11 February 2009
Interpretive centre at dusk
Last but not least, here's a photo of the Interpretive Centre at night.
Well, not really night, but about 5:45 or so this evening. I thought it actually looked rather festive with the lights and the reflection in the ice.
10 February 2009
American crow
Yesterday I commented on the white splotches I was seeing on crows lately. I said it looked like someone had thrown paint or whitewash on them. Looking at some photos of crows gathering in trees around the Arboretum and farm last night, I discussed this issue with someone else who said what I had been thinking: the whitewash could well be excrement. Think of it. All these birds roosting in trees, doing what birds do after eating, and dropping the stuff on the poor crows beneath them. I wrote to Michel Gosselin at the Canadian Museum of Nature about this, and he confirmed that was what it was. I don't recall seeing this the rest of the year, and it stands to reason that once crows disperse in breeding season, they wouldn't be congregating in such huge numbers, so no problem with bombs from above :-) Michel also confirmed that the white wing patches I've seen and photographed on some crows around the farm is a lack of pigmentation in the feathers.
9 February 2009
Crow with sumac
It was a beautifully sunny and mild morning, at about -5. So, while on my way elsewhere, I made a quick stop at the FWG for a short walk around. The northern shrike was near the Old Field, close to where I've seen it the last few visits. Few other birds were noted, but there were many squirrels, both the red and the grey (black). A few crows were back on the sumac bush in the Ravine, and as you can see here, were rather daintily plucking one little seed off at a time.
9 February 2009
Crow on sumac
This crow was sitting near to the one in the previous photo. Can you see the faint white on the wings? Almost looks like someone spilled a bit of paint or whitewash on him. More and more crows around the farm are showing varying degrees of white in their feathers, from large wing patches, to small splotches on head, shoulders, back or wings. You can also see tiny bits of white on the bird in the previous photo.
9 February 2009
Cottontail rabbit
This is one of the few rabbits seen this winter at FWG. Even signs of rabbits are only occasional at best. However, in the city of Ottawa as a whole, rabbits are doing very well!
9 February 2009
Grey squirrel (black phase) eating Manitoba maple seed
As you can see, this squirrel has quite a lot of reddish colouration. When he stood up to reach for a seed, his entire belly was a rich rufous colour. This may be the same one I photographed a few days ago, also showing this colouration. It is not uncommon for the melanistic phase of the grey squirrel to show this reddish colour, and sometimes you may see entirely black animals but with a lovely red tail! The greys sometimes show a rufous or rusty tinge to their pelage as well, and when such an animal is quite small, it is easy to mistake it from a distance, for a red squirrel. You might think that is impossible given how different they really are, but when you see one of these reddish greys, you'll understand what I mean!
3 February 2009
Grey squirrel (black phase)
But the squirrels were out and about... Can you see the garden reflected in this one's eye?
3 February 2009
Grey squirrel (black phase) in sumac
One sat in the sumac in the BYG and tried to outstare me, or at least, that is what I thought he was doing. I found him quite handsome.
1 February 2009
FWG in the snow
Although not as cold as it has been, it was still relatively cool out today. I found myself at FWG this afternoon, though I often don't go on a weekend because of the hordes of people. Today was no exception. People all over the place, skiers, snowshoers, photographers, birders, dog-walkers, walkers.... it was even busier in the Arboretum where the "toboggan hill" was packed.
1 February 2009
Red squirrel
This little red was sitting in a sumac near the feeder, having just tunnelled through the snow to get there :-)