Mallard, Wood, and Hooded Merganser Ducklings!

Every time I go into Canatara these days, I seem to find a new Mallard Family.

We saw and heard a pair of lonely Wood Duck ducklings at the Pinery today. An odd noise soon started from within the culvert that goes under the bridge where we were standing. The noise grew louder and I knew it was a Wood Duck Mom calling her kids. If you've ever heard a Wood Duck call, they always sound somewhat frantic. When a Momma Wood Duck who has lost 2 ducklings is calling for her babies, the echoing sound from inside the culvert was even more frantic!

Mom raced across the water towards the pair with her other 5 ducklings.

I'm happy to report that the family was reunited and Momma Duck escorted all of her children to safety!

Earlier this week, Deryl found a family of Hooded Merganser ducklings near Sombra. Both Hooded Merganser and Wood Duck ducklings will jump from the nesting cavity in a tree to the water below when they are only one day old. They can survive falls of 50 feet, even if the nest is above land and not water!

 The feather flag signaling the end of Spring Migration has been raised!

Cute Creepy Crawlies: 

Be on the lookout for Monarch Butterflies! I have seen three this week!

I found a pair of mating insects in the meadow this afternoon. My research

suggests they are Canada Thistle Bud Weevils. They were on a type of thistle

which is another food source for the species. Notice the length of their snout!

A freshly emerged Eastern Tiger Swallowtail drinks minerals from the mud at the edge of Lake Chipican.

An Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly posed with its wings open for me. They often have their wings folded over their backs so the beautiful blue colour isn't always visible.

A Juvenal's Duskywing took a rest on the back of a Roman Snail.

During our recent visit to Peers Wetland, we saw and heard the deep "jug-o-rum" sound of the Bullfrog. Bullfrogs have lateral folds on their backs that wrap downward around the tympani. (the circular patch behind the eye).

The lateral folds on Green Frogs in the above photo, extend down the back. Although both species are similar at first glance, looking at the placement of the lateral fold aids in identification.

The Goslings are getting bigger. It can be a challenge navigating some of the trails these days!

 A Visit to Peers Wetland:

A beautiful male Bobolink popped up onto a fence post as we made our way to Peers Wetland yesterday. The Bobolink is one of the world's most impressive songbird migrants, traveling some 20,000 kilometres to and from southern South America every year. Throughout its lifetime, it may travel the equivalent of 4 or 5 times around the circumference of the earth! (Cornel Lab, All About Birds.)

Upon our arrival, we saw evidence of a new Mute Swan Family.

The young Cygnets were looking sleepy-eyed.

The cygnet on the far left took time to stretch his legs. His little webbed foot is visible above the water. Another nest is located on the south side of the property. Mom was sitting on it and we didn't see any signs of young yet. Soon there will be a lot of swimming swans!

Green Darners laying eggs: The Common Green Darner is a multigenerational long-distance migrator. It has been recorded flying 122 kilometres in a single day, clocking speeds upward of 58 kilometres per hour during migration. Like monarch butterflies, these dragonflies embark on a multi-generational migration where the generation that returns to Canada in spring are the grandchildren of the ones that left in autumn. (Natureconservancy.ca)

We saw a few butterfly species at Peers, but I was happy to photograph this White-spotted Sable Moth. They tend to rest on the underside of leaves, but this one must have wanted its picture taken! 

 Some Common and Uncommon 

Spring Butterflies!

Finding this species in Pinery Provincial Park was a first for me! The Eastern Pine Elfin is common in Ontario, but not in SW Ontario. It can be found in open areas adjacent to Pine/Oak forests.

The Dusted Skipper is rare in Ontario, restricted to the sandy dunes around Pinery Provincial Park. (The ROM Field Guide to Butterflies of Ontario.)

The Eastern-tailed Blue has a low flight with a short proboscis (tongue) and prefers flowers close to the ground which are open or short-tubed. Sweet White Clover, Cinquefoils and Asters are among its favourites. They thrive in open, sunny places including weedy areas and disturbed habitats. (https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Cupido-comyntas)

Finding a Common Checkered Skipper this early in the season was a huge surprise! I typically find them mid July when the Brown-eyed Susan's in my garden bloom. Although "common" is in the name, it is a permanent species in Mexico and north to 40 degrees latitude. It is considered to be a rare breeding migrant in Ontario. (The ROM Field Guide to Butterflies of Ontario.) Top photo is a female, bottom is a male.

Black Swallowtails flying in a possible territorial battle. This species is known as a "hill topper" in Ontario with males gathering and patrolling around the highest point of land awaiting females who usually ascend hills after emerging from the chrysalis.  (The ROM Field Guide to Butterflies of Ontario.) High points in the Canatara Meadow can be a good spot to find Black Swallowtails.

A Visit to Rondeau P.P.

Brown Thrashers are often heard, but not so easily seen.  We saw this bird as we were parking at a trail head in Rondeau Provincial Park and the photo was taken while I was still in the car. They're most obvious when they sing their loud songs from shrubs and treetops. The song is a complex string of musical phrases, many copied from other birds' songs, with each phrase typically sung twice. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds)
 

While walking along the beach, I noticed a Savannah Sparrow skulking through the plants. He was looking for food which includes beetles, grasshoppers, spiders and millipedes. I found it interesting that they eat spittlebug nymphs. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds)

In a few weeks, we will start to see spittle masses on goldenrod. The nymphs of Leaf Hoppers excrete bubbles after chewing on the plant sap. The spittle helps to keep the larva from drying out until they reach the adult stage. (They are actually living in their own poop!) When white frothy spittle masses appear on goldenrod plants, Savannah Sparrows will hop on the plant and devour the spittlebug nymphs hiding inside the foam. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds) 

Our most exciting find was a pair of Wilson's Phalaropes on the beach. Phalaropes are the only shorebirds that regularly swim in deep water. They bob on the surface, often spinning in circles to bring small food items within reach of their slender bills. Unlike most birds, female phalaropes desert their mates once they've laid eggs. While the male raises the young by himself, the female looks for other males to mate with. This unusual mating system is called polyandry, and is reflected in the way the two sexes look with the females more brightly coloured than the males. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds)  They are an uncommon species in our area.

 Birds With Sticks!

Spring time brings the opportunity to see nest building in action. Over the past few weeks, I have watched several bird species collect nesting material.

The Northern Cardinal nest is usually well hidden in dense shrubs, vines, or low trees. The open cup made of twigs, weeds, grass, and leaves, lined with fine grass or hair is made by the female. (Audobon Field Guide)

A House Wren tried unsuccessfully to pull a twig into the nest box. The next day, I could see the stick was still half way in the box. The nest inside the cavity is built into a depression in the twigs and lined with feathers, grasses, animal hair, spider egg sacs, string, snakeskin and discarded plastic. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds)

Most people are familiar with the rounded cup shape of an American Robin's nest made from mud and grasses. This Robin has managed to stuff his beak so full of grasses that it looks like he has a moustache!

A pair of Coopers Hawks is again nesting in Canatara Park. This is the second nest I have seen that was built by placing sticks on top of an old squirrels nest.

I was photographing this Tree Swallow with a stick when the male showed up and I captured the next photo:

I don't know enough about Tree Swallows to know if the stick is a normal step in the courtship process but LOVE was certainly in the air!

Ravens in Lambton County!

Common Ravens are massive birds with shaggy throat feathers and a thick neck and thick beak. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds) They are normally considered to be a Northern bird, but in recent years have been seen more frequently in Southern Ontario.

Common Raven                           American Crow

At a quick glance, Ravens and Crows are similar in appearance. Several features need to be studied. Look at bill size (shown above) and tail shape. In flight, Ravens have a wedged-shaped tail and Crows have a fan-shaped tail. Ravens are about the size of Red-tailed Hawks while Crows are roughly the size of pigeons. If the bird is calling, Crows give a cawing sound while Ravens make a deep croaking sound.

A pair of nesting Ravens was discovered in Eastern Lambton County this spring. It is the first known nesting record of this species in the county. In Ontario, range maps show Ravens as staying north of Georgian Bay.

A platform at the top of a Silo created the base for 3 Ravens to be raised. The female exclusively incubates the eggs during the 3 week incubation period. When the nestlings hatch, they are fed and cared for by both parents. They leave the nest about 5 to 6 weeks after hatching. (Hinterland Who's Who - Canadian Wildlife Federation) These 3 young Ravens will soon be ready to leave the nest!

Common Ravens are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They live in forests of all kinds, shrubland, rocky cliffs on coasts or mountains, the tundra, grassland and even deserts. (Canadian Wildlife Federation) ...And as can be seen by the above picture, Silos can be added to the list!

Blue Jay Thief!

An innocent looking Blue Jay may be plotting his next theft.

Blue Jays are regular visitors to our backyard. I have recently noticed one stealing food from other birds.

A peanut feeder in our yard makes the birds "work" for their meal. Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers are regular users of this feeder. In the above photo, the Red-bellied Woodpecker has extracted a peanut from the shell and is removing it from the sphere. Woodpeckers have "zygodactyl" feet which help them cling to tree trunks. (2 toes point forward, 2 toes backwards.) Blue Jay feet are not designed to allow them to hang in this position.

Once the bird has claimed the "prize" it will fly up to a natural bowl on a branch in our Silver Maple Tree. (Using the bowl must reduce the risk of the nut falling to the ground.)

Downy Woodpeckers, Black-capped Chickadees 

and both Nuthatches regularly use this same bowl for dining.

Since Jays can't access the peanut feeder, a sneaky Jay has learned to watch the birds at the feeder. He flies at them when they drop the seed into the wooden bowl. The other bird is usually startled, flies away, and the Blue Jay steals the food. I'm quite surprised that it has stolen from a Red-bellied Woodpecker!

Blue Jays are currently collecting sticks for nesting material. Perhaps the next generation will continue the backyard thievery!