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Outdoor Ontario

Recent Posts

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31
Toronto Wildlife / Re: Squirrel Tales: Cinnamon Morphs, Firework Tails & Red Rascals!
« Last post by Dr. John on May 05, 2025, 04:12:37 PM »
There are also white eastern gray squirrels at times in the city.  I used to see them on the grounds of CAMH at Queen and Ossington decades ago and more recently in Trinity Bellwoods park.  They are not albino as far as I can tell, but a very light coloured morph.
32
Ontario Birds / May 5th
« Last post by Shortsighted on May 05, 2025, 03:19:23 PM »
 These dark overcast mornings are not particularly welcome during the peak interval of the warbler migration because they are usually associated with an east wind, or NE wind, which bodes no-good, and also because the level of light is so Stygian as to require a camera with an Fx sensor, necessary to be able to handle four-figure ISO settings.  If I manage to find a subject to photograph,  some cropping will almost certainly be required and then the image looks like a pixel storm.  I guess that’s when that super fast, super expensive glass comes in handy.  Then again, if that echelon of kit is at hand there is probably an Fx sensor camera also in the bag.   If I look deep into my bag all I see is a banana, a zip-lock sack of nuts and something that might need to be sent to the lab for forensic analysis.

 
First on the scene was a Brown thrasher singing one of those bombastic arias. I could hear it from the car.  Clearly, a diva, a mimic bird not quite projecting the repertoire of a catbird, so I figured a thrasher.  I was right.  A few warblers were in mid-story because upon my arrival I had completely missed the first few chapters and even with the travail of a pixel storm I could identify a Cape May warbler.   A sharp call made me turn on my heels because I was too out-of-it to be on my toes and there appeared a sandpiper, despite the total absence of sand.   It was a Solitary sandpiper, no spots, dull mud-green legs and completely alone.   A real loser.   I hadn’t seen one in a few years.   Another buzzy sound from above.   Clouds of gnats all around me.  It’s a good thing they don’t bite.  There!  Another warbler ... a N. Parula. Nice to see a FOY bird even if the photo is unworthy.  I saw a spider’s web that caught some of those gnats ... a gnatty net ... that’s a tech term for 2-D compression.  You see, clouds of gnats is 3-D, a gnatty-net is 2-D ... never mind, the point is that a Red-bellied woodpecker also saw it and was thinking the same thing. Please, don’t challenge me on this.  Peckerheads think alike.

 










Brown thrasher







Solitary sandpiper







Cape May warbler way up there







Red-bellied woodpecker transfixed by the net








Northern Parula
33
Toronto Wildlife / Re: Squirrel Tales: Cinnamon Morphs, Firework Tails & Red Rascals!
« Last post by Charline on May 05, 2025, 12:38:40 PM »
Thanks, Dr. John. Would like to see a photo of your Cinnamon Girl one day.


I have discovered another blonde squirrel so I call it Blondie. According to others, Blondie has been known locally for a number of years. It is nursing now. It will be interesting to see her kits.


This video shows Blondie: https://youtu.be/xetGrgXi-Bs
34
Toronto Wildlife / Re: Squirrel Tales: Cinnamon Morphs, Firework Tails & Red Rascals!
« Last post by Dr. John on May 05, 2025, 11:56:47 AM »
Lovely squirrels!


We have a cinnamon female that’s a regular visitor to our back door for peanuts. She’s definitely an eastern gray. We have named her, somewhat obviously, Cinnamon Girl.
35
Ontario Birds / Palm Sunday
« Last post by Shortsighted on May 04, 2025, 01:57:16 PM »
Sometimes I just loath generalizations, but at the same time feel that they remain too tantalizing to ignore.  With that in mind, it seems that everything that moves near the ground within the realm of my vision, that is unrelated to the wind, ends up turning out to be a White-throated sparrow.  This species seems to hold dominion over GTA parkland, if you omit the contribution made by dogs.  Even so, I think that the total biomass of all the sparrows exceeds that of the dogs.

With this generalization unpacked, I must add that everything that seems to move in the treetops is a Myrtle warbler,  followed closely by Palm warblers in the mid-story.  I've never seen so many Palm warblers.  It almost feels like, if I stand truly erect with arms outstretched and palms raised, I might expect a Pam warbler to settle on each hand if I merely wait long enough.  All hyperbole aside, I declare this Palm Sunday.  But, that's sort of hyperbolic too, isn't it?


Palm warbler singing











36
Anything Goes / Niagara Falls: Dramatic Bottom View and A Leashed Cat in Daffodil Meadow
« Last post by Charline on May 04, 2025, 12:36:03 PM »
It's been many years since I visited the Journey Behind the Falls last time.


This time, not only I re-visited the dramatic view at the bottom of the waterfalls, I had a nice walk to see the spring flowers along the way.


My YouTube video will tell the story better than my words: https://youtu.be/lihmlyYiPJk
37
Toronto Reports / May 3rd
« Last post by Shortsighted on May 03, 2025, 02:39:33 PM »
Overcast but fairly calm morning with low-light.  Sightings include:  FOY  Solitary sandpiper,   FOY Blackburnian warbler,  FOY Cape May warbler,  B&W warbler,  Palm warbler,  Myrtle warbler,  FOY Blue-gray gnatcatcher,  Least flycatcher,  Hooded merganser,  Muskrat,  Snapping turtle,  FOY Black-throated Green warbler,  Flicker.
38
Toronto Reports / Interesting sightings reported in GTA
« Last post by Shortsighted on May 02, 2025, 04:38:02 PM »
Yellow-breasted Chat,  Willet,  Blue-winged warbler,  Western grebe,  Wood thrush,  Louisiana waterthrush,  Scissor-tailed flycatcher  ....  if it were only possible the be everywhere at once.  I might try Thickson Woods tomorrow if it doesn't rain too much.  Problem with Thickson Woods is that warblers are very high up the trees, except perhaps on the western corner or down in Fern hollow.  I think there was a Wood thrush reported there today and enough ovenbirds to start an insurrection.  Then again, there is the small adjacent meadow to consider as well.  Should have gotten gas.  Should have, could have, would have.  That could be an opening line to a song.  I'm rambling again, aren't I.
39
Ontario Birds / May 2nd ... four new warblers
« Last post by Shortsighted on May 02, 2025, 03:21:13 PM »
There was a south wind last night, from SE - S - SW and therefore a few new migrants were seen this morning:  Chestnut-sided warbler,  Black & White warbler,  Black-throated blue warbler and Ovenbird.  The temp at 7 a.m. was 8-degrees in fog, which quickly lifted and in a couple of hours it was 19-degrees.  Other sightings included:  Hermit thrush,  Veery,  Northern waterthrush,  Red-tailed hawk,  Cooper's hawk,  Turkey vulture,  Flickers,  Common yellowthroat,  Nashville warbler,  Myrtle warbler,  and legions of White-throated sparrows.  A few juncos still around.  Kept hearing Baltimore orioles way up in the trees, out of reach, even with a step ladder.


Red-tailed hawk


Black & White warbler


Chestnut-sided warbler


Ovenbird


Hermit thrush


Light-morph White-throated sparrow


Black & White warbler


Chestnut-sided warbler


Black-throated blue warbler


Chestnut-sided warbler


40
Nature / Surprises! Rare Blonde Squirrel, Cherry Blossoms and Urban Sapsucker
« Last post by Charline on May 02, 2025, 12:49:49 PM »
I was surprised, I never saw a blonde squirrel nor a sapsucker. But I saw them in urban Toronto


Please take a look at my YouTube video and see what I saw: https://youtu.be/xetGrgXi-Bs
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