A Changeable Winter in Southern Ontario

28 December, 2022

Snow in the countryside

     In the days leading up to Christmas and the few days afterwards, a good deal of snow fell in southern Ontario as part of a blizzard that swept over much of the province. Initially many roads were impassable, and some provincial highways were closed, but conditions improved somewhat and we took a drive to gaze at our winter wonderland.

     It was really quite magical, with scene after scene worthy of a picture postcard.

     Snow was heavy on the boughs and the branches of conifers sagged beneath the weight.

     Shrubs and leafless deciduous trees had an icing sugar look about them.

     Snow was king!

     We cast about and searched for Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) while we were out, but had no success. There have been a few reports of birds sighted, but quite sparse, not even approaching the numbers usually recorded by this time of year. 

     It is a cause for great concern that Snowy Owl populations are diminishing rapidly throughout their northern breeding range, where melting permafrost destroys nesting habitat and interferes with the life cycle of Brown Lemmings (Lemmus sibiricus), their principal food, vital to breeding success. 

29 December, 2022

Bechtel Park, Waterloo, ON

     The woods at Bechtel Park are a lovely place to walk, marred ufortunately by the unceasing sound of nearby expressway traffic. 

     If one can shut that out, it is a glorious walk in winter, where a frozen creek adds beauty to the sylvan glade.

     Although it was not evening, it was not a stretch to evoke the timeless words of Robert Frost, "The woods are lovely, dark and deep."

     We find our beauty in woodlands, where nature in its changing seasons provides a far finer decoration than any Christmas tinsel could ever do. 

      What would you rather see, a synthetic bauble on a Christmas tree, or a Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) on the bark of a living tree?

     Why cut down those pine boughs to wither and die, to be tossed aside when festivities end? Left alone in the forest they will provide joy for all, and habitat for myriad creatures.

     I wonder what an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) thinks of all the bipedal creatures that pass below his home?

     If he knows us well, he does not hold us in high esteem, of that I am sure.

     In Canada alone, a country with a modest population we throw away each year in excess of 500,000 tonnes of wrapping paper, tinsel, bows etc, much of it not recyclable (and what is recyclable is mostly not recycled anyway), and it winds up in the landfill. We do it year after year. Surely there is a better way.

02 January, 2022

At home, Waterloo, ON

     Snow has given way to rain, temperatures have gone from bone-chilling cold to body-penetrating damp, and the ground has lost its insulating coat of snow.

     Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) no doubt enjoy the warmer conditions, but overall it is not good for birds or humans alike.

03 January 2023

At home, Waterloo, ON

     There is something uniquely appealing about nuthatches; perhaps it's their habitat of moving down a tree head first, or simply their visual appeal. We are very fortunate that our two resident species visit our feeders daily.

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

03 January, 2023

Wellington County, ON

     The following shot, taken on a dull, rainy day gives you a good impression of the extent to which the deep snow of a mere few days earlier has disappeared.

     We were in prime Snowy Owl territory and scanned for them without success. Any birds present would have stood out against a green or brown substrate.

     It was a good day for Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sightings, but all were quite far off and we were shooting through light rain and mist, so we will not be entering these pictures into the local show!

     In one location, there were four Bald Eagles in one tree, and two more off to the side in another tree. I use this picture only to show you the concentration of birds.

     The weather continues to be unseasonable and miserable, with gloom, rain and poor light. I hope that soon we will return to a normal winter with cold temperatures and bright sunshine. Then we'll get some good shots! I promise!

Another Two Owls

     Following our good fortune in spending time with two owl species as reported in my last post, our owl success became even more notable with the sighting of two others.

4 April 2022

     The countryside of Waterloo Region is renowned for its wintering population of Snowy Owls (Bubo scandiacus) and over the years Miriam and I have had great success in locating many of these magnificent birds. 

     Most of them have probably already left our area to reoccupy their breeding grounds on the tundra, but a few remain. We were thrilled to see this individual perched on a fence post not far from the road.

     Obviously habituated to traffic it seemed quite unperturbed by us, and even when Miriam approached it with stealth and caution it showed no sign of apprehension.

     I think that even a person without prior knowledge of birds would be able to recognize a Snowy Owl; it is just so distinctive.

     Determining the sex of juvenile birds is not quite so simple, however. Based on experience, a plethora of reference books with many images, and my impression of the size of this bird, I am fairly sure it is a juvenile male. 

     As Scott Weidensaul, in his excellent Peterson Reference Guide to Owls of North America and the Caribbean points out, however, "Sexing Snowy Owls by plumage is considerably more complex and difficult than birders generally believe, and many previous assumptions about sex- and age-related plumage differences have proven to be unfounded or simplistic."

     Rest assured that young or old, male or female, pristine white, mottled or mesoptile, it is a bird to elevate the spirits. It might even make you contemplate the destruction we are wreaking on its habitat and spur you on to a more environmental conscience. Now that would be something to celebrate.

05 April, 2022

     There is a trail behind our house with which we have become very familiar, and have become adept at finding Eastern Screech Owls (Megascops asio) there.

     Unless sitting at the lip of their hole, they are usually well camouflaged, and for the uninitiated almost impossible to find.

     You will have to piece together all of the pictures below to get an impression of the complete owl!

     We were delighted to find the owl, akin to meeting up with an old friend.

     We also derived considerable pleasure from our first sighting of the year of Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa) and Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma).

Mourning Cloak

 

Eastern Comma

     They had better be vigilant. They would make a tasty snack for a hungry screech owl.

     Such is the way of nature!

A Two-Owl Day

A wise old owl sat in an oak,

The more he saw the less he spoke,

The less he spoke the more he heard.

Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

                                                 Anon.

03 April, 2022

Great Horned Owl

     We were alerted to the presence of a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) nest, with young, in Kitchener, and set off to see it.

     

     This large, powerful owl is ubiquitous throughout North America, from the Arctic to Central America, and in South America south to Brazil and Central Argentina.

Two Outings to RIM Park for Waterloo Regional Nature

      COVID, while still a spectre hanging over our heads, seems to influence our daily activities less than it has done since the very beginning of the pandemic and I was happy to be able to offer a couple of outings to RIM Park, Waterloo, for keen members and friends.

27 October 2021

RIM Park, Waterloo, ON

Leader: David Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Lynn Conway, Lisa DenBesten, Anna Harper, Karl Malhotra, Mary Ann Vanden Elzen, Curtiss MacDonald, Zach Summerhayes.

Guest: Lucille Bordman

Zach, Lynn, Mary Ann, Karl, Curtiss, David. Lisa, Anna, Lucille

     It was a very pleasant late October day, and while the birds were a little sparse, it was quite wonderful to be outside together, enjoying each other's company, with nary a mask in sight!

     Miriam was unable to take many pictures, so I will draw from my archives for some of them, making sure as far as possible that they are from RIM Park at the same time of year.

     There were large numbers of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) gorging on buckthorn berries; some migratory, but many no doubt part of the contingent that elects to stay here all winter, in ever greater numbers it seems.

     Flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) were also travelling through the area, but like the robins, more of them are toughing out the winters and eschewing migration.

     It was a distinct pleasure to see a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) fly over, and only a couple of weeks earlier we had photographed this species at RIM Park.

     Fungi, for the most part, have passed their prime, often being little more than squishy masses by now, but a couple of interesting types were still pristine.

     This stash of cones was a bit of a puzzle.

     It is obviously not random and we wondered who might be responsible for it. Perhaps it is the work of American Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus); from The Mammals of Canada, A.W.F. Banfield (1987) - "The squirrel may cut anywhere from ten to a hundred cones, before it descends to carry the cones to its cache."

     As might be expected, a few Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) joined us from time to time.

     All of the Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) we saw, to the best of my recollection, were females.

     There were remarkably few sparrows. We had a fleeting glimpse at a Song Sparrow (Melopsiza melodia) and a couple of Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis) zoomed into the undergrowth, flashing their white outer tail feathers.

     In times past, Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) has not been shy in the undergrowth seen below, but today there was nary a one.

     Thanks to everyone who joined me on this walk. I thought that Curtiss put it well, "Every bird is a bonus, but simply to be out enjoying the fresh air with like-minded people is satisfaction enough."

31 October 2021

RIM Park, Waterloo, ON and Bechtel Park, Waterloo, ON

Leader: David Gascoigne

Members: Miriam Bauman, Lyndsey Butcher, Victoria Ho, Jenny Lorette, Tara Natter, Tracey Rainer, Selwyn Tomkun

Guests: André Bastel, Elaine Gallant

Jenny, Tracey, Victoria, Selwyn, Elaine, David, Lindsey, Tara, André

     It is always a delight to welcome guests on our walks, but there is added satisfaction when it is someone from out-of-province. Elaine Gallant from New Brunswick is visiting her daughter, Lindsey; she is a keen and proficient birder and made a great addition to our group.

     Victoria always cuts a striking figure, but when she brings out her Halloween spider for its annual encounter with the world, the result is stunning.

     Autumn leaves were the order of the day.

     If anything, birds were even harder to find than on the 27th, but we did have a few pockets of activity.

     This Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinensis) kept returning to the same area, obviously finding food there, and flying off to add to its winter cache.

     Several Blue Jays, alert to the same source of food, alternated with each other and with the woodpecker in adding to their stash.

     Tracey was especially thrilled when a Golden-crowned Kinglet (Regulus satrapa) deigned to boldly flash its colours.

     Some kinglets migrate but, incredibly, many of these tiny birds, barely bigger than a hummingbird, will spend the winter here.

     Does a tree in fall not look splendid?

Bechtel Park, Waterloo, ON

     Tracey mentioned that she had searched long and hard in Bechtel Park to find an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) but without sucess.

     Since we were not far away, Miriam and I offered to accompany them over there to show them where we had located "our" owl.

     Selwyn and Victoria indicated that they wished to come too; then Lindsey said to her mom, "Do you want to go?", so other than Tara and André, we all went to Bechtel woods.

     Success was our reward!

     This diminutive little owl was at the lip of its hole for all to see.

     Elaine was especially ecstatic, and Tracey and Jenny no less, since it was a lifer for all of them. I am not quite sure whether it was a first for Selwyn and Victoria, but they were thrilled in any event.

     A couple of Hairy Woodpeckers (Leuconotopicus villosus) plied their trade, but it's hard to compete with an owl, and I think they were paid scant attention!

     Another great outing with wonderful people came to a close.

     In a couple of weeks time we'll do it all again.