After a minute or so listening and watching, the noise stopped and from out of the undergrowth, a male Eastern Towhee flew up to the rail fence, tipped his head up and began to sing his heart out….”drink your tea…drink your tea!”
Happy Spring! Unexpected Experiences in the Outdoors
Every walk, outing, hike or trip we take outside holds an element of the unknown. What wildlife will we see? How many different kinds of fungi can we count? What kind of birds will we see in the skies?
The Fantastic World of Bird Nicknames
Reading an article on woodpeckers, the author referred to a Pileated woodpecker as a “Logcock”. That was a term I had never heard and it got me thinking. How many birds do I know that have nicknames?
In the News: Wildlife On the Move
A decade ago, we would visit Niagara-on-the-Lake for a glimpse of these species, and marvel that their ranges just barely reached into the southernmost bits of Ontario.
Non-hibernating Mode; Nature in Winter
Anyone who knows me knows I am not a huge fan of winter. In fact, that would be putting it mildly.
Given that humans have not evolved to hibernate through winter, I must figure out a way to make it through to springtime
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.
Bird Behaviour: Survival of the fittest
Bird behaviour, like human behaviour is sometimes very cruel, but nonetheless very fascinating!
At the feeder: Red-bellied Woodpecker
In 2012 the Carden Christmas Bird count recorded two individuals during the count. This year Carden had three individuals. Two individuals were recorded during the Orillia count this year. So it seems the species is certainly putting down roots in our area.
American Tree Sparrow; a welcome visitor
Although it may not be as colourful and dazzling as other birds of winter such as chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, juncos and northern shrikes, The American Tree sparrow is a welcomed visitor. One cannot deny its beauty either, for with its rufous- coloured crown and stripe behind its eye, the streaking on its back and the dark spot on its predominantly gray breast, it is a lovely looking bird.
Mourning Doves: our year-round visitors
Although we do have many different species of birds visit us all winter long, we can always depend on three species to stay around our property year-round: White breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped chickadee and one other favourite, especially in the winter, The Mourning Dove.