Many Flickers in the Don Valley: September 25, 2020

Some years ago, a friend and I went for a fall walk in the meadow area just west of Crothers Woods. We started to notice a few Northern Flickers flying about and began to count them. After an hour we had counted 50!

Northern Flicker (female)

Flickers are migrating south at this time of year.

Northern Flicker (female)

They leave the northern parts of their range to winter in the southern U.S.

Northern Flicker (female)

Birds that breed farther south typically stay put for the winter.

Northern Flicker (female)

Northern Flickers are found in Cuba and parts of Mexico year-round.

Northern Flicker (female)

This morning we saw about half a dozen flickers.

Northern Flicker (female)

Other birds:

Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Song Sparrow
Mallard (female)
Mallard (female)
Mallard (female)

We had a big excitement this morning as a mink and a Northern Waterthrush were spotted by the Don River.

Northern Waterthrush (from flickr)
Mink (photo: Pinterest)

Species list: mallard, red-tailed hawk, northern flicker, downy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, gray catbird, American robin, northern waterthrush, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, song sparrow.  (13 species)

Park views:

This morning’s group:

Some botany:

Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
Shaggy Mane Mushroom
Cabbage White Butterfly in Bull Thistle
White Ash (Fraxinus americana)
Blue-stemmed Goldenrod (Solidago caesia)
Brome Grass (Bromus inermis)
Phragmites (Phragmites australis)
Switch Grass (Panicum virgatum)
Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora)
Cat-tail (Typha)
Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare)
Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)
New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)
Panicled Aster (Symphyotrichum lanceolatum)
Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)
Teasel (Dipsacus fullonum)
Creeping Bellflower (Campanula rapunculoides)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)

NATURE POETRY

Through sunny days and yellow weeks,
With clouds that melt in tears,
The glory of the harvest speaks
In all the silken ears.                                    – J. Hazard Hartzell (1830–90) 

Miles Hearn

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