Interesting Discoveries All Around Us

     It sounds as though the record is stuck on the turntable I know, but due to government-imposed lockdown in the Province of Ontario, we are not venturing far afield. There is much of interest to be found locally, however, so please join me to look at what we have been seeing in the Kitchener-Waterloo area.

03 May 2021

In our backyard, Waterloo, ON

     American Robin (Turdus migratorius) is an exceedingly common species, and it is rarely that we glance out the window without seeing up to three individuals in the yard, including this interesting bird displaying signs of leucism. 

     It seems to enjoy our company for it puts in an appearance several times a day - or do you think it might just be for the food?

04 May 2021

Laurel Creek Reservoir, Waterloo, ON

     The marshes are filled with Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus), with ardent males competing with each other to woo more than one female, for this is a highly polygynous species. I suspect that the handsome fellow below will do well in the courtship games.

04 May 2021

Wilmot Township, Region of Waterloo, ON

     While driving, I spotted a couple of Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) in a field, evidently keenly interested in something, likely carrion. I was unable to detect what captured their attention, but when I stopped to take a picture one bird moved off a short distance while the other stayed put.

     Clearly it was a prize that outweighed any impetus to flee from a prying human.

05 May 2021

In our backyard, Waterloo, ON

     A male Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) is a regular at our feeders, generally stopping for a quick snack before moving on.

     It is always a male that visits and we assume that it is the same bird each time.

05 May 2021

Conestogo, ON

     A pair of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) has bred successfully for several years in a large nest in a large tree alongside the Conestogo River, almost in town, in fact.

     We were unable to view any activity at the nest, which becomes harder to see as the trees leaf out, but one of the pair was perched on a nearby snag.

     Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia) have returned to grace our waterways and we saw our first individual of the year patrolling up and down the river, plunging in to capture fish, to great success based on our observation.

05 May 2021

RIM Park, Waterloo, ON

     Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus), unlike most woodpeckers, feeds primarily on the ground, searching for ants.

     It is not often that we see Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) on the ground but this male seemed to have business there.

     I suspect that a juicy beetle or some other equally appealing snack had caught his eye.

     As sometimes happens, Miriam and I had no sooner finished saying to each other that we had not seen our first Rose-breasted Grosbeak (Pheucticus ludovicianus), when, as though on cue, we heard one sing - and there it was!

     Our skills as botanists are rudimentary, but improving, happily, and you will indulge me I am sure while I present a few woodland plants.

     Is a Downy Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens) not guaranteed to put a smile on your face?

     Common Blue Violet (Viola sororia), also known as Wooly Blue Violet, is found in colours ranging from purple to white.

     There are several species of Wood-sorel (Genus Oxalis) dotted throughout the woodlands of southern Ontario, and this is one of them. Based on the many references I have consulted I think it is Oxyalis griffithii. Confirmation would be welcomed.

     Canada or Wood Anemone (Anemone canadensis) adds a touch of beauty wherever it is found.

     Fawn Lily (Genus Erythronium) was not hard to spot, and is a delightful component of a woodland stroll.

     Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata is a classic plant of moist woodlands, always a joy to locate and emblematic of the habitat.

     My trivial and superficial journey into the world of plants will bring you pleasure, I hope; it does for me as I search, discover and learn, but if you wish to get to know a talented botanist, overflowing with knowledge, a dedicated environmentalist with a first rate blog, please visit my great friend Juan Tarrero Sarabia here. 

     Some of you will perhaps remember the impressive fence I featured on an earlier blog. I think a male Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) found it equally impressive as a perch from which to serenade any passing female whose interest he might be able to capture.

     Or perhaps a dais in a tree is better platform after all.

07 May 2021

In our backyard, Waterloo, ON

     All winter long we were visited by both White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) and Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis). The white-breasted seems to be seeking its fortune elsewhere, but the Red-breasted Nuthatch still comes to our feeders, often flying off with food, so perhaps there are young mouths to feed.

     Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) are nothing short of ubiquitous this year and at times there are as many as ten in our yard.

     I am sure you will vicariously share in our joy at having so many of these wonderfully attractive birds visit us.

     A couple of days earlier we had set out oranges and grape jelly in anticipation of the arrival of the first Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) so we were elated to see this handsome male arrive.

07 May 2021

Hillside Park, Waterloo, ON

     This is one of the several colour variations of Common Blue Violet.

    Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea), sometimes called Gill-over-the-ground is common throughout our area.

     Birding was in general a little slow, but this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) surveyed the world from a loft perch.

     The most disappointing, but very predictable, facet of our walk was to observe, over and over again, the impact of that highly destructive animal Homo ignoramus disgusticus. 

     Hillside Park is a lovely place, a sylvan urban oasis with a creek running through it. But Homo ignoramus

can fix that in a hurry. Who wants pristine when a shopping cart can be chucked into the stream?

     The cart has to be deliberately taken there and equally deliberately tossed into the water, so nefarious intent is clear from the outset.

     And let's have a little more trash long the banks.

     That coffee was delicious, steaming hot and bold in taste, but it's all done so let's get rid of the cup and its plastic lid.

     There are houses alongside the creek through one section, all well-maintained, with pride of ownership visible for all to see. One homeowner had replaced his fence, only to have it bedaubed with graffiti mere days later.

     Why the idiots in our society think it's okay to vandalize the property of others is quite beyond my level of understanding. And what satisfaction they derive from doing it I am incapable of figuring out.

     By any reasonable measure, by even the least reasonable measures in fact, humans are disgusting, and we are sewing the seeds of our own destruction as we continue to pollute without end, fill the oceans with plastic, decline to mend our ways, and trash every green and pure place we have. We pay taxes for our cities to create and maintain parkland and immediately set about to despoil and degrade it.

     I despair that we have shown time and again that we are incapable of change. We know what is happening, we understand the science, the implications are clear, yet we do nothing to mend our ways.

08 May 2021 

Lakeside Park, Kitchener, On

     Song Sparrow is common as you will have come to realize, but it is a wonderful little bird, and males pour their heart into song, their whole bodies shaking with the excitement of it all.

     I never tire of hearing them announce their presence to all who care to know.

     White Spruce (Picea glauca) has male and female trees, and this female is producing a heavy crop of cones.

     Several Myrtle Warblers (Setophaga coronata) were flitting around gleaning insects, and it was hard to focus the camera on them before they moved again. This is not a very good picture but it was the best that I could get.

     Had Miriam been with me I am sure she would have done better!

     Our lockdown continues until 20 May, but whether to open up again will be debated before the restrictions are lifted, so look for more local news rather than from any forays farther afield. Oh to be able to travel again!

Two-barred Crossbills (Bec-croisé bifascié) Invade Southern Ontario

     Two-barred Crossbills (Loxia leucoptera), known as White-winged Crossbills here in North America, have experienced a dearth of conifer seeds in their normal range in the north this winter; consequently they have moved south in search of food. 

     Miriam and I went out on a crossbill quest a couple of days ago, relishing the winter landscape all around us.

      Given a choice, crossbills appear to favour spruce above all other conifers, and this stand of White Spruce (Picea glauca) presented a likely spot to begin our search.

     After no more than about ten to fifteen minutes of searching we found our quarry, chattering high in the tree tops, and feeding voraciously, constantly shifting and attacking one cone after another.

     The bills of crossbills are adapted to extract seeds from conifer cones with maximum efficiency, and a single bird may consume up to 3,000 seeds in a day.

     Two species of crossbill are found in North America, the Two-barred Crossbill you see here, and the Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) which has also been reported in smaller numbers. The European race of Two-barred Crossbill, classified by Gmelin in 1789, has several morphological differences from the form found in North America, and may be a candidate for elevation to full species status

 

       As you may see the male is a very pleasing shade of pinkish-red with prominent white wing bars. The female is equally pleasing in delicate shades of green, with dark streaking on the back, and small highlights of yellow on the forehead.

      This is by any measure an attractive bird, and is supremely entertaining to watch. Miriam and I spent about a half hour being amused by the antics of the flock of about thirty-five we had before us.

     Many birds seem argumentative and quarrelsome by nature, but we saw no such behaviour on the part of these crossbills. Their single preoccupation was to feed, and with ample cones for all, there seemed to be no conflict.

     I can tell you that it was a highly successful search and an exercise in sensory delight to experience these birds going about their business.

     Two-barred Crossbills are prone to nest in any month provided seeds are available, and may initiate breeding in the depths of winter. The birds breed most abundantly in the spruce-dominated Hudson Bay Lowlands, but it is not impossible that breeding could occur here. It happens rarely - but it does happen.

     We left when the birds decided to move deeper into the forest.

      There is a certain kind of high that comes only from birding and we had more than our share of it with this encounter. 

     Now it's on to find the Red Crossbills too! 
  

References

Beadle, David and J.D. Rising, Tanagers, Cardinals and Fiches of the United States and Canada, Princeton University Press (2008)

Cadman, M.D, D. A. Sutherland, G. G. Beck, D. Lepage, and A. R. Couturier (eds), Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Ontario 2001-2005, Bird Studies Canada, Environment Canada, Ontario Field Ornithologists, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, and Ontario Nature, Toronto (2007)

Clement, Peter, Alan Harris and John Davis, Finches and Sparrows, Princeton University Press (1993)

Cramp, S and Perrins, C. M. (eds), The Birds of the Western Palearctic, Vol. VIII, Oxford University Press (1994)

Hosie, R. C., Native Trees of Canada, Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited (1979)

Kershaw, Linda, Trees of Ontario, Lone Pine Publishing (2001)

Sibley, David Allen, The Sibley Guide to Trees, Random House Inc., (2009)