Oh Sunny Days!!

Despite the cold temperatures, seeing the sun shine makes me feel warmer! I'm not sure if this American Robin would agree!

A Canada Goose is frustrated with the cold temperatures as it tries to get a drink from the frozen water.

An unidentified moth soaks up the afternoon sun.

A sweet little Black-capped Chickadee.

Several European Starlings have been staked out in our backyard. 

This introduced species can certainly look spectacular in the right light.

The Starlings are unfortunately interested in "setting up house" in our backyard, in the nesting cavity intended for Eastern Screech Owls. All European Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds set loose in New York's Central Park in the early 1890's. The birds were intentionally released by a group who wanted America to have all the birds that Shakespeare ever mentioned. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds)

 Nesting Has Begun!

We watched an American Crow grab and hold onto a twig until it snapped off the tree. The bird then flew away with the prized stick.

A Canada Goose has opted to nest on top of one of the structures in the animal farm. They must be having success at this location as geese have nested here several years in a row. It makes for a bit of a leap for the goslings after hatching, but they are likely safer from most ground predators at the elevated location.

Brown-headed Cowbirds have returned to our area. "Females forgo building nests and instead put all their energy into producing eggs, sometimes more than 3 dozen in a summer. She lays her eggs in the nests of other birds, abandoning her young to foster parents. This unfortunately results in the death of some of the host bird's offspring. Parents feed the noisiest, biggest babies and Cowbird young usually outweigh their nest mates." (Cornell Lab, All About Birds)

Many Woodpeckers are selecting territory and choosing nesting sites. Several Red-bellied Woodpeckers can be seen and heard drumming in the trees of Canatara Park.

This little lady doesn't make a nest but carries her eggs with her.  A female Crayfish will carry many eggs under her abdomen. The eggs will hatch in 5-8 weeks and the tiny larvae remain with the mother for a few more weeks before heading out on their own!  https://www.crawfishhaven.net/blogs/the-life-cycle-of-a-crawfish

A striped morning sunrise prior to the arrival of the storm.

 Tundra Swan Gathering, March 17th!

I had the opportunity to visit North Lambton to view the Tundra Swans recently. Most of them have continued on their migration journey to the Tundra. There are only a couple hundred left now, but we were able to watch and listen to tens of thousands of swans last week!

It was kind of them to occasionally fly above us over the road. Seeing them up close gives an appreciation for the size of these beautiful birds which can weigh up to 24 pounds.

  First Day of Spring Things!

This morning I was serenaded by a Song Sparrow announcing the first day of spring!

We found 2 Western Chorus Frogs hopping along the forest floor. 

In the above photo, the male Blue-spotted Salamander has clasped a female. They can stay clasped together for several minutes. This is the dating stage, before the mating stage. The male will eventually release the female, slide forward, release his spermatophores and she will draw the liquid into her body. Mating begins at 2 years of age in this species. 

(https://www.mass.gov/doc/blue-spotted-salamander/download)

We saw several Blue-spotted Salamanders swimming in vernal pools, possibly looking for mates!

I have been searching for over a week and finally saw my first butterfly of the season today! The Compton Tortoiseshell is one of the longest-lived butterflies in our region. It can live for 10 or more months and overwinters at the adult stage!

Last 3 photos courtesy of Deryl!

 Chipmunk Love!

I enjoyed watching several Eastern Chipmunks running through, over, and under a maze of fallen logs this morning. I thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be nice to take a photo with 2 chipmunks in the same frame!"

And then this happened!!!

Chipmunk Love!

Male chipmunks are the first to emerge in the spring, as soon as patches of bare ground begin to appear through the snow. The females emerge one or two weeks later. Soon after, mating takes place near the female's burrow. Several males may compete for a female, and a male may mate with more than one female during one breeding season. Canadian Wildlife Federation, Hinterland Who's Who.

This image is what I had in mind when thinking about photographing 2 chipmunks in one picture! It was difficult to keep track of these incredibly quick creatures. There were at least 6 individuals, but could have been more!

I'm not sure if this "flying leap" was to jump toward, or to get away from another individual.

Young chipmunks are born naked and blind and weigh about 3 grams at birth. Their eyes don't open for a full month! When they are four to seven weeks old, the young chipmunks begin to leave the burrow to forage. The young grow rapidly during late summer and reach adult size before the end of September. Canadian Wildlife Federation, Hinterland Who's Who.

 Frosty Start To The Day!

I headed into the park first thing this the morning to check out the frost before it was melted by the sun.

I found 5 frosted Praying Mantis egg cases which should hatch in early June.

I still enjoy finding faces in nature. This bud scar looked like a "Frosted Owl" to me!

Red-winged Blackbirds have been congregating in the sumac, which is an important source of food for them at this time of year.

A Red-tailed Hawk hides in the branches of a White Pine Tree. He managed to avoid the crows from this vantage point!

As the sun began to shine, one of MANY scurrying chipmunks decided it was warm enough to wash his face.

 Mid-March Birds:

American Robins continue to feast on sumac berries. Preferred food choices for this species include invertebrates which will become active as the weather warms up. We saw over 35 robins during an afternoon walk through the park on Sunday.

Another group of Robins were eating juniper berries.

An American Goldfinch waits patiently for his turn at the bird feeder near the maintenance building in Canatara Park.

A well-camouflaged Mourning Dove attempted to go unnoticed.

The Dark-eyed Junco is one of the most common birds in North American and can be found from Alaska to Mexico and from California to New York. (The Cornell Lab, All About Birds.)

Merlins don't build their own nests. Instead, they take over the old nests of other raptors or crows. (The Cornell Lab, All About Birds.) In recent years, there have been at least 2 pairs of nesting Merlin in the city of Sarnia.

We bought a heated bird bath for our yard this winter. Birds have had drinks of water but I haven't been able to photograph them yet. Squirrels on the other hand, are very happy with it!

 March 11th Snowfall:

Male Red-winged Blackbirds searched for food at our feeder on this snowy day. These two were having a territorial discussion for backyard boss!

Around dinner time, five Red-winged Blackbirds feasted at the feeder.

Winter continues so I concentrated on looking for animal tracks.

A busy highway for squirrels between two sheltered areas.

Snow Snakes! I used to joke with elementary students that these tunnels in the snow were made by snow snakes. (Snakes are cold blooded and can't move in cold temperatures.) However the tunnels made by mice as they navigate under the snowy layer look like they could have been made by slithering snakes! A few exit/entrance holes are visible in the tunnels. Traveling under the snow can help prey to hide from hungry predators!

 

Wild Turkey tracks after a fresh snowfall.

A Black Squirrel appeared to be chewing on a stick, much like a beaver would do.

Skidding Squirrel tracks on the ice.