A Day at Hullett Marsh, Huron County, ON

     On Monday, 13 June, Miriam and I spent the day at Hullett Marsh along with John and Geraldine Sanderson and Curtiss MacDonald. It was a pleasant day of birding and banter with amenable companions.
     Hullett Marsh is a large area of wetland under the jurisdiction of the Ontario government, and in the fall is well-used by hunters of waterfowl. I wouldn't want to be there at that time with guns popping off all around me; at least the carnage is regulated and supervised. 
     

     At this time of year, however, Hullett is a great place for birding with varied habitat for many species, including the always impressive Cedar Waxwing Bombycilla cedrorum.

     In addition to a nice variety of bird species dragonflies were abundant and this Black Saddlebags Tramea lacerata even alighted long enough for a picture.

     There was ample evidence of a healthy American Beaver Castor canadensis population and this individual was contentedly munching on aquatic vegetation.

     How this tree manages to remain standing after the beavers didn't quite finish the job is a bit of a mystery!

     There were numerous nest boxes for Wood Ducks Aix sponsa and this female was perched atop one of them.

     The following shots show what a paradise this area is for waterfowl when they are migrating through in the fall, and despite the fact that many fall victim to hunters, the area provides a refuge for others.

     Perhaps the most interesting observation of the day was that of Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor nesting in a natural cavity. I have rarely ever seen this; the species is so closely identified with nest boxes now. It certainly was a very pleasing discovery.

        More pictures of this beautiful wetland area:

     On our final stop of the day we were very fortunate to locate Eastern Towhee Pipilo erythrophthalmus, with both male and female vocalizing and displaying in full view.

Eastern Towhee - male

Eastern Towhee - male

Eastern Towhee - female

     On the way home, in what has become a bit of a tradition, Curtiss treated everyone to ice cream - and delicious it was too. What a great way to end an altogether delightful excursion.

Barn Swallows (Hirondelles rustiques) at SpruceHaven

     Most birders are aware that aerial insectivores of all species are in serious jeopardy and the decline in the number of some species is nothing short of catastrophic. 
    At SpruceHaven there is an old barn, a wonderful structure reminiscent of the farming practices of yesteryear, wherein there resides a substantial colony of Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica. 

     It has been a thrill for me to see so many birds wheeling around in that classic Barn Swallow flight, zooming unerringly through broken windows and small gaps in the boards, so you can imagine my elation when Dave gave me permission to organize a banding operation for the nestlings, and contribute to the scientific database for this species. 

     I checked the nests each day and identified the active ones, clearly marking them as shown. I recorded the number of eggs in each nest and the precise hatch date.

     As it turned out one nest contained two eggs which I am convinced were a leftover from an attempted second brood from last year, and two nests only ever yielded one egg, abandoned for some reason almost as soon as a breeding attempt began. This left us with eleven active nests.

     Kevin Grundy, a bird bander with a current permit to band Barn Swallows agreed to assist us, and so it was that on 14 June we banded the first nestlings, eight days after they were hatched.

     Kevin has been banding birds since the age of thirteen and fitted in precisely with our code of ethics as regards the welfare of the birds. He is impeccable in respecting all appropriate protocols and places the well being of the nestlings above all else.

     His wife, Grace, came out to watch her husband perform this delicate operation, not without a sense of pride I am sure.

     The full clutch of birds from two nests was removed sequentially into a cardboard box and carried to our banding table for speedy processing.

     All the necessary measurements were recorded and the young birds were returned to their nests in record time.

     Dave, Sandy and Jamie, were keen and interested observers of the entire process.

     Kevin explained the procedure as he handled the birds and Sandy was anxious to capture the operation on her new camera.

     Dave was both interested in and fascinated by the activities and made sure that he was in a position to observe everything that went on.

     After the young birds were returned to their nests we checked on them before closing up the barn for the night to make sure that all was well. In both nests parents were feeding the young, now bearing their identifying leg bands.

     I would like to express a very sincere vote of thanks to Dave and Sandy for sponsoring and encouraging us in this venture and to Kevin for his instant willingness to contribute his banding expertise.

     All of the data will be submitted to the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Sprucehaven swallows will become part of the scientific data base to help Barn Swallows reverse their recent declines.

     The environmental and conservation ethic that SpruceHaven continues to demonstrate is an inspiration to us all, and a personal opportunity which I will cherish to the end of my days.

Our garden and a few of its birds

9 June 2016

     Our garden has been a bit of a work in progress of late, mulch has had to be replaced, new gravel paths installed and the regular work of spring planting and cleaning up had to be done too. A few random shots follow.

     And her are a few additional shots taken from the bedroom window.

     The water in the bird bath is discoloured by airborne pollen and the like, but the birds actually seem to prefer it over clean, fresh water. After we change it, it doesn't take long to restore it to their liking!

     American Goldfinches Spinus tristis are probably the most frequent and most common visitors to our feeders.

American Goldfinch - male

American Goldfinch - males

American Goldfinch - females

     In years past Common Grackle Quiscalus quiscula has been a sporadic visitor, but this year they seem to have to discovered the feeders and are very adept at feeding from all of them.

     The Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata is the unquestioned king of the peanut feeder and can extract a snack in record time.

     I don't think we ever look out without seeing a Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura and we have a soft spot in our hearts for these delicate, lovely birds.

     This female House Sparrow Passer domesticus seemed reluctant to face us, perhaps because I had modified the nest box which was occupied by sparrows last year to prevent their entry and make it suitable for Black-capped Chickadees Poecile atricapillus who successfully raised a brood, now fledged and gone from the yard.

     What would a suburban backyard in southern Ontario be without a squirrel or two?

     House Finches Haemorhous mexicanus are also common patrons of the feeders although in nowhere near the numbers of American Goldfinch.

House Finch - male at left, female at right.

House Finch - female

     Other species visit, of course; these pictures are from the half hour or so I spent capturing them yesterday. Today is forecast to be fine and sunny so we'll be having lunch on the patio. Who knows what else we might see?

A real toadstool

      I think that most people, in the English-speaking world at least, have heard the word "toadstool" and have probably used it too to describe some form of mushroom. In fact, I would be curious to know whether other languages have a similar expression.
     From my knowledge of its usage in English it is generally used to describe an inedible type of fungus found in the forest.
     I cannot recall every having seen it as a toadstool literally, until I came across this American Toad Anaxyrus americanus resting on bracket fungi.

     The forest was full of toads, with many tiny ones, but this full grown specimen was the pride of the bunch. It was very co-operative as it posed for pictures, even turning to give us a different view, without leaving its seat.

     Nature is wonderful! Every day's exploration holds a potential surprise; I wonder what my next new discovery will be?