Horned Grebes in Grimsby

A couple weekends ago Holly and I left the kids with Opa and Oma so we could attend a conference.  We slept over there as well and I snuck out for an hour to visit the shores of Lake Ontario early in the morning.  The sun was rising, the temperature was beautiful, and the water was relatively calm.  There were lots of Mergansers out on the water, and as I approached, most of them made a hasty retreat for deeper waters.  One pair lingered long enough for me to get a half decent family picture.

Red-breasted Merganser pair

As I was snapping away at the Mergansers, up popped another bird quite close by.  From the familiar profile I was pretty sure right away that it was a Grebe, but was quite excited to see that it was a Horned Grebe when I got the camera up on it!! (life bird #121)

Horned Grebe surprise

male Horned Grebe

Horned Grebe dive.

I followed the Grebe west as it dove and resurfaced, but once I reached a point that became the beginning of a small bay, I ended my pursuit as my distance increased from the bird.  As I walked back, I caught sight of a rabbit hiding in the brambles and underbrush

Eastern Cottontail

Not much further along, a Song Sparrow was heartily welcoming the morning sun with its chattery song.

Song Sparrow

Not far back into my return along the water edge, I spotted the familiar profile again and wondered if the Grebe had flown back to try another run along the dive path it had taken previously, but a quick shoulder check dispelled that notion.  And then up popped another right by its side, a female.  Three Grebes in one morning, and a pair to boot!!

Horned Grebe pair.

Horned Grebe pair.

Interestingly, Horned Grebes more often than not, prefer to nest on a floating surface.  They will nest on land, but prefer an isolated, floating nest which is built on top of, and tied into vegetation that anchors it in place.

Keep enjoying HIS handiwork!

Sources:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Horned_Grebe/lifehistory#at_habitat
http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@species/documents/document/276683.pdf

Peter Rabbit

The Eastern Cottontail is likely something everyone has seen in their backyard.  They are the most common of the three main species of rabbit and hare found in Southern Ontario.  The other two are the European Hare and the White-tailed Jackrabbit.  Both are much bigger than the Cottontail and most often found in the wild, and quite shy of humans.  

Eastern Cottontail

But the Cottontail has made suburban settings home quite easily, and those living in this setting are less frightened of people.  Being a nocturnal animal, this rabbit comes by almost every evening at dusk, and is not terribly worried with someone approaching to a point.  They rely on their quick speed and agility to get away, running quickly and then zig-zagging to try and throw off the pursuer which could be from the ground or the sky.  Main predators in the wild are foxes, coyotes, and birds of prey.

Something interesting rabbits will do... To prepare for harder times or to store food in a protected area, rabbits will force themselves to eat large quantities really quickly.  With it going through their system very quickly, they will find a protected place under some brush or brambles, and make a  pile of very green droppings which are hardly digested.  They can then return later to eat these.  

Big eyes!

Rabbits are well known for how quickly they can reproduce.  They can breed year round, but in Southern Ontario, usually only do so during the warmer months.  Baby rabbits are called kittens, and get to nurse only at dawn and dusk. Rabbits will breed a couple days after having babies.  According to eNature, together with their offspring, if a single pair of rabbits didn't have any of their young die, in five years they would multiply to about 350,000!  Thankfully, in the wild most rabbits don't live beyond a year or so.

Well, I'm off on vacation!  Heading to the cottage in Bancroft with some of my family for a week.  We'll miss the ones who can't come.  Always a great place to be... hopefully good weather will lead to lots of swimming, canoeing, snorkeling, camp fires, and great times with the kids and adults.  Maybe even a few pictures. :)