Another year begins...

Three years ago Marie and I went to Arizona for a month over the latter part of March and the first part of April, spending two weeks of that time renting a house on its own 10 acres of Sonoran Desert. The southeastern part of Arizona is a fabulous place to visit for a lot of reasons, but especially if you like arid, sunny, warm conditions towards the end of winter. In combination with the spectacular scenery, abundant wildlife, relatively low density of the human population and some terrific national parks and wildlife areas....well it doesn't get much better than that, at least for me. Since the early 1980s, we have been to various parts of Arizona about 8 different times.

One year ago, I started this blog. It has been an interesting and rewarding experience, in part due to all the supportive readers and comments I have received. So I will begin the second year of this blog with some highlights of the Arizona desert, including some southwestern birds which have shown up in southwestern Ontario.

This first scene is on the property we were staying at. The owners even created a one kilometre trail which traversed the different sections of this desert. Even so, it is usually quite easy to walk around this type of desert. The rainfall is so limited that plants are spread out as their roots compete for moisture. On some days while we were there, the relative humidity was down to about 10%! In this image are several examples of the iconic single stemmed and multi-armed Saguaro cactus as well as the Santa Rita Prickly Pear in the left foreground.

There were feeders set up, which the wildlife visited readily.

Round-tailed Ground Squirrel

Gambel's Quail male

 We thought that the female Gambel's Quail were incubating, and on the day we left, this newly hatched family came by.

Gambel's Quail female and chicks

We had Curve-billed Thrashers visiting regularly; in fact one pair was nesting in a Cholla cactus within a few metres of the house.

Curve-billed Thrasher exiting the nest area in a Cholla

Curve-billed Thrasher on a Saguaro

We had Gila Woodpeckers all the time as well, including a pair nesting in a large Saguaro.

It is possible that this nest cavity might be a future roosting spot for the diminutive Elf Owl. We didn't see any Elf Owls on this trip, but have done so on other trips.

As expected, cactus were abundant, and some were even in flower while we were there, such as this Pink-flowered Hedgehog.

And lots of Santa Rita Prickly Pear.

We did travel to many other fascinating places while in the Arizona, including Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge right adjacent to the Mexican border, Madera Canyon and Ramsey Canyon (both of which are at the northern limit of the Mexican mountains and regularly have Mexican birds nesting), and San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area, where the river flows from Mexico into Arizona. And Saguaro National Monument, very close to Tucson, is a must!

A short time before our time was up, we noticed that some of the Saguaros were in flower. They are usually near the top of mature arms, so not always easy to get a good photo of. But their position makes them more likely to be pollinated by bats, their main pollinator.

 And the desert skies gave some great opportunities to capture some sunset shots. This next photo was taken along one of the trails in Tucson Mountain Park, adjacent to Saguaro National Monument.

We saw other birds, including Acorn Woodpecker, Green-tailed Towhee, Pyrrhuloxia, Vermilion Flycatcher and Lark Bunting, as well as a few species that normally breed in Canada but spend the winters in the south, such as White-crowned Sparrows.

Acorn Woodpecker

Green-tailed Towhee

Lark Bunting

Pyrrhuloxia

Vermilion Flycatcher

I show these birds, because over the years several of them have put in an appearance in southwestern Ontario!

A Green-tailed Towhee showed up at a feeder in Windsor a couple of decades or more ago. Lark Bunting has appeared on several occasions, including a couple of times in the Rondeau checklist area, but not since the mid-1970s until one was seen very briefly along the Marsh Trail in 2014. A Pyrrhuloxia showed up at a feeder in West Elgin a few years ago. And a Vermilion Flycatcher appeared at St. Clair NWA late in the year in the 1990s, but didn't linger long enough for the Christmas Bird Count.

I have been fortunate to see all four of these species in Ontario....but I'm waiting to get one or more on my Rondeau list....will this be the year?

Another southwestern species that did show up at Rondeau and is now included on the park's checklist is this Cassin's Kingbird. Unfortunately I was the only one to see it at the park when I found it back in November of 2013, and since it was already dead, can't count it on my park list. But since some individuals of the southwestern flycatchers group have a tendency to end up going north instead of south in the fall, there is always the possibility of another rare flycatcher to show up.

And with that, I will begin another year of this blog. Thanks again for all of the visits and support!

You can tell spring is on its way...

...because there are more dead mammals along the roadsides!

It is unfortunate, but true. I have seen more dead mammals along the road sides during these last few 'warmer' days than I would normally see.

 This Raccoon was along a road at Rondeau. Raccoons are sometimes out on warm days even in the depths of winter, so in a way to see one out on a warm early spring day is not surprising. However this one was likely sick. Its swollen feet are said to be indicative of distemper. Cloudy eyes may also be noticed, but I couldn't tell with this one. Distemper is a relatively common affliction in Raccoon populations, especially when numbers are fairly high. At any rate, for some reason this one apparently did not have the ability to climb onto the snow piled along the plowed roads and in its weakened state, may just have died. There were no obvious injuries.

This Virginia Opossum, on the other hand, did show signs of injury. One can see a bit of blood on the snow right in front of its nose. It likely got struck by a vehicle. Opossums used to be extremely rare in Ontario. There are various theories as to how they arrived. But it was always believed that the severe winters were particularly hard on them and was a limiting factor in their survival for those that did show up on the southern Ontario landscape. Their tail, ears and nose is exposed skin and very susceptible to extreme cold. Sometimes these extremities show signs of frost bite. Given the severity of this current winter (locally it was said to be the coldest February on record), as well as the previous winter, I expect many Opossums are having a tough time. Perhaps this individual was in a weakened state as well and not able to avoid the traffic.

I have also seen (and smelled) skunks along the road sides. Probably all of these dead critters will be just what the soon-to-arrive Turkey Vultures will need in order to survive!

While at Rondeau a couple of times this week, I saw Eastern Chipmunks out. They weren't cooperative for photography...when they saw my camera move in their direction, they immediately retreated into a hole in the snow bank! This image below is one from another time.

White-tailed Deer are not numerous, but plentiful enough, and can be seen especially along the eastern side of the park. Their somewhat reduced numbers (compared to last fall) likely enabled them to survive the winter in reasonable health.

There have been reports of Tundra Swans arriving in southern Ontario over the past few days. However they don't seem to be setting down anywhere quite yet.....probably the snow covered fields and ice covered lakes have a lot to do with it!

Lake Erie off of Rondeau

Panoramic view of some southeast beach dunes looking over Lake Erie

As is often the case, bird feeders are where the action is. Along with the more abundant regulars, I noted these individuals at the Rondeau Visitor Centre.

Eastern Towhee male, present since mid January

Northern Cardinal

White-breasted Nuthatch

Where there is any open water, a few ducks are likely to occur. I hadn't been to the warm water outlet along the Thames River at the west side of Chatham lately, so yesterday I included a short side-trip to see what was there. The number of birds overall had declined considerably from earlier visits, with only about 35 Mallards, and a handful of other species present.

One of the first things that caught my eye was this Merlin, getting a drink of water from a puddle in the parking lot! 

Green-winged Teal

 One of the several dozen Mallards coming and going from the opening.

A hybrid between a Mallard and a domestic type of duck

Redhead

Common Merganser

One of the things I often wonder about when viewing ducks in such situations is just what kind of water quality is being returned to the river. I know that water treatment plants are designed to remove serious organic material from human waste and such, but what about all the inorganic things? There are likely many hundreds of chemicals, perhaps some of which are quite nasty (e.g. pharmaceutical prescriptions, including antibiotics and hormonal pills, fertilizers, chemical cleansers, etc), that are sent through our municipal plumbing systems and to the water treatment plant. Even though they are watered down, a lot of them aren't removed, and so anything that uses the water to live in or drink from downstream will be ingesting those nasty things. Do we want to really know all of the impacts of such things accumulating in our bodies, or those of the wildlife? It is a scary thought.....but something to consider as we dispose of expired prescriptions, etc.

On the way home, I noticed some White-tailed Deer feeding in the lowland along a riparian area.

And some good news for those who have not appreciated the presence of so many American Crows these past few months. It is now mid-March and as the days lengthen, the crows will be wandering farther and farther from the Chatham roost, and won't feel as compelled to return to it at the end of the day. So Chathamites take heart....there will now be some respite from the crow masses until mid October!

The photographic appeal of falling water

I'll come right out and admit it---I am fascinated by waterfalls. Maybe it is because I live in such a flat part of Ontario, where there is so little topographic relief that waterfalls seem so foreign to me. How flat is it you ask.....I mean it is so flat, that some rural drains have to have the water pumped out since there isn't enough water flow to drain out on its own! Whatever the reason, I will go out of my way to check out waterfalls and see them at different times of the year. And sometimes when the birds and other wildlife aren't terribly abundant, a waterfall can be a fascinating diversion to focus my energy and the camera on.

As in any landscape photography scenario, light is critical, and it is constantly changing. To really get an appealing outcome, one has to plan ahead for it. Bright contrasting light is generally unsatisfactory for most of the settings unless it is entirely out in the open, at least for the way I like to capture them. If at all possible I purposely choose an overcast day where the light is more even.  Cloudy bright is probably ideal, just to get a bit of shadow for effect.

For most waterfalls, I like a sense of water movement, giving a silky smooth look. That means low light, a slow shutter speed, no wind, a camera body with mirror lock-up, a cable release and a sturdy tripod. Sometimes a neutral density filter helps out, which cuts out the light by several stops, enabling some photos to be as long as 30 seconds. Most of the time one can get away with shutter speeds of as fast as 0.8 seconds, but usually one or two seconds works well.Obviously under these conditions, hand-holding a camera will not work, so a good solid tripod is necessary.

Some people use a very small f/stop, even as small as f/22, to result in a slower shutter speed. I prefer an f/stop in the f/8 to f/11 range, since that is typically the sharpest f/stop of most lenses......going too small, will invariably compromise the sharpness of the image.

A word of caution: One has to remember that slopes near waterfalls are sometimes unstable, wet, often muddy and slippery. There is definitely a risk to life and limb in getting too close, as well as a risk to expensive camera gear!

There is one great little waterfall not too far from home. It is at Rock Glen Conservation Area, at the edge of Arkona, east of Sarnia and only a little more than an hour away from home. It is a treat at any time of the year, although in mid summer the water may just be a gentle trickle.

Rock Glen in November--view from downstream

Rock Glen in February--view from the stairs

But for most waterfalls I would have to travel at least 3-4 hours to get to. There is a wonderful selection at various spots along the Niagara Escarpment.

Of course one of the best known waterfalls in the whole world is this next one, a combination of Niagara Falls on the right and the American Falls on the left. It is a panoramic photo stitch, and is at the southern end of the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario.

Hamilton is often referred to as the 'city of waterfalls' since there are sooooo many to choose from in the greater Hamilton area. Some are small and delicate, some are large and powerful. The ones along the escarpment are often known as 'plunge' falls, since the erosive action of the falling water undermines the weaker rock material below so that the water seldom touches any other rock material before it gets to the bottom. Sometimes the water may plunge in several stages.

Considerably smaller than Niagara -- and what falls in Ontario isn't -- is Felker's Falls. It is adjacent to a municipal park next to a subdivision.

Felker's Falls

 This next one doesn't even have a name that I am aware of. I came across it on my way to get to a lower vantage point to photograph Rockway Falls.

Sherman Falls is very much a favourite of mine, and very accessible. A good trail leads to an excellent viewing point about 200-300 metres from the small parking area.

Sherman Falls

 Tiffany Falls is another very accessible one, and just a short distance from Sherman Falls.

Tiffany Falls

 About 300 metres upstream from Tiffany Falls is Washboard Falls, obviously named by the gentle change in the rock strata which resembles a washboard.

Washboard Falls

Washboard Falls close-up

At the other end of the scale is Webster's Falls. It is large and almost always has a good volume of water going over. I didn't use a slow shutter speed for this, as I wanted to capture the feeling of size and power. To get an idea of its size, look closely at the upper right of the falls to see some people.

Webster's Falls

There are many more falls to search out in the Hamilton area.

A bit farther north along the escarpment north of Hwy 401 in the Milton area are a few others. This first one is Hilton Falls. It is a pleasant 25 minute walk from the parking lot along a forest trail in the conservation area by that name.

Hilton Falls

 While looking for another falls, I came across this tiny one along the road side. Some folks may not even recognize it as a true waterfalls, but even though it is small, it has its own delicate character. I don't know if it has an official name or not. I've called it Snow Creek Falls, as I believe the trickle of water is part of Snow Creek.

Farther north yet along the escarpment there are some impressive falls. Right at the edge of the town of Durham is McGowan Falls. One has to choose certain angles to keep man-made objects out of the view, however.

McGowan Falls

Another favourite one of mine is Hoggs Falls, just a bit east of Flesherton. It is not known by many, although most times when I have visited there has been one or two others there. The first view is from the upper level.

Hoggs Falls

For the more adventurous, there is sometimes a rope available to climb down a slippery slope via tree roots and rocks. The view from the lower level is worth it, but the risk isn't for everyone!  

Hoggs Falls lower vantage point

One of the best known waterfalls along the escarpment is Inglis Falls, near Owen Sound. To get an idea of scale, look at the people at the upper right hand side as they sit on the rocks beside the falling water.

Inglis Falls

One that takes a little more effort to get to, and therefore is not busy, is Indian Falls, a few kilometres north of Owen Sound. It requires good sturdy hiking footwear, and is about a 20 minute walk from the parking lot yet even the walk which involves a bit of climbing is quite enjoyable.

Along the trail to Indian Falls

This is definitely one where you want overcast conditions, as otherwise the light is very contrasting, and you have to look into it.

Indian Falls

There are other falls in southwestern Ontario, which I may get to in a future post. And I will definitely try to show some of the ones I've explored in eastern and north-central Ontario!