02-NOV-2009
Red-breasted merganser, male
Rideau Canal. This handsome merganser was hanging out in the Canal for a short while. Luckily he was sitting on a rock, preening, and you can see his big red feet!
02-NOV-2009
Amphibian pond
On this sunny and mild second day of November, I took a walk at FWG. The beaver has removed the second willow tree, which is good news. We have wanted to take down some trees from the south side of the pond for a long time, but have never been able to bring ourselves to do this! The reason for the desired tree removal, is to provide a clear space for tree swallows to access their nest boxes. The beaver is helping us to do this and at the same time, making use of the trees for food. I do wonder, however, how the muskrats are faring. If they are even still there. I haven't seen one since mid-summer. Perhaps now the beaver has moved in, they have moved on.
02-NOV-2009
Walnut in a spruce tree, placed by a red squirrel
Near the pond I noticed that a red squirrel had placed walnuts on various branches of this spruce tree. It looked quite decorative as if the walnuts were green Christmas decorations. While looking at these, the owner of these walnuts came bustling along with another one ready to place in the tree.
02-NOV-2009
Ninebark (Physocarpus)
An attractive seedpod of the ninebark tree on the edge of the Old Field.
02-NOV-2009
Mouse in nestbox
After walking around FWG, I began to do my annual cleaning and checking of nest boxes at the site. So far I have cleaned out 21. Of those, only five contained swallow nests. I'd kept track of the boxes I'd seen swallows going in and out of during the breeding season, and knew that they had all produced some young, but was curious to see if there were any eggs or dead young in the boxes. There weren't, so I consider those successful nestings. However, it is the lowest number yet for the boxes around the pond. Later on I'll clean out the Old Field boxes and see what the story is there.
This particular nest box is in a situation that swallows would not find attractive, but I've left it up for other species such as chickadees, or house wrens and house sparrows. Last year chickadees did nest in this box, but in the spring a mouse had created a small nest made entirely of dog-strangling vine (DSV)and I left it alone because there were many other boxes for chickadees to choose from. Now, this box is full of a very warm and cosy nest, still made entirely from DSV and containing five very cute mice!
02-NOV-2009
Mouse in nest box
This little guy decided to hang out at the top of the box above the nest material. He was joined by another and when they decided I was too intrusive, they both leaped out of the back and ran down a nearby tree and vanished. The rest of the mice huddled together and I left them alone. The others will be back.
02-NOV-2009
Dog-strangling vine mouse nest
Here you can clearly see the DSV fluff and seedpods used by these enterprising mice to build their nest.
Of the 21 nest boxes I have checked so far, three contained squirrel nests, two were complete and one was partially completed. Also in the box with the partial squirrel nest, was a nest made by Polistes dominula with one dead wasp attached. Two of these nests I know were made in the spring, the other one looks well established so may also have been made then. None of the boxes contained house sparrow nests, for the 2nd year in a row. Although I have more boxes to check, the ones in the Old Field have never been used by house sparrows in all the years I've been maintaining them, so I don't expect to find any of their nests when I clean them later.
01-NOV-2009
Common merganser, female
This beautiful bird was photographed by Diane Lepage on the Rideau Canal, just off the Arboretum below Fletcher.
01-NOV-2009
Red squirrel/écureuil roux eating crabapples
Diane found this fat little red squirrel eating crabapples, a favourite not only of squirrels but of birds too.
