Fall Birds & Some Turtles!

A Little Blue Heron was the "star" of the show this week when it was discovered in Lambton County! They rarely venture north of the Great Lakes. It has likely been 30 years since one was found in our area. Although adults are a bluish/purple mix, our visitor was an immature bird. First year birds are white in colour. Mingling in mixed flocks of white herons in the southern U.S., immature Little Blue Herons blend in with mixed species groups, gaining extra protection against predators.

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

Greater Yellowlegs - The top of the yellow legs are barely visible in this photo and they have a noticeably long bill! Greater Yellowlegs are seen mostly during migration as they pass between nesting grounds in the mosquito-ridden bogs of boreal Canada and wintering territories on marshes across the southern U.S.

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

3 well camouflaged Greater Yellowlegs, feeding in the Thames River in London, ON.

10 Greater Yellowlegs flying over Lake Huron. The long bills are visible in the silhouette.

Mourning Dove feeding along a trail in London.

Pileated Woodpecker taking a break on a Hydro Pole.

Purple Finch populations have been decreasing since the more aggressive House Finches were introduced in New York City in the 1950's, spreading across eastern North America. Purple Finches have large, seed-cracking beaks, and they seem to have a preference for black oil sunflower seeds. 

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

Every once in awhile, a Red-shouldered Hawk will grace the skies above us!

Rusty Blackbirds are easier to identify in their fall plumage when the feather tips show a rusty colour. In the breeding season, adult Rusty Blackbirds are a glossy black colour with a light coloured eye. 

Turkey vultures swirling in a thermal. In a few weeks, these birds will have migrated south for the winter.

On some of the milder days, turtles such as this Northern Map Turtle can be found basking in the sun. The sun's warmth helps them to digest their food more quickly, allowing them to eat even more calories. Fat stored on their bodies helps them to survive the winter buried while in mud under the water.

A Snapping Turtle "lurked" slowly through the shallow water in Canatara Park this week. Nearby, a Mallard Hen was keeping a close eye on the predator. A clump of mud is visible on the top of the turtle's shell.

As I watched, the Painted Turtle on the left (top picture) turned around and rested his head on the shell of the other Painted Turtle (bottom picture), while a Pond Slider looked on!