Sunday on the Richmond Hill Millpond...

 

Photos by BarrytheBirder

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'Great Blues' in the Holland Marsh...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

The north and south canals and the Holland River in the Holland Marsh are reliable spots to see Great Blue Herons.  I took these photos of what I assumed were a mated pair this past Friday.   What marvellous creatures!

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Well I thought I'd seen everything, until...

Photos by Ken MacDonald 

Hungry Black Bear perches in a 

 5-storey high Great Blue Heron nest!

                                      

These photos are to be found on the Facebook page of the Midland-Penetanguishene Field Naturalists.  A Black Bear climbed up a tree in Severn Township, north of Orillia, to a Great Blue Heron nest where it apparently ate the young herons it found there.   

Observers said it not appear to climb any of the other tall dead trees, but did spend the night in the nest where it was photographed.   My friend Ed Miller sent me these photos.  Many thanks, Ed.

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BarrytheBirder   

My first Hummingbird Moth...finally!

Photos by Barry Wallace

Pictured here is the very first Hummingbird Moth I have ever seen and photographed.   It was checking out wild flower blooms at the Dufferin Marsh in Schomberg.   It was not bothered by my closeness at all and concentrated on the blooms it was scouring non-stop.

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BarrytheBirder

Mallard missing half a wing...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Above is a photo of a male Mallard Duck I took quite some time ago.   I happened to spot it earlier today while checking my photo files and noticed its right wing didn't look right.  That's because it only has half a wing on its right side.   Half its wing is missing and several broken feather shafts are sticking out.   Compare with the photo below to see the obvious difference between the two birds.   In retrospect, I have to say I do not recall the partially wingless duck behaving as though something was amiss.   This mallard is obviously a survivior, a hardy one!

Wikipedia Photo

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BarrytheBirder

Northern House-Wren (Troglodytes aedon)

Photos by Barry Wallace

Northern House Wren

The Northern House Wren is a most welcome visitor to my backyard in the summer.   Its splendid song, is a cascade of burbling whistled notes and I just wish it was a year-around resident in my part of southern Ontario.   It is the plainest-looking of North American wrens yet endearing when it industriously sets about creating a home in a nest box (see bottom photo).   It amazingly can be found from central Canada south to Tierra del Fuego.   If you're just over 4" long, it sometimes helps to be pugnacious and this little birds has a tendency to take on all comers, around its nest.

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Male or female...they're both beautiful raptors...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Northern Harrier

Both male and female Northern Harriers are perfect examples of dynamic raptor shape and elegance.  And their colouring is a perfect degree of subtlety.

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BarrytheBirder

Killdeer by Kemp...

Photo by Dave Kemp

Killdeer

(Charadrius vociferus)

This photo of a rather resplendently-displaying Killdeer was taken by my Vancouver Island correspondent and acquaintance  Dave Kemp.   He took the picture in a popular nesting spot in the Little River Nature Park, north of Comox, on the eastern shore of Vancouver Island.   Great image, Dave.

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BarrytheBirder

Just for the record...

 

Wikipedia Photo

I mentioned in Friday's BarrytheBirder blog that the Great Blue Heron was one of the six or seven largest herons in the world.   The largest heron in the world (pictured above) is the Goliath Heron of sub-Sahara Africa and south-east Asia.   For the record, the Goliath is 6" taller, 5" longer and 12" wider (wingspan) than the Great Blue.   

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BarrytheBirder

Harpy Eagles being shot out of curiosity...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Mongabay, which publishes 'News & Inspiration From Nature's Frontline' recently published a report by Claire Wordley about Harpy Eagles (see photo above of a Harpy which is pictured on the cover of my copy of All the Birds of the World).   Wordley's report quotes a recent study in the Journal of Raptor Research that collected records of Harpy Eagle persecution across Central and South America.   The study found 132 documented cases of people killing the birds in 11 of the 18 countries in the species' range.  

The main reason for shooting the birds?   Curiosity and a desire to see the birds up close.   Also fears that they may threaten livestock, hunting of the eagles for meat, and capturing them for the illegal wildlife trade.   Sadly, projects to protect the birds suffer from a lack of funds.

While the Harpy Eagle's current status on the ICUN Red List is 'near threatened' at the international level, in countries like Brazil, Peru and Venezuela it is vulnerable, plus in Nicaragua it is critically endangered.   There is no good reason whatsoever to push this marvelous bird, with the 7.3' wingspan, to the edge of extinction.

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BarrytheBirder     

Looking for Eastern Bluebirds...

 

Photos by Barry Wallace

I dropped by Cold Creek Conservation Area on the 11th Concession of King last Wednesday to see if there were any Eastern Bluebirds using any of the nesting boxes.   I checked several boxes but didn't see any signs of bluebirds.   I asked the the young gentleman in charge of Cold Creek and he said he hadn't seen any bluebirds this year or last year.   I'd seen them using one or two boxes over the years but the Tree Swallows constantly harassed them and took over most of the boxes. I had to content myself with seen a Wild Turkey (picture below) near the road as I left Cold Creek.

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BarrytheBirder

Temperanceville Pond ~ west of Dufferin Street

Photos by BarrytheBirder

GREAT

BLUE 

HERON

(Ardea Herodias)

This bird is one of the six or seven largest herons in the world.  The others are located in Eurasia and South America.

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BarrytheBirder

McKenzie Marsh - early March morning in Aurora...

Photos by Barry Wallace

Above - early morning light turns green algae white

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BarrytheBirder

Early morning at Richmond Hill Millpond...

Flat Canada Goose soaks up sun's rays 

                       Photos by BarrytheBirder                         

                                           

Mute Swan

Great Blue Heron

Large catfish (cruising just under the surface)

Peanut breakfast

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BarrytheBirder

Roseate Spoonbills move north to nest...

Photos by Jami Linder

First successful nests ever in Arkansas

Naturalists and state wetlands managers have discovered and photographed Roseate Spoonbills nesting and raising young birds in Arkansas for the first time ever.   Is it climate change?  Is it global warming?  Habitat restoration?   Will they move further north to nest into Missouri, and then Illinois, Indiana and southern Ontario.   White-faced Ibis have also joined the Spoonbills by nesting in Arkansas for the first time ever.   It is becoming more and more evident that North American bird migration patterns are changing in numerous ways.   The new northern nesters will still easily winter in the Caribbean, is it a new future for all living things.   We shall see what we shall see.   

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BarrytheBirder

Wheresoe'er the Ruby-throated Hummingbird?

Photos by BarrytheBirder

I've accepted that somehow I have failed, for the first time in 20 years, I think, to have have hummingbirds at my backyard feeders.   Somehow I misjudged their return and did not prepare properly or in a timely fashion.   Next year, I will be living in a new town and will try again.   Once you've had 'hummers' in your garden, they just have to return each year!  Wish me well and thank you dear birders.

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BarrytheBirder

 

Wild Turkey in Holland Marsh...

A Wild Turkey would normally be found on a regular farm field or in a hardwood bush, but this one appeared in the Holland Marsh, scouting around marsh buildings and equipment on the edge of black soil  produce fields.

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BarrytheBirder