Rare Birds in Lambton County:

Some rarities have found their way to Lambton County in the past few weeks. A Rufous Hummingbird, native to the west coast is feeding on private property near Watford. The above pictures were taken by Deryl. The Rufous Hummingbird is slightly larger than the Ruby-throated Hummingbird which is common in our area. Canada has 5 species of Hummingbirds and the Ruby-throated is the only hummingbird species that breeds east of the Rockies. Rufous Hummingbirds are extremely territorial at all times of year, attacking any visiting hummingbird, including much larger species. They've even been seen chasing chipmunks away from their nests! Cornel Lab, All About Birds

The Townsend Solitaire is another western species that appears to be lost! The Townsend's Solitaire is in the thrush family, which includes species such as Bluebirds and American Robins.

One study suggested the Townsend's Solitaire would need to eat between 42,000 and 84,000 juniper berries to survive the winter! Cornel Lab, All About Birds. He shouldn't have any trouble finding food this winter! 

A Trumpeter Swan has been hanging around Kettle Point for approximately 3 years. These once endangered birds are impressively large, almost double the size of Tundra Swans. Males average over 26 pounds making them North America's heaviest flying bird. To get that much mass aloft, the swans need at least a 100 metre-long runway of open water. Running hard across the surface, they almost sound like galloping horses as they generate speed for take off. Cornel Lab, All About Birds.

 Backyard Birds in November:

Several White-throated Sparrows frequented our 

yard this fall looking for seeds and insects on the ground.

Although this photo is distant and heavily cropped, I was excited to watch two adult Bald Eagles fly overhead while standing in our backyard recently!

An American Goldfinch checked out our feeder.

Northern Cardinals have been plentiful!

With today's snow fall, 3 pairs of Cardinals continue to visit. I expect we will see them throughout the winter since they know there will be a steady supply of available food! 

 Canatara in November:

Earlier this fall, the top of the tree where the Red-phased Eastern Screech Owl roosted snapped off in a strong wind. For the past several weeks, the Owl has been sitting on a branch in a nearby Maple Tree. There aren't many leaves left on the deciduous tree for the owl to hide behind.

Thanks to the Bluewater Raptor Centre for supplying the boxes and park staff at Canatara for the installation, two owl boxes have been placed in nearby trees. Hopefully we will soon see an owl poking its head out of one of the holes on a sunny day! With winter approaching these birds need a cavity to be better sheltered from the elements.

I occasionally see the grey Screech Owl sunning its face in this box. One afternoon a White-breasted Nuthatch decided to see if anyone was home!

A sleeping Screech Owl!

3 Wild Turkeys have been roaming the park.

Fan-shaped Ginko leaves.

A banded male Northern Cardinal posed for me on the fall leaves! The band is visible on his right leg. Bird banding is a research tool that can provide vital data to scientists in efforts to understand their movements at breeding sites, migratory pathways and wintering areas.  https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/bird-banding/program-overview-contact-information.html

 Harlequin Duck visits Point Edward!

A female Harlequin Duck visited the Canadian side of the St. Clair River for a fishing and resting stop today. Harlequins occasionally visit the river, but they are often on the American side, making them difficult to see without a scope.

She had a favourite resting spot after dining on fish. Harlequin Ducks are considered to be "Sea Ducks", occasionally visiting the Great Lakes during the non-breeding months.

The fishing boats in Lake Huron were probably a factor in the Harlequin and other ducks staying close to shore!

Prior to hearing about the Harlequin, I was photographing a group of 

Red-breasted Mergansers who were hanging out at Canatara Beach.

The Merganser on the left certainly had a lot to say!

They spent some time diving in the shallow water for fish. This bird didn't have a good grip on the fish and had to swallow quickly as several gulls were in the area hoping to snatch a meal.

Earlier this week, a Mallard Hen stretched in front of me, exposing the beautiful blue speculum on her wing.

Royal Botanical Gardens: Nov. 16th.

I love hand feeding the birds! As soon as we entered the trail head at Cherry Hill Gate into the Hendrie Valley Sanctuary, we were surrounded by birds. Chickadees have a reputation for being friendly. They are social birds in the forest who can learn to associate humans with food. Black-capped Chickadees love sunflower seeds and I try to carry a few seeds in my pocket during the colder months.

Downy Woodpeckers will also hand feed. I was able to take these photos of my own hand with my macro lens. This male Downy Woodpecker paused to assess the situation when he first perched.

Once he decided I was safe, he grabbed a seed. I have fed many woodpeckers over the years and have never been poked by their strong beaks. They are always very gentle when taking seeds.

A nearby White-breasted Nuthatch grabbed a seed wedged in the tree bark. This species is known for stealing seeds cached by other birds. I have also witnessed this behaviour at other locations.

The trail system was well maintained and included an extensive board walk.

View from the boardwalk: I was glad to see an abundance of cattails with no phragmites nearby!

The valley is a popular location for artists. An unexpected gust of wind carried this beautiful painting from an artist's easel, into the marsh 10 feet below. There was no access to the water from the boardwalk and she realized it was unfortunately irretrievable.

Some well camouflaged Great Blue Herons hunted for food in the marsh during our visit.

 Mitchell's Bay "Life Bird"!

First spotted on November 6th by Blake, we were happy that the Sage Thrasher was still hanging around Mitchell's Bay 4 days later! The Multiflora Rose where it sits, is an invasive plant species in North America, but the rose hips were providing a source of food for the Thrasher.

It stayed tucked into the bushes most of the time for us....

...and emerged briefly for a couple of shots. This bird is native to the SW United States.

After the bird disappeared, we walked along the Bay Trail. I wasn't expecting to find a 3 foot long Northern Water Snake in the grass in November! He was soaking up the day's sun on this rather cool day!

There were some distant ducks and geese on the water while this Great Blue Heron flew a little closer for a picture.

There are some interesting carvings and signs along the trail including a map showing the fish species that can be found in Mitchell's Bay. It is a great linear trail with lots of wildlife to view! The easiest parking is on Anglers Line, SW of Winter Line Road.

 Pinery Provincial Park Nov. 8th:

We enjoyed an extended walk at Pinery Provincial Park last weekend. A visit to feed the birds, including this Black-capped Chickadee, was on the agenda.

Lunch break was on the tower at the Nipissing Trail. In addition to these 3 Sandhill Cranes, we saw 2 Bald Eagles, and 7 Red-tailed Hawks from this vantage point.

The ever adorable Tufted Titmouse was looking for food hand outs.

A White-breasted Nuthatch searched the loose bark for a snack.

Ticks were still active in the first week of November! This is the first time I have seen a live Eastern Black-legged Tick which is much smaller than the more common Dog Tick.

The Monarch that emerged from this chrysalis may have had a late start to migration!