Scenic Dundas Valley!

A favourite spot to walk and connect with nature! 

Highlights of this1,200 hectare conservation area include Carolinian forests, meadows, cold-water streams and stunning geological formations. The area is part of a large glacial valley that spreads out into Lake Ontario. It was excavated by a succession of glaciers that disappeared some 10,000 years ago. The landscape that emerged has been shaped by glacial meltwater and more recently, by streams flowing through the valley. And it is home to countless kinds of flora and fauna.

https://conservationhamilton.ca/conservation-areas/dundas-valley/

It was a cool, cloudy and grey December day so I had to search a bit to find signs of insect life. Attached to the under side of the picnic shelter roof at the Trail Centre building, were lots of mud tubes. They were made by a Mud Dauber Wasp. Mud Daubers are solitary wasps that build their nests using mud. These wasps are not aggressive and rarely sting unless provoked. Each tube is a separate cell for a single larva. Inside each tube, the mother wasp places several paralyzed spiders and lays one egg before sealing the tube shut. The larva feeds inside the tube until it's ready to emerge. The adult wasp never returns to check on her young. The nest must support the entire development process until the adult emerges.

https://waspworld.com/mud-dauber-wasp/

The Main Loop trail system linked with a portion of the Bruce Trail.

Limestone Rock, abundant in the area

Pileated Woodpecker holes.

Despite their large size, Pileated Woodpeckers can be hard to find. Because of their enormous excavations, this bird plays a huge role in forest ecosystems by creating nesting holes for owls, ducks, bats and small mammals!

https://birdsnews.com/pileated-woodpecker-facts/

Three Eastern Bluebirds hunted near a small stream for food. Despite being primarily insect eaters, Eastern Bluebirds are reported each winter in Southern Ontario.

Cedar Waxwing, sitting in his grocery store filled with wild grapes.

A Red Squirrel was easy to locate as we could hear the sound of sharp teeth chewing on a nut.

A "square squirrel" or "Squarrel" as suggested by a friend! 

The Basadinaa Experience takes place along the Main Loop Trail through Territory No. 3 and the signage provides opportunities for reflection, learning and connection with the land through First Nations perspectives.

https://conservationhamilton.ca/conservation-areas/dundas-valley/

 Early December Waterfowl and Forest Birds!

I didn’t see any migrating Tundra Swans in November as I would normally expect. Finally on December 4th, two flocks flew over Canatara Park. In total, we saw 51 birds. Tundra Swans that breed in eastern Alaska (east of Point Hope) winter in the eastern Great Lakes and all along the East Coast, with the majority wintering in the coastal mid-Atlantic. We tend to find them in South Lambton farm fields during the winter.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Tundra_Swan/maps-range

White-winged Scoter female: Sarnia Bay - We don't usually see any of the Scoter species this close to land. Although the White-winged Scoter winters primarily along the coasts, small numbers winter on the Great Lakes. Populations have increased in response to the invasion of zebra mussels which has become an abundant food source.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-winged_Scoter/overview

The Northern Pintail is abundant in North America but is also considered to be circum-global in distribution!

https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/norpin/cur/introduction

Like Snow Geese, Ross's Geese are white with black wingtips but they have a shorter neck and stubbier bill. Mallards in the background help to provide a size comparison.

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

The larger Snow Goose can be seen near Canada Geese. When zooming in on the photo, the diagnostic black" grin patch" is visible on the bill. The Ross's Goose, Snow Goose and a blue-morph Snow Goose were all found at Logan's pond this week.

Mourning Dove drinking melted ice water.

Black-capped Chickadees were "bouncing" through the forest, checking every cubby hole where food might be hiding.

A Chickadee found a juicy grub in a tiny hole in a branch. The larva probably thought it had found a safe spot to spend the winter!

I looked up the gestation period for Grey Squirrels as this pair appeared to be mating. Early December is not a good time for this behaviour in Ontario considering the young would be born 6 weeks later, towards the end of January. It would be difficult for the parents to find protein rich food for the babies.

A Screech Owl welcoming the first rays of sunshine on a cold day.

I hadn't seen any European Starlings in a few weeks but 75 of them invaded our neighborhood and our birdfeeders on December 5th.

The suet feeder was a highlight for the Starlings.

The Yellow-throated Warbler continues to enjoy the sun while sitting on a window ledge on December 5th.

 Backyard Bird Shenanigans!

Noisy Blue Jays were the first to alert the neighbourhood birds that food had been served.

A male Northern Cardinal waited patiently in a nearby tree for his turn at the feeder.

A female Red-bellied Woodpecker didn't waste any time getting to the food tray.

She grabbed a peanut and carried it to the "eating bowl"; a natural cup on the tree branch that she often uses to hold the nut, making it easier to break open.

Video: After cracking the shell, she flew off with a small piece of the peanut.

Meanwhile, a female Cardinal was lurking nearby and landed in the bowl, creating a spray of snow.

She quickly grabbed a piece of the nut and left before the Woodpecker returned.

When it came time to grab the next peanut from the feeder, the Red-bellied Woodpecker chose a different hole to secure the nut while she cracked it open.

She kept looking behind her, watching for thieves!

White-breasted Nuthatches often steal seeds hidden in tree bark that were placed by other birds.

While standing on Canatara beach, I watched flocks of ducks regularly take to the air and fly to a new location. Most of the birds appeared to be Redheads and Red-breasted Mergansers.

When one flock lifted, I could see the cause of their stress. The red circle highlights a Bald Eagle that was passing through, just hunting for ducks!

The Yellow-throated Warbler has now been present for 15 days and is so far surviving the winter weather. He has found a food source of yummy spiders (freeze dried grub ☺) on one of the barns at the animal farm.

 Late November and a Lost Warbler!

The well-named Yellow-throated Warbler, continues to hang out in Canatara Park. It has been almost 2 weeks since it was first found! It spends its time high in the tree canopy zipping around and looking for food. We had blue skies on Friday and I got "warbler neck" in November trying to photograph this little guy!

He spent time searching for food under tree bark. In the above photo, he appears to have caught a spider! Yellow-throated Warblers eat insects such as beetles, caterpillars, and flies. They creep up branches near the top of the canopy and probe into crevices, pine cones, and clusters of pine needles for insects. During the nonbreeding season (when they are supposed to be in Central America), they forage on insects attracted to agave and coconut palm flowers.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-throated_Warbler/lifehistory

Another bird sporting a bright yellow colour is the Golden-crowned Kinglet. The bright yellow cap on the top of his head was visible as he scratched his chin.

One of MANY Hickory Tussock Moth caterpillars found earlier this year. The caterpillars use their hairs for defense. The hairs are barbed, easily detach, and can become embedded in the skin, eyes, or mucous membranes of potential predators.

When Hickory Tussock Moths spin their cocoons, the caterpillars incorporate the hairs into the silk so that the cocoons are also protected!

https://extension.psu.edu/hickory-tussock-moth-caterpillar

Redheads in flight over Lake Huron. Flocks of ducks have been airborne over Lake Huron recently because of hunters on the Michigan side of the Lake.

Black Scoters are coastal seaducks, but during migration they can often be found on the Great Lakes. This individual was viewed off Canatara Beach on Lake Huron.

Hooded Merganser taking a break along the shoreline.

On Friday, there were at least 25 Hooded Mergansers on Lake Chipican, along with Redheads, a Ring-necked Duck and a pair of Buffleheads. By Saturday, the lake was frozen and the birds had all gone elsewhere.

Lake Huron on Friday, looking NE. We had sunshine while areas north of Grand Bend received over 40 cm of snow.

Recent Sunrise!