Banks of the Sydenham River!

I had a delightful walk with some friends recently along the Sydenham River in SE Lambton County.

Wood Duck Box at River's edge.

Half of an abandoned tippy canoe! Perhaps the paddlers didn’t negotiate the nearby bend in the River!

A small branch hosted a row of Splitgill Mushrooms showcasing an excellent example of Art in Nature!

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I couldn't resist photographing some "Dog Vomit Slime Mold"! Creative scientists come up with some interesting names!

This insect was the only "thing with wings" that came close enough to photograph during our walk. I believe it is a Fall Cankerworm Moth.

In order to complete a loop, we walked away from the river, through a developing meadow. A couple of Bald Eagles soared overhead.

December Birds at LCH

As of December 6th, three Great Blue Herons were still using the lake at Henderson Conservation Area for food and shelter. As long as ice doesn't form and food is available, they may stay for a few more weeks.

Blue Jays thoroughly scoured insect nests searching for over-wintering larvae. The Jay in the lower picture has grabbed a large snack with his beak.

Both weirs providing access to the trails on the east side were submerged under water so we remained on the west side of the property.

The Loch Ness Monster?!?!?

White Cedar trees were bursting with tiny cedar cones. The seeds inside the cones will provide food for birds and small animals.

We saw 18 species of birds on the walk including a few Black-capped Chickadees. Many birds stayed high in the trees. A pair of Bald Eagles flew low but managed to stay out of the range of my camera.

 A Walk at The Pinery.

Waking up to a beautiful day on Friday, we made a last minute decision to head to Pinery Provincial Park. Excluding a few Canada Geese, a Pileated Woodpecker was our first bird of the day. He wasn't very approachable, but we had a good look before he flew off into the forest.

A flock of Mallards flew directly overhead as we toured through the Dunes Campground Roads.

We saw 32 Cedar Waxwings during the morning. One of them eventually stopped in a location suitable for photographs. We could not find any Bohemian Waxwings.

A quick stop at the beach netted us our first ever Thick-billed Sandpiper!

Back in the Dunes Campground, several splashes of water caught our attention. Upon closer inspection, we realized a frying pan had been left behind at one of the camp sites. When filled with rain water and melting snow, it made a perfect bath stop for some Black-capped Chickadees!

After completing a loop back to our car through the Cedar Trail, we drove to Beach #9 for lunch. The stop provided us with one of our better looks at a male Purple Finch. Five of these finches were enjoying the berries on a Juniper Tree.

It took quite awhile before a Tufted Titmouse joined the numerous Chickadees for a snack. The eyes are quite striking in this species! 

Like chickadees, Titmice also take turns by waiting in nearby trees before feeding.

One last trail to walk after lunch was the Riverside Trail. There has been a lot of recent activity from North America's largest rodent. Beavers are generally considered to be crepuscular (active early and late in the day) and we didn't see one. However, they can occasionally be seen during the middle of the day.

 Chickadee Parade!

It was a delightful day for a walk in December at Pinery Provincial Park. We ended up at Beach #9 for lunch and spent some time with the Black-capped Chickadees! They were very entertaining!

Notice the head of the Chickadee that is hanging onto and underneath my hand on the low left. There is a definite "pecking order" or hierarchy of who gets to eat first in the Black-capped Chickadee world. The bird on my hand was the more dominant individual.

A Chickadee used my arm as the "on deck waiting room" until the coast was clear for his turn.

A very vocal discussion! Both Chickadees were noisily trying to assert their dominance.

Another Chickadee hanging low and out of sight.

Two seeds in the beak!

3 birds at once!

It was a sunny day and 10 degrees C in December! A very wet Chickadee landed on my hand for some food after having a bath in a nearby puddle!

 

Naturally Red!

Lots of red things in nature can be found at this time of year! Several pairs of Northern Cardinals have been frequenting our yard. There is a definite pecking order of who gets to eat first with these birds! Cardinals don't migrate and they don't moult into a dull plumage so they are easy to identify throughout the year.

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

American Robins enjoy juicy red fruit in the fall and winter. I believe the tree is a Siberian Crab Apple.

Just a hint of red is visible on the head of this female Red-bellied Woodpecker.

Winterberry Holly is a good food source for many overwintering bird species and is native to Eastern North America. It can grow in wetland habitats as well as on dry sand dunes and grasslands.

https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/61119-Ilex-verticillata

 Autumn Owls, 2023!

Saw-whet Owls can be difficult to see. This individual was likely passing through during migration. Their prey include Deer Mice which they usually eat in pieces over the course of two meals. The owl's name may have come from the call they make which (some people say) resembles a saw being sharpened on a whetting stone. They are slightly heavier than a Hairy Woodpecker, and smaller than an Eastern Screech-Owl.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Saw-whet_Owl/overview

The Saw-whet Owl looked down on us as we walked the trail directly below its roosting location.

A few Eastern Screech Owls have been found peering out of roosting holes recently. They are small owls, slightly larger and considerably more bulky than a European Starling. They have pointed ear tufts, which are often raised.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/id

American Crows seem to have a particular dislike of Great Horned Owls, which often raid their roosts by night. During the day, a resting owl can often be located by watching for a noisy and agitated mob of crows. They will harass the sleepy predator until it silently flaps on to a more sheltered spot.

https://abcbirds.org/bird/great-horned-owl/

A Great Horned Owl on the alert for nearby bullies.

 Eye To The Sky!

More than 300 Sandhill Cranes flew directly over my head Thursday afternoon. They came from behind, and it was their magical "bugling" call that caused me to look up! Based upon reports near Grand Bend, they followed the Lake Huron shoreline towards Sarnia, presumably migrating south from Manitoulin Island.

There seemed to be some indecision in their travel plans. Some of the cranes circled, possibly thinking it was time for a break. From my vantage point in Canatara Park, all of the birds seemed to continue in a south-westerly direction without stopping for a rest.

I haven't seen many migrating flocks of Tundra Swans this fall. I happened to be looking in the right direction when these 10 birds passed silently overhead.

American Black Ducks over Lake Huron. 

American Wigeon

Herring Gull doing a fly-by along Canatara Beach.

Morning Sunrise!