Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

     Winter in Ontario means snow. Sometimes not so much, sometimes the stuff that buries houses.
    We spent last weekend in Ottawa with my daughter, Caroline, her husband, Andrew, and our two grandchildren Sam and Will, who are now by the way, both taller than their grandpa. Shouldn't there be a law against that?
    We arrived on Friday, early afternoon, and all was dry. We did hit a couple of snow squalls on the way from Waterloo to Ottawa, but nothing serious.
    Overnight, however, from Friday into Saturday, several centimetres of snow fell, and the landscape was transformed. On Saturday afternoon we decided to go for a walk at Petrie Islands Park, one of our favourite spots to do a little birding; an area that over the years has been extremely productive.
     There was still open water and a lone Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) had decided to tough out the early winter and was still making a living. That may soon change as temperatures begin to dip and even the Ottawa River freezes up. Ice was forming along the shore.

     American Beavers (Castor canadensis) have been busy laying in winter storage, and there was evidence of their depredation everywhere. 

     The extent to which a family of beavers can transform a landscape is nothing short of amazing.
     In terms of birds, the most exciting find was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) who obligingly alerted us to their presence by a volley of their loud staccato call. This is a spectacular bird by any standards.

     In fact, birds in general were sparse, not unexpected given the time of year.
     We had a great walk, however, with much to interest us and returned home well satisfied with our afternoon perambulation. 
     The next day was a little colder, but still very pleasant, so we all decided to set off again, this time in the woods surrounding the neighbourhood where Caroline and Andrew live, and combine a bracing walk with the dog's daily exercise.
     Here, at the trailhead, are Andrew, Caroline, and Nalla, their faithful companion.

     The woods were snowy and very appealing, with crisp sounds underfoot, snow laden conifers,  and the cheerful accompaniment of chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches.

     Someone seems to have made it a Christmas project to install bird feeders deep in the woods and adorn them for the season.

     The feeders were empty, however, otherwise there would doubtless have been a constant parade of birds.
     Nalla revels in a romp in the woods but never gets too far ahead without checking back to make sure that her human charges are not lagging too far behind.

     We returned home after a couple of hours for a welcome glass of wine (maybe two) and one of Caroline's always superb dinners.
     When we left Ottawa on Monday morning the temperature was minus 18°. Winter has truly arrived, whatever the calendar says.
     Yesterday was the day for our regular Tuesday Ramble with David and we elected to walk along the Mill Race Trail. Mary is away in Florida, Franc was feeling under the weather and Carol had other plans so we were just five.
     Snow is not confined to Ottawa as you may see.

     Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a year-round resident and both males and females were common.

     This pair of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) seemed unfazed by the snow, which was falling heavily at times.

     Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) deals with winter with aplomb.

     The trail has such a different aspect from season to season and in some ways winter is the most appealing.

     One certainly doesn't have to worry about mosquitoes biting!
     We lost count of the number of Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) but they were very common indeed.

     This Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) had not yet retired to spend the winter under the ice, perhaps in a comfortable beaver den, warm and dry.

     As naturalists in a northern land we celebrate winter and all that it has to offer. I urge anyone who dreads the advent of the season to get out and enjoy it - dress warmly, keep your eyes and ears open and a whole world will reveal itself to you.
     And for those of you who have just read this blog post, enjoy this wonderful compilation.

Easter Weekend in Ottawa

Easter Weekend in Ottawa

Petrie Islands Park

    We spent Easter in Ottawa visiting my daughter, Caroline, son-in-law, Andrew and two grandchildren, Sam and Will.

    During our time there we meandered through Petrie Islands Park three times to do a little birding. When Sam and Will were quite a bit younger we had visited the same location in January where we were able to show them their first ever Great Grey Owls Strix nebulosa.

    Given the severity of the recent winter and the huge amount of snow deposited, none of which ever melted during the cold months, it was not surprising to find a good deal of the park under water.

    There was a wide variety of bird life, however, and given fairly warm temperatures, it was very pleasant indeed to explore the various habitats enjoying both the auditory and visual sensations of spring migration. All of the trails were submerged but we managed to pick our way through the woods without even getting our feet wet!

    Numerous male Song Sparrows Melospiza melodia trilled from high perches, proclaiming territory and advertising for a mate, while periodically descending to ground to find food.

    American Robins Turdus migratorius probed among the leaf litter, tossing it aside vigorously to find whatever tidbits lay concealed beneath.

    The activities of American Beavers Castor canadensis seemed to be everywhere, with many more trees being accessible due to the flooding, but given their nocturnal habits we never actually saw an animal.

    Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers Sphyrapicus varius have returned in good numbers and this male had chosen the metal post of a parking lot sign from which to drum and announce his availability to any interested female.

    In the following picture you can clearly see the nictitating membrane being drawn across the eye as a protection against flying bits of debris.

      Muskrats obviously found the submerged habitat much to their liking and they were easily found going about their business. They seemed to have no difficulty finding new sources of food on what would normally be dry ground some distance from their watery haunts.

     It was a very pleasant surprise to find numerous Rusty Blackbirds Euphagus carolinus, a species that has experienced very serious population declines in recent years. Usually this is a bird I am able to find more easily in the fall; it is rare that I see them in the spring.

    Both Golden-crowned Kinglets Regulus satrapa and Ruby-crowned Kinglets Regulus calendula were present, but we were only able to photograph Golden-crowned as they flitted around in constant motion.

    As might be expected Mallards Anas platyrynchos wasted no time in exploiting the abundance of new habitat, entirely suited to their needs.

    Eastern Garter Snakes Thamnophis sirtalis have emerged from their hibernaculae and this handsome individual was very cooperative in terms of being photographed.

    We heard Pileated Woodpecker Dryocopus pileatus several times and saw one briefly as it flew from a tree deep into the woods and out of sight, but evidence of their activity was not hard to find.

    Several amphibians were seen, but this Northern Leopard Frog Rana pipiens was the only one that permitted a photograph. Others dived into the frigid water and submerged instantly.

    All in all it was a fine place to visit and there were many people walking around and enjoying the first promise of spring after a long and arduous winter, the worst in living memory in many parts of the country.

    Caroline, Andrew, Sam and Will look quite content to be enjoying some fresh air and sunshine.