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!

Peregrine Progress

     Our Peregrine Falcons Falco peregrinus are just about ready to fledge. In fact had it not been raining pretty much all day today I am pretty sure they would have launched into their first flight this morning. As it was, the air was heavy and moisture-laden with no late morning convection currents to give them the lift they need for their maiden voyage.
     The pictures gathered over the last few days are hardly paragons of photographic excellence but they serve to show the progress these four healthy youngsters have made. 

     Ironically, on the one opportunity I had to get all four young birds in the same shot, I had no memory card in my camera!
     Here are a couple of shots of the adults

.

     Since the pictures above were taken the chicks have left the nest box and are now wandering around the deck on the communications tower, all the while flapping their wings and flexing their flight muscles in anticipation of that first launch into the freedom of the skies.
     Everything is not Peregrine Falcons, however, and on an early morning walk around Columbia Lake I was surprised to come upon a couple of White-tailed Deer Odocoileus virginianus.

     At this time of year there is food aplenty for these browsers and they have a sleek, handsome appearance.

     A couple of Song Sparrows Melospiza melodia were foraging on grit on the path, and I saw several of them also carrying food, so breeding is evidently well underway.

     The woodlands are filled with spring flowers and blooms of every shape, colour and fragrance. I was especially struck by the Wood Anemones Anemone quinquefolia shown below,

     I'll be checking on the peregrines again tomorrow. Who knows what might have taken place by the time I get there?

Fairmount-Webwood Passage Nature Reserve

Fairmount-Webwood Passage Nature Reserve

Donor Tour

8 June 2014

    All of the clubs, associations and individuals who donated part of the money needed to acquire this tract of land by The Bruce Trail Conservancy were invited to take part in a tour of the property. The Kitchener-Waterloo Field Naturalists participated in this event and were well represented by several of its members, including Miriam and me.

    This acquisition was deemed to be especially significant as it provides a connecting corridor of rich habitat between the existing reserves known as the Fairmount Wetland and Webwood Falls. Now that there is a direct route between the two, several kilometres of road travel have been eliminated.

    Our two staff ecologists for the day were Brian Popelier and Adam Brylowski and they did a fine job of interpreting the natural riches of the area.

Brian, Adam

    Before embarking on our walk we took a small detour to look at one of the falls from which Webwood Falls takes its name. It was quite beautiful, although the mosquitoes in that area were fierce. We were well prepared with repellent, however, so it didn't bother us too much.

    There were many attractive features of the property which contains a variety of habitat, not the least of which was this swamp, so typical of the area.

    Several species of damselflies and dragonflies were observed, not easy to photograph, however, since we were engaged in an exploratory walk and not able to tarry at length. Nevertheless we were able to get a fairly decent shot of this male Ebony Jewelwing Caloptyeryx maculata.

    Miriam reacts badly to insect bites and she was well buttoned up for protection. This, combined with a liberal application of bug spray on every square centimetre of exposed flesh, served her well for she was not bitten even once.

    There were many beautiful plants and trees including extensive patches of  Tall Buttercup Ranunculus acris.

    Wood Anemone Anemone quinqefolia was prolific and gorgeous.

     The curiously named Ostrich Fern Matteuccia struthiopteris is a native species and was quite prolific in some areas. It was quite wonderful to see it swaying in the gentle breeze, seeming at times to resemble a wave.

    Common Milkweed Asclepias incarnata is critical to the survival of the Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus and it was encouraging for all of us to see a few plants in the meadows. Brian recounted that "blowing parties" have been organized when the seed pods are about to burst. Volunteers literally blow the seeds from the pods to disperse them as widely as possible to stimulate farther and more widespread densities of the plant. It bears repeating that this is the only plant on which a Monarch lays its eggs and it depends on the toxins provided by milkweed to bolster its defences.

    The whole area was filled with a wide variety of birds, but it would require more time and some dedicated effort to photograph them. This is not a very good picture of Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla cedrorum but it certainly was great to see them flycatching from the snags in the swamp.

    Part of this land is restored pasture and one of the meadows formerly contained a good deal of invasive Common Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica. Once it takes hold this is a difficult shrub to remove and it was through the concerted efforts of about thirty volunteers over a two-day period that it was eliminated. It is very pleasing to see the amount of regeneration of native trees taking place, based on entirely natural seed dispersal. In twenty or thirty years this meadow will revert to the kind of forest that existed before European settlement in the area.

    At the end of the walk it was time for Miriam to share the friendship of other members of KWFN who had made the journey north to take part in the celebration of this new reserve. Here she is with the ever irrepressible Marg Macdonald.

    And with Mary Ann Vanden Elzen, one of the true stalwarts of the club.

    Delicious baked goodies were provided and a glass of sparkling apple juice to toast the new reserve and all the donors who made it possible.

    I confess to feeling a great sense of pride and satisfaction that our club, now in its 81st year, was able to contribute to making this day happen.