It can really be an exciting time of the year, especially if you live by a lake as we do, for you never know from one day to the next, what species of bird will appear on the lake.
Roosting Boxes: Building a home for the winter
Many bird lovers either purchase or build nest boxes for their favourite wild birds: bluebirds, swallows, chickadees, nuthatches and many more. These boxes vary in size and shapes and in particular, the size of the entrance hole, depending on the desired species. We have had as many as 40 swallow houses on our property, and an equal number of bluebird houses on fence posts along the sides of the roads in our area but only after receiving the permission of the landowner.
Feeding birds during cooler weather
It’s fall again, and for many who do not feed birds all summer, it is now time to get those feeders out. Learn some insights from avid birder, David Homer.
Birding: A Run-in with Double-crested Cormorants
Double-crested Cormorants are anything but a pretty bird. They are prehistoric in looks and age, one of oldest bird species at about two million years. Painted images of them have been found in ancient North American caves and Egyptian tombs. There are about thirty Cormorant species throughout the world, the Double-crested are the only species in North America.
Birding: A Woodpecker Summer
Feeding birds in the summer features a different cast of characters from the usual winter crew. Nuthatches, chickadees and blue jays disappear, distracted by the duties of nest-building and egg-sitting. In their place, local woodpeckers have become regular visitors to the peanut feeder just outside our window.
Birding on the alvar: Wilson’s Snipe
One of the more interesting birds in our region is the Wilson’s Snipe. Classified as a Shorebird, this species inhabits flooded grasslands, bogs and marshes. They are frequently seen, as this one in the accompanying picture, standing on a fence post scanning the surrounding area and uttering a very loud and weird “tuck-a-tuck-a-tuck-a-tuck” call!
Birding: Mallards galore in Ontario
Mallard ducks are now so common in our area that they can be found just about anywhere there is water. But it was not always so. When I was a small boy living in eastern Ontario, Mallards were seldom seen and when they were, they were referred to as “western ducks”. The most bountiful wild duck we had at the time was the American Black duck, a close relative of the Mallard. Now we see few “Blacks” and lots of Mallards. Both however are very beautiful birds.
Barn swallows: Gone in 24 hours
Executive Director, Mark Bisset, recalls his experiences with barn swallows through the years.
Carden Challenge Raises Over $23,000
Nearly 50 local birdwatchers topped off the busy month of May by participating in the 12th annual Carden Challenge, an event that combines skills, tenacity, and friendly competition for a good cause. The combined efforts of eleven participating teams raised over $23,000 in pledges and donations for the Carden Alvar programs of the Couchiching Conservancy.
Songs by the thousand – the Brown Thrasher
Brown thrashers got their name from the thrashing sound they make as they forage for food in dried leaves and other vegetation on the ground. Where the “brown” came from is beyond me, because, in fact, they possess beautiful rufous- or rusty-coloured feathers on their back, wings and long tail.