April start to field season

This year, I begun my field work a few weeks early to get out some insect traps before the Bank Swallows arrived.  The first two weeks there wasn't much bird or bug activity, however this last week was loaded with midges!  The photo below is just one of the insect traps that I put out by Lake Ontario..and WOW....was it ever full of midges! There hadn't been many Bank Swallows on the lake at this point...I counted maybe 50 at most, so I am hoping that next week there will be many more around to take advantage of this hatch!

                                                

Bank Swallows just arrived into gravel pits this past week and I've seen them starting to scout out old burrows and starting to dig new ones.  Hopefully by next week they will be back in almost full force for me and my assistants to start recording!

There have been a variety of other birds out on the lake and in the pits however that have kept me entertained!  One of these has been the Savannah Sparrow....they are almost everywhere! At one site alone there was likely around 10 of them and I have even heard them at multiple gravel pits!  This was the first year I was actually able to get a nice shot of one!  

At another one of my sites on the lake, I saw my first Kestrel of the year.  It was entertaining to watch about four Northern Flickers flying all around the Kestrel, almost like they were all teasing it!  Suddenly a whole flock of Starlings also flew into the tree, while the Kestrel remained pretty oblivious to the snacks in the same tree as it!

 

One of the more exciting birds I saw came into the gravel pits just last week!  I have to say that it's one of my favourite sparrows just because of the amazing song that it sings....it was...the Vesper's Sparrow!  It was singing away up on a tree top, getting more and more vocal.  I took out my iPhone bird call app to double check that I did indeed ID it correctly by song (you sometimes forget after 6 months of them being gone!).  As soon as I played the call the little guy just got insanely feisty.  He started bouncing around a lot more, ruffling all his feathers, calling, and just being overall much more territorial.  Obviously, I got the ID correct!  So I turned off the sound asap, took a few shots of it, and went about my day!  The next day a few more showed up at some other pits....it really means summer is here eh!

At one particular pit, there is a pair of Killdeer who have nested the last few years amongst the gravel.  They blend so well into the environment that I often completely forget they are even there until they start with their "KILL" screams. Last year, they laid 4 eggs but my best guess is that they were predated, as we never saw any young. So my fingers are crossed that they become successful parents this year!

My assistants start tomorrow, which is so exciting and yet so terrifying to be a boss again!  I am really excited to take them out into the field.  I am hoping to try and write every weekend or so...and hopefully that hopes come true!  But...as anyone who has worked long hours in the field knows...weekends are meant to only sleep and eat!

Happy Naturing!

A sticky kinda night..

I'm a little behind on this post at this point....but that's what happens when field work gets going right!   Two Mondays ago, Mike and I went out with a friend to go experience salamander migration. Every year, these little guys travel from where they wintered to the ponds and areas where they will breed.

We drove up past Lakefield and begun our search.  If the number of frogs that we saw on the roads on our way there was any indication of the night to come....it was certainly going to be busy!  While we are out, we decided to also take some samples for Chytrid fungus.   This is a type of fungus that lives specifically in water and infects the skin of amphibians.  In recent years, it has been causing quite a stir as it has been killing a large number of frogs in many parts of the world.  Amphibians who are infected tend to have a discolouration of the skin, and thus the best way to test for this fungus is to take swabs from the belly, underarm, and mouth.

Amelia and Mike taking swabs of a Blue-spotted Salamander

Our night started with a bunch (and by a bunch I mean SO MANY) Spring Peepers.  As we drove down the road to our search spot, everything we found within the first 40 minutes were peepers.  It was a really nice treat as usually I find Spring Peepers so difficult to spot! After a while, it felt like everything we were moving off the road was a peeper!

Halfway through the road we finally came across some other critters!   These included wood frogs, leopard frogs and also seeing my very first Blue and Yellow-spotted Salamanders!! 

Wood Frog

(left) Blue-spotted Salamander; (right) Yellow-spotted Salamander crossing the road

 I was so awesome to finally be also to see these Salamanders, I'd been wanting to for so long!!!   Such a treat.  I really loved how vibrant the yellow spots were too!  One thing I really didn't call for was how sticky they were!  Especially the Blue-spotted, I think it took almost a full day to really wash it all off.  Here's a few more shots of my favourite!!

Coming in a close second from the night is an awesome Wood Frog that I found! It was absolutely stunning and incredibly red. I had never seen something like it before!!

Hope everyone is having an amazing start to "spring" minus the recent snowfall.

Happy Naturing!

The Waxwings

The one frustrating thing about birding for me has always been those few bird species who always look like another similar species.

I've been birding for a few years now and there have been two sets that have always seemed to elude me. The first, is the Canada vs. Cackling Goose.  For the life of me I never seem to be able to pick out that one Cackling goose in the flock.  There have been multiple reported in Peterborough this spring and although I've tried to find it many times now...I have yet to!  The second, is the Cedar vs. Bohemian Waxwing.  For a few years now I have tried to identify one in the field amongst a flock however, the differences always felt so minute, that it was hard to.

A few days ago Mike and I went on a walk to Beavermede Park.  I feel so luck to live across from such an area that when I feel the stress building, it's my retreat. This particular day we had been working since early in the morning and took an hour to go for a relaxing walk.

At Beavermede we saw a few usual species; Canada Geese, Mallards, an Osprey, song sparrows, robins, etc.   We hiked out towards where the campsites were, and this was where we saw a large flock of Cedar Waxwings.   They were everywhere!  At first they all just looked like Cedar Waxwings to me, however I took out my Ibird app on my phone and did a quick scan between the two waxwings to see what differences I should be looking for with both site and sound.

We sat near a tiny puddle where the birds seems to be landing to take a drink.  I began just snapping photos trying to get every bird I could, in hopes that I could spot the differences when I got back home.  While looking at the photos now I do spot the differences, we were able to finally see them in the field!   

At first we focused on the belly, being more of a gray colour than yellow.  In the sunlight, however, this proved to be pretty difficult to gauge.  I then decided that it was likely best to look at the wings instead.  A main difference between the two was that while Cedar Waxings have a solid gray wings (minus the little red waxy tips), Bohemian Waxwings have this same colouring but with white bars across the feathers.  

So while these waxwings landed on the ground to drink, I finally took notice of these differences.  I managed to snap a perfect photo of the two almost side by side (below).  The front bird is the Bohemian, notice the white on the wingbars and the more rufous under-tail.  Behind it, is the Cedar Waxwing with the solid wing colour.  

It was incredibly exciting to finally be able to spot the differences between the two!  It is always rewarding to be able to spot and ID new species, however I found it particularly rewarding in this case since the two have always looked so similar to me.   Now all I need is that darned goose!

Happy Naturing!

Little Lake Cemetery Visit

This past Wednesday I took a drive to Little Lake Cemetary with my labmate Dan, and Walter Wehtje after our lab meeting.  I had gone for a run the night before and saw plenty of ducks, but of course had no binos with me.

Just as I was driving into the cemetery, I saw what I thought was an Osprey fly over, but "it's too early isn't it?!" I thought.  Dan was already at the cemetery and confirmed that it was indeed an Osprey!  We then looked at Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Mallards, Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Ducks, Canada Geese, and 4 pairs of Hooded Mergansers swimming around. Dan mentioned that he saw a Lesser Scaup, however it wasn't until after he left and when Walter arrived that I was able to find it again.

Before Walter arrived, I walked around and noticed a few Chickadees, Robins, Starlings, and a flock of Cedar Waxwings, which were a first of the year for me!

 Just as Walter pulled into the area, I noticed a little "duck" floating really close to the shoreline.  You know those moments were you just assume what it is and carry on?  Well, I ALMOST did that.  I almost drove right by it thinking it was another female mallard, but something made me stop, reverse, and get out for a second look.  I am so glad that I did too, because I saw my year-first Pie-billed Grebe swimming away from me! I don't believe I saw one last year, so it was a nice to be able to check it off.  What little cuties they are too!

We stayed around and looked for a wee bit.  After a while, we finally re-spotted the Lesser Scaup too!  It took us a little while to really find all the qualities that made it a Lesser as opposed to a Greater, however both of us ended up being comfortable with our choice.  Just as we were about to pack up, I heard a very familiar rattling call. Yup...it was my first Belted Kingfisher of the year!! Can't believe they are all back already!

Within the last few days I also had the first Song Sparrow visit my bird feeder!  The squirrels are still hanging around almost non-stop.  I noticed this grey one yesterday that looked just hilarious shedding and changing into its summer coat. So, naturally, I couldn't resist taking a photo!

I hope that everyone had a great Easter/long weekend!!

Happy Naturing!

Spring....is coming??

It may be hard to believe that spring is on its way, especially with it being March 27th yesterday and watching it snow!!   There have been a few slight signs of spring here in Peterborough, however my little visit to Sudbury was anything BUT spring.

My feeder hasn't seen too much action lately.  The typical chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch...the Juncos don't seem to be around as much lately, although they did make an appearance today!  The newest member to my feeder has been a Chipmunk!  Last time I saw the little guy was probably back in November, so it was a nice sign of spring to set my eyes on the little critter!  Not to mention they can't climb and tip over my feeder!

Last weekend I made a quick weekend trip to Sudbury to visit the boyfriend.  I generally bird all along the 400/69 highway up there and try to make a little outing.  On the way there I noticed quite a few bufflehead on any sort of open water that they could find, but not much else was around to look at!  I made a quick stop at French River Provincial Park and walked along the bridge to see what was around.  I was really surprised at how much ice was everywhere and the fact that the only bird I actually saw were Black-capped Chickadees.

There was also a beautiful sun halo that I noticed while on my drive.  I was lucky enough to have been able to pull over and take a photo of it before it disappeared.  I had never really seen a sun halo like this before, so it was pretty neat!

While in Sudbury, Mike and I took a little hike out at Onaping Falls.  It was our first time visiting here and I must say, it's pretty beautiful in the winter!!  The falls were almost all still frozen over, although in some parts you could see (and hear) the water rushing past under all the ice.  Most of the path here was frozen over still, or full of incredibly deep snow (incredibly deep at least if you are as short as me!).  There was no sign of any wildlife here, not even the chirp of a Chickadee or the caw of a Raven.  It's amazing how I left Peterborough where birds were really moving, and drove up here where there isn't even a peep!  It was nice to have one last winter hike though, as now the drizzle of rain seems to be taking over the precipitation patterns.

Once back in Peterborough it looked a lot more like spring.  There was a bit of grass showing and definitely more birds out and about.   I even saw my 50th species of the year....a Song Sparrow!!   

Hoping that it starts to warm up even more and that everyone is having a great start to spring!

Happy Naturing!

Waterfowl Festival at Presqu'ile Provincial Park

This weekend marked the 39th Annual Waterfowl Weekend at Presqu'ile Provincial Park near Brighton.  This weekend is full of children's activities, vendors (such as Bushnell and Henry's!) and, of course, waterfowl viewing.

A group of us from Trent carpooled together to volunteer for the event and it definitely did not disappoint!



Walter Wehtje and I were stationed together at the Lighthouse Blind for most of the morning. Thankfully there was a little blind there as it was a pretty miserable day!  The rain was a constant mist and the wind wasn't strong...but it definitely wasn't still either.  We had a number of visitors despite the weather, some even travelling as far from Burlington, Ottawa, and Parry Sound for the event!





At the lighthouse there were quite a few ducks, but not the best variety.  Throughout the morning we watched Long-tailed Ducks, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, and every-so-often a White-winged Scoter would pop up.  There was still quite a bit of ice on the bay and lake, however it didn't seem to be AS bad as last year and some of the ducks were able to come up a little closer to give visitors a great view.  There were quite a few dead ducks on the ice (of course with no head...) so it made us think that there must be some owls around!

We then all met back up after our shifts and took one last look out at the Lighthouse area.  Nothing two new showed up...but we did hear some talk about a Harlequin Duck that showed up earlier in the day, as well as the Red-throated Loon that had been around for a few days. 

We drove over to the Government Dock where a second set of scopes were set up.  There was definitely a lot more ice in this area, however further into the bay where it was open were a crap ton of ducks!!   The photo below doesn't even do it justice.

Ducks flying in Presqu'ile Bay

It was difficult to get every species of duck that was sitting out there on the ice, although the variety was superb!  Greater (and likely some Lesser) Scaup and Redhead were the most populous at this spot.  There was also a decent number of Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Long-tailed Ducks and also a dappling of Hooded, Red-breasted and Common Mergansers!  We even had an appearance by the Red-throated Loon, which was a lifer for me!   Unfortunately, the Harlequin Duck wasn't there anymore by the time we arrived...but hopefully I'll see one sometime!

Overall, it was a fantastic day of birding!  Even with the misty rain and fog we were still able to see a great variety of ducks and a lifer. Best of all, it was a nice day away from the books where I got to spend time with some awesome fellow bird nerds!

Errands and birding do get along!

Today was a day full of errands.  Running to school for meetings, downtown for a bunch of little chores, grocery shopping, laundry....you know those days.  I had been really hoping to set aside some time today to head up the river and take some photos of Goldeneye and a Long-tailed Duck that had been hanging around, but unfortunately, time seemed to have run out.


In Peterborough, the No Frills grocery store is right beside a section of the Otonobee River, very close to Millenium Park.  I will admit that I not only shop there for the lower prices....but also because I can park in the lot and make the excuse to bird a bit with the "but the river is just RIGHT THERE" excuse.  That reasoning came into play today and I hopped on over to the pathway by the river to see a lot of movement!  There were more mallards than I had seen all winter in this spot, as well as Gulls, and one lone Canada Goose.



I am not very good at gull ID, in fact it is probably my worst guild to ID.  My first step was to count how many Herring Gulls there were amongst the Ring-billed Gulls.  Check. As I was scanning I was very excited to note incredibly dark gulls!  Thankfully I had seen Great Black Backed Gulls before...however the question of is it a great or a lesser came into my mind?

Taking out my birding app I noted a key feature between these two species is leg colour.  As this one had pinkish legs I know that I could ID it with certainty as a Great Black Backed Gull (GBBG).  It is nice how these stand out so distinctly from the Ring-billed and Herring gulls.  From the limited number of gulls I have seen thus far, I think these may be one of my favourites!


As I scanned the ice to count the number of GBBG's I noticed a few incredibly white gulls.  In fact, they seemed to be almost pure white!   My initial thought was that they were Iceland Gulls, mainly because this is the only gull I knew to be pure white.  I took a variety of photos so that when I got home I could scan through my field guide and get a better idea of what it could be.

Looking through my field guide made me feel like Iceland Gull just wasn't quite right due to it's size, bill, etc.  So my next option was a Glaucous Gull.  This one is larger in size to a Herring (check) and as a friend of mine pointed out to me, had a bi-coloured bill (check!).  Through these I was able to fully verify it was indeed a few Glaucous Gulls, which is a lifer for me!!  Scanning one photo in particular (below) there is a perfect example of both an adult and a juvenile Glaucous Gull. The one on the left, is an adult. We can see that it looks remarkably like a Herring Gull, however it is larger and doesn't have the black wing tips.  The one beside it, which is almost pure white, is the juvenile.

Being one of the only spots of open water around Peterborough, grocery shopping has definitely been one of my favourite excuses to get out and bird, errr... I mean do chores....eh.

Hope everyone has been enjoying the last few days of warm weather!  Spring is on it's way!