The Butcher-bird of Colonel Sam Smith Park

Rain rain, go away, come back again another day. Anyone been reciting that poem in their head this month? Environment Canada correctly predicted the cold wet Spring we are experiencing. I once read that a person who would sing the "Rain rain..." poem in whatever culture, of course many years ago, would be frowned upon at the very least, as this is a wish for drought. Now moving on from my half-assed Cliff Claven (CHEERS mailman) moment of an incomplete useless fact...

A rainy Friday morning, May is almost done, and I have been thinking about the many new birds I have seen this year. Spring has been mind blowing with 20+ species to add to the life list in my head. And this past winter brought me a few too.

A long over-due moment I want to share is my sightings of a Northern Shrike.

My first time seeing the Shrike and photographing him at Col. Sam Smith Park in February 2011.


After some time of Angie and I getting into this world of birds/birding, I learned of this killer songbird. I am not using slang here, he is a songbird and yes, he is, a killer. While I love all life forms and have no desire to watch any predator catch his prey; I have had some fascination with this bird. And the fact that he is considered a songbird really threw me for a loop! Imagine that, a songbird, a bird in the mind of most, is a pretty little cheerful bird who can brighten up a person's day with their lovely song is in fact a meat eater, a killer of flesh!

So for over five years I have thought about this bird. I have searched out Northern and Loggerhead Shrikes in various parts of Ontario. This past winter some reports were coming in of a Northern Shrike at a local waterfront park. I thought finally there is a chance to see one. Seven trips over nearly a month finally had me seeing him. I probably had about five minutes of looking at him through my binoculars from a distance and would take a few steps, take a photo, watch him, and repeat the process. I was in awe and unfortunately I was alone. Angie was home unwell and missed this lifer moment for me... a bird I have REALLY wanted to see for so long. Mind you, I am not a jump up and down, and hip hip hooray kinda guy; but I am certain my excitement and joy within beamed out through my smile as I watched this bird.

A week later it was the "Great Backyard Bird Count" and Angie and I were trekking out to a number of spots west of us to participate. Our last stop was to be Col. Sam Smith and sure enough there was the Shrike in full view as soon as we hit the trail. This was Angie's lifer moment with him. So it was great to see him once again. But this time there was an added treat to the viewing. He began to go through some funny motions as he sat in this tree, opening his beak wide every so often, until finally he expelled a pellet. How cool (and gross to some) is that?!?!

A moment in the Shrike's pellet expulsion.


If you don't know what a pellet is. I will brief you. This Shrike will eat smaller birds and mammals. Since Shrikes do not have teeth, they can't chew their food. Therefore, they use their strong and sharp beaks to rip their prey apart and then swallow large chunks whole. The Shrike slowly digests its meal by separating the softer materials (such as meat) from the harder material (such as bones). It then regurgitates the harder material along with indigestible items such as feathers and fur in the form of a pellet.

A more comfortable moment with the Shrike after the pellet is gone.


It's now March, Spring is nearing, and I know this guy is going to be migrating to the north soon. I am also uncertain if he will return next winter or not. So I take advantage of some more pleasant sunny afternoons and seek him out again after a work day. And once again I am blessed with yet another new experience with this bird. Mating season is on the horizon and this guy has suddenly become very vocal. He is singing his rather strange song out to the world in hopes to attract a female. Word around the area is that there in fact were two Shrikes in this park; but I only saw the one. I haven't read up on sexing them and will probably leave that for next winter (if they return).

Here he is enjoying the warmer sunny afternoons of March 2011.


With his singing his song quite often, he was found much of the time in some lower bushes near the marina. I was able to get quite close to him through these days and after some fighting with the camera due to the thick brush and focus problems, I got me a couple decent pics of him right up close. You are able to see the serrated beak which he uses to tear apart his meals. I never saw him eat but these three moments I have described here sure make it feel like I had three firsts with one bird that I really wanted to see in my life.

Next year I hope to have an opportunity to video record him and his song. But seeing him up so close like this, hearing his song, on my final visit with him is a lifelong memory.

Look at this pretty little killer! The Butcher-bird of Colonel Sam Smith Park.


Some of the shots are heavily cropped. I never knew how close I could get with this guy so I would start photo'ing from a distance. And some days with it being in the -20s sure didn't help the trigger finger.

Walking in the Woods

I was walking in the woods, and what did I see? A little Eastern Screech Owl trying to have a sleepy. Are you humming along now?



Okay, seriously... a really cool sighting on one of my walks in some woods within the GTA! I don't know much about these little Owls though so here's some tid-bits from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

* The Eastern Screech-Owl eats a variety of small animals. Two captive males ate from one-quarter to one-third of their own body weight in food each night, but sometimes skipped a night and stored food instead.

* The trilling song on one pitch, sometimes known as the Bounce Song, is used by members of a pair or a family to keep in contact. The male will trill to advertise a nest site, court the female, and when arriving at a nest with food. The descending Whinny is used in territory defense. The songs usually are uttered separately, but sometimes are heard together.

* Eastern Screech-Owl pairs usually are monogamous and remain together for life. Some males, however, will mate with two different females. The second female may evict the first female, lay her own eggs in the nest, and incubate both clutches.

* The Eastern Screech-Owl is known to eat a variety of songbirds, including the European Starling. Despite this fact, the starling regularly displaces the owl from nesting sites and takes over the hole to raise its own brood.

As you can tell from my photos, these Owls, like many others blend in very well with their environment. A really tough one to spot out in the wild. He's probably 30 to 40 ft up the tree.



Standing next to a tree, one probably wouldn't even notice this guy above them.


So, if you really would like to see one but don't have the time to search, the patience to search and a bit of luck on your side as well... I suggest visiting Mountsberg Conservation Area and their Raptor Centre. They have 3 Eastern Screech Owls in captivity. All of which are unreleasable for one reason or another.

Meet Echo in these shots...





And if you are willing to pay for a personal Raptor Encounter, and behave yourself, showing respect and kindness, you should be able to hold one of these beautiful little Owls like I am here with my pal Otis. He looks a tad grumpy, him and his one good eye.

Winter Update

Baby, it's cold outside!

Lame intro, I know, but quite true. We've had many days of some serious wind chill factors lately, eh. I enjoy winter. For a wildlife lover such as myself, there is much to see in the city at this time of year that isn't seen through the other seasons. Like what? Lots of different Ducks. I never took notice until a couple Februarys ago when Angie and I noticed Buffleheads down in Port Credit. I blogged about them a while ago... see here

A new one for me this season, although it was just a few weeks before winter, was a couple pairs of Hooded Mergansers. This one sure stands out in the mix of Gadwalls. I don't know much about these guys other than they are cool looking!


A long list can be made of all the water fowl that show up in the GTA every winter including Hooded, Common and Red Breasted Mergansers, Buffleheads, Long-tailed Ducks, Red-heads and a number more that escape me right now. Capturing shore birds with the camera isn't easy as many stay far out on the water. Enjoying them through binoculars if fine by me, just got to dress for the frigid wind temperatures along the lakeshore. It still amazes me that with many of these Ducks, this is their "summer home" as they move a lot further north in our warmer months.

Here's a few of my better photos of the Ducks this winter...

A male Long-tailed Duck


A pair of Buffleheads


Another first for me this year... a Northern Pintail mixed in with some Mallards.


I think they are around the city more than just the winter, but I have never seen one before. What a beautiful Duck!


Perhaps it's just me but I think I have seen a lot more Swans through the winter too! So far it's just been Mute Swans. I do hope to see some Trumpeter Swans like I did last year. Here's a beautiful Mute Swan.


Another first for us this winter is the American Coot!


At home, I have had more Finches this winter than what I have ever seen. Some days I have counted over thirty American Goldfinches. Along with them, I have had over one dozen Pine Siskins present. It's a good thing I have four nyjer feeders for them to eat from.

Here's eight Pine Siskins at the one tube feeder. I guess it's been 3 winters since I last saw them here. So, this was a treat for me to have them despite the amount of nyjer I am going through this year.


The same feeder with as many, and some, American Goldfinches.


A pair of Blue Jays have stuck it out with us this winter. As well as a pair of Northern Cardinals, and one extra male. I am disappointed to only see this many Cardinals. In previous winters I saw 12 out back, which had 9 males and 3 females. A spectacular sight for sure! A lot of Dark-eyed Juncos arrived again this winter (another wintering bird for us). And, happy to say a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatches also returned for the winter. No White-breasted Nuthatches for me this year though... unfortunately (I love those guys). Two pairs of Downy Woodpeckers some days. Half a dozen, maybe more, Black-capped Chickadees. A few Mourning Doves as well. What is surprising is that all the House Sparrows have disappeared. Strange since this is one of the most common birds around. The Pigeon population has taken a huge hit this winter in my backyard as 5 Hawks have been using this spot as their hunting ground once the snow arrived. 2 Red-tails, 1 Sharp-shin, 1 Coopers and the last one being a stumper for me... a toss up between a Sharp-shin and a Coopers Hawk. Both Hawks look almost identical, and size is the biggest difference. But when males are smaller than females, and a Sharpie is smaller than a Coopers; a female Sharpie and a male Coopers could be very close in size. I plan to do a blog about the Raptors that have been around here the last few months soon.

Here are some backyard pics of my feathered friends...

I thought this accidental shot of a Blue Jay and Cardinal was pretty cool.

I love my Cardinals... but the female has been very elusive this year.

The Mourning Doves make life seem so peaceful, even on frigid days, like the day I got this, it was -22c with the winds. But he sleeps the afternoon away.

Funny how the smaller birds are so much bolder than the bigger birds. Like this Red-breasted Nuthatch who often seems fearless.

The Chickadees have been a welcomed addition to the yard, and more come every year since we had that successful nest of them 2 years ago. Downys are great, a pair eat in front of the kitchen window every day.

One of the yard terrors. This is the Sharp-shin. Like I said, the smaller they are, the bolder they are. This guy isn't much bigger than a Blue Jay but he will stand his branch even with me out there. The bigger Hawks take off as soon as they see me.


This Coopers Hawk has been showing up every couple days the last couple months. She'll sit out in the open in the apple trees, hide in my neighbour's cedars, or sit in this really tall tree about 5 doors over from me. Quite a sight to behold yet so many don't even notice this massive bird.


I will be back soon, as I have a few stories to share, that are sitting in my head. I hope everybody has been making the best of this winter.

I found a pair of Long-eared Owls this week!

2011 is here, a new year, and 4 new seasons of adventure for a bird/nature/wildlife admirer and developing photographer like myself to enjoy.

2010 brought Angie and I seeing our first ever sightings of a Snowy Owl and a Great Horned Owl in the wild.

I now have another Owl species first for this year and hope to manage one more somewhere in my travels over the next couple months. This first being a pair of Long-eared Owls.

So, without getting into the details on where I saw this pair... allow me to share the moment with you here.

Rumors have been floating around about sightings of these birds in the GTA. Most people aren't very specific on locations because unfortunately there are people out there with selfish desires for a great photo to add to their cache or for financial gain and do not care how they get it... which could bring harm to their subject (the Owls).

I have heard this Owl species, like many of the others, are quite skittish and nervous with human presence. When an Owl gets to such a state of panic, it gets the hell away, and occasionally comes into harm to itself as it's not seeing entirely where it is going, but more focus on what they are fleeing from. That is how it's been explained to me. So, I didn't want to get to such a point with this pair. I enjoyed viewing them with the binoculars, taking them in visually, absorbing the sight and the moment, a few photos from a lengthy safe distance, hoping for one decent one to come out as I walked away, silently thanking them for the opportunity and turning around every few steps to be sure they stayed where I had found them (and they did).



How did I find them? An area was disclosed through a message board on the internet, but the words from a friend of mine (not an exact location, just some advice) along with some research on my own brought me to find this pair.

Angie and I were up a day earlier trying to locate them and with no luck in a visual; but we did find evidence of them, or another type of Owl, being in the area. I found Owl pellets under a couple trees. Part of our research was on what certain types of trees house these reported Owls. Angie not being from the city, and perhaps due to her father being a woodsman, knew well enough what we were looking for in way of tree, identifying them among the various tree species that surrounded us.



Did I just hear "What are Owl pellets?" out there? Well, basically it's what is left from the Owl's meal that the it cannot digest. This would include the fur, skin, bones and possibly some internal organs. The leftovers are compacted in the Owl's gizzard, forming them into a ball shape and some hours later, the pellet is expelled (vomited). An Owl cannot eat again until the pellet is gone from the body as it blocks the digestive system's entrance. Amazing how nature works from one species to another really.

Anyways, with the seeing of the pellets, I knew they were around, somewhere. It wasn't just a couple pellets, there were probably twenty of these gray fur balls. I would bet they were all field mice.

The next day I had the opportunity to go once again, and did so on my own, since Angie had to work. I skimmed every tree from a distance with my binoculars and many minutes later, as I was viewing the last 5 trees in the area, I spotted them on a branch, in full open view. Once I knew they were there, it was so easy to see them. They do blend in very well and if they were facing the other way, I probably would have missed them. And, the rest is as I mentioned above.

If you would ever like to find an Owl in the wild, a lot of patience is in order. Along with that, a healthy amount of respect to the birds and everything else (plant and animal) in the area. Stomping into a wooded spot, making noise and being very invasive won't get you anywhere. I mean, this is their home. How far would you get walking into a stranger's house and acting in similar fashion? Researching is also a key. Knowing what species may be in your area, where they would live if they were in the area, and so on. Also, listening to the other birds as you search may point you in the right direction. Chickadees are like little watch dogs in the forest. Listen for them and how they are vocalizing. Frantic calls often mean a predator is near such as an Eastern Screech Owl or small Falcon (sorry, won't always be an Owl). And of course, word of mouth is the obvious, and I hope it comes from a source that is respectful of the birds above all else and is being passed on to a similar person.

Good luck!

Return of the Hawks... Winter 2010

The cold weather has set in, the snow is on the ground and Hawks are all around. It's true, more and more can be seen through this season as a lot of their food source seemingly disappears in the snow... small mammals. Smaller birds become more of a staple diet through these months.

How do I know? Steady attacks at my bird feeders by these birds of prey.



There definitely is at least one Coopers Hawk who has been taking out some Pigeons lately. I don't mind really because Pigeons are a dime a dozen around here. Heck, I can even handle the mess they leave in the aftermath.



A gross sad sighting to some but this is life in the world of the wild. A Hawk only kills what he needs to eat, to survive. If you take the idea that this was a living creature out of your mind for a moment... look at that picture above, such contrast over the snow, the markings on the feathers are quite nice too.

I see more Hawks in my travels too! Mostly Red Tailed Hawks along the highways. On my 19 km trek from work to home, I see 4 every afternoon. Obviously 2 pairs.

I have seen another Red Tail a number of times on Scarlett Road as I get nearer to home. This one is rather bold and doesn't seem to be bothered too much by people in his vicinity. Too many I try to photograph high-tail from me long before I can get a zoom on them.








Last Saturday I was driving along Hwy 427 and counted 9 Hawks (all Red Tails I think) from Derry Road to Hwy 7 which isn't any more than 10 kms or so. Impressive! The thought of slamming on the brakes, jumping out and getting a photo run through my mind; but not such an easy task when driving 105 km/hr.

I snapped this one that seemed to hover just at the top of this hill. I thought I might get an eye-level in-flight shot but when I reached the top of the hill, he was gone.



A little further up the road I spotted this guy sitting at an intersection. I snapped this from my passenger window.



I've noticed a number of American Kestrels in my travels lately too! Three were in an area at the top of Hwy 427 last week. I took this picture through my front windshield before he flew off.



I must add that it's not just the winter when I see Hawks. They are just more visible at this time, to me anyways. All through the year, at any given time, I can have some bird of prey make or try to make a meal of one of my feathered friends. This Sharp Shin Hawk visited a few months back and caught himself a little House Sparrow.



I know a few who get quite upset over the fact of such birds visiting their properties/feeders and making a meal of the birds they feed. While it's never been my intention when backyard bird feeding, and I do my best to keep the feeders in spots with quick escape routes and hide outs... sometimes it just happens that the Hawk is clever and quick enough or a frightened bird goes the wrong way. Luckily for me it's been commoners that show up here in large numbers like House Sparrows, European Starlings and Pigeons who get nabbed. Catching a Blue Jay or Northern Cardinal would be heart-breaking to me since I see not much more than a pair of each.

But not every bird who gets caught, gets eaten. This Sharp Shin has a European Starling in his clutches and we thought he was done for but after a couple minutes of struggle, the Starling broke free and flew off. We sure don't need the television on, just have to look out the kitchen window for a daily story.



So, in your travels, keep your eye to the sky and around you, and you just might see one or a few of these guys along the way. Enjoy them!

Grey Jays and Algonquin Park... November 2010

About a month ago I visited Algonquin Park for the very first time ever in my life. Angie and I were taken up there by some friends of ours who are familiar with the area. We had a mission for this trip and that was to find and experience the presence of Grey Jays nicknamed "Whiskey Jacks" or "Camp Robbers".

I heard the stories of these birds, and while I believed them, it is nothing compared to actually seeing them in person. A mid-sized bird with a seemingly fearless attitude who will raid campsites, picnic sites, etc and steal the food of the people on site. Bold enough to fly right into the palm of a person's hand for some grub too!



While they aren't the most vibrant colored bird in the area; they still are quite a fine looking species.



We could have easily spent the whole day in this one spot and playing with the Jays.



The photo below is my favorite shot from the afternoon. I do love the hand shots but this one is just right for what I wanted to capture.



If you notice in the shots, they are all banded (colored bands on the legs). The birds are wild but they are heavily researched. The banding is for tracking and ID'ing the birds.



One of the reasons, or perhaps this has been discovered with the research so far is that the Grey Jays are declining in numbers along the most southern points of their range. The longer summers and autumns are to blame. The Jays are hoarders and rely upon the cold weather to act as a refrigerant and keep their food. So, while the weather stays warmer longer, their stored food rots much faster. It's lead to less successful breeding. It might be a decade or less and Grey Jays will be a rare sighting or perhaps not seen in places like Algonquin Park. Sad for us since this is a 3 hour drive on a good day to get to this spot... and since it's a winter spot for the birds, traveling up there, weather is often an issue.

It was +8c that afternoon. Toronto was really enjoying the spring like temperatures and lots of sun that week. I remember it well as I was on vacation. But, Algonquin had snow already.




We had another first sighting that afternoon... a Black Backed Woodpecker! They look alot like our Downys but the back is a mostly solid black color. We were treated with a good 5 minutes of watching him on this tree. Photography was not easy in the dense woods. I stayed well back because I didn't want to frighten him off. Not a bad shot though.



We picnic'd at this spot. The water was unbelievably calm! The sun felt so nice as it beamed down upon us.



Of course lots of Black-capped Chickadees were present. Always a treat since they are quite comfortable diving in for some grub too.


Deep in the woods we heard the Boreal Chickadees. We sorta saw them way up in the trees, buzzing back and forth. I hope on our next visit we might get a good visual of them... and maybe a photograph or two. With that being said, I did not take this last photo and borrowed it from Google Images.



I wonder who else out there reading this has experienced the fun of hanging out with those Grey Jays?

Pine Siskins are back!

It hit approximately +7c this afternoon and the sun was shining. A wonderful day for the second last day of November I must say!

I got home from work and right after I got the coffee on, took Meadow outside to enjoy this fantastic afternoon. She's gotten a little fussy when it comes to weather over the past couple years. I remember when she was 2 years old and it could be -30c outside and she'd join me outside at 1am to fill the feeders for the morning visitors and have a blast the whole time out there. Nowadays (she's 7), she just isn't so keen on cooler weather.



There's quite a few birds buzzing around this afternoon. A pair of Cardinals, one Downy Woodpecker, a Blue Jay, four Chickadees, probably a dozen Finches (Gold and House) and those darn Pigeons.





In the mix of all the sounds, I heard a different sound, and one I have not heard in a couple years. Instantly I knew what it was (Pine Siskin) but wanted a visual to be absolutely positively certain. And sure enough, about 10 minutes later of me standing quite still, I had my visual ID of two Pine Siskins buzzing around the back of the yard amongst the Gold and House Finches.

Pine Siskins are a part of the Finch family; but we seldom see them in the Toronto area. I know little of these birds and have only had them one other winter season since doing the backyard bird feeding thing going almost a decade ago. They call it an "irruption" when they spread out this far and even further; flying in from the Boreal Forests. It's something about a mix between a population explosion and a shortage of food (little rain this past spring/summer and high heat to blame) in their more common areas. I also think they know when a bad winter is coming because the last time I saw them, that winter was a doozy, and we had a lot of snow.

So, while I am excited about their return and I do hope they hang around the yard for the season; I have my fears on old man winter getting nasty on us since the past one had so little snow. Really I don't mind the snow but the drive to and from work across that Hwy 401 is a scary one in bad weather. If I could stay home on such days, no problem.

Today I only saw two. My peak the last time this species was here brought 12 to 15 at a time and maybe more. They love nyjer seed much like the other Finches do, so I best be well stocked, and have extra feeders out. I do recall them enjoying the black oil sunflower also.

So, welcome back little Pine Siskins! May you enjoy your stay on Bernice Crescent!

The Pine Siskin is the bird on the top left perch of this feeder. They have some similar markings on their backside much like the American Goldfinch with the yellow wing bars but are very streaky and much more brown with little yellow tints as you can see in this photo (sides and tail).