Victoria Park/Wings of Paradise: Butterfly Conservatory

Zebra Finch in Alert Posture
Blue Morpho Sunbathing
Zebra Finch Perched

Ring-billed Gull, Canada Geese, Mallard

Mallards

Chipper Feeding

Mallards

Today my mom asked if we could go birding. She drove to Victoria Park, there were only a few waterfowl species but I watched an Adult Female Domestic Mallard and an Adult Male Mallard x Domestic Mallard hybrid or intergrade court and mate. We soon got a little bored just watching ducks and geese so we went to Wings of Paradise Museum. We paid and went in the Butterfly Conservatory. At first it was very humid, and my camera took very poor pictures because to camera lens had fogged up. But after a few moments it was clear. After that we realised there was several other animals other than butterflies in the conservatory such as birds, fish and turtles. We had a great time, thank you mom for taking me.

Total Names of Birds Seen:

Mallard

Canada Goose

Ring-billed Gull

Zebra Finch

Chinese Painted Quail (Check for Life List)

Zebra Dove

Java Finch

Total Number of Birds Seen: 7 species

Goodbye,

Birdman

First Day of Spring

Spring is the best time of year for both nature and the many people that love it. From buds blooming, to birds building their nest, mid-May is the best time of Spring. That's why we go to Point Pelee National Park on the May long weekend to enjoy nature and Pelee at its best. This late march we're moving to Oshawa in a beautiful house with a bare back yard, perfect for starting a bird garden. Our next door neighbours and also very fond of birds, maybe we can have permission to take photos of birs in each others yards. Maybe, we can also "connect" bird gardens. A swampy forest habitat is nearby our house and hopefully my dad and I we be able to bird in it. The photos above are from the cruise we went to last November. Anyway, I'm trying to make this last week in Breslau last by scattering mixed seed on our deck railing, but few birds are coming to check it out, oh well. Lately I've been getting fewer comments so if you read my blog, please comment and spread the word, I love to answer any questions you may have relating to nature. After all that is my blog title.

Goodbye,

Birdman

Major Birding Trip

Adult Male Breeding Greater Scaup Swimming

Trumpeter Swans

Ring-billed Gulls

Red-breasted Mergansers

Adult Male Downy Woodpecker Drumming

Eastern Adult Male White-breasted Nuthatch Storing Seeds

Adult Male Breeding American Wigeon Courting

Adult Male Breeding Ring-necked Duck Swimming

Adult Male Winter Long-tailed Duck Diving

Canada Geese

Yesterday Ruth called me because her leg had an infection and couldn't go to work today, so she asked if she could go birding with me today, I said yes at 11:00am. Today I got ready and Ruth picked me up at 10:49am, we left to Hamilton to go birding by Lake Ontario. We arrived there at 11:47am and many waterfowl were begging for food. We walked to the trail and Trumpeter Swans were begging us for food and if I raised my hand it would lift its bill and if I lowered my hand it lowered its bill. We saw many rare waterfowl there but whenever I told anyone , they didn't seem to care so they must not be rare. Anyway next we went to the forest trail beside the lake and saw woodpeckers and nuthatches, also some chickadees feed out of our hands. Most of them picked peanuts kearnels over black sunflower seeds, interesting. Next we went to a lift bridge that had a recent sighting of a Peregrine Falcon nest, but we didn't see itself or it's nest unfortunately. Then we went to Grindstone Creek, we got out and grackles, blackbirds, sparrows, robins and dove were chearfuly singing. It actually sounded silly with a mixture of chack, put and oooahhh all at the same time. We walked down farther and we saw many birds feathers laying on the ground and a Red-tailed Hawk soaring above. It had obviously captured this unfortunate pigeon. Oh well, hawks have to eat too y'know. It was soon reaching 3 o'clock and Ruth had to put her daughter Rebecca from work so we left.

Total Names of Birds Seem:

Red-winged Blackbird

Canvasback (Check for 2009)

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped chickadee

American Coot (Check for 2009)

Brown-headed Cowbird

American Crow

Mourning Dove

American Black Duck (Check for 2009)

Long-tailed Duck (Check for Life List)

Ring-necked Duck (Check for 2009)

Tufted Duck (Check for 2009)

House Finch

Common Goldeneye (Check for 2009)

American Goldfinch

Canada Goose

Common Grackle

Pied-billed Grebe (Check for 2009)

Western Grebe (Check for Life List)

Great Black-backed Gull (Check for 2009)

Herring Gull (Check for 2009)

Ring-billed Gull

Red-tailed Hawk

Dark-eyed Junco

American Kestrel (Check for 2009)

Killdeer

Mallard

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Total Number of Birds Seen:31 species

Grand River Trail

Red-breasted Mergansers

Adult Male American Robin Courting

Today at 12:00pm, my dad took me to "Tim Hortons". We got 10 "Sour Cream Glazed Timbits" and ate them on the way to a grand river trail. We got out and a European Starling was mimicking various other birds. Notice that they open their beak when they mimic, but they only move their throat feathers when they sing their own calls. Anyway next Canada Geese flew over us honking, followed by robins preparing to court by the male chasing the female robin until she decides to stop. Although I don't know the purpose of flying away. Well, next my dad and I saw our first Song Sparrow and Mallard for 2009. We then went to another part of the trail but there wasn't many birds there so we turned around. Chickadees and goldfinches were fluttering about in a nearby brush pile, and a hawk soaring by the roadside, but what really stunned me was mergansers! Finally, mergansers have come, I've been waiting for a long time. I took a few pictures and just as my dad was about to view them with his binoculars, they dived. I showed him my pictures. Next we discussed the Western Bluebirds we previously saw in Sedona. It was a very exciting moment for both of us. The same year we also saw another new bird for our life list, Eastern Bluebirds. Then we left to pick up Jesse from a friend's house.

Total Species of Birds Seen:

Red-winged Blackbird

Northern Cardinal

Black-capped Chickadee

Brown-headed Cowbird

Brown Creeper (Check for 2009)

Mourning Dove

Long-billed Dowitcher (Check for Life List)

House Finch (Check for 2009)

American Goldfinch

Canada Goose

Common Grackle

Ring-billed Gull

Red-tailed Hawk

Killdeer

Mallard (Check for 2009)

Song Sparrow

European Starling

Total:17 Birds

Spring Break

"Spring Break" is a week long recess in most schools, it is most commonly from March 16-20th. Most teenagers spend their "Spring Break" in Panama City Beach, Florida or South Padre Island, Texas. Some Universities in Japan have their "Spring Break" begin in April. "Spring Break" is also referred to "March Break", "Study Week" or 'Reading "Week.
Goodbye,
Birdman

Horned Larks!

Adult Male Northeast Horned Lark Singing

Today I've seen my second Horned Lark for 2009, when I decided to go birding in my backyard. I grabbed my camera and jacket to go outside, as soon as I opened the back door I heard "reek trik treet tritilititi treet". I'd never heard anything like it. Whatever it was it continuously repeated that phrase several times until I located where the sound was coming from. I put my camera screen on EVF and searched that particular brush pile. I took a picture of it and zoomed in, it was a Horned Lark! Soon I realized it had been calling another lark, so I was a about to get my spotting scope for a better view but I soon heard it's familiar flight call "see tu" and it flew away. Anyway, I still got a good picture of it. "Tune in" tomorrow for a blog post about "March break", unless I'm unable to post tomorrow.

Goodbye,

Birdman

Guelph Lake Nature Center/Riverside Park

Typical Adult Male Red-winged Blackbird Displaying
Adult Male Eastern Northern Cardinal Perched

Adult Female Red-breasted Nuthatch Feeding

Canada Geese

Adult Male Eastern Downy Woodpecker Feeding

Southern Adult Female Common Redpoll Feeding

Today at noon Ruth picked me up and we drove to Guelph Lake Nature Center, we discussed birds we have recently seen. When we arrived there, there was a feeding area with many species of birds feeding like siskins and sparrows and a Red Squirrel. We stayed there for about an hour studying the behaviour of each particular bird. Next we went to Riverside Park, there was also many birds. We brought some seed with us as many birds there are very tame and will feed out of your hand. We started walking on the boardwalk but there weren't many birds there, so we turned around and many birds came. We sat down by a feeding station and watched chickadees, nuthatches and sparrows feed which was very interesting. Anyway it was soon afternoon so Ruth drove me home.

Goodbye,

Birdman

Sleepover

On Saturday morning we packed and left for Oshawa. On the way there I watched "Sandlot: Heading Home". When we arrived in Oshawa, we looked at a few houses for sale and picked one, we will be moving there in late March. Anyway, next we went to my friends house. Lucas had bought "Club Penguin: Elite Penguin Force" for his "Nintendo DS Lite". Of course I had bought this a few months ago so we connected using download play and competed in several "Club Penguin" games like snowboarding. After a few hours we went in their basement and played "Rock Band" I played the guitar and completed 89% notes in the song I was playing, soon it got late so we went to bed. The next morning we went to church and had lunch at "Swiss Chalet". We went home late and went right to bed.
Goodbye,
Birdman

Chicopee Field Trip/Lobster

Today at 9:30am my school left for Chicopee to go skiing/snowboarding. We got on the bus and it was about a 30 minute drive. When we got out a instructor told us all the rules of skiing/snowboarding, I chose snowboarding so I went with my group and we got our snowboarding boots, snowboard and helmet. Then our instructor taught us how to snowboard on one of the easiest terrain, although snowboarding is not as easy as it looks. After she left I had a lot of trouble and could only stay up about 10 seconds, so I experimented with different terrain. At about 2:00pm I had lunch and bought some hockey cards. Then I went out again and stayed up about half the way down and I was going extremely fast and I couldn't stop so I did a triple flip and "face plant". My friends moved on to the advanced hills so I had to snowboard by myself. Although my frustration grew I didn't give up. Then it was time to go but the chair lift didn't permit going down, so I had to go down the intermediate hill. I crashed several times but I still had fun. At 4:00pm my dad picked me up and I went to swimming lessons. Anyway, no web page has information on this strange thing that is having to my lobster (read previous post.) Again if you know anything about this please leave all you know in the comments.
Goodbye,
Birdman

Pregnant Lobster?

Blue Lobster Foraging

It appears that my Blue Lobster is carrying something with its tail curled, possibly young lobsters? It has been cleaning and putting food under its tail. Please let me know in the comments if you know what this is and why my lobster is acting strangely, thank you. I'll be researching to find out what this is and let you know what I find out later.

Goodbye,

Birdman

My Dog, Max

Max is a 1 year, 340 days old Pug. His favourite things to do are go for walks and take long naps. His favourite toys are his blanket, rope and "bouncy ball". Max sleeps on his bed, our sofa and our couch, during the night he sleeps with me in my bed. He is very active, entertaining us when somebody has just entered our front door. Pugs are known as "big dogs in small bodies" for his big personality behaviour. When visitors leave he is sleeping quietly on his bed only "rolling" his eyes at people when they call "Max, come!" When are quite privileged to have such a friendly, entertaining dog in our home, thank you mom and dad for adopting Max, our Pug.
Goodbye,
Birdman

Family Day

Family Day is not a official holiday, it was made by a lower group than the government party so most people have to work on this day. Only a few schools consider this day a holiday so most people still have to go to school on this day. The only people that celebrate this day are people in Saskatewhan, Manitoba, Ontario, Arizona and Australia. Anyway, we may be going swimming today.
Goodbye,
Birdman

New Classroom

In a few weeks we will have new classrooms.

New E-mail Address

If any of you are uninformed, I have a new e-mail address. It is swpsnook@hotmail.com its also my new Messenger address. Please pass this on so I can get all my contacts back. Thank you.
Goodbye,
Birdman

Ice Fishing Trip

Me Ice Fishing

Today at 11:00am we checked the weather which was -26 degrees Celsius, so we tried to rent a hut a Belwood Lake but they were all rented, so we dressed warmly and packed all our ice fishing supplies. Then we went to the tackle shop and bought some live minnows and drove to Belwood Lake, the ice was 26 cm thick so we paid and parked by the lake. Apparently nobody had caught anything, but we still went on the lake and drilled 4 holes. Then we started fishing, first I used a small weighted jig tipped with waxies for 40 minutes, starting at 125 cm deep and raising it 12.5 cm every 10 minutes. Then I used the same technique but with the jig tipped with live minnows instead of waxies for 40 minutes. Unfortunately while I was doing this I had helped my dad drill another hole and missed a bite. Everyone was starting to get inpatient so we all switched holes and techniques. Then it got even worse, my fishing rod broke, it got even colder and my brother had to go to the washroom, so we left. We went to Tim Hortons and had a snack and drove around Guelph Lake. A few people were ice fishing there but the rest of the lake looked to be never walked on, so we didn't fish there and went home. Hopefully next time we will have a better time, thank you mom and dad for making this possible.

Goodbye,

Birdman

Ice Fishing Trip Tomorrow

Tomorrow we are going ice fishing at Belwood Lake, my dad said its safe there and it will be about -15 degress Celcius so we can go for sure. This is going to be a family trip, we have all researched ice fishing and we have all our gear. I can't wait!
Goodbye,
Birdman

Ice Fishing Trip Soon

This Saturday we are going to Belwood Lake to ice fish for Panfish. Check my blog tomorrow for more details, I will write about our trip on Saturday.
Goodbye,
Birdman

Koinonia Christian Academy

Sorry I haven't done a blog post in a while, it was because I had a lot of homework lately. Anyway after this Christmas break I have been going to KCA because I was being bullied in my old school. My teacher is Mrs. Collard and I've made 5 friends there; Aaron, Jonathan, Josiah, Max and Wolfgang. My birthday was January 12th and I had a party on January 17th. Unfortunately Aaron couldn't come, but we still had fun. The party started at 1:00pm and everyone arrived on time. First we played hockey for about an hour, Wolfgang and Max were very good. Then we went inside and ate, Max made us laugh! Next we played the Nintendo Wii, we played Wii Sports, we all increased our skill level about 50 points. Then we played Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. We unlocked high jump and set some world records. We had a lot of fun, then everyone left accept Josiah so we played the Wii again. We unlocked Archery and played floor hockey and Magnetix. It was a lot of fun, then Josiah left at 8.
Thank you guys for the gifts, they are awesome!
Goodbye,
Birdman

New School