Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow - Melospiza melodia

There are five species of sparrows that nest along my customary hike close to the Elbow River. Each sparrow has a unique nesting habitat.

The Song Sparrows choose locations more proximal to the Elbow River than the other sparrows. Song Sparrows are very widespread in North America and these birds occupy a variety of nesting habitats. Perhaps in this area, the closer-to-the-riverside locations are chosen to avoid competition with the other sparrow species? The other four nesting sparrows are the Clay-coloured, Savannah, Lincoln, and Swamp Sparrow.

Song Sparrows eat insects and seeds. The adult in the photos below is taking an insect meal back to the nest to feed either the first or perhaps the second brood of the season.

During spring, soon after they arrive, Song Sparrows turn up at my ground feeders. Later in the season these birds must feed closer to their nest because I rarely see them in my garden.

The Song Sparrow in the June 6th photograph below was on Kingfisher Island and directly opposite where I took the above photos on July 27 and August 3rd. Perhaps the birds are all from the same family.

These birds do have a terrific call. The species name is very apt and is from the Greek for "melody."

References

The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.

Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.

Beadle D, Rising J. Sparrows of the United States and Canada. Princeton UP. 2003.

Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2000.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.

Chipmunk

Chipmunk - Tamias minimus (Least) or amoenus (Yellow-pine)

Three of the five Canadian chipmunk species reside in South-western Alberta. The Least Chipmunk is the most widespread in Alberta and the only chipmunk in the northern and eastern areas of the province. The Yellow-pine and the Red-tailed Chipmunk also reside in the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies. This chipmunk does not have an especially red tail and is therefore either a Least or a Yellow-pine. There is no practical method to separate these species in the wild. In the laboratory, genital bone analysis is the preferred method to separate the species. 

I only see one at a time, but there are likely several chipmunks in my garden. They feed under the feeders and then "scatter-hoard" small caches in their territory. The other day I found small caches in my shoe and under a deck cushion. The chipmunk who stored the nuts in these locations is at the bottom of the food-cache learning curve.

Chipmunks have a winter burrow where they hibernate on top of their food hoard. These little animals wake up about once a week to feed and then go back to sleep. Summer nests are constructed in cavities and I am suspicious that there is a nest under my hot tub.

Litters of four or five young are delivered in late May or June and are weaned at 7 or 8 weeks of age. Young chipmunks should start turning up at the feeders this month. Perhaps the "food-cache challenged" chipmunk was just weaned?

References

Gadd Ben. Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Corax Press. Jasper, Alberta. 1986.

Naughton Donna. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals. UofT Press. 2012.  

Gadwall Ducklings

Gadwall Ducklings - Anas strepera

On July 30, 2013, I decided to bushwack around the entire circumference of the Glenmore Runoff Reservoir. The trees and brush on the West side are thick and the shore steep. At the North end is an area where ducks nest. The area is about two or three hundred meters from my usual vantage point. I knew Gadwalls had nested in the area but I did not expect to find four families!

I saw two families with a female and six ducklings, one family with a female and three ducklings, and one family (smallest ducklings) with a female and a male with two ducklings.

On July 13, I saw a mother with 5 ducklings on the Runoff Reservoir. The ducklings were all larger than any of the ducklings that I saw on July 30, and all looked flight-ready. This implies that the Glenmore Runoff Reservoir was home to at least five Gadwall nests this year.












The usual clutch is 8 to 12 eggs. I have not seen any families with more than 6 ducklings. During the inundation of June 20, the water level in the reservoir rose modestly and the nests in this location were spared the full fury of the flood.

The duckling above was swimming very fast and I managed a few hasty shots. My shutter speed was too slow for the light and the images are darker and not crisp, but courtesy of some adjustments with my iMac, I produced a "Monet Lily Pond-like" image. The duckling is reflected and shimmering (slightly out of focus).

The mother in the photo above and the two ducklings in the photos below were in the Runoff Reservoir on July 16, 2013.

  

Gadwalls are dabblers and are sometimes called "Grey Ducks," because the males have very nondescript plumage. The females are a nondescript brown and very similar to a Mallard female.

References

The Atlas of Breeding Birds of Alberta. Federation of Alberta Naturalists. 2007.

Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.

Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.

White-tailed Deer

White-tailed Deer - Odocoileus virginianus 

The White-tailed Deer is the most widespread North American Deer and has been slowly spreading north and west since deglaciation.
The Mule and White-Tailed Deer probably split into the two modern species about 3 million years ago. These species are still so similar that their tracks and scat are indistinguishable. In regions with both White-tailed and Mule Deer, the White-tailed Deer prefer the gentler terrain.

A density of one White-tailed Deer per square kilometre is considered low, while ten or more per square kilometre is considered high.

White-tailed Deer can run 50 to 60 km per hour and jump a 2 meter fence from a standstill!
Forbs (flowering plants), mast (fruit and nuts), and mushrooms make up a large part of their diet. They are reported to eat insects and nestlings of ground-nesting songbirds. During a summer volunteer trip to a BC bird-banding station, I learned that deer forage the mist nets for these protein pack meals.
The rut of Canadian White-tailed Deers occurs from late October to mid-December. Canadian does give birth to one or two fawns, and better nourished mothers are more likely to birth two fawns. Triplets are rare in Canada.

References

Gadd Ben. Handbook of the Canadian Rockies. Corax Press. Jasper, Alberta. 1986.

Naughton Donna. The Natural History of Canadian Mammals. UofT Press. 2012.

More Spotted Sandpiper Chicks

More Spotted Sandpiper Chicks - Actitis macularia

Now that I have some sense of what to look for, Spotted Sandpiper chicks are relatively easy to spot (pun intended). They blend in very well with either river-rock or with shore-side brush. Movement is what gives away their presence.

I watched this chick for about 15 minutes on a newly-created river-rock-surfaced bend in the Elbow River. On one side was a peaceful "lagoon" of sorts with minimal current. On the other side was a major arm of the river with a strong current. These chick swim well, but I doubted their ability to do well in the main river. I stayed a good distance away and moved to the left or right to determine how the chick might react to moving towards the side with the stronger current. The chick always moved in the opposite direction to me, except when close to the side with the stronger current. In this situation, the chick moved towards me along the shore, with the safety of the minimal current water close at hand. How might a chick determine whether the current is safe enough to enter? Perhaps the sound of the water triggers some inherent safety signal?

These chicks have very large feet and while on rocks, they routinely step high, as if to anticipate the rise, but they seem to commonly over-judge the obstacle. Perhaps their depth perception at this age is not yet fine tuned. 

Notice that there is a partial web (semipalmation) between only the first (outer) and second (middle) anterior digits. What advantage might this arrangement confer? The lack of full palmation implies that swimming is not the primary method of movement. 

References

Baicich PJ, Harrison CJO. Nests, Eggs, and Nestlings of North American Birds. Princeton UP. 2005.

Cornell University eBird. http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/spotted_sandpiper/lifehistory. 2013.

Fisher C, Acorn J. Birds of Alberta. Lone Pine Publishing. Edmonton. 1998.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2000.

Sibley David A. The Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior. Alfred A Knopf, Inc. New York. 2001.