Two Straight Days with Kingfishers during our walks: Feb. 1, 2023

Belted Kingfishers need open water for fishing and we have had a lot of that this winter. That would explain why we had one yesterday at Lambton Woods:

Belted Kingfisher (male) photo: Jim Crummey

and another this morning at Wilket Creek:

Belted Kingfisher (female)

What does Birds of Ontario say about wintering Kingfishers?

On the 1968-1977 Christmas counts they were present but uncommon at most localities north to Ottawa and Manitoulin. Speirs had winter records for Pickering Twp. on Dec. 13, 1972, Jan. 20, 1973 and Feb. 2, 1974, and they were noted on more than half of the Pickering Christmas counts. Mills (1981) cited a few January records for the cottage country. Dennison (1980) listed one on one of the 25 Christmas counts at Sault Ste. Marie.

Other birds from Wilket Creek:

Mourning Dove
Mallards
American Robin
White-breasted Nuthatch
Downy Woodpecker (male)

Park scenes:

former Sunnybrook Stables property
former Sunnybrook Stables

Some botany:

Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo)
Amur Cork Tree (Phellodendron amurense)
Balsam Poplar (Populus balsamifra)
Black Knot Gall
Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alata)
Common Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata)
Japanese Yew (Taxus cuspidata)
Spindletree (Euonymus europaea) also called Burning Bush
Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alata)

Today’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Willow buds sleep tight

And snug on winter branches.

Weeping is tiring. – Karen Eckert

Miles Hearn



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *