Snowy Owl - south of Keswick

Photo by BarrytheBirder

West end of Ravenshoe Road

I took the above photo last Sunday morning, February 21st, at the west end of the Ravenshoe Sideroad, just south of Lake Simcoe's Cook's Bay, and just east of the Holland River.   For many years, local birders have visited here, each winter, with reasonable expectations of seeing Snowy Owls wintering on this Holland River wetlands sideroad.   The owls are generally quite approachable and patient with birders' binoculars and cameras.   Being quiet and moving (and driving) slowly are the bywords here, in this part of York Region.   The 'snowies' start arriving here in late november and stay for approximately 3 to 4 months.   They should be around for approximately another month, especially in the two reliable spots in York Region:   at the end of the Ravenshoe Road and in the Holland Marsh.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Birds at Terra Nova, B.C. by Dave Kemp...

 Photos by Dave Kemp

Spotted Towhee

American Coot

Cooper's Hawk (juvenile)

Northern Flicker

British Columbia Coastal Marsh

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

 

The Mourning Doves' worst enemies...

The Sharp-shinned Hawk       &       The Cooper'sHawk

I am definitely an admirer of both the Sharp-shinned Hawk and the Cooper's Hawk.   I am also quite fond of Mourning Doves, which are the favourite backyard prey of the two hawks I have just mentioned.   The hawks are able to catch several types of birds, but a single plump Mourning Dove makes a banquet for a hawk.   In the grand scheme of things, I suppose losing one or two Mourning Doves each week is not a big deal, unless of course you are the Mourning Dove.

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Please comment if you wish. 

BarrytheBirder

This spotted starling...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

"... starlings that visit our garden

with their backs cloaked in golden hearts"

                                                                    -- Laurie Graves 2018

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

Recent European Starling photos...

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Winter sighting of Spotted Towhee in London, Ontario

Photo by Dave Kemp

 SPOTTED TOWHEE

(Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

A Spotted Towhee has made several rare winter appearances at a feeder alongside the Thames River in London, Ontario, in the middle of February.  Four different birders have spotted the towhee and recorded its presence.  The Spotted Towhee normally resides in the western and  central United States, south-western Canada and central Mexico.   Its appearance is generally noticed as different from the Eastern Towhee by the white spots on its back.   The photo above was taken four years ago by my Delta, B.C. friend and birder Dave Kemp.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

How many hummingbird species in this world?

Photo by BarrytheBirder

377 

So says my new ''All the Birds of the World" encyclopedia.  Moreover, all 377 species (in106 genera) are only to be found in the 'New world'.   Below is a list of given names for many of those hummingbirds that do not even mention 'hummingbird' in the name.   I'm not sure why hummingbird wouldn't be part of an official name, but perhaps some of the bird names are very old and others are translations from other languages.   New hummingbirds are being discovered all the time and new names are created.   It seems to me that 75% of hummingbirds do not have 'hummingbird' in their names, while about 25% do have 'hummingbird' as part of their official names.   Here are those other deliberately declared proper names for many of the new world hummingbirds as they appear in All the Birds of the World:

Crimson Topaz

Fiery Topaz

White-necked Jacobin

Black Jacobin

White-tipped Sicklebill

Buff-tailed Sicklebill

Saw-billed Hermit

Hook-billed Hermit 

Bronzy Hermit

Rufous-billed Hermit

Band-tailed Barbthroat

Pale-tailed Barbthroat

Sooty Barbthroat

Broad-tipped Hermit

Dusky-throated Hermit

Streak-throated Hermit

Little Hermit

Tapajos Hermit

Minute Hermit

Cinnamon-throated Hermit

Black-throated Hermit

Stripe-throated Hermit

Grey-chinned Hermit

Porculla Hermit

Reddish Hermit

White-browed Hermit

Buff-bellied Hermit

Sooty-capped Hermit

Planalto Hermit

Scale-throated Hermit

Pale-bellied Hermit

White-bearded Hermit

White -whiskered Hermit

Green Hermit

Tawny-bellied Hermit

Koepcke's Hermit

Needle-billed Hermit

Straight-billed Hermit

Ash-bellied Hermit

Mexican Hermit

Long-billed Hermit

Ecuadorian Hermit

Long-tailed Hermit

Great-billed Hermit

Green-fronted Lancebill

Blue-fronted Lancebill

Hyacinth Visorbearer

Hooded Visorbearer

Drown Violet-ear

Green Violet-ear

Lesser Violet-ear

Sparkling Vidor-ear

White-vented Violet-ear

Horned Sungem

Purple-crowned Fairy

Black-eared Fairy

White-tailed Goldenthroat

Tepui Goldenthroat

Green-tailed Goldenthroat

Fiery-tailed Awlbill

Green-throated Mango

Green-breasted Mango

Black-throated Mango

Veraguas Mango

Hispaniolan Mango

Puerto Rican Mango

Green Mango 

Jamaican Mango

Green-throated Carib

Purple-throated Carib

Orange-throated Sunangel

Merida Sunangel

Longuemare's Sunangel

Amethyst-throated Sunangel

Gorgeted Sunangel

Tourmaline Sunangel

Little Sunangel

Purple-throated Sunangel

Royal Sunangel

Green-backed Firecrown

Juan Fernandez Firecrown

Green Thorntail

Wire-crested Thorntail

Black-bellied Thorntail

Coppery Thorntail

Racket-tailed Coquette

Tufted Coquette

Dot-eared Coquette

Frilled Coquette

Short-created Coquette

Rufous-crested Coquette

Spangled Coquette

Festive Coquette

Butterfly Coquette

Peacock Coquette

Black-crested Coquette

White-crested Coquette

Ecuadorian Piedtail

Peruvian Piedtail

Long-tailed Sylph 

Violet-tailed Sylph

Venezuelan Sylph

Red-tailed Comet

Grey-bellied Comet

Bronze-tailed Comet

Ecuadorian Hillstar

Andean Hillstar

Green-headed Hillstar

Blue-throated Hillstar

White-sided Hillstar

Black-breasted Hillstar

White-tailed Hillstar

Mountain Avocetbill

Black-tailed Trainbearer

Green-tailed Trainbearer

Black-backed Thornbill

Puple-backed Thornbill

Rufous-capped Thornbill

Olivaceous Thornbill

Blue-mantled Thornbill

Bronze-tailed Thornbill

Rainbow-bearded Thornbill

Blue-beared Helmetcrest

White-bearded Helmetcrest

Green-bearded Helmetcrest

Buffy Helmetcrest

Western Mountaineer

Eastern Mountaineer

Perija Metaltail

Tyrian Metaltail

Viridean Metaltail

Violet-throated Metaltail

Neblina Metaltail

Coppery Metaltail

Fire-throated Metaltail

Scaled Metaltail

Black Metaltail

Greenish Puffleg

Buff-thighed Puffleg

Hoary Puffleg

Black-breasted Puffleg

Gorgeted Puffleg

Glowing Puffleg

Black-thighed Puffleg

Turquoise-throated Puffleg

Coppery-bellied Puffleg

Sapphire-vented Puffleg

Coppery-naped Puffleg

Golden-breasted Puffleg

Blue-capped Puffleg

Colorful Puffleg

Emerald-bellied Puffleg

Marvelous Spatuletail

Shining Sunbeam

White-tufted Sunbeam

Purple-backed Sunbeam

Black-hooded Sunbeam

Bronzy Inca

Black Inca

Brown Inca

Green Inca

Collared Inca

Vilcabamba Inca

Gould's Inca

Huanuco Starfrontlet

Apurimac Starfrontlet

Cuzco Starfrontlet

Bolivian Starfrontlet

Rainbow Starfrontlet

White-tailed Starfrontlet

Glittering Starfrontlet

Buff-winged Starfronlet

Perija Starfrontlet

Golden-bellied Starfrontlet

Golden Starfrontlet

Blue-throated Starfrontlet

Mountain Velvetbreast

Great Sapphirewing

Buff-tailed Coronet

Chestnut-breasted Coronet

Velvet-purple Coronet

White-booted Racket-tail

Peruvian Racket-tail

Rufous-booted Racket-tail

Rufous-backed Hillstar

Green-backed Hillstar

Purple-bibbed Whitetip

Rufous-vented Whitetip

Velvet-browed Brilliant

Pink-throated Brilliant

Rufous-webbed Brilliant

Black-throated Brilliant

Black-breasted Brilliant

Gould's Brilliant

Green-crowned Brilliant

Empress Brilliant

Violet-fronted Brilliant

Brazilian Ruby

Golden-crowned Emerald

Western Emerald

Chiribiquete Emerald

Cuban Emerald

Hispaniolan Emerald

PuertoRican Emerald

Glittering-bellied Emerald

Coppery Emerald

Narrow-tailed Emerald

Green-tailed Emerald

Short-tailed Emerald

Blue-chinned Emerald

Green-crowned Plovercrest

Santa Marta Blossomcrown

Tolima Blossomcrown

Scaly-breasted Sabrewing

Curve-winged Sabrewing

Wedge-tailed Sabrewing

Long-tailed Sabrewing

Grey-breasted Sabrewing

Dry-forest Sabrewing

Rufous Sabrewing

Rufous-breasted Sabrewing

Violet Sabrewing

White-tailed Sabrewing

Luziline Sabrewing

Santa Marta Sabrewing

Napo Sabrwing

Buff-breasted Sabrewing

White-tailed Emerald

Coppery-headed Emerald

Snowcap

White-vented Plumeleteer

Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer

Crowned Woodnymph

Mexican Woodnymph

Fork-tailed Woodnymph

Long-tailed Woodnymph

Violet-capped Woodnymph

Plain-bellied Emerald

Versicolored Emerald

White-chested Emerald

Andean Emerald

White-bellied Emerald

Honduran Emerald

Glittering-throated Emerald

Sapphire-spangled Emerald

Red-billed Streamertail

Black-billed Streamertail

Golden-tailed Sapphire

Blue-throated Goldentail

White-chinned Sapphire

Plain-capped Starthroat

Long-billed Starthroat

Stripe-breasted Starthroat

Blue-tufted Starthroat

Green-throated Mountain-gem

Green-breasted Mountain-gem

Amethyst-throated Mountain-gem

Blue-throated Mountain-gem

White-bellied Mountain Gem

Purple-throated Mountain-gem

Grey-tailed Mountain-gem

Sparkling-tailed Woodstar

White-throated Mountain-gem

Amethyst Woodstar

Peruvian Sheartail

Purple-collared Woodstar

Chilean Woodstar

Slender-tailed Woodstar

White-bellied Woodstar

Little Woodstar

Gorgeted Woodstar

Santa Marta Woodstar

Esmeraldas Woodstar

Rufous-shafted Woodstar

Magenta-throated Woodstar

Purple-throated Woodstar

Slender Sheartail

Mexican Sheartail

Bahama Woodstar

Inagua Woodstar

I suppose if I'm asked in the future "Have you ever heard of a White-throated Mountain-gem?", I can say yes and that I've even seen a painting of what one looks like.   Just don't ask me if I've ever seen a live White-throated Mountain-gem.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Pine Siskins like never before...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Pine Siskin

(Spinus pinus)

Every winter my backyard bird feeders are covered with American Goldfinches and many winters produce numerous House Finches.   But this year, for whatever reason(s), Pine Siskins are here by the dozens and dozens, all day, every day. In 30 years of backyard bird feeding, I don't recall as many siskins.   No doubt there is a natural explanation for this.  Most likely it is because of seed crop failure in the boreal woods.  Their normal year-around range is an eastern and central band along the Canada/USA border.  Their breeding range is further north, as far as the southern tip of James Bay.   They are normally gregarious, but erratic in winter.  Fond of salt, they can be found on road edges salted to melt snow. 

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Valentine's Day brunch in the Holland Marsh

                                                                                                Photos by BarrytheBirder

Red-tailed Hawk

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Rupke Road, Holland Marsh ~ Snowy Owl

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Snowy Owl sightings

in the Holland Marsh are quite reliable these days.   This female or (juvenile) was fairly cooperative at the top of a very high pole, but eventually gave up on me and took off.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Near the bird feeders...

                                                                                                                Photos by BarrytheBirder

 

Thirsty Pine Siskins (above) and a Starling (at right) hydrate themselves by eating snow on top of my garden shed.

Please comment 

if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

In the Holland Marsh - west side of Hwy. 400

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Rough-legged Hawk

(Buteo lagopus)

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Carrying Place Golf Course - Weston Road

Photos by Barry Wallace

Several Trumpeter Swans continue to over-winter on the large pond in front of King Township's Carrying Place Golf & Country Club on Weston Road, just north of the Lloydtown-Aurora Road.   Two patches of open water are aerated and the big birds are supplied with food.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

British Columbia coastal birds by Dave Kemp...

Photos by Dave Kemp 

Great Blue Heron

Pied-billed Grebe

Green-winged Teal

Song Sparrow

Widgeon

(possible American / European hybrid)

Bald Eagle

South Arm of the Fraser River 

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Snowy Owl - north of Queensville

Photos by Cam McNab 

Snowy Owl photos by new birder

These photos were taken by my new friend (and new to birding) Cameron McNab of Holland Landing, Ontario.   Cam has a BASc in Civil Engineering from the University of Toronto and is currently a young "engineer-in-training" with R.V. Anderson Associates Limited.   Cam took these photos on the Ravenshoe Sideroad, north of Queensville.   This female, or juvenile, Snowy Owl was perched on a barn roof (above) and then swooped down and snatched up a small rodent, which it took it to a nearby perch and ate its catch.   Good sighting, Cam.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

.  

Andean Cock-of-the-rock in Bolivia...

 

Photo by Dave Kemp

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock

(Rupicola peruvianus)

My friend Dave Kemp, from British Columbia, who has been sharing with me many of his bird photos, from Canada's west coast, surprised me again yesterday when he sent me the photo above of a bird he photographed in Cartagena, Columbia.   The bird's somewhat alliterative name is the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock.   It is also known by the name 'Tunki' and is about 13" long.  The day before yesterday I was pleased to show bird photos by Dave from Kenya.   It seems this birder-photographer has been blessed with some exotic travels.   Many thanks for sharing your photographs Dave.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

South African birds by Dave Kemp

 Photos by Dave Kemp

Secretarybird

(Sagittarius Serpantarius)

Southern Red Bishop

(Euplectes orix)

Southern Double-coloured Sunbird

(Cinnyris chalybeus)

Pin-Tailed Whydah

(Vidua macroura)

My special thanks to birder-Photographer Dave Kemp, of British Columbia, for sharing the photographs above, which he shot on vacation in South Africa in 2009.   Dave and his wife visited Capetown and surrounding areas at the time.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder