British Columbia's official bird is also a jay...

Photo by Dave Kemp

STELLAR'S JAY

The official bird of British Columbia

Found from southern B.C. to northern B.C. and in the Queen Charlotte Islands.  It was declared the official provicial bird on December 17, 1987.   It was voted most popular bird by citizens of British Columbia.
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BarrytheBirder

More official birds from Canada's provinces...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Nova Scotia ~ Osprey

New Brunswick ~ Black-capped Chickadee

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BarrytheBirder

Other official Canadian provincial birds...

Having mentioned the official bird of one of Canada's provinces yesterday, I feel obliged to mention Canada's other official provincial and territorial birds.

                                                                           Snowy Owl photo by BarrytheBirder

Owls are official birds in three

Canadian provinces.

     1. Alberta - Great Horned Owl

     2. Manitoba - Great Gray Owl 

     3. Quebec - Snowy Owl

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BarrytheBirder

Is a Blue Jay really blue?

                                                                                    Photo by BarrytheBirder

BLUE JAY

(Cyanocitta cristata)

The pigment in Blue Jay feathers is melanin, which is brown.  The blue colour is caused by scattering light through modified cells on the surface of the feather barbs.   Yes, but why?  Oh, and by the way, the Blue Jay is the official bird of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island.

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BarrytheBirder

Hawk Owl persists in Schomberg...

Photos

by

Barry

the

Birder

The Hawk Owl at Dufferin Marsh in Schomberg continues to draw birders from near and far.   The mother and daughter duo above were from Toronto and were getting great photos on Friday of this week.   The Hawk Owl is well into its third month at the marsh in the centre of the village.

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BarrytheBirder

It likely happens more often than you think...

 Photo: Audubon / Jocelyn Anderson

The photos shown here are recent pictures from the Audubon website which feature young adoptive birds that have been taken in by other species parents.   The photo above and below show a young Canada Goose with its adoptive Sandhill Crane family.

The bottom photo shows a Goldeneye duckling getting a lift from its adopted Common Loon parent in British Columbia.

Accidental adoptions like these are not always successful and the unfortunate interloper often does not survive.   But those that do often go on to rejoin their own breed and live a normal existence thereafter.

 Photo: Audubon / Jocelyn Anderson 

Photo: Audubon / Doug Giles

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BarrytheBirder

A superb nightime hunter...

                                                                Photo: Peter Trimming / British Wildlife Centre

BARN OWL
(Tyto alba)

I was just flipping through my copy of Kenn Kaufman's Lives of North American Birds and came across his entry for Barn Owl.   For some reason I always thought the Barn Owl was a single species found in North America.   Thanks to Mr. Kaufmann, I now know Barn Owls are: "One of the most widespread of all 'landbirds', found on six continents and many islands".   Elsewhere I have learned there are two families of owls.   One family is the Barn Owl family, of which there are 16 species.   The second family is known as the True Owl family, of which there are nearly 220 living species.
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BarrytheBirder     

Plump Chipping Sparrows thriving at my backyard feeders...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

2020 is turning out to be the second winter in a row when we have had Chipping Sparrows at the feeders every day, here just of north of Toronto and Lake Ontario.  They are plump and a delight to watch. I have read reports that Chipping Sparrow populations are decreasing in North America.   What a shame.   'Chippies' are charmers.   Long may they thrive here throughout the year.  

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BarrytheBirder

Found in southern Canada ~ but is a winter migrant...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Eastern Towhee
(Pipilo erythrophthalmus)

After going on and on about my new towhee t-shirt yesterday, I realized I had a few Eastern Towhee photos that I could share, so here are some.   There's really no mistaking this bird with is three distinctive colours.   Its 'drink you tea' song is rather distinctive also.   And what about that name 'towhee'?  The name is echoic of one of its calls, and as far back as the 1700s listeners picked up on the imitative call of the bird.

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BarrytheBirder

I finally own a Phil Chadwick artwork...

I've been an admirer of Phil Chadwick's paintings for decades.   He was a resident of King Township for many years before moving to the eastern Ontario countryside several years ago.   Phil is a highly acclaimed and well-known 'plein air' artist, or outdoor artist, particularly of landscapes, lakesides, riverscapes and waterfall subject matter.   He has created thousands of works over the decades, been very successful at selling his work and has reached a stage in his art career, that reproductions of his originals are in demand and available in many forms.   One of those forms now is high-quality t-shirts.   When I saw the Eastern Towhee t-shirt (pictured above), I had to have one...and now BarrytheBirder does have one.   I'd like to think I will still have a 'Chadwick' artwork hanging on a wall one day and maybe I will...likely a print of one of his paintings.   You can find endless images of Phil's work online, including much more subject matter  than lakes and streams and breathtaking clouds...even fine portraits of people and their pets.   Have a look online.   His work is remarkable and outstanding.
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BarrytheBirder 

Bananaquit (Coereba flaveola)

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Photo: Leon-bojarczuk CC-BY-SA-2007

Found throughout the Caribbean and known by many names, such as Beany Bird, Sikye Bird, See See Bird, Honeycreeper, Sugar-bird, Yellow-breast.  It is known for its affinity to human environments, including my breakfast tables at many islands in the West Indies and Mexico

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if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

The 'eyes' have it...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

If you are like me and have both Cooper's Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks swooping down upon vulnerable Mourning Doves, below the feeders in your winter backyard, you may have wondered if the particular raptors are adults or juveniles.

Generally, if either of these acciptors has orange eyes, such as the Cooper Hawk above (on the left), it is an adult.   If either of these two birds has yellow eyes, such as the Sharp-shinned Hawk above (on the right), it is a juvenile.

There is always the exception to the rule, and an occasional Cooper's Hawk may have white eyes, or a juvenile Sharp-shinned may have brown eyes.   But generally speaking...

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BarrytheBirder

White-breasted Nuthatch loves sunflower seeds...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

...but prefers the unshelled seeds.

The Wild Birds Unlimited website says White-breasted Nuthatches typically take a single sunflower seed and fly to a nearby tree, then wedge it into the bark and hack it open with repeated blows from their bill.   In a study of their seed caching behaviour, it was found that they selected unshelled sunflower seeds approximately 25 percent more often than seeds still in the shell.   It appears this preference is driven by the fact that it takes the nuthatch about half the time to transport and cache an unshelled seed than it does a shelled one.

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BarrytheBirder

Black-capped Chickadees are charmers...

                                                                                                           Photos by BarrytheBirder

Black and white and gray with buffy underparts,

plus they are inquisitive, tame, trusting 

and quickly learn to feed from the hand.

What more could you ask of a feathered friend?

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BarrytheBirder

In a field nearby...

Photo and haiku by BarrytheBirder

gleaning geese heads bowed

searching throughout the stubble

light snow dusting them

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BarrytheBirder

Prettiest bird in the winter garden...

                                                                                                       Photo by BarrytheBirder

Thank goodness Northern Cardinals

don't go south for the winter.

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BarrytheBirder

Forgive my photo fascination with the feathers of the Starling...

                                                                                         Photos by BarrytheBirder

...but their colouration arouses the artist in me.

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BarrytheBirder

Bird carvings by Liza Chiu and Ron Sadler...

                                                                                                    Photos by BarrytheBirder

Pictured here are a couple of photos of my favourite carvings that I purchased over 30 years ago, when I first started birdwatching.   The one above is of a Western Grebe, created by Liza Chiu in 1987.   It is also seen in the photo below, on the left.   The one on the right, in the photo below, is of a loon and was carved by Ron Sadler in 1983.

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BarrytheBirder

A blog entry from 12 years ago...

2008: 374 species  ~  2020: 450 species

Below is a BarrytheBirder blog entry, and a photo, from 12 years ago.   It serves only to show how slow it is for some birders, like me, to add to their list of total species seen.

Photo by BarrytheBirder

"I have a couple of Tilley hats.   One of them is covered with lapel pins that I picked up on my travels.   At last count there are 74 pins and the hat is a bit heavy.  Most of them are related to birdwatching or other nature things.   There are, however, a number that are mementos of other interests and pastimes.  There are pins that have to do with major league sports, canoeing, volunteering, museums, vacations, etc.  There are even pins for the FBI and CIA (don't ask).

There are also two American Birding Association pins with numbers 200 and 300 on them (they're on the photo of my hat, above, at the top, in the centre).   I bought these pins for myself when I reached those plateaus on my bird species life list.   At one time, not so long ago, I was sure I would reach 500 and then 1,000, and on and on, as I chased world champion birder, Phoebe Snetsinger and her record of 8,450 species.   It's now a few years on into my birdwatching career and I'm just 8,076 bird species behind Phoebe.   Not that Phoebe has to worry about me.   She is dead.   She died accidentally, binoculars in hand, on a birding tour in Madagascar in 1999.   Moments before her death, Phoebe had added a very rare Red-shoulder Vanga to her life list.

I've done an about-face now.   I no longer think about adding birds to my life list in terms of quantity.   Apart from the practical considerations of finding the money to travel to almost every country in the world to see as many species as Phoebe did, now I wake up each day thrilled at the prospect that there are still 8,000 bird species for me to discover.   At 66 years of age, I am confident that I will not out-live my hobby.   This pleases me."

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BarrytheBirder

A.K.A. (also known as)

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

In my backyard garden I know them as American Goldfinches.   In other places and at other times, this pretty little bird was known by other names.   

Here are just a few: Eastern Goldfinch, Thistle-bird, Yellow Goldfinch, Willow Goldfinch, Pale Goldfinch, Western Goldfinch, North-western Goldfinch, and California Goldfinch.

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BarrytheBirder

Richmond Hill Naturalists January sightings...

Northern Harrier photo by Dave Kemp

Among the bird sightings by Richmond Hill Naturalists in January were a Northern Harrier by Stan Phippen, a Great Blue Heron By Patti Somerville, a Golden-crown Kinglet by Robert Spaul, a Horned Lark and an Eastern Bluebird by Steve Kinsley, and a Carolina Wren by Elias Takacs.

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BarrytheBirder 

Cackling Goose spotted by Richmond Hill Naturalist Club member...

Photo: audubon.org

CACKLING GOOSE (in foreground of photo above)
Canada Goose in background

Allison Zhang of the Richmond Hill Naturalists has reported observing a Cackling Goose (Branta hutchinsii) on January 15th of this year.   The photo above was taken by Blake Matheson/FlickerCC(BYNC2.0) and appears on audubon.org .   The Cackling Goose is now recognized as a smaller version of the Canada Goose.  Formerly considered the smallest sub-species, there are now four small forms of the Canada Goose to be recognized as a full species that breeds further north and west of the full-sized Canada Goose (Branta canadensis).   The new species should be spotted however, in the winter, along the north shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.

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BarrytheBirder

Last sparrow blog for a while...

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

FOX SPARROW

(Passerella iliaca)

Easily recognized by its 'foxy' red-brown colour and larger size, for a sparrow.   In summer its northern habitat stretches from Alaska right across Canada to Newfoundland.   In winter, it is found ranging from Texas to Massachusetts.   Its red colour is very attractive and takes some of the ennui out of identifying sparrow species that often look alike.

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BarrytheBirder

While we're at it - another sparrow species...

 Photos by BarrytheBirder

SAVANNAH SPARROW

(Passerculus sandwichensis)

I'm really pleased with these three photos of Savannah Sparrows because they all show quite clearly the distinctive yellow patch between the eye and the bill.  The rest of the bird is simply brown with dark streaks above and white with dark streaks below.   There are a remarkable 21 subspecies of this bird across North America, including some Caribbean islands.   It typically eats what most sparrows eat: insects, seeds, some berries and fruit, and even crustaceans and small snails.

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BarrytheBirder

Feeder full of seeds and feathers...

Photo and haikus by BarrytheBirder

January's last day
our winter has not been harsh
paucity of snow

winter's birds come in
all sizes and shapes and colours
feeding together

seventeen species
of birds visit the feeders
seeds are vanishing

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BarrytheBirder

Chipping Sparrow and Tree Sparrow...telling them apart

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Chipping Sparrow

 Black eyeline / black bill

~

(American) Tree Sparrow

No black eyeline / bicoloured bill

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BarrytheBirder

One of southern Canada's favourites at the winter feeders...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

AMERICAN TREE SPARROW

(Spizella arborea)

Instantly recognized by that dark spot on the breast and and its red-brown cap, the American Tree Sparrow is also known as the "Winter Chippy".   A numerous sparrow but thought to be showing declines in eastern North America.   A handsome little bird and only the male sings...with a sweet and clear song.   A welcome winter visitor here in southern Ontario, but come spring will head north to breeding grounds around James Bay and Hudson Bay.

Please comment if you wish.
BarrytheBirder