Be careful what you wish for…
In our last post, we lamented the humidity and sudden rise in tempertures into the mid-20s Celsius. We wished for cooler temperatures and our wish was granted!
Temperatures plummeted and strong winds brought frequent snow flurries and rain.
Variable weather as spring arrives. More recently, temperatures are slowly rising.
Neighbourhood signs of spring
The few warmer days have brought the magnolia trees and spring flowers into bloom in the gardens at Eldon House.
Kilally Meadows Environmentally Significant Area
Wednesday was sunny with temperatures in the mid-teens. We could only get out briefly in the afternoon to walk the trails.
As we exited the car, we heard Ospreys calling. There was one Osprey on a nest in the nearby ballpark and three Ospreys in the sky. The male was chasing off intruders. The Osprey on the nest stood the whole time. The nest occupants don’t seem to be incubating eggs yet.
Northern Cardinals were in full voice throughout the park. Turkey Vultures soared overhead. We watched a Ruby-crowned Kinglet perform acobatics as it foraged in a tangle of branches. We did not spot any of the early-arriving warblers that had been seen early in the day.
The Thames was running high and very fast. At a bend in the river, where the water was calmer, we found two Double-crested Cormorants diving and a pair of Mallards.
A dragonfly landed by the path near the water – a Common Green Darner. It didn’t move after landing. We saw in the photos that it was missing most of one wing…
There were interesting beetles on the the sunny paths – a Six-spotted Tiger Beetle and an Oil Beetle
There were few plants in bloom. One, Bloodroot, is a native wildflower. The other, Lesser Celandine, is an introduced plant that is both poisonous to grazing animals and highly invasive. It forms dense, mat-like monocultures that smother native spring wildflowers like Bloodroot.
Osprey Update!
We missed putting an update in our last post. There is much to report! Our Osprey pair settled into life in the ballpark without delay. They spent time together on the low platform, often sitting side by side. The male reliably delivered fish to the female. On one occasion, the fish delivery was followed by a brief episode of mating. No doubt there were other episodes that we failed to witness.
Both Ospreys added sticks to the nest on the stadium light tower and the female began spending more time there. Since April 14, she has been sitting low in the nest, day and night, through rain and snow. This is a good indication that she is sitting on at least one egg!
According to https://avianreport.com/osprey-breeding/, incubation takes between 35 and 43 days, with an average time of 39 days. This means that we will be looking for signs of new life on the nest sometime in late May. The male has been a faithful protector, staying nearby much of the time on the low platform or perched in a nearby tree in the windy weather.
One day, our video showed the male landing on the nest with a fish – a koi, a released fish that now breeds in a nearby pond. The male was immediately followed by another male carrying a fish! The female Osprey rebuffed the intruder. Was he hoping to share his genes? We will never know.
Thursday morning, we watched as the male arrived at the nest to replace the female. She flew to the low platform for a thorough preening session while the male settled low in the nest. They seem to working well as a pair.
Poppies from Wandering Bee
Music! Side 2 of the “White Album” by The Beatles
I found this in my archives of playlists.