Under-Wings!

Deryl offered some pics for my blog post from a recent walk. We both managed to photograph birds flying directly overhead, but he spent more time at the beach. Three Bald Eagles scoured the lakeshore for food - one adult and 2 immatures.

We were expecting a large storm off Lake Huron Friday night, but the winds shifted, and eastern Lambton County (as usual) got the snow instead. Storm clouds to the east filled the sky while we were standing in sunshine.

This bird is possibly a Glaucous Gull, but it is difficult to confirm the species from the photo angle. Glaucous Gulls are the second largest gull in the world by wing length, but the heaviest gull by weight! The only gull larger is the Great Black-backed Gull. Many adult Glaucous Gulls remain in the arctic year-round, where they eat virtually anything from lemmings to seabirds to starfish, as well as fruit, insects, carrion, and trash. Most individuals that we see in the winter on the lower Great Lakes are immature birds.

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

The American Herring Gull is one of the most familiar gulls along the East Coast and many people just call them 'seagulls'. There are actually 2 dozen different species of gulls living in North American. No gull has the species name of “Seagull”.

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

Migrating Ring-billed Gulls apparently use a built-in compass to navigate. When tested at only 2 days old, chicks showed a preference for magnetic bearings that would take them in the appropriate direction for fall migration. The gulls also rely on landmarks and high-altitude winds to provide directional cues.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-billed_Gull/overview

Two flocks of Tundra Swans headed south, off Lake Huron this morning. I looked up when I heard them. I was fully enclosed by trees when the first flock flew overhead, but was luckily in the open for the second flock.

Black-capped Chickadee in flight: It carried a seed in its mouth and upon landing will either eat it, or wedge it in a tree bark crevice for future consumption.

Deryl got closer this week to the Coyote. Coyotes have a well-developed sense of hearing and smell. A sudden odour or noise can make it change its course in mid-step. It is obviously used to seeing people on the trails!

https://hww.ca/en/wildlife/mammals/coyote.html

 Heading (a little bit) South!

Along with some Canada Geese, I headed towards South Lambton for a walk at Reid C.A. with friends. It was definitely a change of pace from the strong winds we've been battling off Lake Huron.

A sign at the small parking area explained CA use. Trails are not maintained.

We found a collection of tail feathers where a predator perished. Perhaps the feathers belonged to a Red-tailed Hawk. One member of our group had recently watched a Great Horned Owl kill a Red-tailed Hawk. We couldn't imagine many other predators being successful, unless it was already injured and was resting on the ground.

One of my favourite mushrooms: Splitgill mushroom.

Splitgill Mushrooms: The splits in the gills will close during prolonged dry weather and will rehydrate when moistened by rain. When the splits reopen, the spore-producing surfaces are exposed to the air, and spores are released.

https://first-nature.com/fungi/schizophyllum-commune.php

Over 200 insects will make Galls on Oak trees. The larva will live inside the protection of the gall as they feed and develop. This particular gall shape was new to me. iNaturalist suggests it is a Lobed Oak Gall Wasp.

Countless insect, vertebrate and amphibian species will spend the winter in or near this swampy habitat.  A friend remembered being on site at dusk in warmer weather  when over 50 Wood Ducks exploded from their hiding spots. He had no idea they were sheltering in the reeds!

An aging White Oak tree with bark that is separating in long strips.

House Finch Pair

The wet weather, earlier in the week resulted in water drops forming on the underside of twigs. Look closely, and you can see the surrounding forest inverted in each droplet!

 Down by the River and the Bay!

A very icy walkway, looking towards Lake Huron near the mouth of the St. Clair River.

Freighter lining up with lighthouse before heading down the St. Clair River.

Herring Gull in the splash zone! It is standing on the foundation of a long abandoned water treatment plant. In the summer months, the spot where the gull is standing is normally dry.

 Herring Gull resting on the icy sidewalk.

One of the local Peregrine Falcons had a high vantage point on top of the Point Edward Casino. Powerful and fast-flying, Peregrine Falcons hunt medium-sized birds. They were almost eradicated from eastern North America by pesticide poisoning in the middle of the 20th century. After significant recovery efforts, they have made an incredible rebound and are now regularly seen in many large cities. 

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

Canada Geese resting away from the waves (and hunters) on Lake Huron.

Mallards waiting their turn to grab seeds that had fallen from a backyard bird feeder in Point Edward.

Slinky Squirrel Deflector! The addition of slinkies to the top of the bird feeder is likely an attempt to detract squirrels from reaching the bird seed. It would be interesting to know if the home owner has had success. Viewed in a Point Edward backyard from paved trail. 

"Puddle ducks" don't normally navigate through rough water, but these Mallards seemed to be handling the waves just fine at Sarnia Bay!

Red-breasted Mergansers heading down river.

After flowering, the seeds of Missouri Ironweed are topped with bristles, giving the seed heads a fluffy appearance. They provided some texture to the winter landscape along the Point Lands. Next summer, the flower heads (in bloom) will attract many insects and butterflies...Apparently I am dreaming of summer already! 😊

A Coyote, Cardinal and Ice Crystals:

I didn’t notice the deformed beak on this male Northern Cardinal until I saw the photo on my computer. The bird appears healthy so must be able to eat. It would be interesting to know if the Cardinal hatched with the misshapened beak or had an injury early in life.

A healthy looking Coyote has been spotted many times in the past several months, but this was my first opportunity for a good photo! Typically when I see a coyote, I’m lucky to get any photos as they abruptly turn and run away when spotted. I assume I was standing where he had planned to go. He had to adjust his travel plans when I showed up on the opposite side of the meadow that he was about to cross.

The day after my Coyote photo shoot, I found a kill site. Based upon the fur, it appears the coyote had Cottontail for breakfast.

A feather stuck in the sand was covered with beautiful ice crystals. I then started searching for other ice crystals in the area.

Heavily cropped hexagonal ice columns, and other shapes on a broken stick.

I noticed the low water level of Lake Huron on the same day that flood warnings were being issued for the eastern side of Lambton County along the Sydenham River. I don’t remember ever being able to walk around the end of a groyne and stay dry. A build up of sand along the beach may be one of the causes for apparent low water levels.

Mystery tracks in the sand: I’m not sure what would be roundish and light enough to be blown across the sand. A few walnuts were lying elsewhere along the beach. Perhaps they’re walnut tracks!?!

Patterns in the melting ice

 Before the Freeze!

A Red-tailed Hawk patiently watched for his next snack this morning. The trails in the area have obvious signs of mice and other rodents, so the hawk had chosen an excellent location for hunting! Juvenile Red-tails don't get red feathers until the start of their second year. Instead they have brown barred tails, as seen on the above individual.

https://www.audubon.org/news/10-fun-facts-about-red-tailed-hawk

After a few cool nights, we had slightly warmer temperatures on Dec. 10th. A male Northern Cardinal enjoyed a lengthy bath in Canatara Park.

With the current cold conditions, it will likely be awhile before birds can bathe in our waterways. It's time to set up our heated backyard bird bath.

A few years ago, Wild Turkey were commonly found in Canatara park. Coyotes have likely kept the population in check. Four Turkeys were found this week!

Wild Turkeys travel in flocks and search on the ground for nuts, berries, insects, and snails. They use their strong feet to scratch leaf litter out of the way.

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

House Sparrow, hiding in the vines.

A Carolina Wren is "hiding" in the very centre of the photo! It was pecking at food wedged under the tree bark and occasionally peeked back at me.

 Pinery, December 8th.

Our original plan on Sunday was to head south for the day, but Rondeau P.P. was closed and the weather was better than expected in North Lambton. We were prepared with snowshoes and ice grips, but neither were required. Much of the snow had already melted, although there were some large drifts in the area.

Bald Eagles were enjoying the windy conditions. They rarely flapped their wings as they cruised up and down the Lake Huron shoreline. The Bald Eagle is the only eagle exclusive to North America. They are at the top of the food chain and have very few natural predators. According to Canadian Geographic, when a Bald Eagle loses a feather on one wing, it will lose a feather on the other in order to keep its balance.

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/animal-facts-bald-eagle/

Our first stop was Beach # 9 at Pinery Provincial Park. Erosion is an ongoing problem along the shoreline!

Lake Huron beyond the dunes.

Tiny mouse tracks along the beach, heading towards the cover of dune grasses.

The feeders at the Visitor Centre were well stocked. A Blue Jay awaits his turn. Blue Jays' love acorns, and they are credited for the spread of oak trees after the last ice age!!

https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/all-about-blue-jays-are-they-actually-blue/

Black-capped Chickadees were abundant as usual! They will establish a dominance hierarchy, or pecking order, by which each bird is known to the other according to rank. A bird's rank is set by its degree of aggressiveness. Thus all the birds in the flock are subordinate to the most aggressive bird, and the lowest ranking is subordinate to all the others. The higher ranking birds enjoy the best access to food and the safest spots away from predators. They not only survive better as adults, but their offspring have a high survival rate!

https://hww.ca/en/wildlife/birds/chickadee.html

We traveled the back roads on our return home where we saw our first Northern Shrike of the season! These large song birds hunt insects, birds and small mammals by ambushing or chasing them. They catch insects with their bill and larger animals with their feet. The notched bill is used to kill the prey. Prey are often cached for later consumption by impaling them on thorns, barbed wire, or forked tree branches.

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

The road leading to the Forest Lagoons was blocked from fallen trees. Workers on their way to the water treatment plant would have had to "saw their way" to work earlier this week. The Lagoons were frozen on Sunday so no ducks could be found at water level. A few flocks of Mallards flew overhead in search of a place to land. 

Temperatures were above freezing and we saw a few flying insects. This probable Furcate Dung Fly landed on the snow! Pictures were submitted to iNaturalist in hopes of getting a positive identification.