Canada's Largest Rodent!

A special treat greeted me in the park this morning! From a distance, I watched a swimming animal which I originally suspected was a muskrat. After watching quietly for about 10 minutes, a Beaver eventually swam to the shoreline close to where I was standing!

Beavers are excellent swimmers and can even chew underwater without getting water in their lungs, thanks to a special flap at the back of their mouths. They have clear membranes over their eyes that help them to see underwater. They can even hold their breath for up to 20 minutes while working under water!

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/animal-facts-beaver/

Beavers use their tails as propellers when swimming and to prop themselves up when standing or sitting on land. Strong tails are also used to pat mud into place when building a dam or lodge. They are the largest rodents living in Canada.

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/animal-facts-beaver/

Their diet consists of new tree bark, mostly from birch, aspen, willow, alder and cottonwood. Twigs, leaves and pond vegetation are also in their diet.

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/animal-facts-beaver/

Strong toenails are visible if you look closely at the raised foot.

After filling up on vegetation, he settled in for a rest. The beaver has traditionally been an animal of great importance to First Nations in North America as a cultural icon and food source. Beaver pelts were the basis of trade with European settlers, starting in the 1530's. Due to its impact on the history and development of Canada, the beaver is considered an official emblem of the country!

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/animal-facts-beaver/

 Mitchell's Bay, March 26:

We saw our first 2 Great Egrets of the year while on a walk along the South Lakeshore Trail at Mitchell's Bay on the weekend. The Great Egret is the symbol of the National Audubon Society which was founded to protect birds from being killed for their feathers. Great Egrets fly slowly but powerfully. With just 2 wingbeats per second, their cruising speed is around 25 miles per hour.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_egret/overview

Thousands of ducks were visible in the bay. Many of the dots in the photo were Ruddy Ducks.

A Red-winged Blackbird shows off as he defends his territory.

We counted 27 Painted Turtles at one end of the ditch beside the trail. No Map Turtles could be found.

Most of the wood carvings along the trail are weathering well. In addition to this wooden bird, 3 live Great Blue Herons flew through the area during our visit.

 March Owls:

Barred Owls aren't typically found in SW Ontario, but this year they have been spotted at a few different locations.

They are large, stocky owls with rounded heads, no ear tufts, and medium length, rounded tails. They are a slightly smaller than Great Horned Owls.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Barred_Owl/id

Barred Owls mostly eat small mammals like mice and voles. Sometimes they go fishing for crayfish and crabs. If a Barred Owl eats enough crayfish, the feathers under its wings can turn pink - just like a flamingo which gets it hue from the high volume of shrimp in its diet!

https://www.audubon.org/news/10-fun-facts-about-barred-owl

A Red phase Eastern Screech Owl can sometimes be seen poking out of a tree cavity.

The presence of a Great Horned Owl in Canatara Park was made obvious by a "murder" of 22 American Crows. The crows harassed the owl before it finally flew away.

 Pinery!

The first full day of spring was a great excuse to go for a hike at Pinery Provincial Park. Sunshine and milder temperatures made for a pleasant walk. Lots of Tufted Titmice followed us on the trails.

We saw one Pileated Woodpecker fly overhead and also found some fresh holes made by this very large woodpecker in the trees. 

Below the hole, a friend with some tracking experience suggested we were looking at Pileated scat. We could see shiny exoskeleton parts and wings of probable Carpenter Ants; a favoured food of the Pileated Woodpecker.

I found dozens of flying insects, which became more abundant as the morning warmed up. It is possibly a member of the "Fungus Gnats" and was approximately 5mm in length.

Rodent tracks in the sand; possibly a Deer Mouse.

Turkey Trot!!

King and Queen of the Beaver Lodge. This pair made sure that no other Canada Geese stepped onto their "prized" location.

 Hawk Watch!

As I meandered through the park this morning, I happened upon a young Red-tailed Hawk! The tail is usually pale below and cinnamon-red above, though in young birds (such as the one pictured) the tail is brown and banded. They have very broad, rounded wings with a short, wide tail.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-tailed_Hawk/id

He flew to ground level a few times, returning unsuccessfully to the perch.

He unfortunately didn't find a meal while I watched. I soon left so he could further the hunt. The bird has been banded, but the number on the band does not show clearly in my photos.

 Butterfly Conservatory

I am (impatiently) awaiting the return of butterflies as March has traditionally been a time when I start seeing species that over winter as adults....so we made a trip to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory!

When you first enter the butterfly zone, Blue Morpho Butterflies can be found everywhere. In flight, the beautiful blue colour is predominant. They are one of the larger butterflies in the world with a wing span of 5 to 8 inches! They are found in tropical forests in Central and South America.

https://sciencing.com/kids-blue-morpho-butterfly-8407112.html

The underwing of a Blue Morpho shows on this individual.  It can be difficult to photograph the blue colour as they usually close their wings when they land.

Several feeding stations attract the butterflies. Oranges and bananas were the favourite fruits.

Julia (Dryas iulia)

The Malachite Butterfly gets its name from the mineral malachite which has the same shade of green. They can be found in South American orchards of mango, citrus, avocado and other semideciduous or subtropical evergreen forest.

https://www.butterflyidentification.com/malachite.htm

The bold colours on the wings of the Zebra Longwing is an adaption termed as 'aposematic' which is a warning signal to predators to stay away. They are able to synthesize chemicals that make their bodies toxic to predators.

https://www.butterflyidentification.com/zebra-butterfly.htm

If the butterfly resting on this Red-eared Slider was hoping to travel anywhere, it was going to be waiting a long time as the turtle didn't move during the one hour of our visit.

Several birds call the butterfly conservatory home, including this Common Quail who was well hidden in the plants.

 Birds are on the Move!

Another good sign of the approaching spring is the return of Turkey Vultures. We have been seeing the odd one in the past week, but I saw 11 yesterday passing over Canatara Park! Turkey Vultures are large, dark birds with long, broad wings. They are bigger than other raptors, except for eagles and condors. They have long "fingers" at their wingtips and tails that extend past their toes in flight. 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture/id

I was in the right place at the right time when this Red-shouldered Hawk flew overhead. From our backyard vantage point, Deryl saw a total of 5 Red-shouldered hawks soaring past our house yesterday! They are noticeably smaller than a Red-tailed Hawk, but larger than a Broad-winged Hawk. They hunt small mammals, amphibians and reptiles, either from perches or while flying. 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/id

American Robins are gathering in larger numbers as they take breaks during migration.

Staghorn Sumac fruit provides a source of food for Robins in late winter.

I even encountered a few American Crows munching on the fruit.

I believe this Hermit Thrush has spent the winter in Canatara Park. We don't see it often, but have found it periodically since December. It currently likes to hang out with the Robins.

Horned Lark with attitude! Deryl found a cooperative Horned Lark on a drive through Lambton County. They are social birds, sometimes found in huge flocks outside the breeding season. They creep along bare ground searching for small seeds and insects. They often mix with other open-country species in winter flocks, including Longspurs and Snow Buntings.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Horned_Lark/id

 More Pics from the North:

Sharp-tailed Grouse was on our "Bird wish list for this trip. We saw one on a hydro line at the side of a road but weren't able to get a picture. The bird in the photo was very distant and the picture is heavily cropped. Like ptarmigan and other prairie chicken species, Sharp-tailed Grouse sometimes build tunnels through snow for their night roosts. The tunnels provide protection from predators and insulation against extreme cold.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Sharp-tailed_Grouse/overview

On a residential tour through Espanola, we found a large flock of Rock Pigeons in a tree. In Southern Ontario we typically see them on wires and I decided I wanted a photo. This did not sit well with the neighours. Although we were standing on the road and not on anyone's property, we were rudely told to leave. They didn't believe we were bird watching. I guess not everyone appreciates our fine feathered friends! LOL

A small group of White-tailed Deer foraged for food along the side of the road.

Ice Fishing on Manitoulin Island.

We walked a short distance along the Spanish Discovery trail, which included ascending a staircase with 250 steps.

On the way back down I was saddened to find a deceased Saw-whet Owl in a tree. It was the only owl we saw on our Northern adventure.

View from the Spanish Marina