Red-breasted Merganser

Yesterday afternoon there were over 250 Red-breasted Mergansers mixed in with a dozen Common Loons, some Buffleheads, and some Horned Grebes in the North Slip here in Sarnia.

Horned Grebe

Observed a dozen or more Horned Grebes and at least 26 Common Loons in Sarnia Bay this afternoon.

                          Not sure why they call them Horned Grebes.

Canadian Beaver

Yesterday we observed a Beaver in Lake Chipican, Sarnia.

Interestingly, the first fossil records of beaver are 10 to 12 million years old in Germany, and they are thought to have migrated to North America across the Bering Strait. The oldest fossil record of beavers in North America are of two beaver teeth near Dayville Oregon that are 7 million years old.

American Bittern

An American Bittern showed up in Canatara Park today and offered up some nice photo opportunities.

Cool to see the Bittern ruffle it's feathers.

We watched as the Bittern creeped along the creek shoreline turning over leaves and underbrush searching for worms.

Some of the images afforded us great looks at those enormous feet.

Cooper's Hawk

 

The Cooper’s Hawk is a medium-sized hawk with the classic accipiter shape: broad, rounded wings and a very long tail.

Cooper’s Hawks fly with a flap-flap-glide pattern typical of accipiters. Even when crossing large open areas they rarely flap continuously.

Another attack maneuver is to fly fast and low to the ground, then up and over an obstruction to surprise prey on the other side.

Find them in wooded habitats from deep forests to leafy subdivisions and backyards. Cornell All About Birds

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

 

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers returned to our area today with numerous sightings posted at several locations.

The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker makes two kinds of holes in trees to harvest sap. Round holes extend deep in the tree and are not enlarged. The sapsucker inserts its bill into the hole to probe for sap. Rectangular holes are shallower, and must be maintained continually for the sap to flow. The sapsucker licks the sap from these holes, and eats the cambium of the tree too.

Cornell All About Birds

New holes usually are made in a line with old holes, or in a new line above the old.

Eastern Screech Owl

Seems like a lot of Eastern Screech Owls in the neighbourhood this season. We had one calling all last summer either in our yard or in the park behind our home. On a recent owl prowl we observed seven all within a couple kms from our home.

                                   A well known local resident Eastern Screech Owl.

Common Loon

There have been six or seven loons gathered on Sarnia Bay the last couple of days.

Sometimes if you get the light just right the neck band has a green iridescence.

Barred Owl

The Barred Owl is one of my favourite owls to observe and hear. Many times in our travels we have been fortunate to hear their haunting call early in the mornings at a Florida swamp or at a campfire in Northern Ontario. Some of my most favourite campfires are late at night after the rest of the camp has gone to bed hearing the tree frogs croaking, a lone loon eerily calling on the bay and then, in the distance, the beautiful haunting call of Barred Owls. Many times we have even experienced them actually in our campsite calling back and forth at each other for hours.

A couple days ago I was up early and in the Pinery by 6 am on an owl prowl for a reported Barred Owl. Although we have seen and photographed dozens of Barred Owls this would be my first in Lambton County.

After searching for awhile I ran into a park staffer who knew the general location of where the owl had been spotted the day before and had just located the owl. Together we shared that incredibly emotional nature experience.

We were able to obtain a couple of record shots of the occasion but didn’t dare even remotely disturb the owl as we knew other birders were on their way to observe this great Lambton bird.

It wasn’t till that night when I looked at the couple of images that I did take that I noticed that the owl looked weak and tired. At the time I just figured it was resting. However I do remember commenting to my companion observer that it was too bad we didn’t get to see those hauntingly beautiful deep blue eyes that you always try to capture as a photographer.

Unfortunately, today I learned that the next day a fellow birder discovered the owl laying in distress on the ground. Park staff recovered the owl and it has been moved to a rehab center for raptors to hopefully recover.

You read and hear of so many stories of birders and photographers disturbing owls that hopefully this is the case of people actually helping to save an owl.

If you are interested in some Barred Owl images click on Barred Owl in the label column.

Common Grackle

 

We had an interesting Common Grackle at the feeders yesterday.

Leucism is a genetic condition that prevents pigments from reaching some or all of the bird’s feathers. The degree of leucism varies with a bird's genetic makeup. However, the skin and eyes remain their normal pigment and color. Albino birds are distinctly different. Albinos are entirely white with pink eyes and skin.