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!

Water Birds, Song Birds and a Grumpy Owl !

A lone male Hooded Merganser has been hanging out with the Mallards in Lake Chipican. The “hood” or "crest" on this small duck can be raised and lowered, changing the shape of the head and the white patch.

Hooded Merganser having a stretch.

Mallard Drakes admiring their reflections while being ignored by the female hen!

Some noisy Blue Jays drew my attention to this Wood Duck box. The Jays were making so much noise, I was certain that the box was occupied!

Blue Jays were relentless in their goal of alerting the other forest creatures to the predator's location!

It wasn't long before a crowd of Tufted Titmice and Black-capped Chickadees made an appearance!

A highly overexposed photo shows a grumpy Screech Owl in the cavity! I'm sure it’s thinking, "Leave me alone. I just want to sleep!"

A Northern Cardinal stopped for a drink in some calm water.

A Black-capped Chickadee enjoyed the nutmeat from a nearby walnut that had been broken open by a squirrel.

The song birds flew away when an American Mink swam through the channel.

A juvenile Cooper's Hawk blended in with the tree bark. I almost walked right past it!

It's always a treat to find a Red-shouldered Hawk, especially flying over Canatara Park! They are smaller than Red-tailed Hawks. Adults have extensively reddish brown underparts. The tail and flight feathers are black and white striped.

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

 Wings with 6+ Legs in November!

Insect populations become dormant in late fall making them much more difficult to find. I noticed tiny flying insects on one of the recent sunny days so decided to put some effort into locating some of these creatures. Watching for colours/shapes that "seem out of place" and gently moving leaves on the forest floor can uncover a multitude of life forms!

A parade of ants, heading in two different directions, along a maple leaf stem. They seemed to be on a mission!!

Phyllira Tiger Moth caterpillar, marching across the trail! This is an endangered species in North America. I'm glad we didn't step on it!

A type of fly lacking a common name: Bibio slossonae

Winter Gnat: The larva develop in aquatic environments. Adults are most active during cooler parts of the year, often observed in late autumn or early spring. They are known to be weak fliers and may be found resting on vegetation or near water surfaces.

https://plantiary.com/insect/trichocera-annulata_5970.html

Green Cloverworm Moth caterpillars are known for their voracious appetite for legumes, particularly clover plants. They play an essential role in the ecosystem as a food source for various predators. Adults are excellent fliers, allowing them to disperse easily across different habitats. This individual was resting under a piece of bark in Canatara and I found a second one in our backyard.

https://www.greatlakesmoths.org/moth/green-cloverworm/

Eastern Boxelder Bug, trying to find shelter from winter weather at the front door, and possibly inside the house!

Nosy Pill Woodlouse - I didn't realize that there were so many species of woodlouse. All of the ones that we found were introduced to our area because of anthropogenic means such as pollution or climate change originating from human activity.

Common Shiny Woodlouse

Rathke's Woodlouse

The Twenty-spotted Lady Beetle occurs across North America and is only 2-3 mm in diameter. In contrast to most Lady Beetles, they are mildew-feeders. They have special mandibles equipped with fine rows of tiny comb-like teeth used to gather up spores of fungi. A new species for me, and found in our backyard!

https://www.insectsofalberta.com/twentyspottedlb.htm

The chances of locating this cocoon on the day it hatches are very slim. Seeing the emerged adult is likely the only way to determine a positive identification.

Promethea Silkworm Moth Cocoon: The caterpillar uses a rolled leaf to make its cocoon. The leaf stalk is attached to the twig with silk and remains hanging throughout the winter. The adult moth will emerge in early summer.