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!
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