FWG blog

What was happening at the FWG in January 2008

28 January — photos and notes from Sandy Garland

Much excitement this afternoon as a Sharp-shinned Hawk sat nonchalantly grooming itself while keeping a careful eye on the bird feeder in the FWG Backyard Garden. As I was leaving a small flock of House Finches flew in toward the feeder, did a "double-take" in mid air and fluttered off over the Arboretum.

25 January — photos and notes from Christine Hanrahan

It has been relatively quiet for birds around the FWG (and Arboretum) lately. However, I did see a brown creeper a few days ago and today managed to get a very, very poor photo of it on a Scotch Pine (below, right). I have tried repeatedly to photograph brown creepers but it is impossible (for me at least) as it not only moves very fast, but is always in dark situations. Others more adept with camera probably have better luck. I say I have repeatedly tried, which makes it sound as if I see these tiny treecreepers all the time. I don't. They are more often heard than seen. And their habits are fairly secretive, which combined with their small size and inconspicuous colouring makes them difficult to see. Best to listen for them and then try to track them down. At this time of year they are pretty silent, but every so often you can hear them murmuring away as they methodically go about their business, flying down to the bottom of a tree and quickly working their way upwards, before repeating the action, over and over. The nuthatches in contrast, usually (but of course, not always) work their way down tree trunks, although, yesterday, I watched one working its way UP.

There was a small flock of Pine Grosbeaks feeding on tamarack seeds in the Arboretum yesterday, and also a lovely red male gorging on crabapples (above left), so I had to try to get a photo as males have been relarively scarce in any of the flocks I've seen.

The open water in the pond continues to attract varying numbers of mallards. The other day I was able to get a close up shot of a male's head. In this photo you can clearly see the serrated edge to his bill. This feature allows mallards to not only get a better grip on food such as the frogs they were eating a few weeks ago, but also serves as a filter, helping strain out non-edible debris picked up while scooping aquatic invertebrates and vegetative matter from the water. while we know that mergansers have a very serrated bill, we forget that some common ducks like Mallards have such serrations on their bill too.

Other birds of interest include a sharp-shinned hawk that flew into the Ravine and scared up about 15 mourning doves and a Red-tailed Hawk. Every so often I hear Ravens flying over, and last week there was a lone tree sparrow in the Ash Woods but have not seen it since. Otherwise, the usual crew of birds.

15 January — photos and notes from Christine Hanrahan

The beautiful fresh snow this morning was perfect for viewing animal tracks. And it was quite apparent that many critters, big and small had been very busy.

Fox tracks were abundant, cris-crossing the entire FWG and down into the Arboretum. It looked in places as if there were two, although I can't say for sure. Their tracks were also crossed by those of dogs in many locations, giving a good opportunity to see the difference.

In one area you could see where a meadow vole had tunneled through the snow, gone briefly underground, before emerging again (photo at right).

In another location, a mouse had left a beautiful set of tracks.

A set of minute tracks of a shrew were also found, although which little insectivore made them, I don't really know, but there are several possible species.

Elsewhere, a few sets of rabbit tracks, and in the Ravine, a cottontail sitting perfectly still, looking like one of the several lumps of exposed ground nearby. Cottontails are nowhere near as common this year as they have been. Few tracks, few signs of scat, little evidence of feeding, and very few observations of the animal itself. Many reasons for this. Fox numbers are up. Dogs take their toll. Rabbit populations are cyclical, and so on.

I watched two red squirrels take their food and dive down into a tunnel one after the other following a well trod trail leading into and out of it (photo at right). I didn't spend much time looking to see where it came out because I was afraid of destroying their underground trail.

In the pond a drake mallard posed so beautifully and was so gorgeous and colourful, I had to take his photo (below)!

Even in winter, lots to see!

14 January — photos and notes from Christine Hanrahan

Most of the birds today are the same as reported before, with the addition of one American Tree Sparrow found on Thursday last. A few Common Redpolls continue to (sometimes) associate with flocks of House Finches, which are (sometimes) also joined by a couple of American Goldfinches. Don't expect to see the goldfinches or the redpolls with the House Finches all the time.

A Hairy Woodpecker occasionally visits the FWG. When seen alone Hairies can be mistaken for Downy Woodpeckers. YOu'd think the size difference would be very obvious (!) and it is - most of the time. But some of the Hairy Woodpeckers can appear to be quite small, particularly when there is nothing else to compare them against. And some Downy Woodpeckers can appear much larger than expected. Best bet is to check the tail and the bill of these two common Picoides species, if in doubt.
This morning, and as it has been doing for some days now, the water under the bridge by the pond has been pouring down the ravine (photo below). Our own mini-Niagara! The pond also continues to attract Mallards and sometimes Blacks (or black/mallard hybrids). At times there are well over 40 of them there, this morning I saw only 6, but numbers change throughout the day and by afternoon another 20 or 30 could have flown in.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk continues to hang around the feeders, while the Cooper's Hawk has been less visible the last few weeks. I also haven't seen the Red-tailed Hawk for over a week. No doubt they are all still around.

A cluster of crows in the Ravine were all excited this morning as one of their number caught a mouse and carried it off triumphantly, pursued by a cawing crowd.

This apple stuck in a cluster of DSV vines seemed quite luminous, almost glowing! It reminded me of the lines from Yeat's poem, The Song of the Wandering Aengus — "The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun."

7 January — photos and notes from Christine Hanrahan

This morning, the fog was certainly enticing the photographers out and I lost track of the numbers I saw as I walked around the FWG and Arboretum. And who can blame them, for the fog makes everything mysterious and magical!

The pond held 39 mallards and 2 black ducks, some of whom were getting quite frisky in this mild weather. The mild temperature also encouraged a gathering of starlings, at least 80, probably more, just south of the garden by Hartwell Locks, and their singing could be heard from the FWG's Backyard Garden. Otherwise, there wasn't much around other than the usual culprits, cardinals, chickadees, etc. A small flock of pine grosbeaks were feeding in the Arboretum, usual spot, and I heard more flying somewhere overhead. Meantime, the red squirrels were busy snipping off the tips of spruce branches. They do this so that they can easily feed on the buds. Once they have accumulated a good store below the tree, they'll scuttle down and commence feeding.

4 January — photos and notes from Christine Hanrahan

Yesterday, Jan. 3, was bitterly cold and there was not a lot of activity.

It was, however, a pretty day out there, and the pond was looking especially beautiful with its cover of ice crystals.
Fox tracks made a pattern on the south slope of the pond.

A red-tailed hawk was being harassed by a half dozen crows. I followed it into the Arboretum where I managed to take a couple of photos before it flew off again with the crows in hot pursuit.

Today was much milder and consequently, there was a lot more activity.

The 'Oregon' junco, 'star' of the FWG, was found earlier in the morning at the Ash Woods feeder, and later, close to noon, in the BYG.
Sixteen mallards were having a grand time in the pond, splashing in the water and preening on the ice.

I think mallards are uncommonly attractive ducks, but because they are so abundant we probably don't really "look" at them most of the time.

There were a lot of cardinals around the garden today, and one male was picking off the remaining seeds from a Bittersweet vine in the Old Field. Meanwhile, robins, a lone starling, some house finches, and more cardinals were feeding on sumac seeds. A small flock of bohemian waxwings landed in the ravine briefly before heading west across Prince of Wales Drive.

There was the usual assortment of other birds around, most of the ones I mentioned a few days ago.

3 January — photo from Bryan Shane

This little male Downy Woodpecker was trying to find shelter from the cold in our Backyard Garden on Thursday.