Northern Treasures!

A Great Gray Owl and Snowshoe Hare:

Deryl and a friend traveled to northern Ontario recently.  One of the target birds was a Great Gray Owl. Although it is visually the largest owl in North America, it is mostly just a ball of feathers. Both the Great Horned Owl and Snowy Owl weigh more than a Great Grey Owl, and they have larger feet and talons!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory

Great Gray Owls are powerful birds. Despite weighing only 2.5 pounds, they can break through hard packed snow to grab a small mammal. During winter, they more actively hunt in the daylight. 

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Gray_Owl/lifehistory

A well hidden Snowshoe Hare: Snowshoe Hares prefer dense stands of young conifers or brushy deciduous growth where there is lots of food and good shelter.

They are found in the boreal forest of North America.

https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/wildlife/snp/programs/education/animal-facts/mammals/snowshoe-hare/

During the winter, Snowshoe Hares are white, which helps them blend in with the snow. When the seasons change to spring and summer, snowshoe hares become a reddish-brown colour. This change helps them to camouflage among dirt and rocks.

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Snowshoe-Hare

Snowshoe Hares feed on a variety of deciduous trees and shrubs, some conifers, grasses and wild plants such as raspberry and fireweed. Because their diet of wood fibre is difficult to digest, hares eat their droppings to extract additional nutrients not absorbed on the first attempt!

https://www.gov.nl.ca/ffa/wildlife/snp/programs/education/animal-facts/mammals/snowshoe-hare/

Rabbits are born blind and helpless, while hares are born fully furred and ready to run! Snowshoe Hares usually have two or three litters a year, born from April to August. The litter size can range from one to eight young.

https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Snowshoe-Hare

 Ducks Under The Bluewater Bridges!

I walked along the trail below the Bluewater Bridges Wednesday afternoon and was surprised to see the St. Clair River was open…..

Earlier that same day, while walking along Canatara Beach, Lake Huron was covered in ice as far as the eye could see. 

A trio of Bufflehead were the first birds I saw. They left quickly, but I managed to get an in-flight photo. In the winter, Bufflehead move south to coasts and large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes. 

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

A group of Mallards congregated in the shallow, calm water at the edge of the river.

Two days later, the calm water was filled with ice.

Common Goldeneye

Two more Common Goldeneye males refused to smile for the camera! 

Red-breasted Mergansers: Paddling and fishing in the slushy ice water.

The feathers on this moulting Ring-billed Gull are very worn.

A young Long-tailed Duck paddled upstream.

Long-tailed Duck (adult male) diving

From a platform under the bridges, I was able to look down on a Red-breasted Merganser that was busy fishing.

Diving down!

Back at the surface. Caught one!

Earlier in the day, a distant Bald Eagle took a break as it floated towards the St. Clair River on an ice flow.

Shortly after passing the lighthouse, it flew north and landed on a sturdier chunk of ice.

 Winter Insects!

An active moth created a lot of excitement in our house on Feb. 3rd! Perhaps I had manifested it by dreaming of warmer weather to come! It is in the genus "Caradrina" and I'm still waiting identification at the species level. It is a member of the cutworms and Dart Moths.

Insects can be found in the winter months, but they are usually not adults at this time of year. Cocoons built by the Cecropia Moth caterpillar overwinter on twigs. I have spotted 2 Cecropia Moth Cocoons this winter. Hopefully they will survive and the adults will emerge in late spring. The Cecropia adult is North America's largest native moth

Another stage for overwintering is at the egg stage. Above, a Praying Mantis egg case is attached to a rose bush. About 100 miniature praying mantis's will emerge in mid-to late spring.

Katydid eggs! The one and only time I have found these.

A Bruce Spanworm Moth was active in early December

Fall Cankerworm Moth - wingless female, also found in early December.

A species of Tiger Moth (larva) walked across the snow on a sunny day.

The Goldenrod Gall Fly (larva) spends the winter inside the "Ball Gall." Galls are more often noticed in the winter when leaves have fallen off surrounding plants. During the growth process in the summer, the 'ball' grows around the developing larva. The larva will pupate and spend the winter inside the gall waiting for spring to emerge. Sometimes birds such as Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and Chickadees will peck a hole in the gall and extract the juicy meal!

Goldenrod Elliptical-gall Moth:

 A Hawk, Merlin and other Wings!

A young Red-tailed Hawk, is flexing the talons on his right foot. Perhaps he is watching scurrying prey below his perch?

Merlins are fierce falcons that are larger than Kestrels. They patrol shorelines and open areas looking for prey which includes small birds and sometimes dragonflies. They fly with quick powerful wingbeats, pausing to glide only rarely. They also spend long periods perched in open areas, scanning for prey. This individual was found in Canatara Park.

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

Busy runway for small rodents - a good spot for a predator to hang out!

Red-bellied Woodpecker (female): Red-bellied Woodpeckers can stick out their tongues nearly 2 inches past the end of the beak. The tip is barbed and the bird's saliva is sticky, making it easier to snatch prey from deep crevices. Males have longer, wider-tipped tongues than females, possibly allowing a breeding pair to forage in slightly different places on the territory, maximizing their use of available food.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-bellied_Woodpecker/overview

White-breasted Nuthatches are agile birds that creep along trunks and large branches, probing into bark furrows with their straight, pointed bills. Like other nuthatches, they often turn sideways and upside down on vertical surfaces as they forage. They don't lean against their tails the way woodpeckers do.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-breasted_Nuthatch/id

Two male White-breasted Nuthatches. Females have a grey, rather than black hood.

 Snow Birds!

Many American Robins could be found locally during last winter's mild temperatures. They are much more difficult to find this year. We have also noticed that Juniper Trees don't have as much fruit on them as in recent years. These berries can be an important source of food for Robins who choose to stay for the winter. Food is fuel and can help keep them warm in cold weather.

Northern Cardinals don't migrate, nor do they moult into a dull plumage. They are breathtaking to look at all year round, but especially "shine" in the winter. 

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

Mourning Doves, and other birds, will fluff up their feathers for improved insulation to help keep them warm in cold weather.

Mourning Doves can often be found resting in close proximity to one another.

Downy Woodpecker, searching for his next snack.

Downy Woodpecker - Peek-a-boo

Female House Sparrow, hanging out in some grape vine.

A very chatty Tufted Titmouse landed in a snowy shrub. They will hoard food in the fall and winter, taking advantage of bird feeders by storing many of the seeds they collect. Usually, the storage sites are within 40 metres of the feeder. They take only one seed per trip and usually shell the seeds before hiding them.

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

The Tufted Titmouse eventually worked his way closer to the top of the wood pile.

A White-breasted Nuthatch waits patiently for his turn to visit the nearby feeder.