Highlights From Here and There

      This post represents a few highlights from recent walks, and events at home, with no theme other than nature is on display!

     The Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) which provided such a stunning burst of colour when in bloom, has gone to seed, but is no less spectacular.

     Mother Nature weaves her magic tapestry in many different ways.

Muskrat (Rat musqué)

     I was supposed to lead a walk for Waterloo Region Nature today, along the Mill Race Trail in St. Jacobs, so Miriam and I went to scout it out yesterday, but the trail was essentially sheer ice and we had to call off today's walk. 

     We walked gingerly along the grassy edge of the path. Single file was not too bad but it would have been impractical for a nature group, and especially for some of the older members who might do serious harm to themselves if they fell.
     Ice it seems is one of those things that is a real curse or a thing of beauty to be admired.

     There was lots of bird life with many species commonly associated with a winter walk, but what we found most interesting was the presence of several Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus).

     We observed the bizarre behaviour of one individual bent on chasing a Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) drake, to what end I am not sure.

     The Mallard was a match for his pursuer in terms of speed, but if the Muskrat got a little too close the Mallard would simply fly ahead a few metres, putting distance between himself and his irritating aquatic companion.
     Actually we saw little groups of Mallards all the way along the trail and they were very agreeable companions.

     I am a great fan of Mallards. They may be common but they are wonderful birds, and the little curls on the male's tail are exquisite.
     There has been a lot of activity by the resident American Beavers (Castor canadensis) this year and lodges and winter stores of food are to be found all along the Mill Race.

     And herein I think lies the reason for the proliferation of Muskrats. Although Muskrats commonly build their own dens, they are known to occupy beaver lodges, cohabiting with the beavers in apparent harmony. As far as I know this fact has only recently been discovered due to increasingly sophisticated photographic equipment and the possibility of placing cameras in a beaver lodge to record the activities going on there. None of my reference books, in the sections on American Beaver or on Muskrat, mention this behaviour which would indicate it was unknown at the time of publication.
     One of the individuals we watched dived under a pile of vegetation and did not resurface, but another was very busy indeed. It was gathering twigs and branches and taking them down into the den, and returning for more.

     We watched this activity for fifteen or twenty minutes and the Muskrat was constantly ferrying food to the occupants of the bank burrow below. Does this indicate a level of cooperation between beaver and Muskrat, thereby ensuring harmony in the den? It would appear so. Our observation included only the above water side of the activity but one can perhaps reasonably surmise what went on below.
     In any event it was all quite fascinating and we were glad to have been witnesses to it.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

     Winter in Ontario means snow. Sometimes not so much, sometimes the stuff that buries houses.
    We spent last weekend in Ottawa with my daughter, Caroline, her husband, Andrew, and our two grandchildren Sam and Will, who are now by the way, both taller than their grandpa. Shouldn't there be a law against that?
    We arrived on Friday, early afternoon, and all was dry. We did hit a couple of snow squalls on the way from Waterloo to Ottawa, but nothing serious.
    Overnight, however, from Friday into Saturday, several centimetres of snow fell, and the landscape was transformed. On Saturday afternoon we decided to go for a walk at Petrie Islands Park, one of our favourite spots to do a little birding; an area that over the years has been extremely productive.
     There was still open water and a lone Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) had decided to tough out the early winter and was still making a living. That may soon change as temperatures begin to dip and even the Ottawa River freezes up. Ice was forming along the shore.

     American Beavers (Castor canadensis) have been busy laying in winter storage, and there was evidence of their depredation everywhere. 

     The extent to which a family of beavers can transform a landscape is nothing short of amazing.
     In terms of birds, the most exciting find was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) who obligingly alerted us to their presence by a volley of their loud staccato call. This is a spectacular bird by any standards.

     In fact, birds in general were sparse, not unexpected given the time of year.
     We had a great walk, however, with much to interest us and returned home well satisfied with our afternoon perambulation. 
     The next day was a little colder, but still very pleasant, so we all decided to set off again, this time in the woods surrounding the neighbourhood where Caroline and Andrew live, and combine a bracing walk with the dog's daily exercise.
     Here, at the trailhead, are Andrew, Caroline, and Nalla, their faithful companion.

     The woods were snowy and very appealing, with crisp sounds underfoot, snow laden conifers,  and the cheerful accompaniment of chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches.

     Someone seems to have made it a Christmas project to install bird feeders deep in the woods and adorn them for the season.

     The feeders were empty, however, otherwise there would doubtless have been a constant parade of birds.
     Nalla revels in a romp in the woods but never gets too far ahead without checking back to make sure that her human charges are not lagging too far behind.

     We returned home after a couple of hours for a welcome glass of wine (maybe two) and one of Caroline's always superb dinners.
     When we left Ottawa on Monday morning the temperature was minus 18°. Winter has truly arrived, whatever the calendar says.
     Yesterday was the day for our regular Tuesday Ramble with David and we elected to walk along the Mill Race Trail. Mary is away in Florida, Franc was feeling under the weather and Carol had other plans so we were just five.
     Snow is not confined to Ottawa as you may see.

     Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a year-round resident and both males and females were common.

     This pair of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) seemed unfazed by the snow, which was falling heavily at times.

     Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) deals with winter with aplomb.

     The trail has such a different aspect from season to season and in some ways winter is the most appealing.

     One certainly doesn't have to worry about mosquitoes biting!
     We lost count of the number of Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) but they were very common indeed.

     This Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) had not yet retired to spend the winter under the ice, perhaps in a comfortable beaver den, warm and dry.

     As naturalists in a northern land we celebrate winter and all that it has to offer. I urge anyone who dreads the advent of the season to get out and enjoy it - dress warmly, keep your eyes and ears open and a whole world will reveal itself to you.
     And for those of you who have just read this blog post, enjoy this wonderful compilation.

A Foggy, Foggy Day

22 January 2017

     It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision for Miriam and me to go down to Lake Ontario to check out its bird life. As we left it was a little foggy, and the farther we drove the foggier it got, and at some point we could not have been faulted had we turned around and returned home. But we hung in and were glad that we did, for although the weather was far from perfect, with not a ray of sunshine the whole day, we had a very enjoyable day of birding.

     It was impossible to photograph most species due to the poor light, especially small passerines, so this post relies heavily on waterbirds of one kind or another.

     Our first stop was at the DesJardins Canal in Dundas, ON where we were surprised to see four Double-crested Cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus. Given that cormorants do not have waterproof feathers and have to dry them after each feeding session underwater, a day with air so heavily moisture-laden must present difficulties for this species.

     Gulls, of course, have no such problems and there were many Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis and several American Herring Gulls Larus smithsonianus, impervious to the gloom and murk of this unseasonably warm January. The following individual maintained its position as we walked by permitting a fairly decent picture under the circumstances.

     We left the DesJardins Canal and made for LaSalle Park and Marina, our principal destination for the day, where a wide variety of species is pretty much assured. Upon arrival, we stayed in the car for a while to eat our lunch, and a large raft of Greater Scaup Aytha marila swam into the small boat launch area in front of us. To capture some of our pictures we merely had to put the car window down.

Greater Scaup - male

Greater Scaup - female

     They were feeding on the endless supply of Zebra Mussels Dreissena polymorpha and were joined by a few Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula who wasted no time in joining in the feast.

Common Goldeneye - male

Common Goldeneye - female

     White-winged Scoters Melanitta fusca were also present but tended to stay out in the bay.

     It was interesting to say the least to see the incredible amount of work the American Beavers Castor canadensis had been doing. Many of the trees that still remain along the shore have now been encased in a metal mesh to prevent further loss.

     American Black Duck Anas rubipres can usually be located at LaSalle and true to form we observed several of them.

     Many Redheads Aytha americana were present but far offshore, but these two Canvasbacks Athya valsineria were snoozing close to shore.

     The only Common Merganser Mergus merganser we saw was this female.

      The surprise of the day, and a singular delight to be sure, was to spot a Great Northern Loon Gavia immer, quite far off and enveloped in mist and spray, but identifiable by its distinctive shape and posture, and by the characteristic fashion in which it launches into its dive.

     By now, Miriam was eagerly looking forward to a hot coffee so we drove into Burlington to get one. Right across from the Tim Horton's Restaurant where we got our coffee a stretch of the Waterfront Trail goes through town and we parked and explored a little. This was a new location for us and we were very happy that we decided to check it out.

     The first thing to greet us was a large raft of Ruddy Ducks Oxyura jamaicensis , numbering at least a hundred birds.

     A few Surf Scoters Melanitta perspicillata were diving for food among the far more numerous White-winged Scoters.

     We had not seen a Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis at all at LaSalle and were very happy to have many close at hand in the water close to the trail. In a family of birds noted for stunning plumage, this species is surely one of the most attractive, and to hear a group of them chattering to each other is magical indeed.

     Our parking ticket was about to expire and we left for home feeling well satisfied with an excellent day of birding. I guess the moral of the story is "Never let the weather put you off!"