North Shore of Lake Ontario

 A definition of natural history - "A practice of attentiveness and receptivity to the more-than-human world, guided by honesty and accuracy."

                                                                    Thomas Lowe Fleischner 

13 July, 2024

     It had been a while since we had birded with Lisa, and Selwyn and Victoria, and I had promised Shannon to let her know about some birding days, so we all got together and headed for various points along the north shore of Lake Ontario. We were joined there by Shannon's daughter, Abbey, and her boyfriend, Preston.

     It was a perfect day to be down near the water, although by mid afternoon it was getting decidedly hot.

Humber Bay Park East, Toronto, ON

     Many people were out enjoying the start of the weekend, and birding - as might be expected in mid July - was a little slow.

     It didn't take us long, however, to locate a Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius), quite oblivious to the throngs strolling along the waterfront, and even the close proximity of an outdoor yoga class.

     A Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) at times seemed to be masquerading as a Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis).

     We don't focus so much on insects when we have others with us, but we couldn't resist taking a picture of this Brown-belted Bumble Bee (Bombus grisecollis).

     For many years Red-necked Grebes (Podiceps grisegenga) have bred at this location, and 2024 was no exception.

     A male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) surveyed his domain.

Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Toronto, ON

     Broadleaf Arrowhead (Sagitttaria latifolia) is a characteristic and visually appealing plant of wetlands throughout much of Ontario.

     The leaf structure is attractive enough by itself, and the flowers of this plant only add to its appeal.

     An immature male Red-winged Blackbird has survived the first rigours of independence and is making his way in life.

     Nearctic Blue Mud-dauber Wasp (Chalybion californicum) is a handsome insect with an interesting life style.

     From Wasps, Eric R. Eaton (2021) - "Wasps in the genus Chalybion notice the webs of their spider host while flying. They then land on the web and deftly pluck the snare to mimic a struggling insect. This draws the spider to its doom."

     You will note from the following picture that Preston is head and shoulders taller than the rest of us, and that proved to be a very useful attribute.

     Red-winged Blackbirds are renowned for their aggression in defence of their nest, and they zoomed in on the highest point - Preston's head. We may have to insist that he accompany us on all our outings during breeding season! At present he is not a dedicated birding fanatic and we have to work on that. As Abbey succinctly phrased it, "He doesn't especially like birds, but he likes me so he comes along." Long may that continue!

     A good-natured person had liberally strewn birdseed on a rock and a Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) wasted no time in lining up at the buffet.

     Quickly, it was joined by House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) and Red-winged Blackbirds.

     And a Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) came to claim a share, without chivvying and bullying others, contrary to popular belief.

     Several turtles were hauled out on rocks and there was lively conjecture as to their species.

     The following picture shows Red-eared Sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans).

     And here are Midland Painted Turtles (Chrysemis picta marginata).

     There was some discussion as to whether Northern Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica) had also joined the basking beauties, and I was leaning towards that conclusion at the time, yet none of Miriam's pictures show this species.

     A family of American Yellow Warbler (Setophaga aestiva) provided great entertainment for us; it was of course heartwarming to see such success.

     It was Claude Monet who elevated water lilies to mythical status, but he is certainly not alone in appreciating their enduring beauty. They are an avatar of calm in troubling times.

     A Spotted Sandpiper pleased us greatly with a sprightly promenade along the mud.

     Who can fail to be uplifted by a Wood Duck (Aix sponsa)?

     Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides) is always beautiful, but exceptionally so on a hot summer's day.

     This oak (genus Quercus) was exceptionally pale and it was Lisa who identified it as suffering from a condition known as chlorosis.

     This was new information for me and I appreciated Lisa highlighting it for us.

      "A common cause of chlorosis is a deficiency of iron or manganese, both of which are present but unavailable in high pH soils (pH>7.2). Iron and manganese are needed by plants to form chlorophyll and to complete photosynthesis.  Stressors, such as temperature extremes, drought, poor drainage (which limits soil aeration) or restricted root growth, further limit nutrient uptake in plants sensitive to chlorosis." (The Morton Arboretum).

     One has to wonder whether the temperature extremes to which trees are now subjected will increase the incidence of this condition.

     A female Mallard (Anas platyrynchos) is the very model of stability.

     Margined Calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus) has been frequently featured on my blog giving you an idea of just how common it is, but I would wager that few see it.

     Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritus) seemed to favour the small harbour where many man-made perches were available.

     If one bird dominated our day it was Red-necked Grebe.

     Once again we encountered several breeding pairs.

     Cormorants and Mallards shared the water together in harmony.

     Maybe it was just too hot to squabble!

Douglas Kennedy Headland, Mississauga, ON

     The first order of business was to have lunch and we found a sapling providing enough shade for us all to sit on the grass and enjoy our picnic. 

     The playground was full of joyful children, the splashpads resounded with squeals of delight, and Greenbottle Flies (genus Lucilia) glistened in the sun.

     Guelder-Rose (Viburnum opulus) displayed the results of a fruitful season.

     Dogbanes (genus Apocynum) were prolific.....

     ..... and Alders (genus Alnus) looked terrific.

A. E. Crookes Park, Mississauga, ON

     Mere minutes from Douglas Kennedy Headland, the park was a hive of activity, with people enjoying the beach and the water, with hardly a parking space available. With all the hubbub it was hardly surprising that birds were few, other than for a few aerial gulls.

     A friendly White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) did, however, come to see us.

Bronte Harbour, Oakville, ON

     By the time we reached Bronte Harbour the mid afternoon heat was becoming quite oppressive, and the terns we had hoped to see lined up along the breakwater had been displaced by strolling humans and their dogs.

     It was fitting that we did see several Red-necked Grebes, the bird of the day without a doubt, and this time we had clear evidence of breeding success.

     It had been a great day with wonderful friends and a slow drive home did nothing to diminish the pleasure.

     We'll do it again soon.

Tuesday Rambles with David - Birding Along the Mississauga Section of Lake Ontario

27 June 2017

     It has not been often that we have had all the members of our "gang of eight"  together over the past several weeks and some participants have been absent far more frequently than they have been present. It may be time to reevaluate whether we continue with these outings. Miriam and I routinely set aside each Tuesday, Franc and Jim have been faithful too, but for one reason or another we are missing two or three others most weeks. Obviously if people are taking vacations away from the area or are sick, they cannot be present, but that has not always been the case. Perhaps we just have to ride out the summer and see what happens beyond then, but if we are committed to Tuesday outings that have always been both enjoyable and productive, we should all be willing to make the effort to show up. End of rant!

     This week Jim, Francine and Franc rode in Jim's car, Miriam and I in our car, to begin the day at Marie Curtis Park in Mississauga.

      A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Tyrannus forficatus  had been seen there on Sunday 25 June, and the internet was abuzz with reports and photographs. This species is very rare in Southern Ontario, but it has showed up from time to time in the past, and generally has stayed around for several days, or weeks even. Not so with this individual, it was a one-day wonder and has not been spotted again.

     But missing one bird certainly does not ruin a day. We had barely set out on the trails when Miriam (whose hearing is a whole order of magnitude better than mine) picked up the almost inaudible (even for those with good hearing) buzzy song of a Blue-grey Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea. She quickly realized that more than one individual was vocalizing and then detected a nest, classically fabricated from lichens and bound with spider webs.

       A pair of birds was going back and forth to the nest, but we didn't see them carrying food, so we were at a bit of a loss to figure out what was taking place. Then we spotted a fledgling out on a branch being fed by adults.

     Its dedicated parents were doing a very conscientious job of provisioning their offspring.

     Clutch size for Blue-grey Gnatcatcher is 3 - 5 eggs, so it appears that most of the young from this brood did not survive since no other fledglings were seen.

     Shortly after seeing the gnatcatcher, a Black-billed Cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus put in a brief appearance and Miriam was able to get a quick shot before it disappeared from view.

     Francine was especially elated with this sighting. Ever since we banded this species earlier in the season at SpruceHaven she had been searching for it without success. It was particularly sweet for her because if I am not mistaken it was Francine who first spotted the bird. A better look would have been desirable, but she will have to save that until the next time.

    As we were searching to try to relocate the cuckoo this female Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis put in an appearance.

     I have been to Marie Curtis Park many, many times over the years, but in recent visits I have tended to stick to the area right at the lake, so it was great to walk some of the trails again.

     The grassland shown above is a rare habitat indeed in the Greater Toronto Area and is no doubt what attracted the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher to the park.

     Eastern Kingbird Tyrannus tyrannus was common, often sallying out to catch insects right above the grass.

     Far and away the most common of the neotropical warblers present locally in the summer is American Yellow Warbler Setophaga aestiva and this is quite a dramatic shot of a female.

          A pair of Song Sparrows Melopsiza melodia were kept busy with the gargantuan task of satisfying the appetite of a Brown-headed Cowbird Molothrus ater surrogate child. 

     In the meantime a Mallard Anas platyrynchos female with an entourage of ducklings was a portrait of domestic tranquility.

     All thrushes in the genus Turdus seem to take an unusual degree of pleasure in bathing, for they immerse themselves in the water, toss it up over their back, thrash their wings vigorously - and go at it for quite a while. This juvenile American Robin Turdus migratorius has discovered this pleasure early in life.

     Another American Robin was sitting tight on the nest; probably incubating a second clutch by this time of the year.

     A female/juvenile Baltimore Oriole Icterus galbula was apparently not on duty at all..

     We had all brought lunch and were able to sit outside at a picnic table to enjoy it al fresco, following which we moved on towards Douglas Kennedy Headland at Lakefront Promenade Park. Over many years this has been a reliable breeding area for Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena and since they have lost their inherent wariness due to the constant presence of people, the photographic opportunities are really quite outstanding.

     A pair of Mute Swans Cygnus olor had also made their home in the inner harbour and were tending to a single egg in the nest.

     A female Red-winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus was sitting on the pavement and at first I thought it might be injured, but it was simply resting and flew vigorously when it was ready to do so.

     Perhaps it was taking advantage of a warm surface.
     Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica easily adapt to human activity and three pairs occupied nests in the walkway to the washrooms, a location where noisy human presence is a constant.

     Franc wanted to photograph a Common Tern Sterna hirundo, that ballerina of the skies (or swallow as its scientific name implies), and we went to St. Lawrence Park where this species patrols up and down the waterfront. Not today, however! We did see a couple but they were far out, well beyond the range of Franc's lens.

     Our final destination for the day was Rattray Marsh.

     Recent deluges and violent inshore winds had rendered parts of the trails impassable, but we were able to explore enough to have an enjoyable time there.
     Miriam captured this Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias poking its head up above the reeds.

     Franc immortalized this individual as it flew by, looking for all the world like a vision from a primordial swamp.

     Several Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla cedrorum were seen, generally in small numbers. This species is now well into breeding mode and no doubt many are sitting on eggs.

     A Grey Catbird Dumetella carolinensis perched quietly in the foliage.

     We stayed down by the lake for a while, where lots of activity was taking place. A very pleasant surprise was the presence of three Bonaparte's Gulls Larus philadelphia actively feeding.

     Ring-billed Gull Larus delawarensis, a gull for which familiarity brings contempt, proved for all who care to cast an unbiased glance, that is indeed among the most handsome of birds.

     There were thousands upon thousands of Double-crested Cormorants Phalacrocorax auritus streaming across Lake Ontario, mostly far out, but a few came in close enough for us to see all the details of their plumage, in full breeding splendour at this time of year.

     It was time to head for home after another very rewarding Tuesday Ramble with David. Who knows what next week's installment will bring?