Shagbark Hickory, a Blue Jay Eating Sumac & Hawks in the Sky at Marie Curtis Park / November 2, 2019

Shagbark Hickory becomes more common as you head south into the United States but there are a few in our area. Usually the thorny blackberry bushes make it very difficult to approach the one at Marie Curtis Park, but at this time of year it is possible;

I’m often asked which birds eat the lovely red sumac fruit. We got one answer this morning:

The fields at Marie Curtis Park are often a good place to spots hawks in the air.

Here is the distinctive silhouette of a Red-tailed Hawk:

If you are in any doubt, the red tail clinches it!

Cooper’s Hawks are pigeon-sized and show a longish, rectangular tail. The well-rounded tail distinguishes them from the Blue Jay-sized Sharp-shinned Hawk which has a squarish end to the tail.

Species list: Canada goose, mallard, American black duck, red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, turkey vulture, herring gull, ring-billed gull, downy woodpecker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, ruby-crowned kinglet, American robin, European starling, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, song sparrow. (19 species)

Herring Gull (foreground) with Ring-billed Gulls

Some botany:

While it was still dark, I spotted a very tame coyote on a nearby street. Some neighbours told me that they have phoned the city about it, but the city says that they can do nothing because it is healthy.