North Lambton - November 29th.

We headed to North Lambton again today in hopes of finding some target species. No luck with Pine Grosbeaks or Bohemian Waxwings, but we managed to find 2 pairs of Sandhill Cranes! This pair was particularly enjoyable to watch as they preened at the waters edge at Kettle Point. First time I have seen puffed up feathers on a Crane!

We would have driven right past this well camouflaged pair 

of Sandhill Cranes in a corn field if Deryl hadn't been so alert!

A stop at the Forest Lagoons earned us 7 species 

of ducks and one very cold Wooly Bear Caterpillar!

A photogenic Mallard Drake in Canatara Park on Saturday.

Deryl has been a "disbeliever" 😉 this fall when I tell him about seeing an Eastern Screech Owl in the Wood Duck box. On Saturday we were together and this little fellow was quite focused on something beneath him. It was 4:30 in the afternoon so he was probably thinking about supper!

 Western Trip - the final chapter-

(until our next visit)

Yellow-rumped Warbler, Audubon's Race is a sub-species of  the Yellow-rumped Warbler. It has a yellow throat compared to the white throat of the Myrtle Race found in Eastern Canada.

Black Turnstones - The chisel-like bill is designed 

to remove shellfish from the underside of rocks.

Golden-crowned Sparrows feed on seeds 

and insects on the ground and in low vegetation.

Steller's Jays are bold, noisy and inquisitive birds of western forests. They tend to move to higher elevations during breeding season. This crested bird is known to have "attitude"! They are skilled mimics copying the sound of nuthatches, squirrels and even garden sprinklers!

California Quail - Looking out for the rest of the family (below)

Exciting to find a Bushtit, building it's hanging nest made up of grasses and spider webs! The top picture shows it carrying nesting material.

Some Common Birds, not to be Overlooked!

The chortling sound of this Carolina Wren made me wonder what I was hearing until he popped up onto a log and stared back at me. The repertoire of sounds made by this species is amazing!

A Bald Eagle quietly hunted from the tree tops above Lake Chipican until a crow chased him off.

A couple of Great Blue Herons continue to feed in Lake Chipican. It won't be long before these largest members of the Heron family head south for the winter, although there are always exceptions to that rule if open water remains.

Common Grackle, 'Tough Guy Stare" at Ipperwash, Nov. 21 - In researching the "Cornel Lab-All about Birds" web site, I learned that Grackles have a hard keel on the inside of the upper mandible that they use to saw open acorns! They score the outside of the narrow end, then bite the acorn open. They have also been known to steal worms from Robins and pick leeches off the legs of turtles!

Look for Downy Woodpeckers in mixed bird flocks during the winter months. Grouping in flocks provides more eyes to watch for predators.

I returned to the Suncor Trail early Thursday morning and found part of the flock of Common Redpolls close to the trail. No time to search for the Hoary Redpoll and apparently the bulk of Redpolls were gone by that afternoon.

We have been most fortunate with November's weather, but as the month continues, snow is only to be expected. I enjoyed finding a spider web in this morning's snow storm!

This Week's Birdie Stuff! 

The Majestic American Crow...taking a break from the rest of the crow crowd.

Some consider this species to be the most intelligent species, after primates.

Another common bird, just standing around, waiting to have his picture taken. 

Ring-billed Gulls can fly up to 65 km/hr!

A lack of available food in Northern Ontario has caused several bird species, including Common Redpolls to head further south for the winter....much to the delight of local birders!

We saw approximately 60 Common Redpolls on the Suncor Trail last weekend. Today, we estimated 125 birds were feeding on the wild flower seed heads. They are members of the Finch family with small, pointed beaks designed for eating seeds.

A Life Bird today!

Deryl alerted me to a single Hoary Redpoll mixed in with the Common Redpolls at the Suncor Trail, so I hurried over after work today. The much lighter colour of the Hoary is evident in the photo, especially when contrasted with the surrounding brown of the Common Redpolls. The birds were very "flighty" as a Merlin was actively hunting in the area. Hopefully it will stay around for others to find!

 

 Deryl's Western Road Trip

Vancouver Island: Part 1

On previous trips to Vancouver Island, we found the Northern 

Pygmy-Owl near Parksville. Deryl added this stop to his summer trip.

It has been mating season on a couple of the adventures, 

so finding the owl is relatively easy.... IF it is calling!

Always a thrill to find a male Anna's Hummingbird!

Spotted Towhees were in abundance at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

This marsh is the best birding spot within Nanaimo City limits.

Similar to our Carolina Wren, Bewick's Wren is common on the west coast. 

It has a slightly longer tail and a grayer colour than it's Eastern counterpart.

 Black Oystercatcher taking a break!

Who you lookin' at??

During our 2019 visit, we hoped to find an American Dipper. We spent an hour traversing the creeks on the property with no luck. When we had basically given up, we walked back to the car, only to find the little guy in the water next to the parking lot. He didn't come very close, but it was a life bird for us both!

One of my favourite birds is the Black-capped Chickadee. It was 

fun to find its west coast relative, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee!

 

A Very Mild Start to November!

A beautiful sunrise greeted us at home on Monday morning.

I took an alternate route to work that morning and found 

the Bison on the farm surprisingly close to Camlachie road!

A few days ago, one of the local wild turkeys walked up to Lake Chipican for a drink. 

Today, Deryl saw it trying to get into the Peacock cage at the animal farm! 😀

I found another Autumn Meadowhawk today and didn't realize until I looked on the computer that this "thing with wings" was eating another smaller "thing with wings"!

I interrupted a pair of Downy Woodpeckers having an argument over feeding locations.

A spider calmly floated on an oak leaf in the pond at Henderson C.A!

 "Woody" the well camouflaged Screech Owl has been spotted in the Wood Duck box.

And finally, I found a Saw-whet Owl...the first for me in 2020!

 

Saturday - A Great Birding Day!!

Our plan for this beautiful and mild November 7th was to head to North Lambton. Before we even left our house, we saw 5 White-winged Crossbills on a Spruce tree across the street! The "crossed bill" is adapted for removing seeds from cones. This is a species I don't get to see every year.

 Life Bird at Lambton Shores!

Lots of winter finches, normally found in Algonquin Park and farther north, have been making their way through Southern Ontario. We headed to Lambton Shores in hopes of finding Evening Grosbeaks and Redpolls, but the highlight was a Townsend's Solitaire! First discovered by MB and re-found by Deryl, it was a first time find for many local birders! This species is normally found on the West Coast. It is the only thrush which hunts from a perch which made it easier to see if you were in the right place at the right time!

Another unexpected find for me in November was an Autumn Meadowhawk.

I was even more surprised to find a mated pair. While trying to photograph them, they landed on my coat and I had to get Deryl to take this photo as I was just too close!!

A few days ago as I was stepping out of the car at the grocery store, I found this female Praying Mantis walking across the pavement. She didn't have a hope of surviving the traffic and was too heavy to fly, so I scooped her up in a box. I showed her to some classes participating in the "Bugs World" program at work over the next 2 days and then released her in a more appropriate area to lay her eggs. She frequently swiveled her head 180 degrees to keep an eye on me and the kids!

I haven't identified these seeds yet, but they remind me of the "Truffula Tree Tufts" from the Dr. Seuss story, The Lorax!