Tuesday Rambles with David - Laurel Creek Conservation Area

15 November 2016

     This account of the most recent Tuesday ramble around local areas is later than normal, because the day after the outing took place we all left for Cuba.
     Franc, who supplied most of the pictures did not have the time to edit them until after our return on 23 November and I doubt I would have had the time to create the post even if he had.
     Our usual group, minus Mary, who had other things on her mind, met at my house and we went over to Laurel Creek together - a mere five minutes away. The area is closed to vehicular traffic after Thanksgiving but we were able to park outside and walk in.
     Laurel Creek contains a variety of habitat types and depending on the time of the year a wide variety of birds.

     The Tamaracks Larax laricina are especially attractive in the fall as their foliage turns to gold.

     The cones of this tree are a favourite food of crossbills (loxia sp.) and during irruption years are a reliable site to locate these interesting birds.
     There was ample High Bush Cranberry Viburnum acerifolium to provide food for American Robin Turdus migratorius and the fruit will no doubt support flocks of Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla cedrorum during the winter.

     Black-capped Chickadees Poecile atricapillus are very common indeed and chattering flocks followed us throughout. People routinely bring their children to Laurel Creek so that they can enjoy hand-feeding the birds. We had brought sunflower hearts with us to enable us to revisit our inner child.

     Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis was seen quite frequently too, although seldom in a position where good pictures could be taken. Franc captured the male and Miriam the female.

     The reservoir has been drained for the winter, with only small patches of water remaining in depressions. Mallard Anas platyrynchos and Canada Goose Branta canadensis were the pre-eminent species, but these handsome male Green-winged Teal Anas carolinensis were also present.

       Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens is the "default" picid here, a beautiful, hardy little bird that ably survives the harshest conditions that winter serves up. No doubt these two are busy caching seeds to be retrieved later when other food is hard to find.

     These tiny crab apples harbour fat, juicy grubs and will be exploited by a number of species.

       Most Golden-crowned Kinglets Regulus satrapa migrate through our area, but some populations remain and survive our winter. This species is nearly always recorded on Christmas Bird Counts. Whether these two are residents or passing through it is impossible to know.

     We were all very happy to see a couple of Brown Creepers Certhia americana. This is another species with both a migratory and a resident cohort. Brown Creeper is quite common but is often overlooked due to its ability to camouflage itself against the bark of a tree, which comprises its entire world. It depends totally on tree trunks and branches for food and nest sites; it knows no other habitat.

  

     Dark-eyed Junco Junco hyemalis and American Tree Sparrow Spizella arborea are two species that arrive in late fall and spend the winter and early spring with us.

     Miriam captured this picture of some of us walking back to the park gate.

Franc, Judy, David, Carol

     This Garden Cross Spider Araneus diadematus was not to be outdone as it ambled across our path.

     

     This family of arachnids was introduced from Europe and is now fairly widespread. I am not familiar with its life cycle but I assume that it will soon enter hibernation for the winter.
     As always it was a great walk with great friends. The day after we all went to Cuba together, accompanied by a few others. The next Tuesday morning ramble would be in a different location indeed!

Birds, Snakes and Spiders

rare Charitable Reserve

Cambridge, ON

6/7 September 2015

      Both yesterday morning and this morning the focus of my activity has been at the above location; yesterday with Miriam when we did our weekly monitoring, and today helping Ross Dickson with his bird banding activities. Given the intense heat, so unusual for this time of the year, bird activity diminishes greatly after about 09:00, but there is still lots to keep a naturalist occupied.

     Several times I spotted this fine specimen of Homo sapiens, of the species Dicksonicus canadensis, where I carefully observed several unique and oft repeated behavioural routines. It seemed to particularly prefer this "hunt and seek in the grass routine," where partial camouflage did little to conceal its body from view.

     Neotropical warblers are packing on fat and preparing to migrate to Central and South America and Miriam and I were very pleased to come across this male Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens, still resplendent in his breeding plumage.

     A Garden Cross Spider Argiope trifasciata is easily distinuished by the cross pattern on its abdomen. It often constructs its web near a porch light where it has a ready supply of insect prey attracted to the lights.

     Here is the underside of the same spider.

     This individual has clambered onto Goldenrod.

     The Black-and-Yellow Argiope Argiope aurantia is a stunningly beautiful spider, often seen in its large, distinctive web. The female is most conspicuous and is observed more frequently than the smaller male.

     When prey has been captured it is wrapped in a cocoon of silk and stored for future consumption.

     I believe this is the male of the species, but I am not completely sure. It was in the same vicinity and habitat, and was smaller then the females shown above. 

     The web (see above) has a prominent zigzag ribbon of silk (a stabilimentum)crossing the middle. The males are small and, like other male spiders, have armlike sexual organs (pedipalps) used to transfer sperm to the female. This is a costly tryst for the male dies immediately after inserting his pedipalps into the female's sexual organs, his dead body safeguarding the paternity, by blocking other males.

     Many hoverflies sp. (family Syrphidae) were observed, and the one shown below was attracted to the prolific growth of Goldenrod.

     A small group of Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla cedrorum was flycatching from the top of a snag.

     This Northern Brown Snake Storeria dekayi dekayi was sunning itself on a path and as long as we remained still and didn't permit our shadow to be cast upon it, it remained in position for several minutes. It is a small (22-23 cm) harmless snake whose main diet consists of slugs and earthworms.

     The heat was oppressive, but the wildlife had to contend with it in ways we can barely dream of. The snake was a fine end to a naturalist's walk in the meadow.