Yard Creatures

On March 28, 2020 I got up from a nice sleep and was ready to get out there.  

My dad asked if I wanted to join him on a walk and I gladly accepted the offer. At the farmer's field out back we spotted a group of sixteen or seventeen turkeys! The tom was showing off his feathers while the females slowly walked around. But when we came too close they all ran away.

Wild Turkey- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 8:00AM

We also saw the pair of Bluebirds going in the nesting boxes. We’ve been putting nesting boxes all over our property and they have been looking at each one.

Eastern Bluebird- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 8:00AM 

Eastern Bluebird- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 8:00AM 

Then we slowly started making our way back. When we got back I had breakfast then read some books and had some lunch.  Finally I grabbed my camera and my binoculars and went out. 

Once I got outside I saw a Robin taking a bath in a small puddle on our driveway. And again I saw the pair of Bluebirds checking out the nesting boxes, but this time they were looking at the boxes at the front of our property. Some other birds that were around were Song Sparrows, European Starlings, Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles, Turkey Vultures, American Crows, American Tree Sparrows, Blue Jays, American Goldfinches, Dark Eyed Juncoes,  Black-capped Chickadees and a Downy Woodpecker.

Eastern Bluebird- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:10PM

American Robin- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:20PM

American Robin- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:20PM

Black-capped Chickadee- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:40PM

Song Sparrow - Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 3:10PM

Red-winged Blackbird- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March, 28, 2020, 5:00PM

I went along the pond and found lots of these plants (see below). I also went up the trail a and found some Redshank!

Redshank- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:50PM

Redshank- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:50PM

Redshank- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:50PM

Plants sp- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:50PM

Plants sp- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 2:50PM

I saw two gulls soaring but they could not be identified with the pictures I got.

Gulls sp- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 28, 2020, 3:00PM

So after a long day outside I came in to eat my dinner and then read a book before bed...    but just before I went to bed I opened the door and heard a Woodcock! What a great day it had been! 

A Snow Goose and a Canvesback

On March 29, 2020, I woke up happy and ready to start the day! At the feeder were some Red Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, Dark Eyed Juncoes, American Tree Sparrows, American Goldfinches, Blue Jays, Black Capped Chickadees and an occasional Song Sparrow.

Red Winged Blackbird- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 12:20AM

Red Winged Blackbird- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 12:20AM

After breakfast I went outside and saw a pair of Eastern Bluebirds on one of our nesting boxes.  

Eastern Bluebird- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 12:50PM

After a nice lunch we went out to get our day's target; a blue morph Snow Goose. It was located in Fergus, Wellington, Ontario. So me and my dad set out to find it. On the way there we spotted a nice looking Turkey Vulture.

Turkey Vulture- Fergus, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 1:24PM

When we got to the place we looked around where it was seen in the morning. We did not exactly find the blue morph but we did find an immature Snow Goose...to think that there were two different Snow Geese sightings not too far away in four hours! Pretty nice.

Snow Goose- Fergus, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 1:40PM

Canada Goose- Fergus, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 1:40PM

After we checked some other ponds nearby and we found lots of Ring Billed Gulls.

Ring Billed Gulls- Fergus, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 1:30PM

Our next stop was the Hillsburgh Pond. It is one of my favourite places to watch for geese. About a week ago my dad and I found Cackling Geese, a Snow Goose, Canada Geese and a Greater White Fronted Goose.

Snow Goose- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 22, 2020, 3:50PM

Snow Goose- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 22, 2020, 3:50PM

Greater White Fronted Goose- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 22, 2020, 3:50PM

Greater White-fronted Goose- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 22, 2020, 3:50PM

Cackling Geese (smaller ones)- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 22, 2020, 3:50PM

Cackling Geese (smaller ones)- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 22, 2020, 3:50PM

When we got there and were about to get out a few rain drops fell, and in a few seconds it was pouring pretty hard! We waited about five minutes and then it slowly stopped. We got out and went to the pond and the first thing I spotted was a pair a Canvasback. Since it can be a good bird in Wellington I got excited and told my dad. It was a Wellington year bird for both of us!

Canvasback- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 29, 2020, 2:40

Common Merganser- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 29, 2020, 2:40PM

Canvasback- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 29, 2020, 2:40

Canada Goose- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 29, 2020, 2:40PM

Common Merganser- Hillsburgh Pond, Wellington Ontario- March 29, 2020, 2:40PM

Then we checked out what other kinds of birds were there and then left feeling happy with our findings!

When we got home there was still one more treat in store for us; a Wood Frog! And with that our day came to an end!

Wood Frog- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 3:30PM

Wood Frog- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 3:30PM

Wood Frog- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 3:30PM

Wood Frog- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 29, 2020, 3:30PM

Back Home

After coming home from our outing to see the Ross’s and Solitaire, we went straight outside to get some more fresh air. The first call I heard was the song of the Song Sparrow. I also saw and heard a Raven high in the sky and saw a soaring Turkey Vulture.

We decided to go on a walk. When we were walking by the the back pond, my dad found a Red Flat Bark Beetle under some bark.

Red Flat Bark Beetle- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 2:20PM

We also saw a pair of Mallards and flushed a pair of Wood Ducks. At the back we spotted our first Chipmunk of the year on our property. We also got our first Butterfly in Ontario for the year- an Eastern Comma! 

Eastern Chipmunk- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 2:50PM

Eastern Comma- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 2:50PM

After that, we walked back and took pictures of the insects and saw a pair of Eastern Bluebirds.

Virginia Ctenucha Moth-  Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 3:30

Winter Firefly- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27,  2020- March 27, 2020, 3:30

Ground Beetles sp.-8mm- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 3:50PM

Ground Beetles sp.-12.5mm- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00

Ground Beetles sp.-12.5mm- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00

Ground Beetles sp.-12.5mm- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00

Ground Beetles sp.-8mm- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 3:50PM

Multicoloured Bark Crab Spider- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00PM

Multicoloured Bark Crab Spider- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00PM

Slender Groundhopper- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00PM

Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00PM 

Twice-stabbed Lady Beetle- Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 27, 2020, 4:00PM

After that I started uploading our findings to iNaturalist. But then my dad sent me a message. It said “Right beside me”. I was thinking "Whaat?!" A few seconds later he sent another message that said “Woodcock”. That just made my belly flip and I wrote back "Where!!???”. So he messaged back “Come outside”. So that's exactly what I did. But what I didn’t know is that he was still messaging. He wrote “Towards Owen's (our next door neighbour)...Wet patch on the path”. That would have been helpful but I didn’t see that. I was going to run down the trail to see if he was there but then I heard a whistle the opposite way. So I followed the whistles along with my brother and found my dad and then spotted my spark bird!

American Woodcock-  Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario, March 2020- 4:50PM

American Woodcock-  Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 2020 4:50PM

American Woodcock-  Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 2020 4:50PM

American Woodcock-  Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 2020 4:50PM

American Woodcock-  Guelph Eramosa, Wellington, Ontario- March 2020 4:50PM

It was doing its amazing dance with its whole body but not its head. I am pretty sure that no other bird can do that. Some people say it's to attract worms (which I don’t get) but I think it's a sign of distress.

And what’s awesome is that it didn’t fly once! American Woodcocks are very shy and secretive birds which made this extra special and we actually flushed another one when we were there!

Our day ended off great seeing some good birds, insects, mammals etc. So all that was on my mind was getting good night's sleep!