking for the Trumpeters

At Erieau, was a beautiful male Long-tailed Duck in the marina area. Although they are typically very abundant on Lake Ontario in the winter, they are more of a novelty along the western end of Lake Erie.

Long-tailed Duck

 In the marina by the fish tugs was a lingering Belted Kingfisher. I watched it catch a fish on a couple of occasions, and it seemed healthy and active.

Belted Kingfisher

 American Coot often try and survive at Erieau during most winters. Some birds are more successful than others, as I saw a few dead ones on the shore, but the couple of dozen or so that I saw in the water or pecking at something in the grass all seemed to be okay.

American Coot

 Gulls typically seem to vacate the north shore of Lake Erie in January. I think they spend that time on the south side of the lake, or perhaps much farther away, but this year, since there is open water, there are a few Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls and a smaller number of Great Black-backed Gulls still around.

Ring-billed Gull

The lighthouse at the entrance to Rondeau Bay is not operating these days, although there still is one fishing tug out catching fish. The lake looks bleak and cold, but there isn't much ice on it these days. I spent a bit of time talking to an MNR&F Port Observer at Erieau today, who is based out of Wheatley. He indicated that the brisk westerly winds of a few days ago blew a lot of the ice from the western basin well down the lake towards the east.

Bleak Lake Erie

The sentinel