Tagged Great Egret

Tagged Great Egret (Grande Aigrette) 

Waterloo, ON

12 September 2014

     As I mentioned in a recent post Great Egrets Ardea alba begin their annual appearance in this area as post breeding dispersal occurs, with some birds even moving north from their more southerly breeding locations.

     This bird was seen on 12 September in Waterloo and was in the same location yesterday. I am attempting to find out where it originated, but so far I am having no luck. As soon as I am able to determine where it was tagged I will add a line to this post.

Note added: This bird was banded at Nottawasaga Island near Collingwood, ON on 19 June 2014.

     As might be expected juvenile birds abound at this time of the year and this young House Sparrow Passer domesticus clearly shows its gape.

     Cedar Waxwings Bombycilla cedrorum have been plentiful of late with large flocks of juveniles roaming together.

     Like all children, there needs to be the odd adult to supervise!

Insect Successes

Fields of Goldenrod and

Nectar for Everyone!

7 September 2014

     At Princess Point in Hamilton, Goldenrod was in full bloom in meadows where it has been left undisturbed. Not surprisingly, this bonanza provided copious amounts of pollen and the insect pollinators were hard at work, collecting nectar and in the process doing the important work of pollination.

     As has been noted in a recent post I was delighted to see a couple of Monarch butterflies at Grass Lake. I was even more delighted to see many, many more hovering over the field of gold, and landing and feeding at will. It was indeed encouraging to be able to glance around and see Monarchs in all directions. There was still nothing to rival the swarms of yesteryear, but it was wonderful to see more than I have seen in several years.

     It truly is a vision of beauty and set against the panoply of gold seemed ever more serene.

     This grasshopper was numerous also, and is probably in the genus Melanoplus, but I have been unable to identify it as to species. If anyone can help please leave a comment below.

     What was also very heartening indeed was the sheer number of Common Eastern Bumblebee Bombus impatiens all impressively laden with pollen. They looked for all the world as though they were toting saddlebags! 

     In addition, there were numerous flies, damselflies, butterflies and other insects and it seemed for a moment that a small corner of virgin wilderness had been created in an urban centre. If one closed one's eyes the sheer buzz of insect sound was music to the ears, a true symphony of nature.

Tiny Wetland on Beaver Creek Road, Waterloo

Beaver Creek Road

(A Gallery of Herons)

Waterloo, ON

7 September 2014

     Once again this year the tiny wetland on Beaver Creek Road is delivering more variety than one might reasonably expect for an area so small, completely surrounded by houses on three sides, and the road on the fourth.

     Three species of heron were present, and I suspect four. Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias, the commonest of all was absent from view, but with so much tall vegetation to hide behind, it may well have simply not been visible.

     As I have mentioned before this is not the easiest place for photography but the following shots will at least record the activity observed there yesterday.

     I observed three Black-crowned Night Herons Nycticorax nycticorax, two adults and one juvenile. None were in a great position for picture-taking, the adults with sunlight streaming down on them, giving a bit of a washed out look to their plumage, and the juvenile skulking in the dark overhang of a bush.

     I saw but one Green Heron Butorides virescens but it very obligingly flew up from its concealment in the rushes to a perch where I could shoot off a few frames.

   

     In years past as soon as post-breeding dispersal of Great Egrets Ardea alba starts to occur, up to four have been regular visitors to this wetland. The bird shown below is the first to take up occupancy this year.

     The marsh also provided a stark reminder that fall is just around the corner.

Annual Cicada

Annual Cicada

4 September 2014

     At this time of year the constant background refrain of cicadas is a familiar sound in southern Ontario. Rarely, however, do the insects seem to reveal themselves. Miriam and I were sitting on the patio when this one landed close by.

     Neither of us knew what it was and a search of the literature did little to elucidate the situation. Thanks to Mike Burrell for help in identifying this creature.

     It belongs in the genus Tibicen which contains a large number of cicadas in varying colour morphs and the precise taxonomy as to species level is far from clear.

     The Latin word Tibicen means flute-player or piper - a pretty adequate description of this musician it seems to me. It certainly added an interesting aspect to a pleasant summer afternoon.

Eastern Garter Snake

Eastern Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis

Colonel Samuel Smith Park

Toronto, ON

3 September 2014

     I found myself with about a half hour to kill while waiting to go to an appointment, so I decided to do a little birding at Colonel Samuel Smith Park.

The birding was very slow indeed with a true paucity of both species and numbers, but I observed this Eastern Garter Snake in the water.

     While most snakes have the ability to swim, and some species are primarily found in or close to water, I had never previously seen a Garter Snake in water, nor is this behaviour mentioned in the two references I have on my shelves. This species which is quite common in southern Ontario can attain a length of 66 cm and I would conjecture that this individual was approaching that size. I cannot recall ever having seen a bigger specimen.

     I observed the snake for about four minutes and it made no attempt to locate prey as far I could tell, and small minnows, and doubtless frogs were in the area. It finally moved into a stand of dense phragmites and disappeared from view.

Literature consulted:

Conant R. and Collins, J.T., 1998, Reptiles and Amphibians East Central North America, Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, NY

Cook, F.R., 1984, Introduction to Canadian Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural Sciences, National Museums of Canada, Ottawa, ON

Monarchs and......well, other monarchs.

Monarchs and Sandhill Cranes

Grass lake, Cambridge, ON

1 September 2014

     The decline of the Monarch Danaus plexippus, emblematic of the miracle of migration, has been well documented over the past several years. I can recall times when I have seen trees literally festooned with them, as though the foliage had turned to orange, but recently it is rare to see even one.

     Thus, it was with great joy, that I saw two individuals this afternoon feeding on Milkweed sp., a plant upon which the Monarch is dependent for its entire existence.

     There was a strong breeze blowing and it was difficult to take pictures. It seemed that every time I depressed the button a frond would be blown in front of my subject, and the image would be ruined. I offer the best of what I was able to get; most shots were deleted.

     For North American readers of this blog, I would urge you all to plant milkweed in your gardens. Can you imagine what an entire subdivision of gardens with milkweed could do to help spur the recovery of this iconic butterfly?

     My other "monarch" is the regal, Sandhill Crane Grus canadensis. With its stately bearing and graceful ways royalty comes easily to mind.

     This family was in a grassy area close to a farmer's barn and it left me wondering whether perhaps the farmer had been feeding them corn, so relaxed were they in close proximity to human settlement.

Adult and young

Adult relaxing

Adult and young

     The population of Sandhill Cranes is now well established in this part of Waterloo County and it is always an unmitigated delight to see them.

The whole family

Hatch year bird

Great Egret at Laurentian Wetland

Great Egret (Grande Aigrette) at

Laurentian Wetland

Kitchener, ON

31 August 2014

     My youngest grandson, Eddie, undertook a fund raiser for the Earth Rangers group to provide money to protect the endangered Blanding's Turtle Emydoidea blandingii and, as we had seen at least two species of turtle previously at Laurentian Wetland we decided to try to locate a Blanding's Turtle. There were very few turtles at all, and no Blanding's! I was hoping to be able to tell Eddie of a location I could take him to see one, but this will obviously have to wait until we have tried again elsewhere.

     The wetland was quite lovely, however, and filled with life.

     The star of the show was a Great Egret Ardea alba. This species is starting its post-breeding dispersal and this is the first individual to make an appearance at this location. I expect more to follow in the days ahead.

     A male Belted Kingfisher Megaceryle alcyon announced itself with its rattling call and we were able to observe it fishing from various snags.

     The most common species by far was Mallard Anas platyrynchos feeding on the duck weed which now covers a large area of the surface of the water.

     On the way home we stopped at the Western Osprey Pandion haliaetus 

nest at Fischer-Hallman Road and two adults were present, but not in good light for photographs. I have not seen young at this location during the current breeding season, but the adults now seem to be using the nest purely as a roosting platform.

     This Killdeer Chardrius vociferus was the only species that offered a chance of a decent photograph and even it it is not so great!

     Keep your fingers crossed that we can find a Blanding's Turtle to show Eddie before the winter sets in.