Monday, February 05, 2024

Happenings of Late

      For the most part, winter is undeclared this year; occasional snow but followed by melting almost immediately. Strange weather indeed, uncharacteristic one might conclude, but sadly I think this is the portent of messy winters to come.
     In the backyard, Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) is our most constant visitor, always there at the crack of dawn, cheerful and appealing.


     Miriam's crows still come to visit her every day, expecting (and receiving) breakfast and lunch. 


     It is a good thing to share our world with crows.
     An American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) and a House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) demonstrated that once in a while they can get along without squabbling.



      Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) is both predictable and appealing.



     Perhaps this goldfinch was awaiting its turn at the feeder.


     I think it is a form of cosmic law that squirrels inhabit my yard, sent to challenge every ingenious solution I have devised to keep them from gobbling up bird seed, and routinely destroying feeders.


     I concede superiority to them, and have come to terms with their success.
     They are cute though!
     Driving through the countryside north of the city, we did have a bit of a snowy landscape.


     At this juncture in a normal winter, rural areas would be peppered with skating rinks and pickup hockey games on frozen ponds. We saw not a one.

11 January, 2024
The Linear Trail, Cambridge, ON

     Taking advantage of at least one day of decent snow, we joined Lisa, Selwyn and Victoria, and Jim for an exploration of the Linear Trail.
     

     The Grand River had welcomed many Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula).


     Numerous males were in a frenzy of activity, displaying and tossing their heads back, proving I suppose that it's never a bad time to impress the ladies!


     Occasionally, a small flock of them would fly by, and the sonorous flutter of their wings was music to our ears.
     Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is our largest and most spectacular woodpecker and it is always a moment of great note to see one.


     You will notice the hackberry tree loaded with berries and it was upon these high-energy morsels that the woodpecker was feeding.
     A Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) by comparison is a mere ball of fluff, seemingly vulnerable, but hardy and well-equipped to handle winter adversity. (See Winter World, (2003), Bernd Heinrich ).


     A Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is not as dominant a figure as a Pileated Woodpecker, but is undeniably clad in a wondrous coat of many colours.


     It did get short-changed a little, however, when red bellies were handed out. A faint smudge of rosy hue is about all that you ever see.
    A Box Elder (Acer negundo) carried a copious load of its distinctive seeds.


     The nasal call of a White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) was a constant feature of the snowy woods, and often it was possible to see them going about their business.


     Winter is a beautiful season.


     And don't you ever forget it!
David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

63 comments:

  1. Hello David,
    We usually have some big snow storms in February. I would not miss the snow, but it would help recover from last years drought. I love all the woodpeckers, the Pileated Woodpecker is spectacular. Take care, have a great day and happy new week!

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  2. ...it nice to see that the American Goldfinch and a House Finch can get along without squabbling, a great lesson for humans.

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  3. Yes David, the winter is a beautiful season. I'm so glad we have four different seasons. You have so many different and beautiful birds in your yard. I like Miriams crows. It's nice they can find food at your place. Many people hate Crows and Magpie here.
    Hugs and kisses, Marit

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    1. I suspect that the crows and magpies feel the same way about humans! I am not fond of many of them myself!

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  4. Hi David.

    Beautiful photos of the Spotted Woodpecker and the Red-bellied Woodpecker are great.

    Greetings from Patricia.

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  5. Hari OM
    ...it is if it is dry and white... here at The Hutch, outside the window it is mostly the resemblance of watching a washing machine go through its cycle. This does make the days that let off and rest all the more sparkly though! Meanwhile, we get to enjoy natures variety by visiting blogs such as yours... YAM xx

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  6. Wonderful gallery of familiar birds. The juncoes are still here in Central NJ, winter visitors who arrive in November and usually leave around March. They've been numerous this year.

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    1. They are very welcome here; bright and perky and they deal with everything winter throws at them.

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  7. Si que tenemos un tiempo extraño David. En Béjar nunca hemos tenido en enero unos días con 19º como este año. Y la sierra está sin apenas nieve. Al menos de agua estamos bien, en otros Lugares de España ya han empezado con restrincciones.
    Muchas aves os visitan, saben donde encontrar comida :)
    Hoy me quedo con el árbol de almez y ese precioso pájaro carpintero. Gracias.
    Buen lunes.
    Un abrazo.

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  8. We had some snow in Jan., but now it already feels like Spring with 11C degree and sunshine. Dark-eyed Junco looks so sweet.

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  9. our January has been the weirdest weather since i moved here in 1984, up and down, nothing is like it ever was. Before i forget i want to say i really really like your header photo, it is excellent of both of you and that tree is way cool, make that beyond way cool.
    the first half dozen of bird pics are gorgeous. that is a super shot of the crow. yesterday at the park, just at daybreak, every light bar in the park had dozens of crows on it they were in the trees, on fences. it was drizzling rain and heavy rain on the way, they were LOUD. we think they got part way to where ever and had to rest because of soaked wings.
    sorry you are missing your snowy winter

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  10. You don't have to go far from home to see extraordinarily beautiful aves. Lucky you!

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  11. There is snow on the volcanoes and some people like to ski there. No snow where I live, though. I love that woodpecker. Such a beautiful bird.

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  12. The plants and wildlife don't know whether it's winter or spring. Temperatures of 14 and 15 deg C this week and then we have a forecast of snow later this week! I agree that squirrels are a nuisance. They seem to manage to get into any feeder despite it being supposedly squirrel proof.

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  13. Winter IS a beautiful season, David, although for this winter and last winter I have not been able to make the most of it because of Lindsay's situation. Winter brings exciting birds to us that we don't see at other times of the year. Yes, it has its downsides, but I don't want to lose it - as we seem to be doing. First thing this morning I noted that we were due to have heavy snow all day on Thursday, and my heart soared - only to be brought down to earth again when, by mid day, it got downgraded to sleet. Sleet is possibly one of the least attractive of weather conditions to my mind.

    Your images (or should I say 'Miriam's') show however, that all is not lost if we don't have a proper winter - and at least it saves on the fuel bills!

    My very best wishes to you both - - - Richard

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  14. All the birds you mention here used to be regular winter visitors to my yard, but the only one I've seen this year is the Red-bellied Woodpecker, which in fact is a permanent resident here. I guess the others didn't feel any need to fly so far south to escape winter this year.

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  15. By the way, if you want to thwart the squirrels, I can recommend this baffle: https://www.duncraft.com/4-x-4-Disk-Squirrel-Baffle-Galvanized-Finish?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAq4KuBhA6EiwArMAw1BMiWyCjjpSUuvrZ-zTigrogYuQX_7CLNvb_wEyVvmLkn1zRoCl6pBoCl90QAvD_BwE It is infallible.

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  16. What a beautiful winter world David.
    Beautiful with all that snow and the different birds.
    My favorite is the woodpecker.
    Greetings Tinie

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  17. Your familiar birds are so beautiful and I wish I could see them as often. I had the hardest time learning to ID the red-bellied woodpecker for the reason you cite -- the belly it is named for really isn't very...

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  18. Yes, sounds like your weird winter is a lot like mine here in Fargo. Times they are a changin', eh?
    I am jealous you have a life with crows!

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  19. I do love winter! We have milder winters here in NB than when I lived in QC. It's that Atlantic Ocean wind that goes right through my bones! Lovely bird photos David!

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  20. I agree, winter is just as interesting and enjoyable as the other seasons. My husband does not agree, as the cold seems to bother him more as he gets older.
    I once caught a kinglet like the one in your photo in my hands. It had got into the house and somehow I managed to catch it at a window; I guess it was stressed and worn out. It was the first time inhad ever seen one, although I expect they were around and I mistook them for another bird, maybe a titmouse. I will never forget how light it was, like holding a feather. And so very finely colored, a miniature wonder of art.

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    1. It’s one of the smallest songbirds in the world.

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    2. I did not know that. He was indeed a tiny fellow, but very pert.

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  21. It has been stormy here for three days so we haven’t seen our crows. We hope to see them tomorrow.

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    1. From what we see on TV it looks pretty dire down there, Marie.

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  22. We've had temps well above freezing and all the outdoor rinks are now closed for the season. Even when we get colder weather (and we will) it is too expensive to flood the rinks.
    The bird photos are lovely, as always. I do enjoy seeing woodpeckers. As for squirrels they are cute, and since I haven't been feeding the birds this winter, they aren't as much of a pest.

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  23. Hello chiquis!
    how r u!
    rain, wind, snow, dew... winter is a poetic act in itself; i feel as if time passes more slowly. Days gray, gloomy and lonely landscapes seems poetry to me. Oh those frozen, ghostly and misty mornings... love them! but the reality is that i am in summer and cold is far away.

    I understand that you are experiencing an unusual winter, marked by the absence of snow and changes in bird visits. but Miriam's crows continue their daily connection, sharing breakfasts and lunches, the intelligent squirrels, the goldfinch and the woodpecker sing together the great winter symphony: soon a big snow will fall!

    Friends Miriam and David, sending big hugs and thank you for sharing the complexity and delicacy of that winter ecosystem.

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  24. Somewhere I read that the snow up your way didn't fall as normal. The photos are lovely and you are lucky you don't have a veggie garden in your summer with the squirrels about.

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  25. hello David
    Here too, winter is no longer winter, it snows and a few days later it is gone again, followed by rain, rain and more rain, the bad thing about it; the times with the camera are limited and the good thing about it is; that the many masses of water are finally filling wet meadows, moors, lakes and ponds with water again after years of drought. Many moisture-loving plants, amphibians and water birds urgently need water. The habitats had been dry for far too long in recent years and were almost in danger of disappearing.
    Greetings Frank

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  26. Beautiful series of photos David.
    The Dryocopus Pileatus and the Melanerpes carolinus are really beautiful species of woodpeckers, they are also not found in the Netherlands.
    The Sitta carolinensis is also very beautiful.
    It is not really winter here either, now it is 10.4 degrees Celsius at 9.28 am.
    Greetings Irma

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  27. Lovely birds and photos David !
    Winter is essential but with climate change all season are mess-up...
    Here the temperatures are too high...
    Have a nice day !
    Anna

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  28. Hi David,
    Winter in Canada has got sometimes some similarities with the Dutch. In our country some parts looked for a while like a real winterlandscape, but along the coast there only was a touch of winter with frozen waters and a very little bit of snow. Right now no signs of winter, but more signs of autumn with wind blowing with 6-7 Beaufort and occasionallly rain. It feels weird. Wildlife with you is still ok with enough variety. Who knows if we will get winter the coming weeks.
    Greetings, Kees

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  29. Hi David - yes ... winter is an amazing season - long live seasons. I just put my winter stuff away - only to have it possibly snow and be v cold later this week - such is life here. I looked up hackberry - and was somewhat staggered to find so much information about the tree and its provisions for other life ... and how long its been around. We are lucky to be able to access so much and to join other friends around the world looking at the world through their eyes, not our own blinkered ones. Cheers - Hilary

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    1. We should invent all-weather clothing, Hilary. We’d make a fortune and be able to visit each other for afternoon tea!

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  30. Can't find my comment about the goldfinch and its colors. Go into Spam?

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    1. I check my Spam folder daily, Marcia. It is empty at present.

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  31. Hi, I love your photos and commentary. We saw a large gathering of Golden Eye in early December on the shore of Lake Michigan in SE Wisconsin. It had been years since I saw so many. We are on a flyway in Illinois and always look forward to the Pileated Woodpecker when he/she appears in Fall and usually March. The Box Elder on our neighbors property was particularly full of seeds this year, and our squirrels and chipmunks have been dragging them all over the yard. We had a healthy foot of snow but it has melted and every critter is out and about each day. Enjoy your posts, I can never catch my beasties with a camera. Sandi

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  32. Beautiful birds. Winter is a wonderful time for me. Snow and frost is quite an artist.

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  33. Cuando hay tanta nieve, debe de hacer mucho frío por ahí...yo le temo tanto al frío, que no me gusta viajar en invierno a las ciudades, en que hace mucho más frío que en la mía.
    Que tengas una buena semana, que ya ha comenzado.

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  34. I have always found crows to be the most gentlemanly and ladylike of birds. When I lived out around the bay they took their places at the very back of the lineups at my feeders, behind the bluejays, sparrows, robins and juncos.
    Lovely shots of your surroundings.
    XO
    WWW

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  35. Hi David..Yes, this winter did not live up to it's usual cold and snow..definitely a sign of winters to come..I saw some Rhododendrons whose buds were bursting and ready to bloom...It's crazy..Love you r birdies..They are just like mine except for the Pileated Woodpecker.. What I I wouldn't give to see one of those....Enjoy the rest of your week..

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  36. Yes, squirrels can be a nuisance but somehow I like them!

    I enjoyed your post and lovely photographs.

    All the best Jan

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  37. I need to refill my feeder.I've been seeing house finches and all the usual suspects. had a huge flock of starlings in the neighborhood today. I finally managed to foil the squirrels from getting on my birdfeeder. three prong attack. farther away than 5' from anything it can launch itself from, a domed hood on the pole under the feeder, and under that inserted the pole through a length of galvanized gutter downspout. apparently the downspout is too slick for them to climb.

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  38. Wow, the woodpecker is stunning! I've never seen one. I also get some crows coming to eat the seeds I put out for the doves and magpies, but they seem to dominate and don't let other birds come close. I do love the magpies that fly or walk over from the park across the street and to my driveway when they see me arriving home, and wait for me to throw them a walnut :) The squirrels are cute :)

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  39. Hello David, great visitors in your garden, love the Crows that come for breakfast and lunch. The colourful Woodpackers are gems. The colours are amazing and so nice to see in a winter landscape. The snowy landscape is beautiful and makes great photos.
    Winter here is the same as in your part of the world. It is there and a few day it melts away. Frozen ponds for skating is a thing of the past. Only in my memories.
    Love the photo of you and Miriam in the header.
    Take care.
    Love from Belgium
    Roos

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  40. I don't think we have any snow here, apart from a few lumpy spaces where they stacked it up in parking lots -- and those might be gone by now. We're due for 50 today or tomorrow. It's weird. Still, good sighting weather.

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  41. Hello David :=)
    What a lovely surprise visit I had from you this morning.Never fear your dances and incantations do work David, if not for the pain, they do an excellent job of uplifting my spirits.:=) You get a great variety of birds visiting your garden. The charming Dark-eyed Junco, American Goldfinch and House Finch and of course the daily visits of Miriam's Crows would make my day.. Our weather is varied, a few warm days, followed by cold and rain.I like the pictures of the snow, on the Linear Trail, as it never snows where I live, but there are places in the interior where it does snow and there are ski lodges and excellent skiing facilities in the mountains of Serra da Estrela. My late husband and I used to take our young children there just to see the snow and how they enjoyed playing along with their friends, as we always went with two couples who had children.
    Happy memories, but I digress. The Pileated Woodpecker and Red-bellied Woodpecker are so attractive, how I would love to see them in reality. I'm rather obsessed by my own Woodpecker visitor, they have such adorable faces that one can't resist. Of the smaller birds the White-breasted Nuthatch and the Golden-crowned Kinglet are a joy to see and are among my favourite birds. Thank you for the views of the river and the ducks and the naughty squirrel.I only have one that visits, but he eats all the sunflower seed meant for the birds. The birds don't miss out however as I refill the feeder when I'm sure the
    squirrel has departed. Squirrels are so aesthetically beautiful creatures and fun to watch that they are usually forgiven for their transgressions, and they too are hungry.
    Hugs and xxxxxx
    Sonjia.

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  42. nice post as always. Love that woodpcker. :) thanks for the nice comment on my blog. I can watch and photograph all want as I always walk alone. :) My pace, my camera ready to shoot. :)

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  43. Querido David siente que el invierno este siendo tan leve, se echa de menos la nieve. Aquí también está siendo un invierno extraño, durante el día hace muy buen tiempo y las noches frías con heladas, pero a penas nevó nada. Hoy comenzó a llover así que espero que caiga algo de nieve. Me encantan las aves que os visitan, es todo un honor disfrutar de ellas. Es curioso que se acerquen los cuervos, es un ave que me resulta divertida y creo que son inteligentes. Espectaculares fotos. Un abrazo enorme para ti y para Míriam.

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  44. I hear areas of Saskatchewan, too, have been enjoying unusual warmer weather. Warmer is nicer but the "unusual" part foretells perhaps of a troubling future pattern.

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  45. I love winter pictures....walking in those trails is beautiful!.....Abrazotes, Marcela

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  46. Ha sido un placer ver tu reportaje. Gracias y abrazos.

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  47. For me, winter is also a special season, although it is much warmer than where you live. The weather is strange this year due to the dates where you took these photos, there was a somewhat mild beginning of summer here, never exceeding 30 degrees, with a return of rain, now in February a heat wave came without rain, although yesterday and today it rained , I hope this evil cycle of heat and drought is broken. The photos to illustrate your story, as always, are beautiful.

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  48. Hi David,
    It must be wunderful to start the day with a a Dark-eyed Junco in the garden.
    And off corse the squirrel is cute!
    Love the Spinus. and the model of Woody Woodpecker!
    Happy week ahead,
    Greetings Maria

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  49. So far we've had a weird winter as well, not as chilly as usual. But we have had quite some rain and that feels like those winters 10-15 years ago. There are certainly more robins around than in previous winters, but maybe they have discovered that there are many berry bearing trees and shrubs in this neighborhood. Even a garter snake was already spotted, however, we suspect that it might have been flooded out of its hibernating spot. It looked pretty healthy. Usually we don't see any snakes before April.

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  50. We already had some snow at the end of November, so the first Advent was white... unusual - and there were 7 days of snow for skiing... I love winter and celebrate it accordingly. Now spring has already arrived, but that doesn't mean anything. We will see.
    In the forest I often see the nuthatch running up and down the thick tree trunks... it's a joy.
    I wish you and Miriam lots of joy and sunshine, a hug from Viola.

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