Bonus Content from March 14
Taken from our balcony in downtown London at 2:34 am.
On the star map for 2:25 am, it looks like Virgo has just batted the moon like a volleyball. My timing was accidental. Total eclipse was only 10 minutes away.
We have continued to have exceptionally warm temperatures for early March, about 5C to 10C above the expected 0C. The sun and warmer weather have inspired us to get outside.
On Sunday, we decided to visit Woodland Cemetary to see a pair of Great Horned Owls that have nested there for several years. We found the female deep in the cavity of a hollow tree, presumably brooding eggs or possibly young. We didn’t locate the male who is often roosting in a nearby spruce tree.
We did not stay long at the nest tree as there was already a photographer camped out watching the nest, perhaps hoping to catch a delivery of food by the male owl.
As we walked, there were no birds to see or hear except for a few Canada Geese grazing or dozing on the grass and a couple of vocal Red-bellied Woodpeckers busily searching for insects.
We decided to work our way along the fence line between the cemetary and some homes, hoping to find birds at backyard birdfeeders. We finally found one property with birds flying from nearby trees to collect seeds and nuts from several birdfeeders. By the end of the our time there, we had tallied 13 more species of birds. Most were winter residents, but there was also a newly-arrived Red-winged Blackbird, the first we’d seen this year.
Below: Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Crow, European Starling (two photos because their plumage is so gorgeous at this time of year), Dark-eyed Junco, Northern Cardinal, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee, Red-winged Blackbird (non-breeding male).
Monday’s sunset promised another fine day on Tuesday. The forecast was for even warmer temperatures. This time, our walk took us along the Thames in our neighbourhood. The river was wide and flowing fast because of the snowmelt.
In contrast to Sunday, the warm weather seemed to have prompted a constant chorus of birdsong. Northern Cardinals were in full voice. Flocks of Common Grackles chucked and squealed. Male Red-winged Blackbirds trilled from lamp posts and the tops of trees.
We heard our first Killdeer of the year across the river. It took time to locate the birds on the mud flats at the water’s edge created by the park renovations currently underway. Three Killdeers seemed to be in an extended conference. Sometimes, there was a brief dispute between two of the birds before the conversation continued. We would love to know what was being discussed!
Across the river, a Red-breasted Merganser landed and then preened in the shallow water.
House Sparrows have paired up and started nesting.
On Wednesday, the temperature was cooler and the birds were again quiet. There were no birds in the fast-flowing river at Springbank Park.
On the trail overlooking the river, we found a few woodpeckers, a lone American Robin and an elusive chickadee. We were approached by an Eastern Gray Squirrel, perhaps hoping to be fed.
Male and female Downy Woodpeckers.
As we headed to the car, a Red-tailed Hawk soared overhead. When the photos were processed, we saw that it had been carrying a small branch in its beak. Nest building, another sign of spring.
A sure sign of spring is the progressive shift in the position of the setting sun as the days grow longer. Earth takes 364.25 days to complete its eliptical orbit around the sun. Because it is tilted on its axis, days in the northern hemisphere grow progressively longer and warmer from the winter soltice on December 21st until the summer equinox on June 21st.
From our vantage point facing west, the setting sun has shifted to the north.
Spring is on its way!
Best Bird Videos from Macauly Library
Rock and Roll 1958 & 1959
I might have first heard some of these songs on my 6-transistor radio. I would hide the radio under my pillow at night while listening on the earpiece. We lived in Windsor at the time, just across the Detroit River from Motown.
Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly were “in my ear”, but I was not paying much attention yet. My mother was the one who chose which station was on in the kitchen and the car so I heard a lot of much softer music that was still very popular. I often recognized songs on the radio in an instant.
In 1958, we were still four years away from the time period featured in the movie, American Graffiti. Here are my picks for 1958.
Chuck Berry starts the list of 1959.
On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly died in a plane crash along with Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. I learned about the crash from a classmate who adored Ritchie Valens and his song, Donna.
