The Common Starling...with all those spots

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Adult Starlings are normally a glossy black/purple but at this time of year they seem to be covered in hundreds of white spots.   The white spots appear at the start of winter and wear off in the spring and it is the juveniles and non-breeding adults that have these spots.   There are over 200 million of this bird species between Alaska and Mexico.  Migrating starlings can occur in flocks of up to 100,000 birds, while up to 1 million can be found, at night, in communal roosts!

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BarrytheBirder

12th Concession of King...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Giant Bluebird

"...but not a feather to be found"

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BarrytheBirder

North Maple Regional Park on Keele Street

Photos by Barry Wallace

I was driving on the King-Vaughan Road, south of King City, on Monday morning and noticed several large flocks of Canada Geese taking off from the old Fry farm.   The flocks seemed to be heading south-east towards Maple and I guessed so many geese might be heading for the large pond at the North Maple Regional Park, on the east side of Keele Street.   I followed them and sure enough that's where most of them were heading.   When I got there I took the pictures you see here and then made a quick count/estimate of the numbers of birds.   I counted about 400 and there were more still coming.  They made quite a show...and noise.

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BarrytheBirder

 

 

White herons in the Holland Marsh...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Alas, they do not fly.

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BarrytheBirder

Marsh raptors

Photo by BarrytheBirder

The Holland Marsh in mid-December is the place to see Red-tailed Hawks, like the one above, plus Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, but if local birders are lucky the Holland Marsh will be the place to see Snowy Owls in February.

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BarrytheBirder

Popular visitor last winter in Schomberg...

Photos by Barry Wallace

HAWK OWL

Surnia lula

Pictured here is the Hawk Owl that spent many weeks in the Dufferin Marsh area of Schomberg last winter.   It is a species that is normally found across the northern North American forests, but is sometimes nomadic in winter and can been seen in southern Canada and the northern American states.  This one was observed and photographed by hundreds of birders. 

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BarrytheBirder

Ducks and Geese at Lake Wilcox

 

                                                                                                      Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BarrytheBirder

More British Columbia eagles by Dave Kemp...

Photos by Dave Kemp

My peripatetic bird-watching friend and photographer, Dave Kemp, from British Columbia continues to thrill me with his photographs from Canada's west coast.   This time it's with Bald Eagle photographs.   In his email message to me he points out: "How to to tell the eagles apart is their size...females are usually a third of the size larger than the males".   This is apparent in the photo below.   Many thanks, Dave. 

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BarrytheBirder

A few Redpolls have shown up already...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

I've had very few Redpolls at the winter feeders for the last several years, but a half dozen have shown up already this winter, beginning at the end of November/early December.  They are a small northern bird and irrupt into southern Canada in the winter, when the food supply in the north is not plentiful.  The photograph below, from about 10 years ago, shows a mass of redpolls and sparrows at my backyard feeders.   The scene was like this for most of that winter.   Maybe we're about to have another winter like that one.

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BarrytheBirder

Feeding Chickadees at the Cathraw Mulock Nature Reserve

 

                                                                                                        Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BarrytheBirder

Here are some west coast birds by Dave Kemp...

Photos by Dave Kemp

These two photos were sent to me by my B.C. friend Dave Kemp.   Above is an American Robin at Garry Point Park in south-west B.C., at the mouth of the Fraser River.   In southern Ontario, robins have been long-gone since mid-November.  Below are Snow Geese, in the same location at Garry Point Park.   Snow Geese are now estimated to number 15 million birds in their native North America.

 

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BarrytheBirder

 

                                                                                                       Photo by Allison Bailey

Wineglasses for the birder's birthday

Yesterday, on Sunday, December 6th, I had a birthday.   I have now entered my 80th year.   Amazingly, I hardly feel a day over 79. My daughter Allison gifted me with a pair of wineglasses that have been decorated with colourful wild birds.   I love them.   Meanwhile, my daughter Auralee gifted me with a bright red CSIS polo shirt.   That's CSIS, as in Canadian Security Intelligence Service.   I guess if you live up Ottawa-way, you can find such things.   Thanks, ladies.   Luv ya!

Barry Wallace

A few more of my favourite bird photos...

 Photos by BarrytheBirder...

Green Heron

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Mourning Dove

Turkey Vulture

Towhee

Starling

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Canada Geese

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BarrytheBirder

B.C. beaver

                                                                                                                             Photo by Dave Kemp

My friend Dave Kemp, in British Columbia, who often sends me bird photos from Canada's west coast, surprised me yesterday with a photo of a beaver from Garry Point Park, in Steveston, B.C., a historical salmon fishing and canning hub.  Many thanks, Dave.

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Barry Wallace

Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Hand-feeding Chickadees and Nuthatches

An influx of nature-watchers at the considerably upgraded Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve on the west side of Bathurst  Street, just north of the Green Lane West, on the boundary between King Township and Newmarket, has been introduced to a wonderful nature experience.   See several pictures of the vastly improved area in my Camera on King blogsite On December 5.

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BarrytheBirder

Some of my favourite bird photos...

    Photos by BarrytheBirder 

House Wren

Turkey Vulture

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Trumpeter Swan

Blue Jay

Great Blue Heron

Mallard Duck

Double-crested Cormorant

                                                     ...more on another day

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BarrytheBirder

Chickadees are really quick...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

I don't have many close-up photos of chickadees in my files because they are so darned quick and don't stay in one spot for very long.   They zoom in ..... grab a seed ...... and zoom out ..... hello, thanks and goodbye.  Herewith are two of my favourite shots. They are lovely little creatures aren't they?  I must try to get some more, but I'm not holding my breath.

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BarrytheBirder

American Goldfinch ~ Spinus tristis

Photo and limerick by BarrytheBirder

             The goldfinch is a summery yellow,

             But in winter it's colour's more mellow.

             It's with us year 'round.

             We love its sweet sound,

             And we think he's a jolly good fellow.

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BarrytheBirder

Weston Road ~ just north of the Lloydtown-Aurora Road

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Close to 500 Canada Geese 

on Carrying Place Golf Club pond

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BarrytheBirder