A Very Happy Father's Day

I'm sure that most who have lost their dads agree that Father's Day is difficult, but my experience with a different sort of dad made this Father's Day one I will never forget.

For years I wanted Orioles to visit my yard with no luck, but finally after much strategy and patience, my yard is home to many.  The male in this story is my original Oriole (now named Daddy-O). Over the years he has become much less skittish, at times perching only a few feet away from me when I'm on the back deck.

I knew he nested nearby, but it wasn't until my next door neighbour called me today to tell me that she had accidentally cut down a Baltimore Oriole's nest that I realized that his nest was in the large maple right next door!  She thought she was cutting down a caterpillar tent and only when the nest hit the ground did she discover 4 Oriole nestlings inside.  She was devastated and so was I.

While I was quickly driving home to help, my neighbours had attempted to relocate the nest but it was too far away.  The nature and size of the tree made it impossible to fasten it anywhere on the tree and keep it within 10 feet of the original nest.

The nest of Oriole babies lands on the ground, having dropped around 25 ft.

 The babies had weakened to the point where it appeared that only one was still alive, one was possibly holding on, and it looked like two had died.  What really broke my heart was that mom and dad kept returning to the limb that used to support the nest with food.  They couldn't understand what had happened to their little family.

We were now heading into hour 3 and were getting ready to drive the babies to a wildlife rehabber - though I couldn't bear the thought of "my" Orioles losing their clutch.  I talked through an idea with Shades of Hope and they encouraged me to give it a try.  Directly below the limb (which was too high to reattach the nest) is a trampoline.  The trampoline has long poles all the way around.  After much contemplation, I found a very small wicker hanging basket for flowers that has been in my garage for a while.  By adding moss to the bottom, I was able to get it to the height of the nest.  A little duct tape to secure the basket to the pole, and the nest was now suspended 10 feet directly under where the nest had originally been.

And now....we waited for what felt like hours.  At one point the parents appeared to have abandoned the nest altogether, over 20 minutes past and neither returned.  When they did show up they would jump from branch to branch, confused.  The problem was the babies were to weak to call out, so the Orioles didn't think to inspect a trampoline to find their babies (why would they!).

That's where my iPhone came in.  I found a Sibleys call of slightly older Oriole nestlings chattering and placed it on the trampoline mat, about 6 feet underneath the basket.  More waiting.  Then Dad finally looked at the trampoline for the first time!

We held our breath as we watched him hop down onto the mat and walk around.  He recognized the chattering call but couldn't locate his babies.  He continued exploring until finally a baby caught his eye!  He perched on the edge of the hanging basket and looked down.  Woo hoo!  We thought we were home free!

But after staring at the babies a while, he jumped down to the iPhone!  He stared into it, and it was obvious it was confusing him so now that it had done its job I removed it.  My mind was blown when I realized that he understood that this device was responsible for the calls.

Another ten minutes or so and finally he reappeared.  He visited the nest a few more times, without food.  Clearly he was confused by this ordeal.  We feared now that we had lost all the babies because they were not moving.

He left one more time, but when he returned he was followed by mama and it was interesting because she took only seconds before she recognized her babies were in the hanging basket.

Mom Oriole, trying to figure out what has happened to her family.

And finally - they started feeding them!  It was a constant back and forth with bugs and worms and jelly.  We are confident that there are at least 3 very strong babies.  Its possible we lost the fourth but I don't want to rule that out yet.  We have one more step to complete, which is to hang cedar branches on either side to shield the babies from the sun, and of course predation might be a problem but all we can do is hope that nature will be kind to this little family after all they've been through.

My hope is that in a short period of time Daddy-O will bring his babies over and teach them how to use the water fountain in my yard for the first time, like he has in years past.

Daddy-O, feedings his beautiful babies in this make-shift replacement nest.

What started off as one of my all-time worst wildlife moments turned out to be one of my best.  I learned so much about the intelligence and dedication of these parents - and was very surprised when I learned that Daddy-O understood that the call was coming from my phone.

The branches at the top are where the original nest was.  The top of the trampoline pole to the left is where the hanging flower basket with the original nest is now.  It still amazes me that the parents found and accepted this new home for their family.

Here's a video clip of both mom and dad feeding them.

An amazing Father's Day for this papa Oriole, and his little family.  What a great dad :)

Thanks once again to Shades of Hope - their coaching over the phone was encouraging and invaluable!

***UPDATE***

June 20 2016 - We added the cedar shading this morning and the parents have created a little entryway.  All 4 babies survived and are thriving!  Here are a few pics taken from my deck this morning.

Mom seems to have spent the night in the nest.

She is very involved in feedings as well.

The parents seem to appreciate the shading of the babies now that we've added cedar branches.  They have created a little doorway and only seem to enter the nest from here.

Extreme crop to show the little open gaping mouth.

The parents eat grape jelly from my feeder for themselves, but I'm happy to see that they only feed the babies insects.

It seems like every trip back to the nest, there is a different insect species.

Dad making a landing.

Dad on his way to gather more food.

The Highs and Lows of Spring

What a beautiful May-24 weekend.  Perfect weather, and today felt like the first unofficial day of summer.

Around the yard the dogs enjoy the first of many games of "Hose", and I am hearing the beautiful call of Baltimore Orioles, the persistent and insistent squawk of baby Grackles, and the lecturing Red Squirrel who was cautioning all critters to "back away from the feeders".  

At around 7:00 a.m. this morning I spotted a little head peeking out of the grass.  It was a newly fledged American Robin, beyond cute and being doted on by his parents.  His dad was busy rounding up juicy worms for his little one, and the fledgling was only too happy to gobble them up.

My first glimpse of this sweet bird.

Initially all seemed good with this recently fledged American Robin.

He even took a few hops in the grass.

I spent half an hour taking photos from a distance, and while I noted the fledgling was eating well, my spidey senses were tingling because something seemed off.  When I zoomed in on my photos I noticed that he was doing one of two things in the photos - eating, or sleeping.  His eyes were closed in many of the shots, and I'd never seen a fledgling so sleepy before.  I would have been more concerned had I not seen him eating several juicy worms over the course of an hour.

At 11:00 a.m. I heading out and while walking toward the driveway I spotted the little Robin again, only 8 feet from the original sighting.  He was now sleeping with his head tucked into his back.  My parrots sleep this way but I've never seen a wild bird do this and was getting concerning.  

I approached him, hoping he would hop away.  But he didn't move, and I had to tap him twice before he woke up.  But his parents were still in the area waiting with food and I didn't want to intervene.

Both parents were taking care of this little one, but didn't know what to do with him as he got weaker.

We went out for a couple of hours and when I returned the little one had only moved a few more feet over.  On the advice of a wildlife rehabber I sat back and observed, hoping Dad would resume feeding.  He was still gathering food but seemed perplexed as he approached because the baby was asleep.  Dad didn't know what to do. After an hour with no successful feeding I knew this little one wasn't going to make it so picked him up (also wanting to save him from neighborhood kids who were playing in the area) and got him ready for a trip to Shades of Hope.  I discovered that he was quite dirty underneath, not a good sign.

He seemed to be losing energy by the minute.

Sadly, he passed away before I could get him help.

Amazing how quickly he declined, going from eating robustly in the morning to being gone within a matter of hours.  

It's sad for the parents, who looked for him for some time afterwards and didn't have any other little ones to keep them busy.  I hope they will go on to have a successful second clutch. 

I wanted to share a few photos and my memory of the little bird that mattered, if only for a while. This is definitely the hard part of an otherwise beautiful season.

And I'm grateful for Shades of Hope for offering advice and a place to bring him.  Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be.

Mountain Bluebird Visits Whitby

For a few weeks now we have been graced with the presence of a rare and beautiful bird in south Whitby, Ontario - the Mountain Bluebird.

Not to be confused with the Eastern Bluebird, which is exciting to see but present here during the spring and summer months, the Mountain Bluebird is a very uncommon visitor to Durham Region and likely veered off course during a storm.  Western Canada is where it is normally found.

This female Mountain Bluebird has attracted a lot of attention to the area, choosing to not only stay in one corn field, but only on the north side of this field, and on some days there have been 30+ birders and photographers watching her flit from one perch to another.

Mountain Bluebird, Female - seen in south Whitby Ontario

On my first visit to see her I was amazed at how many insects she was able to pounce on and grab, with what appeared to be no effort at all.  But I was worried about her chances of survival should the fields become icy this winter.

According to www.allaboutbirds.com,  Mountain Bluebirds eat mostly insects but in winter consume plant items including berries and seeds.  This area has plenty of seed heads and berries so hopefully this bird will make it through the winter.

Mountain Bluebird, Female

A rare and beautiful visitor!

Close Encounter of the Best Kind

Just this morning I was thinking how most of my favourite wildlife shots were taken four or five years ago.  I wondered what had changed.  Granted, I'm not getting out as much these days, but I also realized that I used to really work for my wildlife encounters.  Climbing, hiking, biking, hiding in the reeds for hours, while fending of mosquitoes, poison ivy and red ants - and it paid off with some interesting wildlife captures that told a story and always evoke great memories.

So I decided I was getting out today - really getting out - and I did just that.  I went off the beaten path and in doing so saw some of the most beautiful little birds and some great egret/heron activity from a "behind the scenes" vantage point.

I would have been thrilled with just that, but little did I know that my re-engagement with nature was going to pay off in a once-in-a-lifetime way.  While walking through the woods, something caught my eye to my left.  It was large and dark.  A coyote, I thought!  Finally!   I lifted my camera and to my shock I saw this creature lumbering and maneuvering the forest floor in a very un-dog-like fashion. 

It was not a coyote but a young Bald Eagle!  It was hunting in the forest near the shore.  I assume it was taking a break along the migration trail.  I was speechless!

The moment when I first spotted the Eagle.  What a surprise (for both of us!)

I tried to melt myself back into the forest so that I wouldn't spook him.  At first he walked away from me, then turned and sized me up, deciding I was no challenge to him.  He went about his business. 

This was shot while lying on the side of a small cliff so that I was out of his way.
It's been a while since I've done that kind of climbing,- its amazing what you can do when motivated!

I spent the most amazing two hours of my life lying on the forest floor photographing him while he was perched on a tree root.  All of these photos are full frame (at 420 mm), and for once I wished I'd brought a smaller lens so that I could get all of him in the shot.

Warning a little critter that was rustling nearby.

I love the feathers on the back of his head.

Incredible talons.

Nature at its finest.

The lighting conditions were poor, but thanks to high ISO I was happy with many of the shots I got today and know that I will look at them for years to come, remembering the day that I shared the forest with a Bald Eagle.

Hummer in the Summer

After years of trying, I think 2015 might be the year I finally have some hummingbirds of my own!

The lighting wasn't great but I was able to grab a few shots of this sweet bird as she explored the Honeysuckle Vine near my back door.  Hopefully they will stay until fall.

Bee-hold!

No matter how quiet my backyard may seem at times, there's always something to photograph if I look hard enough.

Hummingbirds Abound (but not in my backyard)

Over the past few years, and especially this summer, I've focused on making my backyard as friendly as possible for Hummingbirds, and all of the "3Bs" (Birds, Butterflies, and Bees).

Part of it is for selfish reasons - I love them all and when my yard is full of life, I'm in my happy place.  I also feel that we are obligated to create habitat for nature whenever possible, since we take so much away from wildlife with never-ending development that is displacing animals in Durham Region (and everywhere) at an alarming rate.

My yard includes multiple water sources, many "3B" friendly plants, and I'm looking forward to seeing what my newly planted native Ontario seedlings attract next summer when they mature.  Add to that a couple of nectar feeders and I figure my yard should be full of Hummingbirds.  Right?

Nope.

So, I've had to hit the road to find some Hummingbirds to enjoy and photograph.  Here are a few photos taken at a popular Canada Thistle plant that I saw in an industrial area in Whitby. 

I'm still holding out hope that I will get a few of my own...but until then, there are plenty of these beauties around if you know where to look.

One Lucky Duck

I've been a volunteer with Toronto Wildlife Centre for almost eight years and have had the opportunity to experience things that I won't ever forget.  While I love providing hands-on care for animals at the hospital, being able to contribute by participating in rescues and releases is where my heart lies.

Of all the animals we find in distress in the wild, I'm probably most affected by the innocent lives that are on the verge of being destroyed by garbage that has not be properly discarded.  Probably because it is so debilitating, and so senseless.

This young Wood Duck, still not old enough to fly, was found by some local birders at a pond in Oshawa and reported to Toronto Wildlife Centre.  He had something protruding from his mouth.  It turns out that someone's mesh bag that at one time contained garlic was lodged in his throat.  Had the "GARLIC" tag not been sticking out of his mouth, nobody would have known that this bird was suffering.  He would have died a slow and painful death.

Although he was still with his mother and sister in the pond, other birds were starting to pick on him, and he was having difficulty eating.

I met up with TWC's rescue team and, after an extremely tricky and exhausting rescue (it's amazing how fast and camouflaged these little guys are in high grass!)  we were able to capture this duck.

Once back at the Centre he was examined and we learned that surgery was not required.  A slow and delicate extraction process, some rest, and a good meal and we were able to release this duck back to his home and family.

He was one of the lucky ones.

Please discard your garbage properly.  Throwing it in the right bin is part of it, but there's more you can do.  If you've ever been to a landfill you may have witnessed birds, mammals and rodents sifting through torn garbage bags.  Our garbage may still be accessible to wildlife long after it leaves our homes.  String and fishing line can get wrapped around wings or ingested, so cut it up before tossing. Plastic fast food drinking cups are inviting for skunks and other animals, who squeeze their head through the hole in the lid to get the last few drops of liquid, but they can't remove the lid afterwards. Also very damaging are the plastic six-pack rings.  All of this should be cut up before discarding.  It only takes a few extra seconds but very well worth the effort.

Here are a few "before and after" photos of this very lucky duck.   Thank you to Toronto Wildlife Centre for all of the great experiences you've given me, and for helping this Wood Duck get back to his family.

Wood Duck after having ingested mesh Garlic bag that was not properly discarded.

Sarrah releasing the Wood Duck

Enjoying Freedom!

Have you seen my Mom?

A very happy ending for Mom (right) and Son!