Avian Predators!

Merlins are our second smallest falcon. Merlin pairs have been seen teaming up to hunt large flocks of waxwings. One Merlin will flush the flock by attacking from below; the second Merlin comes in moments later to take advantage of the confusion.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/merlin/overview

This individual was waiting at the end of the street on my way into Canatara Park. Merlins are increasingly common around towns where there is a steady supply of House Sparrows. 

https://birdwatchinghq.com/falcons-in-ontario/

Bald Eagles can often be found soaring in the area as they search for open water.

For such a powerful bird, the Bald Eagle has surprisingly weak-sounding calls. These two were having a "conversation" in the air above me. I heard a series of high-pitched whistling notes. They sound nothing like the Eagle call heard in movies which is actually the recorded call of a Red-tailed Hawk.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/sounds

3 Bald Eagles hanging out together: They were situated above an open section of the St. Clair River.

Bald Eagles have a varied diet which can include live and dead (carrion) prey. This eagle is devouring a coyote carcass.

The Red-tailed Hawk is probably the most common hawk found in North America. They soar above open fields, slowly turning circles on their broad, rounded wings. Other times they can be seen atop telephone poles, watching the ground to catch the movements of a vole or a rabbit. They may also be waiting to climb a thermal updraft into the sky.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/overview

Snowy Owls have been hard to find in SW Ontario this year. Thick feathers for insulation from Arctic cold make Snowy Owls North America's heaviest owl. They typically weigh about 4 pounds which is one pound heavier than a Great Horned Owl and twice the weight of a Great Gray Owl!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Owl/overview

Male Sharp-shinned Hawks are slightly larger than a Blue Jay. They are the smallest hawk in Canada and the United States and are daring, acrobatic fliers. They have long legs, short wings and very long tails which they use for navigating at top speed through their deep-woods homes. They are easiest to spot in the fall on their southward migration, or occasionally at winter feeders.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/sharp-shinned_Hawk/overview

 A Winter Walk!

Immature Bald Eagle heading out to hunt!

While walking along the beach last week, 15 Cedar Waxwings flew overhead and luckily landed nearby. It is the first flock in Lambton we have noticed outside of Pinery Provincial Park this calendar year.

There weren't many juniper berries on this tree for the waxwings to eat.

Hopefully the birds found one of the other nearby trees boasting more fruit.

An Ice Breaker entered Lake Huron from the St. Clair River and flushed a lot of ducks.

Many Long-tailed Ducks and other species became airborne. 

A pair of Mute Swans are in the narrow strip of blue water, in the left third of the photo.

Eight Mute Swans sleeping on the ice.

A birdfeeder near the maintenance building attracts birds daily. When l I looked at the photo on my computer, I saw 4 Downy Woodpeckers. (I was only aware of 3 woodpeckers at the time the picture was taken.) In their range, Downy Woodpeckers are the most likely woodpecker species to visit a backyard bird feeder. They prefer suet feeders, but are also fond of black oil sunflower seeds, millet, peanuts, and chunky peanut butter.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/overview

A busy hangout for the local mouse population!!

Grey Squirrel tracks leading to a hole in the snow where the rodent hoped to recover some nuts hidden last fall.

 Northern Treasures!

Ruffed Grouse:

Ruffed Grouse are usually found in mixed deciduous and coniferous forest interiors. They also live along forested streams and in areas growing back following burning or logging. They are fairly small with a short, triangular crest, short legs and a long, fan-shaped tail.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruffed_Grouse/overview

In the northern part of their range, Ruffed Grouse depend on snow as a wintertime roost, burying themselves at night in soft drifts that provide insulating cover. The toes of Ruffed Grouse grow projections off their sides in winter, making them look like combs. The projections are believed to act as snowshoes to help the grouse walk across snow! The lower photo shows likely sleeping quarters from the night before.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruffed_Grouse/overview

In much of their range, Ruffed Grouse populations go through 8 to 11 year cycles of increasing and decreasing numbers. Their cycles can be attributed to the Snowshoe Hare cycle. When hare populations are high, predator populations increase too. When the hare numbers go down, the predators must find alternate prey and turn to grouse, decreasing their numbers.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ruffed_Grouse/overview

Ruffed Grouse are considered a "bell weather species" that reflects the overall health of the environment. By improving habitat for ruffed grouse, food and cover are enhanced for the hundreds of other game and non-game species of wildlife that share the grouse's forest home!

http://www.rgs.ca/

In the winter, watch for Ruffed Grouse feeding on deciduous tree buds in bare treetops along roadsides. How far will they go to get the last bud on the branch??

Ruffed Grouse do not migrate, usually spending their entire life within a few hectares.

https://www.hww.ca/wildlife/birds/ruffed-grouse/

 Northern Treasures!

Backyard Feeder Birds:

Ninety minutes was spent "staking out" a backyard feeder in hopes of a rarity that didn't appear. However, many other feeder birds were found. Adult male Evening Grosbeaks are yellow and black birds with a prominent white patch in the wings. Females and immatures are mostly gray, with white and black wings.

Evening Grosbeaks are large, robin-sized finches with very thick, powerful, conical bills. They have a thick neck, full chest, and relatively short tail. 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Evening_Grosbeak/id

They eat sunflower seeds and are also attracted to the seeds, berries and buds of trees and shrubs, especially Maple Trees. They are fairly large birds that often travel in sizeable flocks. If you wish to attract them to your yard, they prefer platform feeders.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Evening_Grosbeak/overview

With their enormous bills, Evening Grosbeaks can crush seeds that are too large for Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins to open. These smaller birds often seek out the grosbeaks and eat food scraps left behind.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Evening_Grosbeak/overview

The size and sluggish behaviour of Pine Grosbeaks makes spotting one in a tree easier than finding many other finch species.

In winter, Pine Grosbeaks are often found at bird feeders, but they also like to eat grit along roadsides near open, evergreen forests.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pine_Grosbeak/overview

The Canada Jay stores large quantities of food for later use. In the fall, it uses saliva to stick food high in tree branches which will remain above the snow depth throughout the winter. This food storage habit may allow Canada Jays to survive in the northern winters.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Jay/overview

Canada Jays have incredibly thick, fluffy plumage that puffs up in cold weather, enveloping the legs and feet. Even the nostrils are covered with feathers.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Canada_Jay/overview

A Blue Jay also made an appearance at the food source.

Hairy Woodpecker: The long beak is visible which helps to separate it from the Downy Woodpecker.

While waiting for birds to show up at the feeder, other birds in the area were photographed, including several Pigeons.

 Northern Treasures!

A Great Gray Owl and Snowshoe Hare:

Deryl and a friend traveled to northern Ontario recently.  One of the target birds was a Great Gray Owl. Although it is visually the largest owl in North America, it is mostly just a ball of feathers. Both the Great Horned Owl and Snowy Owl weigh more than a Great Grey Owl, and they have larger feet and talons!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory

Great Gray Owls are powerful birds. Despite weighing only 2.5 pounds, they can break through hard packed snow to grab a small mammal. During winter, they more actively hunt in the daylight. 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory

A well hidden Snowshoe Hare: Snowshoe Hares prefer dense stands of young conifers or brushy deciduous growth where there is lots of food and good shelter.

They are found in the boreal forest of North America.

https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/wildlife/snp/programs/education/animal-facts/mammals/snowshoe-hare/

During the winter, Snowshoe Hares are white, which helps them blend in with the snow. When the seasons change to spring and summer, snowshoe hares become a reddish-brown colour. This change helps them to camouflage among dirt and rocks.

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Snowshoe-Hare

Snowshoe Hares feed on a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, some conifers, grasses and wild plants such as raspberry and fireweed. Because their diet of wood fibre is difficult to digest, hares eat their droppings to extract additional nutrients not absorbed on the first attempt!

https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/wildlife/snp/programs/education/animal-facts/mammals/snowshoe-hare/

Rabbits are born blind and helpless, while hares are born fully furred and ready to run! Snowshoe Hares usually have two or three litters a year, born from April to August. The litter size can range from one to eight young.

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Snowshoe-Hare