Just when you thought you knew.....

     I am pretty sure that if you asked anyone interested in birds whether drake Mallards Anas platyrynchos assume any role in raising their young the answer would be "No." 
    This is certainly borne out in the literature, (see Kortright 1943, Madge and Burn 1988, Johnsgard 1992, Ogilvie and Pearson 1994, Kear 2005).
     It is conventional wisdom that once the female commences egg laying the male deserts her and goes off to join the "bachelor club" of other males, all moulting their plumage and becoming flightless for several weeks.
     Thus it was a great surprise yesterday, on Lake Ontario, to witness a family of Mallards, two to three hundred metres offshore, where both drake and hen were chaperoning their ducklings.

     I watched carefully to see whether it just happened that a male was swimming in close proximity to the female with her young, but this was clearly a family. If the ducklings strayed too far from the group the male would actively take part in rounding them up and displayed as much vigilance in every way as the female.
     The only hint about this possibility is found in Kear 2005 wherein it is stated, "Pairbond lasts until early or mid incubation, male playing no part in brood rearing; however, in urban and other artificial situations, increasingly normal to see male accompanying female and brood."
     Whether this area of Lake Ontario, at Paletta Park in Burlington, ON would fit the above definition is a moot point. It is certainly in the midst of an urban environment, but the park is right on the lake and has a wooded area with creeks. Mallards breed there prolifically each year, yet this is the first time I have ever seen a family grouping which included an attentive male.
     I'd be interested to hear whether others have observed this phenomenon. 

Literature consulted:
Kortright, F.H. (1943), The Ducks, Geese and Swans of North America, The American Wildlife Institute, Washington, DC
Madge, S. and H. Burn, (1988), Waterfowl, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, NY
Johnsgard, P.A. (1992), Ducks in the Wild, Key Porter Books, Canada
Ogilvie, M and B. Pearson (1994), Wildfowl, Hamlyn Limited, London
Kear, J. (2005), Ducks, Geese and Swans, Oxford University Press, Oxford
     

Spring, Scaup and Scoter

North Shore of Lake Ontario

10 March 2015

     Yesterday, when temperatures rose to around 7°, it was a perfect day to check out the receding ice on the lake and to check which ducks are populating the areas of open water which are rapidly opening up.

     Not only was there an interesting array of waterfowl, I saw my first American Robin Turdus migratorius and every male Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis within earshot was in full voice.
     The most numerous duck species was Greater Scaup Aytha marila and although they were mostly random members of a large flock numerous pairs had clearly established their bonds and were consistently swimming together. This handsome male and female never strayed far from each other.

     Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator were present also and this male appears due for a trip to the hairdresser!

     As might be expected Ring-billed Gulls were everywhere one looked and this group was gulping down food brought by some kind-hearted human friend.

     This lone individual seemed to be content to watch the frenzy from on high.

     Humber Bay Park in the west end of Toronto has become a very reliable location to find Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos  and I first saw two birds and a little later a singleton, but it may, of course, have been one of the two birds I saw originally.

     Common Goldeneyes Buchepala clangula are well advanced in their entertaining courtship routine, but those so engaged were too far out for photographs; however, this male was a little closer.

     The star of the show perhaps was this male White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca with its truly bizarre bill. It was diving repeatedly and came up with a mussel every single time; the bill seems well suited to handling the shell and the mussel is swallowed whole.

     All in all it was a very pleasant few hours in mild temperatures with the promise of more to come.

Winter Hazards For Waterfowl

11 January 2015

     While birding along the shore of Lake Ontario we were reminded of the hazards winter sometimes poses for the waterfowl that spend the winter on the inshore waters, alternating with bouts on land.

     This Canada Goose Branta canadensis has somehow or other caused this chunk of ice to get attached to it. 

     It did not seem to be a major impediment while it was walking around but I am not sure how it would fare when swimming and I would imagine that it would present some difficulty when airborne.

     It is a fairly sizeable piece and would no doubt affect flight stability and manoeuvrability.

     I have never witnessed a bird actually imprisoned in ice but this unfortunate circumstance occurs and there is ample evidence in the literature to validate it. In fact, in this day of UTube, videos have been posted of trapped birds being rescued. I have, however, seen birds with ice on their wings and breast, following ice storms or in extremely cold temperatures when water clinging to their plumage after a dive freezes very quickly.

     There was abundant ice in the water but waterfowl handle it with aplomb and there was a large concentration of birds swimming, preening and diving for food. 

     A few Canvasbacks Aytha valisineria were present and it is always a pleasure to see this handsome duck.

     Greater Scaup Aythya marila were noteworthy and winter provides an opportunity to study this species at close range.

      A few hardy American Coots Fulica americana always spend the winter here and this little group seemed quite happy associating with the scaup.

     This Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator seems to have been feeding in an area which caused its head to become stained like ferrous oxide, but since it was the only individual to feature this colouration it's hard to figure what might have caused it.

     The following images give you an idea of the concentration of Trumpeter Swans in the winter; I estimated that about two hundred were present at the time these pictures were taken.

Trumpeter Swan (Cygne trompette)

Trumpeter Swan Cygnus buccinator

     I must freely confess to being a tad enraptured by Trumpeter Swans and whenever I see them, (frequently by the way), I get a little surge of emotion comprised of wonderment, respect and a deep admiration of their beauty. When I hear them trumpeting to each other (hence their name) I am filled with a sense of wilderness even though I only ever see them at their wintering quarters on the north shore of Lake Ontario.

     In my fanciful mind I can easily be transported to some northern lake and hear the birds coming in to establish a breeding territory.

     It is only due to the dedicated work of Harry Lumsden that we get to enjoy these swans at all (http://travelswithbirds.blogspot.ca/2011/12/harry-lumsden.html) and to the continued efforts of Bev Kingdon (http://travelswithbirds.blogspot.ca/2014/02/beverly-kingdon-swan-ambassador.html) who tirelessly works to ensure their continued well being.

     The Trumpeter Swan is a truly magnificent bird. It is the largest of all the swans, although individual Mute Swans Cygnus olor in rare cases may be heavier. Its bill is quite massive and jet black, with no trace of yellow, thus avoiding any possible confusion with Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus, a species sometimes present alongside Trumpeter Swans at the locations where I observe them.

       The large yellow wing tags are unsightly to be sure, and I would prefer another way to identify the birds, but Bev assures me that this method has been the most effective yet tried and that, while the population is now robust and growing, it still needs to be closely monitored. The swans are now venturing farther and farther afield and the high visibility of the wing tags enables people to report sightings. There have been recent reports of birds encountered in the southern United States and in the Saguenay area of Québec. Birders can easily read the numbers through a scope, whereas reliance on the leg band only would almost certainly require the bird to be shot before it could be reported. 

     It is always very encouraging to see young birds, usually with their parents who guard and protect them for at least the first winter following hatching. Adults help their cygnets to feed by scratching at the bottom of the pond or lake to bring vegetation and invertebrates to the surface, although as the young grow to the size of their parents they are capable of performing this action for themselves.

     Look at the detail on the head shots of these cygnets, already well-equipped to handle the world, and to survive the harsh weather an Ontario winter often brings.

     I have noticed several people bringing corn to supplement the natural food of the birds, especially as the ice builds up close to the shore and they are forced to feed in deeper water. I have little doubt that this contributes to increased survival rates.

     It is perhaps in flight that these birds are at their most impressive and it is a stirring sight to see them in the air, their huge wings outstretched.

     When they land on the water they use their large webbed feet to "water ski" to a soft landing, and settle in with their companions for another day in the saga of the Trumpeter Swan.

      Long may they brighten our lives.

Redhead (Fuligule à Tête Rouge) on Lake Ontario

Mississauga Sailing Club

Mississauga, ON

4 December 2014

Redhead

      The Redhead Aythya americana is a relatively large diving duck, sometimes confused with the larger Canvasback Aythya valsinaria,  but it is in all plumages smaller, darker and shorter necked than a Canvasback.

Canvasback

It always seems to bring a special sense of joy when Redheads start to appear on Lake Ontario and today I was very happy to locate this small group.

They were feeding on abundant Zebra mussels and no doubt have now taken up residence for the winter. I will look forward to visiting with them often.

Roundup of the Past Two Days

Toronto, ON

27/28 November 2014

     The days were grey for the most part as I scoured the various bays and coves along the shore. The image of downtown Toronto across the lake was seldom out of view.

     I was looking for duck species that might have arrived since my last forays along the lake, species such as Canvasback Aythya valisineria and the three species of Scoter, but none were to be found. There were several rafts of ducks far out from shore and without the benefit of a scope at the time I could not identify them. Even had I had my scope with me the ducks were far out and identification might still have been impossible, but scoters are likely at this time of the year. 

     You may recall that I recently located a Canada Goose Branta canadensis wearing a green neck tag and I found yet another. It is hardly surprising, perhaps, since they were almost certainly marked in the same natal region and probably journeyed south together. I am still awaiting news as to where these birds originated.

     As I look at this neck collar I must admit to being a little repulsed by it. It looks ugly and would seem to impede the bird's ability to preen. I watched it feeding and it appeared not to hinder this activity in any way. 

Note added on 3 December: I have been notified that this bird is a female and was banded in Ottawa, ON by Christopher Sharp on 11 April 2012.

     American Robin Turdus migratorius is primarily migratory, and most have now departed, but there are always some birds that exploit micro climates and abundant berry crops, and spend the winter in our area. So long as they are able to find food they seem to withstand the cold temperatures without difficulty.

     Most Trumpeter Swans Olor buccinator one sees have large yellow wing tags, so it was particularly pleasing to see this individual sans adornment.

     American Herring Gulls Larus smithsonianus are now well established along the shore of the lake and I think I saw them at every location I checked.

     I am always particularly sad when I see an injured bird that I am unable to help. The only thing one can hope for under such circumstances is a speedy end for the suffering bird. This American Black Duck Anas rubripes appeared to have a severely broken leg and could neither walk nor swim. 

     No doubt it is entirely fanciful on my part, but at one point several Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis appeared to encircle it in some kind of protective fashion. None of them showed any aggression to a defenceless bird as might perhaps have been expected.

     Ring-billed Gulls were common, of course, loafing both on land and on the water.

     Long-tailed Ducks Clangula hyemalis have colonized Lake Ontario for the winter and will be an almost guaranteed sighting any time one visits the shore. There were several little groups close inshore and their chattering was a delight to the ears. How handsome is this male!

     Red-breasted Mergansers Mergus serrator are also very common and easy to find. In fact yesterday all three species of merganser were not difficult to spot.

     Now it remains to see what surprises await on the next visit.