Odds and Ends

      Winter has been a strange affair so far, with snow and relatively cold temperatures one day, followed by above freezing conditions day after day thereafter, with precipitation in the form of rain. The regular species  have been active at the feeders, including a very welcome Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus). 

     More often than not a male has graced us with his presence, so we were especially happy to see this female.

Hillside Park with Waterloo Region Nature

     There are few things I enjoy more in life than leading a bird walk, and when I can do it under the auspices of my favourite naturalists club the pleasure is magnified.

     A group of enthusiastic participants took part in my two latest outings to Hillside Park in Waterloo. In the first contingent the youngest participant was seventeen months old and the oldest a mature eighty-three years. Birding does have its allure!

24 November 2021

Leader: David M. Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Lynn Conway, Pauline Copleston, Lisa Den Besten, Beth Hobson, Jen Leat, Graham Macdonald, Marg Macdonald, Karl Malhotra, Geoff Moore, Heather Polan (with Lily), Pauline Richards, Rog Suffling, Kathy Waybrant, Andrew Wesolowski. 

Jen, Kathy, Karl, Lisa, Geoff, Beth, Pauline C, Marg, Rog. Graham, Pauline R, Lynn, Andrew, David

Snowy Owls and a Day to Remember

     It was a cold day when we set out, classic in its wintriness. The sun was piercingly bright, there was enough of a breeze to sting your face gently, and the world was white.

      Buoyed in spirit and fortified with a mug of hot coffee, we set out to roam the countryside from the safety of our car, without a COVID care in the world.

     Our quest was for Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) and other raptorial birds and we succeeded admirably. There were several Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), more Rough-legged Buzzards (Buteo lagopus) than some people see in a lifetime, and a lone Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) well camouflaged in a dense tangle of bushes, waiting for an unsuspecting passerine to come by and sate its hunger.

     Our first encounter with a Snowy Owl, one of three exquisite males we would see that day, was the stuff of dreams. We were witnesses, participants almost,  into nature's vitality played out before our eyes. Ironically we have no pictures to share of this drama; we could hardly take our eyes off it, let alone worry about fiddling with a camera.

     The Snowy Owl had captured prey, and two Common Ravens (Corvus corax) were determined to steal it from him. By acting in unison and tormenting the owl they finally drove it off, leaving its hard-won meal behind. One raven pursued the owl, croaking its victory call, as it drove it far from sight, while the second had already pounced on the spoils of battle. As this was taking place, an adult Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) cruised overhead, contemplating displacing the ravens perhaps, but thought better of it, and carried on its way. Past tussles with ravens might have influenced its decision!

     As if to cap the sequence with a grand finale, a beautifully patterned dark morph Rough-legged Buzzard arrived on the scene, no doubt wishing to filch a little food for itself, but the ravens were having none of it, and the rough-leg moved on.

     Outclassed in bulk, strength and fighting equipment, the Common Ravens won the day with intelligence and cooperation. Surely that lesson still needs to be learned by humans.

     A Snowy Owl of either sex, young or old, is magnificent, but is anything quite as sublime as an adult male?

     By using the car as a blind, and advancing very, very slowly, we parked within fifteen metres, perhaps less, of this individual, without ever disturbing it.

     It spent a good deal of its time preening, and you can see its feathered feet (an adaptation against the cold) in the following picture.

     Here it is getting ready to stretch.

     It stretched quite frequently, extending wing and leg on each side of its body. We were unsure whether this was part of the preening process, or a means of maintaining flexibility. Whichever was the case, it was a wonderful sight to see.

     After about forty-five minutes we got ready to depart and bade our friend farewell.

     We drove away slowly, reluctant to leave, and glanced back several times as the owl faded into the distance.

     Mere minutes later we saw two male Snowy Owls flying together, one having come in from the direction we had travelled, so we assumed that it was "our" owl.

How amazing it was to see two of these archetypal birds of the north hunting in unison, scouring the fields for rodents. Territoriality it appears, is suspended outside the breeding season, and when food is plentiful.

     And - as a final reward we concluded - we spotted a large female perched in a tree near to a farm house.

     In life there are days to remember. This was certainly one of them. 

    

A Miscellany of Recent Events

     The Province of Ontario, in response to inadequate leadership at the highest levels, and a lack of willingness by members of our populace to take the pandemic seriously, is back into lockdown.

     What this means precisely no one has been able to quite figure out, but Miriam and I have stayed at home to a great degree. I go out to shop for groceries or other essentials, and when we venture forth together we get into the car in the garage and drive to remote areas where we have little likelihood of bumping into others. 

     Reluctantly, we have given up our Friday walks with Heather and Lily for the time being.

     There is much to entertain a couple of naturalists during this crisis and we enjoy our outings to the fullest.

10 January 2021

     The only time I am accustomed to seeing Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) close together is after courtship bonds have been cemented in the spring, so I was quite surprised to see these two individuals side by side in a tree.

     There seems to be no appreciable size difference so it is difficult to know if they are of different sexes, but there obviously is not a hint of antagonism between them.

     We have had snow on and off over the past couple of weeks, and this Mennonite family was taking advantage of the winter conditions to enjoy some family fun.

     Here is dad coming down the slope. You cannot see it but little ones too small to use a toboggan are tucked behind him.

     The Short-eared Owls (Asio flammeus) near Linwood have been fairly consistent in putting in an appearance, much to the delight of local birders, but nearly always in late afternoon or early evening when the light is waning. This, combined with their tendency to perch quite far away, is far from ideal for photography, but we derive great pleasure in seeing them and the pictures are of secondary importance.

16 January 2021

     Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) are the premier winter attraction for birders and non birders alike, and I hope I do not sound immodest when I say that Miriam and I have developed an aptitude for finding them. They never cease to thrill us and every sighting is a cause for great glee.

     The following pictures, all of females, are of three different owls.

     As you may judge, the last one was especially cooperative and perched close by. Using the car as a blind proved to be the perfect device to enable Miriam to get this amazing shot. 

     I doubt that there is anyone who would fail to be moved by an encounter of this nature. We opened a bottle of self-congratulatory wine when we arrived home and drank a toast to Snowy Owls everywhere!

17 January 2021

     My dear friend, Mary Voisin, had asked that we let her know where she and her husband, Don, could find a Snowy Owl, so I had texted her when Miriam and I happened on the three birds the previous day, but Mary and Don were unable to leave to meet us, so we arranged a rendez-vous for the following day when they could follow us in their car to find an owl.

     You have all heard the expression "salt of the earth" when referring to sterling people.

      

     The ancestors of Don and Mary were hewn out of the first rock and their descendants cleave from the same fissure. It was great to see them both again after the protracted absence brought about by COVID-19.

     We proceeded directly to the spot where Miriam and I had found two owls, but search as we might we could not find either one. It was not looking good.

     However, all was not lost and we had two other possible locations in mind. We hit the jackpot not more than ten minutes after dipping at our first attempt, and a beautiful adult female was in clear view.

     Mary and Don were elated, and so were we, for any sighting of a Snowy Owl, no matter how many times you have seen it before, is a cause for great joy.

     The pandemic has caused all of us to modify our habits in myriad ways and we came across an interesting way that the local Old Order Mennonites have found to deal with religious observance, now that indoor services are not permitted.

     What better to do than circle the wagons and have an outdoor service?

     The temperature was quite mild, hovering right around zero, but I am not sure whether this option would be feasible if normal January temperatures are ever experienced.

     Sitting in a buggy for a couple of hours at minus fifteen degrees would be another thing entirely. Might be hard on the vocal chords too!

     In the meantime you have to admire Mennonite ingenuity in finding a way to continue to have a Sunday service.

     The horses wait patiently! They doubtless have lots of experience doing this!

     On the way home we passed a farm which has several bird feeders, generally active, with the dominant species being House Sparrow (Passer domesticus). We saw a female Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) perched atop a spindly bush and as might be expected all was quiet.

     The hawk was intently focused and paid no heed to us.

     It turned, scanned and listened, its attention rivetted on prey.

     What a great opportunity to study this raptor at close quarters. It was no more that fifteen metres away, if that.

     Within minutes it flew to the top of a nearby coniferous bush, having detected noise or movement, I presume.

     It perched on top for a moment or two.....

     .....and then dropped to the ground.

     In the glimpse of an eye it went into the bush and in mere moments emerged with a House Sparrow in its talons.

     It took a moment or two to subdue its prey and then flew off to enjoy its lunch.

     It was exciting for us to watch this gripping event unfold right before our eyes. We have seen accipiters hunt before but never the entire sequence in this fashion.

     From Don and Mary to Snowy Owl to Cooper's Hawk - what a great morning it had been. 

Winter Walks

 Friday 11 December 2020

Bechtel Park, Waterloo, ON

     Friday is our day to walk with Heather and Lily and we decided to try Bechtel Park for the first time together.

     

     It was a beautiful winter day, not too cold with little wind and bright sunshine. Lily is already an accomplished winter warrior and enjoys her time outdoors.

     No doubt being strapped on to Mom with all the extra warmth that position provides has something to do with it.

     Lily is becoming ever more alert and aware of her surroundings, and laughs and chuckles if you play peek-a-boo with her. It will not be long before we will be seeing little white teeth when she opens her mouth wide.

     There were birds in the woods, but they were encountered in highly mobile groups of mixed species, very active and extremely difficult to photograph.

     Often we were alerted to their presence by their chattering high in the tree tops. This Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) will give you an idea of the angle we were dealing with.

     Common Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca) on the ground was much easier to photograph and presented a welcome burst of green against the dun uniformity of the forest floor.

     Laurel Creek meanders through Bechtel Woods, and after periods of heavy rain becomes swollen and flows with great rapidity. The velocity of the surging torrent causes a good deal of erosion on the banks and tree roots become exposed.

     There is ample evidence of trees downed by high winds, now returning nutrients to the soil and playing their role in the eternal cycle of forest renewal. Fungi have a substrate on which to grow, salamanders seek  shelter under logs, and arthropods of countless species find refuge, hidden from view.

     We walked along and chatted, we postulated and opined, cooed to Lily, laughed and reflected, enjoyed each other's company to the fullest.

     All too soon it was time to say goodbye, but even as I compose this post it is Friday again tomorrow, and we will have Heather and Lily all to ourselves once again. There is no greater Friday morning enjoyment.

Friday 11 December 2020

Riverside Park, Cambridge, ON

     As soon as we had finished lunch we decided that we wanted to go back outside and headed off for Riverside Park in Cambridge.

     One could be forgiven for concluding that all the House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) in the area had decided to congregate there.

     No doubt the continuous supply of seed distributed by human well-wishers fueled the attendance!

     Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are not shy about sharing in this feast, and are not reluctant to approach at close quarters either, an opportunity welcomed by photographers.

     The male is handsome.....

     ..... and the female is beautiful.

     One of the first birds that visitors from overseas wish to see is Northern Cardinal and it is not hard to see why. Fortunately, is is quite common, and readily comes to backyard feeders so it is easy to find.

     Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is one of the most endearing of all our birds, beloved by everyone.

     When my daughter, Caroline, was in primary school her floor hockey team was called The Black-capped Chickadees, and they were as tough and aggressive as their namesake tiny bundle of power and determination. It takes all that winter throws at it, and does so with a cheery song.

       It always takes its seed and flies off to a nearby branch where it grasps the seed in its claws and hammers it open.

      When I was filling my bird feeders this morning I was reminded of the confiding nature of our most common woodpecker, the diminutive Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens), as one perched on a branch no more that 45cm away from me, waiting for the feeder to be replaced on its hook.

     It is a common species at Riverside Park and very approachable. The male is distinguished by his jaunty red cap.

     A couple of drake Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) puttered around on the Grand River, upturning to yank submerged vegetation from the bottom.

     By this time of the year I would have expected species such as Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) and Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) to be present, but the river flowed on devoid of ducks.

     American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) is a pugnacious and fearless little character, who will tackle adversaries twice its size.

     Free food along the top rail of the boardwalk is an opportunity not to be missed.

     American Tree Sparrow (Spizelloides arborea) is a species whose number seem to have declined in recent years; fortunately Riverside Park remains a fairly reliable spot to find this charming winter resident.

     Having seen a couple of male Downy Woodpeckers earlier we were delighted when this female paid us a visit.

     As we made our way back along the trail it suddenly was very quiet, and not a bird moved.

A quick scan revealed the reason; this Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) had flown in, but it appeared not to be in hunting mode and left soon after arriving.

     On the way out of Riverside Park we decided to visit the nearby confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers, an excellent location to find a wide variety of species, with great variability from spring through winter.

     There were many ducks of several species, but mostly far out, and the light was beginning to wane.

Of late there have been a couple of periods of heavy rain, and branches have been washed down the river, to strand themselves in shallow areas.

     Some unsuspecting boat owner lost his dock to swollen flows; no doubt it will make a fine perch for gulls and terns.

     The setting sun provided a fitting backdrop to end a wonderful day.

     It was time to head for home.

Tuesday 15 December 2020

A drive through the hinterland

     We decided that a drive around some of the rural roads of the region was just what the bird doctor ordered.

     The light was far from perfect, but it turned out to be a day for raptors, with four species being spotted.

None of our photographs are about to be entered into competition, but they do provide a record of the day.

     Our first Buteo of the day was a magnificent Rough-legged Buzzard (Buteo lagopus) and by leaning out of the car window Miriam was able to catch its beautiful underwing pattern as it took flight.

     Almost across the road a couple of Mennonites were working on their silo - dangerous work if you ask me!

     Not for them safety straps, tie-offs and harnesses. Bravado does the trick!

     Our next raptor, far and away the most common Buteo in the area was a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), looking back at us.

     Our third raptor of the day was a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), two of them in fact, in Conestogo, near to the nest where they have raised young successfully for four years at least.

     In the picture below you can see the two eagles (if you look very carefully) perched at either end of the row of trees.

     As was the case when we left Cambridge earlier in the week night was falling and a warm home and a glass of wine seemed inviting.

     Along the way, on Northfield Drive, a busy city street, we saw a male American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) perched on a wire, for our fourth raptor in a couple of hours.

     Not a bad way to end the day if you ask me!