Desjardins Canal

A burst of sunshine at lunch on an otherwise grey day encouraged me to visit the Desjardins Canal in Dundas. It wasn’t a particularly birdy day, but a chance to get out for a walk couldn’t be passed up! Soon after my arrival, a Red-tailed Hawk soared over the adjacent butterfly gardens, searching for a snack.

Manmade islands were being inspected by a pair of Canada Geese.

But the next time I glanced in that direction, the Canada Geese had departed and a pair of Mallards were using it for a rest spot, possibly considering it as a location for this year's nest.

All About Birds describes Pied-billed Grebes as part bird, part submarine. I enjoy watching them "sink" out of sight. They have the ability to trap water in their feathers, giving them great control over their buoyancy. They can sink deeply or stay just at or below the surface, exposing as much, or as little of the body as they wish. This individual was my first Pied-billed Grebe of the year!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Pied-billed_Grebe/overview

Looking towards Coote's Paradise, and scanning with my binoculars exposed zero birds, not even any Canada Geese or Mute Swans!! After finding food, the cold temperatures were keeping the birds in sheltered areas.

Meanwhile, a Cooper's Hawk Near Home:

If I hadn't watched the Cooper's Hawk fly in and land, I likely would have missed the well camouflaged bird. It obviously saw something that it wanted to catch, probably a chipmunk. But after bouncing around on the log and surrounding ground, it flew away "empty-taloned"!

Another first for the year! An Eastern Phoebe caught my attention as it pumped its tail up and down. In order to keep track of the movement of individual birds, scientists will place tiny bands on the legs of birds. Each band has a number, much like a license plate on a car. In 1804, John James Audubon attached silvered thread to an Eastern Phoebe's leg, making it the first bird banded in North America!

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

American Goldfinch, soaking up the sun. A few male Goldfinch are beginning to show their brighter colours.

White-throated Sparrow that I found without someone else first pointing it out! This bird has done a good job of hiding from me!

In addition to drumming on tree bark, woodpeckers like this Red-bellied Woodpecker are being very vocal.

Tail-less Turkey Vulture - someone's been in a battle!

Gull species, including this Ring-billed Gull, are often found patrolling the Lake Huron shoreline in search of food.

A Herring Gull found a feast when a fish washed up on the Canatara shore.

 Warblers in North Lambton!!

First warblers of the year! We found 2 Yellow-rumpled Warblers at Pinery Provincial Park on Saturday! They were our first warblers of the year, but one warbler was found in the area back in January. It’s hard to say if they are early migrants, or if they spent the winter in the park.

Juniper berries were the food of choice. Hopefully they will be sustained on the fruit until insects begin to immerge from their winter slumber.

We saw an interesting selection of birds including a Fox Sparrow on the Riverside Trail.

We heard the high pitched Ki-Ki-Ki of a Merlin. Upon scanning for the bird, we found this perched individual, but it was not the one that was calling. It wasn’t long before the second Merlin noisily soared past us. Merlins are the second smallest of the 4 Falcons found in Ontario. They are larger than Kestrels, but smaller than Peregrine Falcons.

The bird feeders were well stocked at the Visitor Centre so an abundant number of song birds were in the area. They definitely associate people with food and landed nearby in a constant parade of seed grabbing! It was fun to have close up views of a Red-breasted Nuthatch!

The ever adorable Tufted Titmouse!

White-breasted Nuthatch

Overlooking the Ausable River Cut, a Bald Eagle scanned the assortment of ducks below his perch. Perhaps he was meal planning for later in the day, as no attempts to grab a meal occurred while we watched.

Many handsome Blue Jays were also eager to have an easy snack of seeds. Blue Jays are known for their intelligence and complex social systems with tight family bonds. Their fondness for acorns is credited with helping spread oak trees after the last glacial period.

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

Walking a marked trail through the Dunes, towards Lake Huron.

Our next stop was at the Lambton Heritage Forest where we had views of a flooded farm field. We found 22 species of birds including 300+ Tundra Swans, 3 Woodpecker species, and lots of ducks including American Wigeon, Wood Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, and even a pair of Sandhill Cranes!

Beaver Lodge visible within the Lambton Heritage Forest. A Bald Eagle flew into a tree nearby and virtually disappeared into a well-hidden nest!

 

Curious Red Squirrels were found at a few locations throughout the day. We walked over 13 km in our quest for birds and wildlife. Happily the sun came out in the afternoon for a very successful and enjoyable day!

 Butterflies are Flying!!

Temperatures reached 17 degrees C on Monday. It took some patience, but after a 90 minute search, I found 3 Mourning Cloak butterflies which brought a big smile to my face! (Ten days later than last year, but this was an exceptional winter for our area!) Mourning Cloaks overwinter as adults, tucked into a crevice in a log, under leaf litter, or other sheltered location. This type of hibernation is known as diapause. Food sources in the early spring include sap dripping from Yellow-bellied Sapsucker holes. Or if they happen to be in a Sugar Bush, March is the season for sap collection where sap drips from tapped Sugar Maple Trees! 

Butterflies survive the cold by making their own glycerol which acts like a type of antifreeze to lower the freezing point of bodily fluid. The glycerol prevents ice crystals from forming in cells which would kill the butterfly.

https://extension.usu.edu/swaner/naturalist-news/amazing-butterflies.pdf

The warm temperatures woke up a Wooly Bear caterpillar who spent the winter at the larval stage. Glycerol production also allows caterpillars to survive the winter without freezing.

Half-ringed Acleris Moth, an early flyer in the spring, and a new species for me!

I found my first Fox Sparrow of the year this week! Fox Sparrows spend a lot of time on the ground, using their sturdy legs to kick away leaf litter in search of insects and seeds. They rarely venture far from cover. This individual had been on the ground, along with another Fox Sparrow and flew into the tree as I walked past on a trail.

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

A Visit to Lake Erie

This is possibly the first calendar year in which we found a Red-throated Loon prior to finding a Common Loon! This Red-throated Loon spent the winter in the St. Catharines area. I was surprised to learn that this species takes flight from the water more easily than other loons. It often takes off without a running start and can even take off from land!

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/red-throated-loon

A pair of American Robins enjoyed a bath in a puddle at Port Weller.

At Crystal Beach, a noisy Killdeer was likely having second thoughts about early migration after landing on the icy shore of Lake Erie.

Crystal Beach looking across Lake Erie towards Buffalo.

Rain droplets on a Pussywillow Bud

Snowdrops blooming on a rainy day!

 Getting Ready for Spring!

Mallard Pair staking out their territory, even before the ice melts!

Canada Geese announcing to the world that this is their space!!

Despite birds searching for mates and territory, the ice continued to Pile Up on Canatara Beach on March 5th.

Iced Cube! (About 18 inches square!)

Ice crystals photographed with macro lens

Layers of Ice!

Just 3 days after finding the large ice build up on Lake Huron, I found my first Painted Turtle of the year, taking advantage of sunny skies in a sheltered area. March 8, 2026.

Cecropia Moth cocoon. The first one I’ve found this winter with no visible signs of predation. Other cocoons have had holes chewed through the layers.

Foggy day over Lake Chipican. The fog rolled in and out 3 times that day.

The only Snowy Owl I saw this winter, camouflaged in a distant field.