Roseate Spoonbill

This is a Florida bird from earlier in the spring.  They look prehistoric to me, I am somewhat infatuated with them and would love to search out a wild flock to photograph.  This single bird was at a popular state park known for birding. Spoonbills have a large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side trading  small aquatic creatures inside… info from my iBird ap.roseate spoonbill preening16 roseate spoonbill preening15 roseate spoonbill preening10 roseate spoonbill preening11

 

Singing House Wren

I admit at first I was thrilled these little birds moved into the yard, all was peaceful until the flying lessons started.  Junior wasn’t ready to leave the box, father was adamant … he chirped all day from dawn to dusk, like a raging hockey parent. House Wren  - 5 House Wren  - 4 House Wren  - 3 House Wren  - 2

Great Crested Flycatcher abandoned eggs

Sadly these eggs seem to have been abandoned, I noticed a lack of activity at the box for a while, upon opening the box the eggs were stone cold.  I candled them, did the float test, and as a last resort opened one egg.  No luck. I was looking forward to the fledglings, but more importantly, I wonder what became of the female as the male is seen on occasion.  It’s a hard life being a bird. The nest was made up with animal fur, different feathers, a bit of what might have been snake skin that Emma put on the fence, grasses… all nice and soft.

Great Crested Flycatcher eggs - 1

Osprey at nest site near Guelph

Seems a little late in the year however maybe it is a second brood or they could be young Osprey returning to the nest just because there is no place like home.  These two were busy building or repairing a nest as the gathered nearby branches and stuff  just east of Guelph on my way home from the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, a nice break in the drive for a few minutes.    I included a photo of the leg band, if you know someone involved with studying the Ontario Osprey, please share it with them, I did do an entry on the banding page however it came back that they are too busy to look into most notifications regarding bands, oh well.        Osprey 2016 w.webb-100 Osprey 2016 w.webb-102 Osprey 2016 w.webb-101 Osprey 2016 w.webb-103 Osprey 2016 w.webb-105 Osprey 2016 w.webb-104 Osprey 2016 w.webb-107 Osprey 2016 w.webb-106 Osprey 2016 w.webb-108 Osprey 2016 w.webb-110 Osprey 2016 w.webb-109 Osprey 2016 w.webb-111

This leg band appears to be from a study as it is not common for Osprey to be banded.

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