Black Squirrels in Toronto

 

I just returned from a trip to Canada, where I saw the famous Niagara Falls.

I also saw the less famous local black squirrels of Toronto! They have a coat-color mutation that seems particularly well suited to the area; black fur absorbs sunlight efficiently and helps keep them warm during cold Canadian winters. 

Just last year, I saw the famous white squirrels of Olney, Illinois. Click on this sentence to go to my blog about them.  The white fur mutation persists with help from local people who actively protect white squirrels. The squirrels have the right-of-way on the streets of Olney. 

 

Squirrels in New Jersey usually look like this. Black, white, and gray forms are different colors of the same species, the Eastern Gray Squirrel, for which this gray is the standard color. Reddish highlights are common. Click to enlarge.

Any questions? 

Osprey

 

The osprey is about two feet long with a five-foot wingspan. This one is hovering while hunting. It eats mainly fish, which it catches by diving feet-first into water, sometimes to a depth of more than a foot. Not surprisingly, it is also called a fish hawk. Click to enlarge.

The osprey is not one of my backyard birds. But there is a nest on the Delaware River that is close enough to my house that I can walk there to watch them. 

The male catches fish in the river, carries them to the nest, then flies out again. 

And again. 

This shaggy character is one of this year's young. So... well done, osprey parents! 

Northern Flicker

Another bird from my backyard -- the Northern Flicker. It's a woodpecker. Notice its black bib, spotted belly, and red nape. The black whisker or mustache stripe on its face identifies this one as a male. 

It does not come to the feeder for seeds. I see it either in trees foraging for insects, or on the grounds poking at ants, which are a major component of its diet. Click to enlarge.

Here it is picking up a bit of debris to check for insects. 

I always feel lucky whenever I spot a flicker -- such a snazzy little surprise. 

American Goldfinch

A male American goldfinch at the seed feeder in my backyard. Click to enlarge.

He is the first in an upcoming occasional series of the birds that visit my yard. He's beautiful, right? But is he the most beautiful of all? We shall see...

Happy Father's Day

 

 Chincoteague ponies, from the Maryland herd, seem to be whispering secrets. Click to enlarge. 

Tree Swallow Baby Pictures

 

Today I watched parents feeding nestling tree swallows at the two locations I monitor in Burlington County, New Jersey. 

At both sites, a nestling sat in the doorway. Click to enlarge.

When a parent approached, the nestling opened its brightly colored gape. It attracts the parent's attention and helps them deliver food. 

Success. 

Still hungry. 

Still hungry. 

Tree Swallow Nest Update

Both of my tree swallow nests are showing signs that chicks have hatched. 

As I watched, a swallow arrived and perched. 

Jumped in and stayed for a few moments. 

Then popped up again, carrying evidence of chicks. 

The bird has a fecal sac in its beak. Tree swallow chicks produce waste in little, easily carried packages that the parents remove from the nest. It keeps the nest clean and helps avoid odors that might attract predators. Click to enlarge. 

The same thing was happening at the second nest I monitor. 

Tree swallow parents catch insects in the air and form balls of them called boluses to feed to the chicks. In with a meal. Out with a fecal sac.  

A hardworking bird on its way back out to dispose of a sac and catch more food. 

Impressive.