Some highlights from our November sightings
Jakob Mueller and Owen Clarkin had a great find — a Northern Ribbon Snake they spotted on November 7 at High Lonesome. The snake, a species of concern, was atypical in size — some 30 inches long, a “eunuch” with no tail. It is still able to digest food but cannot reproduce.
John Lawrence got up extra early on November 19 to capture the lunar eclipse, the longest in 600 years, he noted. Taken at 4:46 a.m. his photo was the proof!
Jim and Cathie Dick came across Apricot Jelly… and frozen Apricot Jelly in Braeside on November 19 and 20.
Jim Lougheed shared the “remodelling” of a dead tree found on the Carp Ridge. The likely carver/shredder — a pileated woodpecker dining on thousands of Carpenter ants!
Betty Michalowski took photos and a video showing a murder of American crows (more than a thousand), at the Carp airport on November 30. See the video here.
We had an incredible number of crows this fall, noted Michael, who spotted several thousand gathering from southwest and southeast in Arnprior in fields behind PJs — the first he has seen these numbers locally. A point of interest: the birds keep warm by congregating in numbers.
Betty also spotted a Great Black-backed Gull at the Hydro dam on November 8 and 15 and a Double-crested Cormorant there on December 1.
The gulls can stay around in freezing temperatures, Michael noted, mentioning that some had been recorded on previous bird counts.
The abundance of food is a prime factor in species that have remained.
John Lawrence clarified that his Dunrobin shores sighting on October 21 was in fact a leucistic Canada Goose, not a Snow Goose.
Other bird sightings: Alberto Suarez-Esteban: a Pine Grosbeak near Pakenham, on November 5, 8 and 15 and an Eastern Bluebird, also near Pakenham in November.