LaSalle Marina Visit

Earlier this week (yes, I'm pretty much caught up on my posts!), ror the first time in ages, I took a lunch hour to do some birding.  Once out, I realized how much I had missed doing it.  Strangely, even though I enjoy it, I'll have to admit much of my lack of outings is laziness.  I headed to LaSalle Marina with hopes of seeing Canvasbacks (a duck which I still have not seen) that were reported on the Hamilton birders group, along with other migrating warblers that had been seen.

The weather was nice with the temperature gaining a few degrees and the winds of the day before calmed down, but there was not much activity in the way of birds. The early migrating ducks were showing some appearances thought: Buffleheads Redbreasted Mergansers, and Scaups were there in small quantities.  The Trumpeter Swans that overwinter here were noisily making sure they were noticed.  I did spot one lone Redhead Duck which is my first self found bird of that variety and only the second time I've seen one.  I also saw female Buffleheads, which strangely I had never seen before - or just never noticed maybe?

Redhead (l) and Bufflehead (r)

I walked the boardwalk hoping to get a glimpse of the foxes that have been frequenting the beach area with an apparent comfort with the many visitors in the area, but they were not to be seen.  A White-breasted Nuthatch gave up on handouts from me and went back to finding the food it is supposed to find in the crevices of the tree bark.

White-breasted Nuthatch

A walk down and back along the trail east past the beach yielded only a couple Northern Cardinals and Chickadees... surprisingly quiet.  I visited the opposite side of the Marina and saw a few other birds around the rocky break wall.  A female Bufflehead did a nice slow cruise quite close by giving me opportunity to add a nice few shots of the fairer sex of that variety.

female Bufflehead

Notice the stiff tail feathers fanned out in the picture above.  It uses these as a rudder to help it steer underwater as it dives for small underwater insects and crustations.  Along with Goldeneyes, and Wood Ducks, Buffleheads don't nest on the ground like most ducks, but lay their eggs in tree cavities, nesting in cavities created by other birds like woodpeckers such as the Northern Flicker.

female Bufflehead

female Bufflehead

On the unprotected side of the wind-break, the Red-breasted Mergansers were foraging.

female Red-breasted Merganser

I also spotted a bit of a find - at least two Horned Grebes.  They were not too excited about me being around though so I had only a few moments to try and get some shots as they bobbed in the waves
from the wind that had slowly been picking up during my hour there, or dove out of sight.  The pictures aren't the greatest, but do show the more defined border between its black crown and white neck compared to an Eared Grebe.  I was hoping the Eared Grebe would be the ID, another bird I've not seen yet.

non-breeding Horned Grebe

non-breeding Horned Grebe

As I headed back to the car, a clear and unique bird song caught my attention.  I spent a good five minutes trying to locate and track it down, but never found it.  Usually as I move about I can pin point the location, but it would singing a few phrases, and then stop only to move slightly and through me off.  I never did find it, and could not remember it well enough to play bird songs to try and ID it that way.  A mystery never to be solved.  Just makes me realize that that part of my ability is pretty thin and would help me to know where to look and what I'm looking for.  Maybe some day.

Till then,
keep enjoying HIS handiwork!

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

Left Overs

Well, I don't think it's going to my 8 year old son Andrew's head, but the "guest appearance" post of his pictures had more hits than any of mine. :)  He was quite pleased with the post and Facebook comments and emails he got.  I'm happy for him.  He got that sheepish, shy, trying to hold it back grin some will know of him.

I have a few pictures left over from after my previous CBC count post which I never put on the blog yet.

The first and only bird we saw of the elusive, late staying warblers was the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.  As you can tell from this picture, this little bird does not stay still.  Here it is just about to drop off to somewhere below.  I had to check once to see that the picture editing software hadn't missed a picture rotation, but it hadn't.

Blue-gray Gnatcather

 This is the closest I've gotten to these cute little ducks.  I finally had some nice lighting and was able to capture some of the iridescence of the feathers on it's head.

Male Bufflehead

Common (to us) but still beautiful Male Mallard.

I really don't know what this female Red-breasted Merganser was going to do with, what I think is a perch.  It was struggling with it for a while.  Between constantly re-arranging it in it's bill, and repeatedly losing its grip only to recapture it after a short chase, we had to give up on seeing the meal go down and moved on.

female Red-breasted Merganser with fish.

On our way home we quickly stopped along York Road as we saw a Bald Eagle in the sky slowly circling over towards us from the north.  It was very high up, and this is more of a "wishing shot" (you know... taking the picture knowing it's really too far away, but taking it anyways) than of any pleasure to you or me after the fact.  This is even a cropped picture.

Bald Eagle

Not much has happened since my post on the Orange-crowned Warbler as I haven't been able to get out.  Work has been very busy so no lunch outings, and the home front is VERY busy as Holly is expecting our 5th and suffers morning, afternoon, evening, and night-sickness for all of her pregnancies.  Things do approach a manageable level towards the due date, but for now she's not capable of much else than overcoming the impulse to deliver (her stomach contents, not the baby) to the sink her latest attempt to keep food down.  We'll just say that both her and I are both eagerly awaiting Aug 10 (or earlier would be fine if that's in the Lord's plans!)

We'll see how long it is till the next post.  Till then, don't hold your breath. :)