Canatara Findings in October:

Praying Mantis' have been plentiful in Canatara Park this fall. This individual is waiting with outstretched "arms" for a meal to come by.

I watched a Praying Mantis eat a Honey Bee on Sweet White Clover. It wasn't until I looked at the pictures on my computer that I noticed a tiny fly in several shots. (underside of head) I later learned that Kleptoparastic Flies will swarm around a mantis with prey. Its good to learn something new every day!!

Red-bellied Woodpecker, male, in Dawn Redwood Tree (as suggested by iNaturalist). It is a deciduous coniferous tree, meaning it grows cones, but loses it's needles each year and is native to China. Canatara has a number of non-native species that were planted in years gone by. There is currently more focus on planting native trees in the park. 

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/69152-Metasequoia

Shiny Blue Bottle Flies, mating on October 24th.

The sunnier, warmer days have allowed turtles to bask in the sun which helps them to digest food more quickly. Gaining body fat increases their survival rate while spending time in the mud at the bottom of the water through the long winter. The technical term for turtle hibernation is "Brumation". Their metabolism slows down and they stop eating, but they aren't actually sleeping.

https://www.caringpets.org/how-to-take-care-of-a-turtle/hibernation-brumation-estivation/

Asian Ladybird Beetle on Wild Bergamot seed head. 

 Cooper's Hawks in Canatara!

I recently spent 15 minutes watching 2 Cooper's Hawks, hunt for food nearby. Dashing through vegetation to catch birds is a dangerous lifestyle. In a study of more than 300 Cooper's Hawk skeletons, 23 percent showed old, healed-over fractures in the bones of the chest, especially of the furcula, or wishbone.

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

Although catching birds in flight is their traditional hunting method and food source, the high population of Eastern Chipmunks in Canatara Park has provided Cooper's Hawks with an alternate source of food. Perhaps they break fewer bones from catching chipmunks on the ground than from plucking birds out of the air?

Cooper's Hawks nested for several years in the portion of Canatara known as Tarzanland. After a few year's absence, a successful nesting season in 2023 resulted in two young birds. Males typically build the nest over a period of about 2 weeks, with just the slightest help from the female. Nests are piles of sticks roughly 27 inches in diameter and 6-17 inches high with a cup-shaped depression in the middle.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Coopers_Hawk/lifehistory# nesting

They have a remarkably long tail for their body size.

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

Both Cooper's Hawks are visible on the same limb.

The Hawk in the above photo set the chipmunk down and moved away. I didn't want to disturb it, so walked away but wonder if the second hawk came over for a meal? It would be interesting to know since I believe both birds are adults.

 Great Blue, Green and Black-crowned!

A few herons continue to be found in the area. Great Blue Herons are often the last of the herons to head south for the winter. As long as there is open water and food, some of the hardiest members of the species can still be found.

Thanks to specially shaped neck vertebrae, Great Blue Herons can quickly strike prey at a distance.

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

Hunting Great Blue Herons wade slowly or stand statue-like as they stalk fish and other prey in shallow water or open fields. Watch for the lightning-fast thrust of the neck and head as they stab with their strong bills.

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

Great Blue Herons are the largest of the North American Herons. Despite their impressive size, they weigh only 5 to 6 pounds, thanks in part to their hollow bones.

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

A "late for the season" Green Heron was found in Canatara Park up until last week. (mid-October). It possibly flew in from further north and stopped when it found good shelter and food sources to re-energize for the rest of the journey.

Compared with most herons, Green Herons are short and stocky, with relatively short legs and a long, thick neck that is often drawn up against the body. The body is about the size of an American Crow.

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

Black-crowned Night Herons often spend their days perched on tree limbs or concealed among foliage and branches.

They forage in the evening and at night in water, on mudflats and on land. I unexpectantly encountered an immature bird while walking a trail near Petrolia in mid-September.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/id

Immature Black-crowned Night Herons are brown with large white spots on the wings and blurry streaks on the underparts. Their bills are yellow and black. (Adults look very different. They are light grey birds with a neatly defined black back and black crown. Bills are entirely black)

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-crowned_Night-Heron/id

 Late Season Insects!

As insects prepare for winter, they are becoming harder to find. The ones I do see tend to be slow moving with the cooler weather, which makes it easier to photograph!

Common Eastern Bumblebee enjoying one of the few remaining flower species (Asters) still in bloom.

Several ants shared the nectar in a flower head.

A late blooming Common Teasel provided food for a Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee.

Common Drone Fly on Chicory.

Common Cluster Fly walking along a twig.

Buffalo Treehopper

Canatara Birds in October:

Many birds not typically seen in Southern Ontario during the summer months, are now heading south, including this Dark-eyed Junco. This species can be found in our area throughout the winter.

Hermit Thrushes sometimes forage by "foot quivering", where they shake bits of grass with their feet to get insects. They can also quiver their feet as they relax after seeing a flying predator. The reddish tail, contrasted with the brown back, helps to differentiate it from other thrushes.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Hermit_Thrush/overview#

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet paused on a Teasel stem as it searched for food. This species is passing through the area and will be heading further south for the colder months.

Another Ruby-crowned Kinglet with a tiny bit of red showing on the crown. 

Song Sparrows eat many insects and spiders in the summer. During winter months, they rely on grass and weed seeds .

https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/song-sparrow

My first Tree Sparrow of the Fall! Small flocks of American Tree Sparrows can be found in weedy fields, hedgerows, shrubs and along forest edges during winter months. They breed in the far north and are rarely seen south of northern Canada in the summer.

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

The Grey phase Screech Owl has starting making appearances from the favoured Wood Duck Box. 

 Recent Wrens!

We have had some success in finding Wrens living in our part of the Province.

Locating Marsh Wrens and other marsh birds can be daunting. Finding an elevated boardwalk provides more of a bird's eye view of cattails, allowing viewers to better scan across a marsh. Marsh Wrens are more vocal at dawn and dusk which are better times of day to find this species. 

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

Deryl managed to find and photograph a Sedge Wren last week! They are slightly smaller than Marsh Wrens. They probe for insects at the bases of plants or in the soil. Hunting low in vegetation makes them difficult to see. They don't tend to be found in cattails.

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

The Winter Wren looks like a plump round ball with a stubby tail that it usually holds straight up. They hop and scamper through the understory moving more like a mouse than a bird as they investigate upturned roots and decaying logs for food. 

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

As with all wrens, the Carolina Wren has a small, slender and downcurved bill. Listening for the male's loud, piercing "teakettle-teakettle" song coming from woody or thickly vegetated areas can help to locate this species. They sound (to me) like the horn on a Fire Truck racing to an emergency.

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

Wrens love brush piles for cover, protection, and a source of insects. If you need to prune trees or cut brush in your yard, consider heaping the cuttings into a pile as a safe place for birds to gather. House Wrens are about the size of a Black-capped Chickadee. They are plain brown birds, common in backyards in much of the western hemisphere. (Photo was taken earlier in the summer.)

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

Moore Wildlife Management Area:

The Moore Wildlife Management Area includes an experimental tall grass prairie site, floodplain forest, upland forest and open/shrub area. Much of the area is inaccessible due to to high water levels on the North branch of the Sydenham River. 

https://www.scrca.on.ca/portfolio/moore-habitat-management-area/

Fragile Papershell (outer shell shown) is an example of a mussel living in this stretch of the river. All mussels collected from the river were not alive and were returned to the water after being identified.

Fragile Papershell, can be a pinkish colour on the inner shell and can grow up to 6 inches in length.

 

The long, finger like toes of a Raccoon were imprinted in the mud by the edge of the water. Mussels are an important food source for many animals, including raccoons which can often be found at the edges of waterways. Raccoons are able to open mussel shells by using their long toes and then eat the tasty flesh inside. Mussels are a nutritious food source for raccoons and provide them with a good source of protein.

https://anchorandhopesf.com/raccoons-and-mussels-a-nutritious-and-delicious-partnership/#google_vignette

Deertoe Mussels, (and other mussels) are indicators of healthy water systems. They are vulnerable to mortality through absorption of chemical pollutants and heavy metals. To effectively manage for healthy populations, herbicide/pesticide spraying, agricultural and urban runoff, and the dumping of industrial waste must be controlled.

https://mnfi.anr.msu.edu/species/description/12393/Truncilla-truncata

Deertoe Mussel, inner shell

The Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar is found throughout North America. Host plants include birch, ash, blueberry, alder, chestnut, elm, grape and oak. Predators include birds and bats.

https://www.mothidentification.com/banded-tussock-moth.html

Several Sawfly larva were found on a small bush. They get their name because the adult female cuts into plant tissue using a saw-like ovipositor to lay her eggs. They resemble caterpillars but are actually related to wasps and bees. Caterpillars have 2 to 5 pairs of prolegs on the abdomen. Sawfly larva have a minimum of 6 pairs of prolegs. Prolegs are not true legs. They are fleshy foot-like organs, that do not appear on the adult insect.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/112944

Four pairs of prolegs are visible on the underside of this Wooly Bear caterpillar. (I had moved him off a paved path for his safety and he chose to "play dead" until I left.) Photo taken at Suncor Trail.

 20 Minutes of Backyard Birds!

When we noticed a flurry of activity in the backyard, we sat and watched for a bit. The Red-bellied Woodpecker was one of the first to appear!

Male Cardinal hiding in the Pearly Everlasting

Black-capped Chickadee checking to see if anyone is home in the Owl Box.

Female Downy Woodpecker, waiting her turn.

American Goldfinches on the Blazing Star.

White-crowned Sparrow behind and White-throated Sparrow in front, checking to see if the coast is clear.

Dark-eyed Juncos are arriving from the north for another winter.