And now, a (partially) white blue jay!

So, just a few days ago, a melanistic fox squirrel appears in the yard. I wrote about that oddity in my last post. This morning I glance out the back window and what do I see? This strange and beautiful creature! It's a partially leucistic blue jay, absent the black (melanin) pigments that mark the face and neck of a typical jay. When I first saw the bird, it was consorting with several other jays at a feeder, and it stuck out like a sort thumb.

NOTE: I am referring to the animal as partially leucistic, even if that's being a bit general. One can get extremely bogged down in what seems to be largely unverifiable explanations for various conditions of pigment anomalies. For a good general discussion about anomalies in pigmentation, with a key to place birds into six general categories of color aberrations, CLICK HERE.

As a frame of reference for our odd jay, here is a typically plumaged blue jay. The black collar, eye line and dark saddle across the base of the bill are conspicuous plumage highlights of a blue jay.

Thanks to Julie Zickefoose (she authored THIS BOOK about blue jays) for aging this jay as a hatch-year bird (born last spring/summer). Whatever all the factors that caused its excessively snowy plumage, it is a beauty. The jay has been coming in to the feeders intermittently today, usually in the company of several other jays. I hope he sticks around. I'll certainly try and help by keeping the jay smorgasbord going.

A melanistic fox squirrel

As always, click the photo to enlarge

Right time, right place. I happened to glance out the porch windows into the backyard this afternoon, and was stunned to see a huge black squirrel perched prominently 25 feet away. It was the only time all afternoon that I glanced out there. My first reaction was to grab my big telephoto, which I often leave set up on a tripod for emergency situations. Unfortunately, I had to shoot the beast through a window, but the images came out okay in spite of that.

While my initial thought was that the unusually pigmented animal was a melanistic gray squirrel, as soon as I looked closer I rethought that identification. This squirrel was noticeably larger and chunkier than several nearby gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis), and through the lens I could see its interesting orangish cast, caused by underlying hairs. This orangish tint is especially apparent on the squirrel's belly, face, and eye ring.

It was a melanistic fox squirrel, Sciurus niger! I had heard of such a thing, but had never before clapped eyes on one. I've seen many melanistic gray squirrels, and have written about them HERE. Indeed, at my annual forays at NettieBay Lodge and vicinity in northern Michigan, this is the common form of gray squirrel. Here in Ohio, "black" grays are far less common, but there are numerous enclaves scattered about. Melanistic gray squirrels appear glossier and more uniformly black than does this one, with a less robust tail, head and neck, and a skinnier gestalt. A typical fox squirrel is a beautiful mammal, with a deeply orange pelage. HERE is a post about them from long ago.

Much has been written about melanism in Sciurus squirrels, at least the two eastern species, fox and gray. Here's an especially detailed and wonky paper should you wish to learn more - just CLICK HERE. Sometimes, populations or individuals of "white" gray squirrels occur, such as the famous white squirrels of Brevard, North Carolina (CLICK HERE for more). I made a special detour last year to see those squirrels, and will have to write about them sometime. I'm not sure if "white" fox squirrels occur regularly.

Anyway, today's oddity fox squirrel was especially odd to me, as I know of no population of variant color morphs of squirrels anywhere around here - Worthington, Ohio. I'm told there are some colonies of melanistic gray squirrels in and around Columbus, but I've not seen any. This was also the first fox squirrel in this yard, to my knowledge. This little slice of suburbia is full of typically colored gray squirrels, and I just posted a cute photo of one a few days ago, HERE. There is even a pair of eastern red squirrels, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, constantly tearing around here. But never one of the big, comparatively clumsy fox squirrels. And the first one turns out to be a real standout. I kept a close watch for the black/fox squirrel the rest of the afternoon, but did not see him again. I hope he becomes a regular.

NOTE: Regular color variants of an animal - such as this fox squirrel, gray squirrels, or rough-legged hawks, or snow geese - are correctly termed morphs, not phases. Morphs are stable, occur regularly, and do not change or shift color. If they are black, or white, they will remain black or white throughout their lives. Phase indicates a shift or change in development over time, such as in a phase of the moon. If squirrel variants did shift colors from black to orange in the course of their development, phase could be applied as a descriptor. However, they do not. I add this because I see the word phase so commonly misapplied :-)

Black-backed Woodpecker

Black-backed Woodpecker - A Three-toed Woodpecker

Black-backed Woodpecker [Yvette Thibodeau Charette Photo]

The Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) is a native of New Brunswick.  It is an uncommon resident which breeds sparingly across the province mostly in the central and northern parts of the province.  It prefers coniferous forest, especially forests with plenty of dead or dying trees.  The photo above was taken on 5 January 2020 at Edmundston.  The woodpecker is feeding on insects found under the bark of a conifer, probably a spruce or a fir.  

The Black-backed Woodpecker is a medium-sized woodpecker, about 24 cm/9 in long.  It is about the same size as our Hairy Woodpecker.  It is an uncommon woodpecker and seeing one makes a good day for a birder.  I have seen this species many times over the years and it is almost always in an area of dead trees, often an area where there are lots of tamaracks.  I hear a faint tapping among the trees and on listening carefully, I attempt to locate the source of the tapping.  Sometimes it will be a Black-backed.  It is a shy bird and not easily seen.  It will often continue feeding, usually placing the tree trunk between itself and the viewer.  It usually does not vocalize.  

Black-backed Woodpecker [Dorothy Chase Photo]

The photo above was taken on 6 January 2020 in the Ayers Lake area.  The individuals in each of the photos above are females.  The males have a conspicuous yellow patch on the forecrown.

The Black-backed Woodpecker has black upper parts.  Its head is black with a white malar patch which extends behind the eye.  It has barred flanks, a black tail with white outer tail feathers. The only other species one would need to distinguish this species from is the American Three-toed Woodpecker (see previous post on this blog).  The American Three-toed Woodpecker has a black-and-white barred back and a white line behind the eye.  

The Black-backed Woodpecker and the American Three-toed Woodpecker are the only three-toed woodpeckers in North America.  They have two forward-facing toes but just a single backward-facing toe.  Other woodpeckers have two toes in the back.  Both the Black-backed and the American Three-toed Woodpeckers share similar habitats.  They feed by flipping off large chunks of bark from dead and dying trees and feed on the insects and larvae underneath.  This leaves telltale evidence of their presence.  They are often found feeding in burnt-over forested areas or in areas devastated by insect damage.  The range of both species is similar; most of southern Canada including all of the Atlantic Canada and Quebec north to southern Labrador.  

The Black-backed Woodpecker's call is a sharp pik.  This species nests in holes in coniferous trees where it lays 2 to 6 white eggs which are incubated for 12 to 14 days.  The nest hole is often close to the ground but can be up to 4 m/15 ft high.  The young leave the nest after about 25 days. 

The diet of this species is mainly wood-boring beetles, grubs, weevils, ants and spiders.  They will also feed on berries, small fruits, acorns and nuts.  An interesting fact is that females have been shown to forage higher in the trees than males.  It is interesting to speculate why.  

The next time you are wandering around in the woods and you see softwood tree trunks with large patches of bark removed, there may be Black-backed Woodpeckers present.  Listen for their tap-tap and you just might be lucky enough to see one of our uncommon woodpeckers!

The Colours of January

The illuminated Lausanne Cathedral

as the bells rang out to celebrate the New Year!

The crowds were dense, but we found a bench to sip our mulled wine

which I had made at home and put into thermos mugs!

The tower was bathed in a deep blue light afterwards

and the crowds dispersed to continue their celebration

or to go home

I'm not a night owl, so I did the latter!

A delicate sunrise taken from my balcony with the cock on the church steeple.

I enjoy my daily walks and loved these tiny oval red berries

hanging on the branches like Christmas lights.

The centre of a beautiful Amaryllis bloom which opened up on Christmas morning.

A late afternoon walk with sun-kissed branches and a waxing moon

rising higher in the sky.

I decided to crochet a Temperature Blanket for the very first time.

These are the colours that represent the temperatures in the first seven days of January.

Cool colours, which are my favourites.

The average daytime temperature has been around 6-7 Celsius.

The dominating colours so far are Wisteria and Sherbet.

The middle round of the small squares is the coolest temperature of the day 

and the second round is the warmest.

I'm using white to join all the squares.

I couldn't resist getting a small pot of sunshine in the shape of these yellow Primula.

My daughter and I went to see the new film version of the musical 'Cats'.

It was very good. The costumes and settings were wonderful!

We had already seen it in London some years ago on the stage.

The Magnolia buds look very promising against the Winter's sky.

A small perfect rosebud was still blooming in one of the neighbourhood gardens.

Tightly encased catkins still know that they have to wait a little longer

before stretching their limbs!

I have used this image for my January header.

It's a subtle reminder that Spring follows Winter.

More catkins in the park nearby against a gorgeous limpid blue sky.

Another beautiful sunrise in shades of pink, blue, lilac and purple.

This one inspired me to take out my coloured yarns to start a separate crochet project

Here are all the colours.

Seven squares already joined in a row.

I'm considering adding single coloured squares to frame the others.

I've chosen Bluebell to do this.

This month of January is full of new energy

and we're already gaining an extra minute every day.

We are getting some grey days but a generous amount of sunshine and clear blue skies as well.

January doesn't need to be dull

it can be whatever we want it to be!

We just need to seek out the colour and beauty around us

and if we can't see any ...

well, let's just create it!

Nature: Witch hazel blooms add burst of color to winter

Witch hazel in full bloom/Jim McCormac

Columbus Dispatch

January 5, 2020

Witch hazel blooms add burst of color to winter

NATURE

Jim McCormac

Fall’s native flora disappeared months ago. The last of autumn’s flowers gave up the ghost by early November or so. Colorful asters, beautiful gentians, the last of the sunflowers — spent and returned to the soil, ushering in winter’s long, brown season of wither.

For people of a botanical bent, winter is a tough time of floristic withdrawal. Those who ride out our coldest season at northerly latitudes face many months of botanical barrenness. It will be late February before the emergence of skunk-cabbage heralds the onset of spring wildflowers.

Fortunately, a hardy fall-and-winter-blooming shrub snaps the long flowerless streak. Witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) begins blooming in mid-October but reaches peak flowering in late November in many areas. The showy shrubs often will produce flowers through December and even into early January.

Witch hazel is a woodland understory plant, overshadowed by taller woody brethren such as beech, maple and oak. In our region, its favored haunts are the rich soils of stream terraces and adjacent lower slopes. Multiple spindly trunks spring from a common point, giving the plants a bushy aspect. A tall specimen might reach 20 feet, thus attaining small-tree status.

Leafed-out plants are easy to overlook in the shade of the forest understory. Witch hazel is even easier to miss when it loses its leaves and blends with other leafless companion trees and shrubs. Until it flowers.

Seeing a witch hazel blooming profusely in December can cause a first-time observer to shake his head in disbelief. From afar, the plant appears to glimmer with scattered pale-yellow stars. Upon inspection, the flower proves to be an ornate artwork. The skinny, elongate petals appear to be crafted from confetti, and spring from a four-part lemony-brown calyx.

Once one has tuned in to the curious flowers of witch hazel, they often will soon notice other plants. Favored stream corridors can be lined with rows of heavily blooming plants, at a season when the admiring botanist likely is wearing a heavy coat.

Why would a plant flower in winter, especially one whose pollination demands insect assistance? As we all know — and many are grateful for — insect diversity and abundance plummets in winter.

But insects don’t completely vanish in the cold season, and temperatures higher than 40 degrees can bring out an assortment of tiny flies, and bees and wasps. Bugs in these groups probably are major pollinators of witch hazel, with certain beetles also contributing.

A small suite of moths also plays a role in witch-hazel pollination. Certain owlet moths are incredibly hardy, and sometimes referred to as “winter moths.” By shivering frenetically, these moths can increase their body temperature at least 50 degrees. They can take flight even on cold winter evenings. As these moths ply their trade under cover of darkness, the extent of their witch-hazel association is poorly understood.

Gardeners might note that their witch hazel blooms in early spring. Those plants are a southern species, Hamamelis vernalis (vernalis means “of spring”). It, or cultivars thereof, are commonly sold in nurseries.

Naturalist Jim McCormac writes a column for The Dispatch on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month. He also writes about nature at www.jimmccormac.blogspot.com.

Mactaquac Christmas Bird Count 2019

Mactaquac Christmas Bird Count

Wild Turkeys

The Mactaquac Christmas Bird Count was held on January 1.  It was just after the snowstorm of December 31.  That made limited access to roads and driveways.  The trees were laden with snow making it difficult for small birds.  Understandably the count numbers and species were down but it was a good count none-the-less.  Many thanks to all participants who braved the roads and the cold to contribute to this worthwhile citizen science activity.  See below for the results.

Mactaquac CBC 2019
Jan. 1, 2020
Species	Total
Am Black Duck	41
Common Goldeneye	9
Common Merganser	15
Bald Eagle	5
Ruffed Grouse	1
Wild Turkey	3
Herring Gull	30
Ring-billed Gull	1
Great Black-backed Gull	13
Rock Pigeon	148
Mourning Dove	46
Downy Woodpecker	12
Hairy Woodpecker	10
Pileated Woodpecker	6
Blue Jay	105
American Crow	112
Common Raven	22
Black-capped Chickadee	290
Red-breasted Nuthatch	19
White-breasted Nuthatch	15
Golden-crowned Kinglet	7
European Starling	262
American Tree Sparrow	3
Dark-eyed Junco	3
Northern Cardinal	4
Pine Grosbeak	8
Purple Finch	17
Red Crossbill	2
White-winged Crossbill	10
Pine Siskin	9
American Goldfinch	189
Woodpecker sp.	1
Finch sp.	4
Total	1422
No. of Species	31
Count Period
Brown Creeper
Northern Shrike

Wild Turkey

Total numbers were down from the previous 5-year average.  The last 5 years average is 1812 and this year we counted 1422.  The weather and the recent storm would certainly account for that.  We did not get as many species either; 31 compared to a 5-year average of 36.  The general paucity of finches would account for that.  We got very few, just a sprinkling of crossbills, purple finches and pine grosbeaks.  There is an abundant cone crop and other natural food sources so finches should move into the area later this winter.  No raptors were seen except a good population of Bald Eagles (5).  A surprise was the 3 Wild Turkeys found in Bear Island.  According to locals there has been a flock hanging around for several months.  See photos above.

There is a healthy population of Black-capped Chickadees, European Starlings and American Goldfinches.  The number of Rock Pigeons is down (148).  The average is about 200.  It seemed that they were all concentrated in mostly areas where there was cattle and they could get into an area that was somewhat warm.  Active farms are decreasing in numbers and that would cause a decrease in numbers of pigeons, starlings and crows.  I was surprised at the numbers of Ravens.  I felt that because of the recent storm it was easier for the large birds to become active, hence better numbers of crows, ravens, eagles, etc.

White-tailed Deer

Belted Galloway Cattle

Doing a Christmas Bird Count is hard work but it has many benefits.  It is fun to be out early to see what birds and nature in general are doing.  The deer pictured above were far away but the sun was shining on them up a large rising field.  They did not spook because they were far enough away to be safe.  The Belted Galloway Cattle shown above were in a field near the road enjoying the sunshine.  This breed is not common in New Brunswick and made a nice photo in the brilliant sunshine.

The Mactaquac Christmas Bird Count is one of more than 50 done in New Brunswick each year between December 14 and January 4.  Many people participate and the data are accumulated nationally and combined with similar data from the US for analysis by experts.  The Mactaquac count has been done for many years by loyal participants and a few new recruits.  Many thanks to all!


[I would like to acknowledge the loss in 2019 of two of our stalwart birders, Shirley Sloat and David Myles.  Both were faithful participants in the Mactaquac Christmas Bird Count probably since its inception.  David was the compiler for many years.  They are sorely missed.]

Gray Squirrel

A gray squirrel offers a nice perspective on its incredibly bushy tail. I shot this one in the backyard, and squirrels around here have it pretty good. Feeders offer unshelled peanuts, all manner of other seeds, plenty of mast-bearing trees, and lots of good cover. Gray squirrel longevity probably increases in such suburban oases.

The longer one of these animals survives, the wiser it becomes, and the more likely it is to avoid detrimental factors such as predators. Gray squirrels can reach ten years of age or more in the wild, although such elders are surely rare. The animal in the photo did not reveal his age, but he/she looked fat and happy to me.