Nature 10+1 - 2.131 "Movin' On Up"

Yellow Warbler shot at Tommy Thompson Park in Toronto

This past Thursday we went down to Colonel Sam Smith Park as well as the wet woods at Leslie Spit in search of warblers.  It was a fairly quiet day but we did walk away with a few additions to our LBY... 

• 167 ~ Common Tern (Sam Smith - Toronto)
• 168 ~ Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (Tommy Thompson - Toronto)
• 169 ~ Lincoln's Sparrow (Tommy Thompson - Toronto)

Nature 10+1 - 2.130 "Shy Guy"

Virginia Rail shot at Carden Alvar

We had a fantastic day in the Carden Alvar on Wednesday.  We were able to add just a few species to our LBY list - here they are...

• 155 ~ Caspian Tern (Orillia)
• 156 ~ Bobolink (Carden)
• 157 ~ Grasshopper Sparrow (Carden)
• 158 ~ Baltimore Oriole (Carden)
• 159 ~ Virginia Rail (Carden)
• 160 ~ Sedge Wren (Carden)
• 161 ~ Sora (Carden)
• 162 ~ Least Flycatcher (Carden)
• 163 ~ Great Egret (Carden)
• 164 ~ Solitary Sandpiper (Carden)
• 165 ~ Chimney Swift (Minesing)
• 166 ~ White-crowned Sparrow (Minesing)

Nature 10+1 - 2.129 "You & Me & The Birds"

Hey everyone, we hope you are all enjoying this amazing spring migration!!  We've decided that for the next two weeks we are going to focus our full attentions on birding.  We have planned a series of outings including a trip to Point Pelee next week that is sure to be a blast.  We will continue to post Nature shots periodically but most other content will be suspended during this time.  Happy birding everyone and don't forget, if you see anything really great, let us know.  We have 154 species so far this year for our LBY, I can't wait to see what we end up with by the end of next week.  

Cheers!! :-)

Nature 10+1 - 2.128 "Outta Here"

Crow chasing Turkey Vulture shot at Bear Creek Wetlands

Nature 10+1 - 2.127 "Incognito"

Morning Cloak shot at The Gables in Barrie

 New addition to our LBY list:

• 154 ~ Common Yellowthroat (Bear Creek)

Nature 10+1 - 2.126 "A Dovely Day"

Preening Mourning Dove shot at our place in BarrieKelly did a quick trek around the Minesing Wetlands on Saturday afternoon while I was at work and picked up new adds for our Little Big Year, here they are....

• 150 ~ Least Bittern
• 151 ~ Warbling Vireo
• 152 ~ Eastern Kingbird
• 153 ~ American Woodcock

About A Bird - Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis)

Oh my gosh, yesterday was such a hectic day, I wasn't able to complete the About a Bird post.  I got up early this morning to write but didn't have time to complete it before family came over for a visit. The good news is we had a great time with Nate's Dad, sister and nephew AJ today.

Because we've been seeing so many cute little geese recently we were looking for an excuse to post a few more shots...we thought About a Bird would be a great forum :-)  Without further ado...

• a large waterbird found predominantly in North America and Mexico.
• can be found near water, in yards, parks lawns and farm fields.
• their famous honk call is considered a harbinger of spring.
• have a black head and neck with white cheeks and chinstrap, a tan breast, brown back and large webbed feet.
• they are 2.5 - 3.5 feet long with a wingspan of 4.5 - 5 feet wide and weigh 6.5 - 20 pounds.
• are mostly herbivores but will sometimes eat fish and insects when food supplies are scarce.
• feed by dabbling in water or grazing in fields.  CG's are drawn to to open lawns such as golf courses and airports due to the unobstructed of view of potential predators.
• in spring and summer they will feed on grass and other plant life; during fall and winter they will rely on berries, seeds and grains from farm fields.
• will often feed for 12 hours a day in order to get the nutrition they need.

• are highly migratory during spring and fall.  Flocks fly in the V formation which creates currents of air around the geese making it easier fo them to fly and communicate.
• when migrating south during fall/winter the trip is done quickly.  Geese monitoring has shown a single goose to have flown approximately 1,000KM in one day!!  At that rate it would take a goose only 40 days to fly around the world.  WOW!  The migration north in spring is done at a more leisurely pace, stopping here and there for a rest and/or a snack.
• have been recored as naturally flying as far as Western Europe, Eastern Siberia, China and Japan.
• associate in large flocks over most of the year but break off from the group during spring mating season.
• find a mate and begin to breed around three years of age.  They practice 'assortive mating' meaning both sexes choose a mate of similar size.
• are know to mate for life and remain together all year long.  If a goose looses a mate it will usually find a new partner.
• females select the nesting site and generally return to the place of their parents nest.  Mating pairs will often return the same nesting site year after year.
• females do most of the nest construction.  A CG nest is usually found on the ground, on a slightly elevated site near water.  The nest is an open cup made of various dry grasses, twigs, mosses and reeds, lined with down and feathers.
• females lay 4-8 creamy-white eggs.  It is only after the second egg is laid that she will add feathers to the nest.
• females do all of the incubation over the course of 25-28 days while the male remains close by to protect and defend.  Threatening displays include head pumping, an open bill with raised tongue, hissing and honking.  CG aren't afraid of a good old fashioned fight and will often become injured in a scuffle.
• goslings are born precocial meaning they are born mature, with eyes open, down covered and able to move and walk.  They will leave the nest 1-2 days after hatching and will begin to feed and swim.  Goslings will remain with the parents constantly for about a year.  Once they are yearlings they will typically break off into yearling groups.
• the goslings are raised by both parents.  You will often see a family of geese with the female in the lead, babies in the middle and the male in the rear.

• In the early 20th century the CG was in jeopardy of extinction.  Populations were decimated due to various reasons including over-hunting and changes in habitat.  In 1916 the US passed the Federal Bird Treaty Act which protected the CG from being hunted or harmed in any way without a permit.  It took some time but populations were eventually restored and then some.  CG are now considered a nuissance is some areas where they live year long.
• it is estimated that 2.6 million geese are hunted every year, legally, which is not in any way affecting their numbers.
• are very talkative - scientists believe they have as many as 13 calls for things such as greetings and warnings.  Goslings are said to begin talking with the parents from the egg.
• female is a goose; male is a gander; a group is called a gaggle; a group in flight is called a skein, team or wedge.
• pilots have reported seeing flying geese as high as 9,000 feet.
• are said to have great eyesight.  They can see 180 degrees horizontally and vertically.
• average lifespan is between 10-25 years.
• the name Branta is Latin meaning to burn in reference to their dark colours and Canadensis is Latin for Canada.
• the oldest know CG is said to have lived 30 years and 4 months.

I hope you're all having a wonderful weekend so far.  Tomorrow Nate and I are getting up early to go do some birding - so many birds to see, so little time ;-)  

This week I've decided to close out the post with a little something extra...I've include one of Robert Bateman's paintings of a CG.  Which do you like better?

 Audubon

Bateman

Nature 10+1 - 2.125 "Mmmmm, Nectar!"

Red Admiral shot at our place in Barrie

Nature 10+1 - 2.124 "En Route"

Blue-headed Vireo shot at our place in Barrie

The sound of migrating birds passing through the area lured us back outside yesterday.  After the rain cleared up we visited Bear Creek which was bustling with activity.  On top of the usual sightings we were able to add 4 species to our LBY...

• 145 ~ Swamp Sparrow (Bear Creek)
• 146 ~ Yellow Warbler (Bear Creek)
• 147 ~ Black-throated Blue Warbler (Bear Creek)
• 148 ~ House Wren (Bear Creek)

After Bear Creek we returned home and birded from our balcony.  Nate was actually able to photograph a Blue-headed Vireo from home...how cool is that?!?!?

• 149 ~ Blue-headed Vireo (Home)

Others birds seen from our balcony yesterday were Yellow-rumped, Black and White, and Yellow Warblers as well as Ruby-crowned Kinglets.

Wildflower Wednesday ~ On Thursday ;-)

Happy Wildflower Wednesday, On Thursday!!  Sorry this week's post is late but we've been spending almost every spare second outdoors this week as migration traffic picks up.  An enjoyable bi-product to birding so much about is getting to see all the pretty flowers along the way.  Flower species are beginning to emerge at a rapid pace now and I am going to try to capture as many as I can.  Let's take a look at what I saw last week.

Last week I made a few stops at the Gables and found this flower growing by the parking lot.  I had no idea what it was and was unsuccessful at identifying it.  Well, the good news it that I attended Phyllis Tremblay's wildflower walk yesterday (through Brereton Field Naturalist's Club) and learned that this flower is called Money Plant. Thanks Phyllis, it was a pleasure learning from you. :-)

New sightings at the Gables included Kidney-Leaf Buttercup, as seen below, as well as Early Meadow Rue which I'm still working on getting a decent image of - it's a tricky one. :-)

Trilliums are almost in full swing now, offering many great photo-ops.

Periwinkle is blossoming everywhere, not just at the Gables...on forest floors, in fields, in gardens...you name it, they're there.

On Saturday we sojourned to Tiny Marsh.  While there Nate noticed this large patch of the Purple Dead Nettle in an open field beside a parking area.  

I have never seen this flower before so I made sure to take plenty of shots to document the sighting.

While photographing them I saw my first Bumble Bee of the season...hello gorgeous!! ;-)

Saturday was designated Dandelion Day on Google Plus.  Nate made it a point of getting a Dandelion photo to share and here was his submission.  

Tiny Marsh offered a few other sightings including my first Forget-me-nots of the season...

...and Yellow Violets.

I realize that Garlic Mustard is an invasive species but it sure is pretty and tastes great.

On Sunday I made a solo trip to Church Woods.  I had a great time snapping pics of the Fiddleheads, not quite a wildflower but funky to photograph as they begin to open.

I was able to photograph Large-flowered Bellwort at Church Woods as well as the Gables last week.  I love the way the slightly twisted petals cascade downwards.

The highlight of my morning was undoubtedly spending time with the Wild Ginger...I LOVE this plant!!

As I began to make my way back to the car I noticed a few newbie Jack-in-the-pulpits.  They were still quite small and were quite tricky to photograph.

I've been seeing Dog Violet all over the place, Bear Creek, Tiny Marsh, home and Church Woods.  These light purple/mauve violets are smaller than the yellow and blue ones.  The plant grows low to ground in small cluster patches.  

Since the weather has been so erratic this spring the tulips seem to have taken quite a beating.  While making our way to Sunnidale Park one day Nate captured this pink version, on the verge of opening.

Also beginning to bloom are the many, many local shrub species.  I haven't gotten around the learning these yet but once I have wildflowers conquered I will change focus a bit.  

Before I close out this post I want to mention that I have mis-ID'd a few species from the Gables so far this spring.  Phyllis was kind enough to let me know that what I thought was Winter Aconite was actually Yellow Anemone, and what I thought was Canadian Anemone was in fact Wood Anemone.  A big thanks to Phyllis again - she truly is my wildflower guru.  :-)

For this week's poem I have chose one written by William Blake...cheers!

THE WILD FLOWER'S SONG

As I wandered the forest,
The green leaves among,
I heard a Wild Flower
Singing a song.

"I slept in the earth
In the silent night,
I murmured my fears
And I felt delight.

"In the morning I went
As rosy as morn,
To seek for new joy;
But oh! met with scorn."

Nature 10+1 - 2.123 "Another Day, Another Lifer"

White-throated Sparrow shot at Copeland Forest near BarrieI birded my brains out yesterday and got paid off with some new adds and lifer!  I started the day at sunrise, birding Sunnidale Park.  Of course there were Ruby-crowned Kinglets at every corner and hanging around with them was a nice group of warblers including a Black and White, Pine and Yellow-rumps.  

My second stop of the day was an afternoon jaunt to Copeland Forest with Kelly.  We were there to check on the wildflowers but of course I was looking for birds ;-)  Managed to get close to the above White-crowned Sparrow and Kelly got to hear them sing for the fiirst time! Everytime I hear these guys sing it instantly brings me back to my childhood days spent up in northern Ontario, such a sweet song.

On our way back to the car I saw a wee bird flitting around under dense bush and of course I needed to know what it was.  Kelly immediately said she thought it may be a wren and I thought the same until I saw it's face which clearly ID'd it as a Sparrow of some sort.

The bird displayed wren-like movement with a short, cocked tail, it refused to fly and preferred to run on the ground under dead grass much like a vole.  I have to say it was the hardest I've ever worked for an ID. Everytime I got my lens on the bird it would move or a branch would mess with the focus.  At one point I did get a clean look at it's face and saw a beige colour on the cheek and thought it could be a LeConte's based on the images I've seen before.  After 20 minutes I only managed a few crappy shots of the birds back and tail.  After returning home and taking a good look at the images I was able to ID it as a Henslow's Sparrow based on the rufous marking on the wings - Oh yeah, another lifer! :-)

You would think our day was over but we still had one more stop to make, a wildflower walk at The Gables!  The walk was run by the Brereton Field Naturalist's Club and was led by the Flower Queen herself,  Phyllis Tremblay. Of course myself and few others kept our eyes open to the sky in search of birds ;-)  It was really quiet birdwise but we did find a small pocket of Warblers that included Yellow-rumps, Palm and Nashville!  We also discovered a pair of nesting White-breasted Nuthatches and their nest hole as well.  It was really cool watching them go in and out of nest.  

What a day, gotta love spring! :-) 

• 141 ~ Black and White Warbler (Sunnidale Park)
• 142 ~ Rose-breatsed Grosbeak (Sunnidale Park)
• 143 ~ Henlow's Sparrow (Copelands Woods)
• 144 ~ Nashville Warbler (The Gables)

Nature 10+1 - 2.122 "Follow the Dee!"

BC Chickadee shot at Bear Creek Wetlands

 Despite the fog and drizzle I had a great Tuesday morning at Bear Creek Wetlands.  Picked up a nice bird in a singing Northern Waterthrush and of course there are always some local Chickadees around willing to pose ;-)

• 140 ~ Northern Waterthrush

Nature 10+1 - 2.121 "Pretty Eagle"

2nd Year Bald Eagle shot at the Minesing Wetlands

A quick tour around the Minesing Wetlands produced some nice sightings including this sweet Bald Eagle.  We also picked up two adds for our Little Big Year.

• 138 ~ Blue-winged Teal
• 139 ~ Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Featured Location ~ The Gables

Our Featured Location for April has to be the Gables here in Barrie.  The 43 acres of land we call the Gables contains one of Barrie's oldest growth forests, made up of Oaks, Maples, Red and White Pines.  During spring, before the leaves have had a chance to block the sunshine, the forest floor becomes blanketed in an explosion of flowers - it truly is an amazing site.  The best time to visit the park is right now.  In fact, the Brereton Field Naturalist's Club are hosting a wildflower walk at the Gables on May 2, led by Phyllis Tremblay.  Click HERE for more info.

The Gables is one of our favourite places to visit during spring, not just for the flowers but also for the birds. During spring/fall migration the forest welcomes many avian visitors.  Just last week we saw Yellow-rumped Warblers, Hermit Thrushes and Easter Phoebes.  

The trails of the Gables lead to the shoreline of Kempenfelt Bay where you can often view the many migrant waterfowl that pass through our fine city.  It is not uncommon to also see a pair of nesting Merlin.  By the shoreline you will also find a picnic pavillion which was erected in the mid 1970's.

The park is believed to have gotten its name from the first house ever built on the property sometime around 1860.  The house was built by Captain W. Durie and was designed with green gables.  It was a two storey building with the gables facing the waterfront.  The property switched hands and was acquired in the 1920's by a businessman named Sir Edmund Osler who converted the house into a camp for underprivileged familes in Toronto.  Ownership was transfered again during the 1940's into the hands of WR Laidlaw who continued to hold camps for underprivileged boys.  In the early 1960's Mr. Laidlaw gave the property to the nurses of RVH, as a possible future site for the new Barrie hospital.  Up to the mid 1970's the house was used by student nurses and other hospital staff.  The house was eventually torn down in 1974.

The Gables took quite a hit back in 1985 when a tornado ripped through Barrie.  It is said you can still see the path of the tornado through the forest from above.  In 2001 the city of Barrie purchased the Gables from RVH for 3 millions dollars and is now listed as a passive park.  

The Gables is a great place to visit.  I recently brought my Mom and neice there for a wildflower walk and they loved it.  If you've never been and are local to the area I would strongly urge you to visit the Gables soon, the Yellow Anemones have turned the park into an enchanted garden.  You never know, you might even see us there!! :-)

Nature 10+1 - 2.120 "What a Gem!"

Ruby-crowned Kinglet shot at Bear Creek Wetlands in Barrie

Took a quick trek around Bear Creek yesterday afternoon and managed a few sweet shots including a couple of migrating Ruby-crowned Kinglets.  Always a great day when you can get non-blurry shots of these little speedsters.  We also picked another bird for our Little Big Year!

• 137 ~ Spotted Sandpiper

Nature 10+1 - 2.119 "First Babies of the Year"

Goslings shot at Tiny Marsh near Elmvale, ON

Kelly and I took a trek out to Tiny Marsh on Saturday and were surprised to see Goslings, not just a few but a lot of them!  Normally we don't see these cute fuzzballs until mid May at the earliest but no conplaints here!  Still pretty quiet aside from the thousands of Canada Geese but we did pick up a couple new species for our Little Big Year.

• 135 ~ Pie-billed Grebe
• 136 ~ Common Loon

Nature 10+1 - 2.118 "Just the Two of Us"

American Crows shot at Sunnidale Park in Barrie

About A Bird ~ Osprey (Pandion Haliaetus)

We drove out to the Carden Alvar yesterday in search of the Say's Phoebe and on the way back home we made a quick stop by the Osprey nests on Muley Point Road.  After watching these beautiful birds of prey in action we couldnt resist choosing them as the subject for this post today.

• is found on all continents (except Antarctica) as a single living species which is highly unusual.
• can leg more than 160,000 migration miles in its lifetime.  In 2008 scientists tracked an Osprey that flew approximately 2,700 miles in just 13 days.
• both males and females are brown above and white below.  The underside of their wings have a brown patch at the wrist and darken towards the tips.  Their heads are white with a dark stripe through the eye.
• they have slender bodies with long, narrow wings which bend downwards in flight.  When seen below they resemble the letter M.
• they have piercing yellow eyes, a sharply hooked black bill and long legs.
• females will show a dark, thick band across their white breast whereas the male will have a thinner band.
• they are both approximately 21-23 inches long with a wingspan of 59-70 inches and weigh 3-4.5 pounds. In size, they fall somewhere between a Bald Eagle and a Red-tailed Hawk.
• they are the only large raptor with an all-white belly.

• Osprey habitat is anywhere there is a good supply of fish to eat.  They can be found near rivers, ponds, reservoires, marshes and lakes.
• they fly with a heavy wingbeat and are not adept at quick and fancy maneuvering.  Instead, Osprey's excel at soaring and diving.
• their diet is comprised of 99% live fish.  On rare occasions they will feed on a fish carcass, a bird, snake, vole or a squirrel.
• they will search for fish mostly by flying over shallow water but will sometimes hunt in deep water where fish remain near the surface.
• have a reversible outer toe which allows them to grip fish with two toes in the front and two toes in the back.  They also have pads on the soles of their feet to help grip the slippery fish.
• once an Osprey has found its prey they will approach it legs first into the water, often going in as deep as three feet.  Once they emerge seconds later with a fish in their talons they will strategically position it head pointing forward.  This positioning results in the least amount of wind resistance while carrying it, in flight, back to a safe location...bon appetit!!
• must exercise caution in picking the proper size of fish to catch - if the fish is too big and/or gets caught in their talons they could drown and die.
• studies have shown that Osprey's spend an average of 12 minutes hunting before they catch a fish.  It is estimated that a fish is caught once out of every four attempts.

• Osprey's reach sexual maturity at 3-4 years of age and will mate with one partner for life.
• mating pairs will often return to the same nest, year after year.
• during breeding season males will display with alternate periods of hovering over the nest and swooping above it.
• nest is built with sticks and is lined with bark, sod, vines and the like.  Males will fetch the building materials while the females arrange it.
• in a pair's first breeding season the nest will be around 2.5 feet in diameter and 3-6 inches deep.  The nest will grow with every subsequent season and can end up being 3-6 feet in diameter and 10-13 inches deep.
• female will lay 2-4 eggs over the course of a month or so.  The eggs are a creamy white/pinkish with reddish brown spots.
• with only one brood per season the eggs are incubated by both male and female for 36-42 days.  Babies are born at different intervals, are covered in down with eyes open and have limited motion.  It generally takes them about 8-10 weeks to fledge.
• in the wild 40-60% of all young die in their first year. :-(

• outside of breeding season they are mostly solitary birds but can be found wintering in flocks of 6-10.
• from the 1950's through to the 1970's Osprey populations were on the decline due to a number of reasons - hunting, egg collecting and the use of pesticides, specifically DDT.  Pesticide poisoning resulted in the thinning of eggshells which itself resulted in a loss of breeding pairs as high as 90% in certain areas.
• in 1972 the use of DDT was banned and Osprey numbers began to rebound in conjunction with the construction of safe, artificial nesting sites.
• are also called Sea Hawks and Fish Eagles.
• genus name Pandion is derived from the mythical Greek King of the same name.  Haliaetus is derived from the Greek word halos meaning sea and aetus meaning eagle.
• average lifespan varies between 7-20 years.  Some have been documented as living in the wild for up to 30 years.
• is the provincial bird of Nova Scotia.
• in midieval times there was a belief that fish were so mesmerized by Ospreys that they would turn belly up in surrender.  This is referenced in the play Coriolanus by Shakespeare - "I think he'll be to Rome, As is the Osprey to the fish, who take it, By sovereignty of nature."
• are the icon of popular NFL team the Seattle Seahawks.
• in Bolivia, natives believed they could become better hunters if they implanted Osprey bones under their skin.

Wow, that was a mouthful, LOL!! :-)  They truly are magnificent birds.  We are amazed by them every single time we go out and photograph them.  And with that I will close out this post but not before taking a look at Audubon's painting of the Osprey.  Happy Friday and I hope you all have a great weekend!! :-)

Nature 10+1 - 2.117 "Hello There Mr Snipe!"

Common Snipe shot at the Carden Alvar near Kirkfield, ONKelly and I headed out to the Carden Alvar Thursday afternoon in search of the Say's Phoebe that had been in the area the last couple days.  It was a bittersweet search in the fact that we heard the bird call several times but we never got to lay our eyes on it, oh well still a great add!  Of course we picked up a handfull of new adds for the LBY and got a few good photo ops despite the crummy conditions. 

On to the list!

• 127 ~ Upland Sandpiper
• 128 ~ Brown Thrasher
• 129 ~ Savannah Sparrow
• 130 ~ Say's Phoebe (Heard)
• 131 ~ Sandhill Crane
• 132 ~ Marsh Wren (Heard)
• 133 ~ Yellow Rail (Heard)
• 134 ~ Vesper Sparrow 

Nature 10+1 - 2.116 "First Warbler Pic of 2012!"

Palm Warbler shot at Sunnidale Park in Barrie

On Wednesday afternoon I had a great time birding Sunnidale Park in Barrie.  As you can see I picked up a beauty Palm Warbler and saw a few Pine Warblers as well.  Strange though I still have yet to see a single Yellow-rumped Warbler but Kelly did pick some up at the Gables later on that day ;-)  Here are the new adds for our Little Big Year

• 123 ~ Palm Warbler (Sunnidale Park)
• 124 ~ White-throated Sparrow (Sunnidale Park)
• 125 ~ Field Sparrow (Sunidale Park)
• 126 ~ Yellow-rumped Warbler (The Gables)