Juvenile Starlings are moulting...

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

Juvenile European Starlings have lost their smooth, mouse grey/pale brown colouring which they have displayed between May and August and are taking on their juvenile moulting look (above left photo) which starts the darker, speckled look they show in the July to September period.   They then move on to the adulting breeding look (above right photo) between December and August.   There are two other plumages: one being the juvenile (May to August) and the adult non-breeding (September to February).   All of these phases have overlapping time periods with all other Starlings depending on the actual egg-laying and hatches dates.

Moulting Juvenile look

Adult Breeding look

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BarrytheBirder

 

Okay, one at a time...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

SPARROW SPA

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BarrytheBirder

Fox Sparrow

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

FOX SPARROW

Passerella iliaca

I happened across a Fox Sparrow in my photo file today and I realized I hadn't seen one in a while.   I thought of the first one I had ever seen in Mississauga on my very first Federation of Ontario Naturalists outing, 26 years ago.   That particular sighting was the one that is officially recorded on my life list.  The FON outing had just begun and I spotted the Fox Sparrow 10' in front of me.   I alerted the tour leader who pointed it out to everyone on the tour.   Everyone was delighted to see it because it is such a large and colourful sparrow.   I was slightly embarrassed that I had so quickly spotted and identified this bird, because I was supposed to be a neophyte birder, like everyone else that day.   Even the tour leader gave me a skeptical look.   I tried to stay out of sight near the rear of the group for the rest of the day.   This sparrow is so brightly coloured that is almost impossible not to see it readily, if it is nearby.   They are always a great sighting.   I you've seen one, you've probably never forgotten it.

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Barry the birder   

Nictating membrane over hawk's eye...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

It was only after I took the photo above, that I realized this hawk had covered the lens of its eye with the nictating membrane which many birds have as additional protection for their eyes.   To some people the look is a little spooky but it is not  frequently seen.   The nictating membrane is a translucent third eyelid present in some birds, that can be moved across the eye, to protect and moisten it while maintaining vision.  Some animals and reptiles have a similar ocular ability. 

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BarrytheBirder   

The birding numbers game...

                                                                                                        Photo by BarrytheBirder

aCanada Warblera (Cardellina canadensis)

Is there a bird species exclusive to Canada?

Even though the Canada Warbler (pictured above) has the word Canada in its name, it is not an exclusive bird to Canada.   No bird in the world is exclusive to Canada.   Of the 462 bird species in Canada, just three breed only in Canada: the Harris's Sparrow, the Ross's Goose and the Whopping Crane.   But that doesn't count in the grand scheme of things. 

How many bird species are in the world?

The IOC World Bird List states there are 10,787 extant bird species and 158 extinct species of birds of the world, with sub-species numbering (20,003) and annotations.   For decades and decades, avid birder watchers have been chasing the 10,000 bird species mark, only to be told in the 21st century, that they have another 10,000 sub-species to go.   Thank goodness, I quit counting at 425.

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BarrytheBirder

First fill-up of the day is usually a big one...

 

Photo by Barry Wallace

Each morning, there is always one female Ruby-throated hummingbird that seems to be the first to arrive at the nectar feeders.  Usually around the time the sun comes up, although a wee bit later each day, as August is 2/3rds over now.   This hummer does not hover over the first perch each morning, but rather plunks itself down and sits until it has finished filling up for the first part of the day.   It usually returns every 10 minutes or so for the next hour or so.   In 2019, the last hummer left our garden and headed south on September 20.  What tiny, intrepid survivors!

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BarrytheBirder

Jay has use of only one leg...

 

                                                                                                           Photo by BarrytheBirder

I showed this poor Blue Jay several days ago and I am featuring it here again, so that you may see that it is adapting well to its new disabled situation.   If it can continue to live its world nearby to a regularly filled feeder, it may subsist, even in the winter.   I'll do my best to keep a special eye out for it and to keep my feeders topped up.

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BarrytheBirder   

At-risk bird species of the Happy Valley Forest...

Photos by BarrytheBIrder

King Township's 21,600-acre Happy Valley Forest and Pottageville Swamp are home to 18 species of birds that are designated as endangered, threatened, or of special concern:

                                                                           Bald Eagle - Photo by BarrytheBirder

Endangered:          Cerulean Warbler

                                Golden Eagle

                                Yellow-breasted Chat

Threatened:           Bank Swallow

                                Barn Swallow

                                Bobolink

                                Canada Warbler

                                Chimney Swift

                                Eastern Meadowlark

                                Eastern Whip-poor-will

                                Least Bittern

                                Red-headed Woodpecker

                                Wood Thrush

Special Concern:   Bald Eagle

                                Eastern Wood-Pewee

                                Grasshopper Sparrow

                                Peregrine Falcon

                                Short-eared Owl     

The Happy Valley Forest, atop the Oak Ridges Moraine, in King Township, has existed undisturbed for more than 100 years and will achieve 'old-growth forest' status in another 50 to 100 years.

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BarrytheBirder

Swans...made for cameras

 

Photos by Barry Wallace

TRUMPETER SWAN

MUTE SWAN

JUVENILE TRUMPETERS

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BarrytheBirder

Birds busy in backyard...

                                       

NORTHERN CARDINAL

(Cardinalis cardinalis)

Pictured above is a mature male Northern Cardinal, on the left, and a juvenile male Northern Cardinal, on the right, at the backyards feeders.   Below, is a male cardinal feeding a male juvenile cardinal at one of the feeders.

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BarrythBirder

                   

Male Cardinal supervises foraging by fledglings...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BarrytheBirder

Trumpeter Swans keep popping up in King...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Trumpeter Swans are appearing more and more often, it seems, on King Township ponds during times of the year when they would normally be further north, mating and raisings cygnets.   Some are owned by pond owners who may be conducting a breeding program, while others may be loners which are no longer answering the mating urge and are living contentedly in public spaces which have parks with ponds or wetlands.   They are wonderful to watch.   In the photo below a Trumpeter has chosen a pond with a fountain, on the 10th Concession.

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BarrytheBirder

Most abundant land birds in North American...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

American Robin ~ 320 million

 

Red-winged Blackbird ~ 210 million

European Starling ~ 200 million

This blog entry came about because of a discussion between my brother-in-law, Patrick, and I about the Baltimore (Northern) Oriole population  in North America.   As it turns out, the oriole population is currently esimated as high as 12 million birds.   This puts it well down the ranking list for population numbers.   The population however is considered steady and not threatened.   Baltimore Orioles only have one brood per year, unlike the top three birds above, which have two to three broods per year.

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BarrytheBirder

Dufferin Marsh at Schomberg, Ontario

                                                                                                    Photos by BarrytheBirder

Male Mallards in eclipse plumage

Male Mallard ducks are seen above in their eclipse plumage, which occurs for approximately four weeks between June and September, and makes the males resemble their female partners.   They are seen below in flight and their white and blue upper wing patches are readily visible.

Making another appearance, as it did a week ago in this space, is a Green Heron at the Dufferin Marsh behind the Brownsville Junction Shopping Centre, in Schomberg.

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BarrytheBirder  

Female Baltimore Oriole...

 

                                                                                                      Photos by BarrytheBirder

Here are two of my favourite pictures of a foraging female Baltimore Oriole which I photographed on the edge of Dufferin Street, just south of Andsnorveldt, in the Holland Marsh.

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BarrytheBirder

The overlooked Black-capped Chickadee...

 

                                                                                                Photos by Barry Wallace

My including photos of a Black-capped Chickadees in this space is way overdue, but my two favourite pictures of this charming little bird were taken in the wintertime, and it is now August.  Nevertheless, I am pleased to show them once again.   Ohhhh, to hold one in my hand. 

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BarrytheBirder

Beneath the boardwalk at Lake Wilcox Park...

                                                                                                   Photos by BarrytheBirder

      Early morning Mallards  ~  still abed

 

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BarrytheBirder

                                      

Update on trapped sparrow...

                                                                                                          Photo by BarrytheBirder

Pictured above is the House Sparrow that got trapped by its right leg in a seed-feeder perch a day or so ago (photo below).  I carefully extricated the bird from its dilemma and it quickly flew off.  The next day it returned to eating at the feeder, but it was hopping about very uneasily.   I guess it did injure itself slightly, but is still able to fly and feed.

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comment

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wish.

BarrytheBirder

First American Goldfinch at feeder with leg band...

 

                                                                                            Photo by BarrytheBirder

After 30 years of seeing American Goldfinches at my backyard bird feeders, the Goldfinch pictured above is the first one I have ever seen with a leg band.   I supposed I'm used to more uncommon or exotic birds having leg bands.   But I also know that bird banding itself is becoming much more commonplace.   The total population of American Goldfinches is estimated at 42 million and faces no serious threat, but apparently someone, somewhere, has banded at least one.  This goldfinch begins breeding later in the year than almost any other North American bird and lays four to six eggs only once in late summer.   The species is one of the most vegetarian species in the bird world, and in Canada is very partial to Niger seeds at feeders, during the winter.

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BarrytheBirder

White-breasted Nuthatch follows 'hummer' around...

 

This attractive female Ruby-throated Hummingbird spent most of this past Saturday being followed around by an immature White-breasted Nuthatch, which didn't seem to know whether it was as nectar-eater or a seed-eater.   The male (or female) nuthatch had no luck at the nectar feeders but throughout the day it became more successful at the nut and seed feeders.  By Sunday, the White-breasted Nuthatch had quickly learned that it was a seed and nut eater (see bottom three photos).

Photos

by

Barry

the

Birder

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BarrytheBirder