Immature Bald Eagle awaits its turn to feed...

 

Photo supplied by Doreen Hiltz

This impressive-looking, immature Bald Eagle also has a bit of a circumspect look as it circles about a fisherman's discarded salmon catch that more mature eagles are already feasting upon.   The photo was taken in British Columbia in the heart of Haida Gwaii, north of Vancouver Island in 2019.   It was taken by my one-time high school music teacher, Doreen Hiltz, of Holland Landing, Ontario, who grew up in Chilliwack, B.C.   The Bald Eagle is an important icon in the Haida Gwaii native culture.

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BarrytheBirder

       

Side-by-side comparison...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

American Goldfinch (on the left)

Pine Siskin (on the right) 

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BarrytheBirder

Looking for Bubo scandiacus...

 

Red-tailed

Hawk

in the

 Holland

Marsh

...but no

 Snowy Owls

yet.

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comment

if you wish.

Barry the Birder

Hungry Mourning Doves...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

A solitary Chipping Sparrow looks down on a half dozen intimidating Mourning Doves at one of the backyard feeders.

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BarrytheBirder

Trumpeter Swans at Carrying Place...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

The open water in the front pond at Carrying Place Golf Club on Weston Road, has by my most recent count, twelve Trumpeter Swans contentedly making themselves at home.   Where will they go when the ice freezes over again?   Good question.

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BarrytheBirder

Some colour to chase away grey skies...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BarrytheBirder

Cottage country eagle in late December...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

My old friend, Jim Hadcock, spent the Christmas holidays at his cottage, in the Algonquin highlands, and for only the second time in forty years saw a Bald Eagle looking for fish in an open patch of icy water,  in the lake where his cottage is located.   Bald Eagles are often seen fishing along the north shore of Lake Ontario and over the larger lakes in central Ontario.   They are much more seldom seen in the southern, farmland-strip of Ontario where the lakes are usually smaller.   A Bald Eagle with a large fish in its talons is a remarkable sight indeed.   The first Bald Eagle I ever saw, with a fish in its talons, was above a ferry journey between Vancouver and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, 60 years ago on a cross-country hitchhiking trip of Canada (Toronto to Powell River) with a high-school buddy.   However, I took the Eagle photo above at a raptor presentation at Cold Creek Conservation Area, north of Toronto, many years ago.

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BarrytheBirder

Where are the Redpolls?

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Pictured above are 75 birds at a winter feeder in my backyard a few years ago.   60 of the birds in this photo are Common Redpolls (Acanthis flammea).   In the photo below, five of the six perched birds of redpolls.   I don't get these kind of numbers anymore and I'm wondering why.   I have just read that an irruption of Common Redpolls has already begun for this winter , as well as a Hoary Redpoll irruption, so just maybe I'll get some more good photos this winter.

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BarrytheBirder

Pine Siskins at the feeders...

 Photos by Barry Wallace

There are a few Pine Siskins at the backyard feeders so far this winter, mixing in with the same-size goldfinches.   I love the alliterative pronunciation of the Pine Siskin's scientific name which is (Spinus pinus).   The Pine Siskin's breeding range is across central Canada, from the Yukon to Labrador and south to Lake Superior.   At other times of the year, it is widely sporadic across the Great Lakes Region, the Canadian Maritimes, British Columbia, the western United States, right down to Mexico.   Some years they show up in the backyard, other years  they do not.   They are sweet little things.   

      

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BarrytheBirder

Snowy Owl north of Queensville...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

On the Ravenshoe Sideroad

- west of Leslie Street

The Snowy Owl pictured here is likely a female, or perhaps a 1st year juvenile.   Whichever, it was a delightful sighting for several birders on the Ravenshoe Sideroad, west of Leslie Street and north of Queensville.  Five birder vehicles were parked directly beneath this perching owl and it was totally nonplussed. 

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BarrytheBirder

In the Holland Marsh...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Pools of melted-ice water on the Holland River Canal make the winter a wee bit shorter for Mallard ducks.

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BarrytheBirder

On the Kell Farm ~ Keele St. north of King City

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Barred Owl

This owl is chiefly nocturnal and generally does not tolerate close approaches.   It is usually well-hidden in the daytime but is much more likely to be heard in the daytime than most other owls.   Its distinctive call is loud hoots: "who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all".  

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BarrytheBirder 

 

Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

The first thing to notice about this female Hairy Woodpecker is her large and thick bill, plus her overall size is about twice the size of the smaller Downy Woodpecker.   It is usually found in forests and likes mature woodland areas, but will show up at backyard feeders particularly in winter.  It is normally widespread in North America year-round. There's normally one or two at my backyard feeders twice a day.

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BarrytheBirder

Weston Road ~ just north of the Lloydtown-Aurora Road

                                                                                                     Photos by BarrytheBirder

More than 500 Canada Geese seen 

at Carrying Place Golf Course pond

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BarrytheBirder

-10 Celsius...Brrrrr

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Muffled Mourning Dove

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BarrytheBirder

In the Holland Marsh...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Red-tailed Hawk

(Buteo jamaicensis)

I was in the Holland Marsh, the day after Boxing Day, looking for Snowy Owls but could not find a one.   I did find this Red-tailed Hawk however and got its picture at the moment of take-off.   It was big and beautiful.

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BarrytheBirder

On the eastern shore of James Bay...

 

                                                                                                    Photo by April Dawn Georgekish-Gull

Pictured above is my neice, April Dawn Georgekish-Gull.  She is the daughter of my younger sister Denise.   Mother and daughter live side-by-side on the Quebec side of James Bay in the Cree village of Wimindji.   April is a nature nut, so it's no surprise to see her with a Gray Jay on top of her head.   There are three subspecies of Gray Jay in Canada and the ones living in Quebec are known as Perisoreus canadensis.   Nice shot April.   Well done.

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BarrytheBirder

European Starling

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

"Getting a grip"

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BarrytheBirder

On Christmas Eve morning...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

It was Christmas Eve morning, December 24th, at 11 a.m. when I looked at the backyard bird feeders and saw over 50 Pine Siskins busily cleaning up as much spilled seed as they could.   They were the first of the winter and came out of nowhere.   Suddenly a small flock of Starlings arrrived on the scene and the Pine Siskins were gone in a flash.   What a disappointment.   Oh well, hopefully they will return in due course.

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BarrytheBirder

Eastern Screech Owl

I just had to share this charming photo that I saw recently on the Discover Southern Ontario website.   It is an Eastern Screech Owl which drank from a backyard birdbath until chased away by Robins.

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BarrytheBirder

Winter backyard bird bathing binge...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

 

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Barry the Birder

Lake Wilcox frozen over...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Male mallards muse on frozen lake

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BarrytheBirder

Feeding upside down...it's a cinch if you're a finch

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

The American Goldfinchs at the backyard feeders continue to hang upside down from the perches, to get at the Black Niger seeds.   It seems to be the females of the species that feed this way, rather than the males.   It seems the males intimidate the females at the perches where both sexes could feed in an upright position.   This makes the females drop down to bottom perches were they hang upside down to feed.

It's as if the males would never condescend to be seen in such an undignified position (prima donnas)!

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if you wish.

Barry The Birder

World's most beautiful birds....

 What Ontario backyard

birds consistently show up on the 

'World's most beautiful birds lists?'

Blue Jay?  ~  Cardinal?

Northern Oriole?  

Answer: all of them!

Photos by BarrytheBirder

I happened to look at a 'World's Most Beautiful Birds' list on the internet recently and noted that the Blue Jay was on the particular list I was checking out.   I was a bit surprised and out of curiosity checked out some other World's Most Beautiful Birds lists.   Amazingly, the Blue Jay was included in many lists: Top 10, Top Dozen, Top 20, Top 25, etc., etc., etc.   I was surprised.   Then I started to notice that the Northern Cardinal and Baltimore Oriole  were frequently making these lists.  And these were all birds right here in King City. Considering there are about 11,000+ species in the world, I guess all those Blue Jays and Cardinals in my backyard are a good thing.

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if you wish.

Barry

theBirder

.

10' high beaver dam at Cawthra Mulock Nature Reserve...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

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BarrytheBirder

Whooping Crane surveys cancelled...

Photo: Parks Canada / Klaus Nige

The COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled the 2020 Summer Whooping Crane surveys at Wood Buffalo National Park, according to Rhona Kindopp, the Resource Conservation Manager.   It is hoped both the nest and fledgling surveys will be resumed in 2021.

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BarrytheBirder

Snow Buntings should show up soon...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Snow Buntings ~ a.k.a. 'Snowflakes'

I haven't seen any yet but I'm hoping they show up soon.   I've said in the past they are one of my favourite winter birds.  They have been described as "perching birds that wear snowshoes"   They stay on the ground most of the winter and have a large rear toe (hallux) which along with their other toes keeps them from sinking into the snow.   It's an adaptation to harsh environments.   They're continually searching for seeds through the winter.   A flock of these pretty, mostly white birds is called "A drift of Snow Buntings".   I hope to have new photos soon.

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BarrytheBirder 

STARLING PORTRAITS

Photos by BarrytheBirder 

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Barrythebirder