Kristen Martyn

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Kristen Martyn

Birder. Naturalist. Photographer. Entrepreneur.

13/05/2024

A nice Mother's Day treat for me was watching a Golden-winged Warbler foraging in our front garden for a few hours. This was our 117th bird species seen on the property and our 22nd species of warbler. Usually I'm hoping in the car and driving to see this bird in it's breeding territory, so to have one show up and spend some quality time watching it in our yard was awesome. Lots of warblers have been moving through our garden. In the last week I've seen Northern Waterthrush, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Tennessee, American Redstart, Pine, Yellow, Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-white and Nashville. Gotta love spring migration!

27/04/2024

Always a treat to find the cocoon's of Cecropia Moth's- our largest moth here in Ontario. They blend in so well with the vegetation, but at this time of the year without the leaves they are a little easier to spot. In around a. month's time these moths will be emerging to continue their lifecycle. 🐛🦋

12/03/2024

Wild columbine will begin blooming soon in Ontario! 😍 Such stunning plants and perfect to add to your gardens to attract

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10/03/2024

Have you noticed any squirrels in your yard looking a little worn out lately? 😪 Eastern Grey Squirrels are early nesters and are actively building nests and caring for their young right now! Squirrels are great moms and work tirelessly to care for their babies.. they even rip out their own fur to keep their hairless babes warm in the nest, leaving their skin exposed to the elements. 🥶 High winds form spring storms can sometimes knock squirrels from their nests, so be sure to keep an eye out in your yard for any that may require assistance. If you do find a squirrel that you believe is in need of care, contact your local wildlife rehabilitation centre for help! 🐿

09/03/2024

Happy to see the spring migrants return, but sad to see these little snow birds go! 😢 Dark-eyed Juncos will be leaving us here in Simcoe County to move a little further north to their breeding grounds. Not to worry, they will return in the fall - in fact, Dark-eyed Juncos often return to the exact same areas each year, and remain within an area of about 10 acres for the entire winter. Chances are that if you have juncos at your feeders each year, you are likely seeing some of the same birds year after year!

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06/03/2024

Timberdoodle, Labrador twister, and night partridge are just some of the nicknames used for the American Woodcock! These pleasantly plump shorebirds will soon be back in Ontario and males will be heard calling their signature "peent" throughout the night. 🐦🌲

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05/03/2024

White birch is such a beautiful tree (okay, what tree isn't beautiful?), but the bark is also incredibly strong & versatile! 💪 Birch bark has been used by Indigenous peoples for centuries to make canoes, musical instruments, hunting & fishing gear, and much more. 🛶

03/03/2024

Grackles are back! Sure, they may be considered a nuisance at feeders, but how can you resist that beautiful iridescent plumage? 😍 Common Grackles are garnished with glossy black feathers that shimmer and shine when hit with sunlight. Males are decorated with a striking blue and violet headpiece (and sometimes green), and the pale-yellow colour of the iris surrounded by a deep black eyeliner that makes for a mesmerizing appearance. 🖤

02/03/2024

Now is the time to clean your bluebird nest boxes out or install new ones! 🪺 Eastern Bluebirds prefer treed habitats, but open and with little understory or ground cover. Boxes should be mounted on a pole or fence post from 4 to 6 feet high. The box entrance should face east, and should be toward an open area. If hanging multiple boxes, pairs can be 15 to 20 feet from each other, and each pair should be spaced a minimum of 300 feet apart. Bluebirds build their own nest within the box so shavings are not necessary, but a thin layer can be added for extra bedding. 💙

29/02/2024

Red-winged Blackbirds are returning! 🖤❤️ Male Red-winged Blackbirds return before their female counterparts, and become extremely territorial when breeding season begins. Males spend more than a quarter of daylight hours fiercely defending their territories by calling at, chasing, and even attacking intruders! ID Tips: Males are glossy black with red and yellow shoulder patches; females are streaked and dark brown overall with a paler breast, and whitish eyebrow.

28/02/2024

What's the weather like where you are? It's warm enough here for the chipmunks to come out of hiding! 🐿️ It's not QUITE spring but seeing these cuties running around certainly makes it feel like spring is here! Not much longer to wait until we see ephemerals and all the beauty spring has to offer 🌼☀️

25/02/2024

Eastern Bluebirds feed on a variety of foods including insects like caterpillars, beetles, and grasshoppers, as well as fruits such as sumac, currants, and juniper. But did you know that bluebirds occasionally eat some larger prey items? In addition to their regular fare, Eastern Bluebirds have been observed eating salamanders, snakes, and even shrews! 😲💙

24/02/2024

Dreaming of beautiful, native ephemerals like Bloodroot as we edge closer to spring 🌼Ephemerals are perennial plants that emerge quickly in the spring and die back to only their underground components. Though their beautiful blooms only last a short amount of time, they are an important source of pollen for early-emerged insects and are frequented by bumblebees, sweat bees, carpenter bees, and beetles, until their blooms perish. 🐝 Just a short time to wait now! 😍

22/02/2024

PSA: Ticks are active at just 4 degrees Celcius! 😮 The temperatures are on the rise over the next week in the Simcoe region which means these little guys will be starting to move and seek out hosts. Keep your eyes out for them on your clothing and on your pets after being outdoors 🕷️

21/02/2024

Are your goldfinches starting to look a little more yellow lately? It's not just your eyes playing tricks on you 👀 The transition from winter plumage to breeding plumage takes place from January on, with major changes taking place in March. By the end of April, the transition is complete and males will be dressed in that brilliant yellow plumage once again. If that doesn't say spring, I don't know what does 🐦💛

17/02/2024

House Finches can sometimes look red, purple, or even orange & yellow! The colour of a male House Finch is derived from pigments in its food during the molt period, since they can't create those red tones themselves. That means the more pigment in the food, the redder the feathers. Studies have shown that female house finches tend to prefer males with the reddest feathers! ❤️

16/02/2024

The Great Backyard Bird Count is on! Participating in the GBBC is a free and easy way to help the birds you see every day in your yard. 🐦 Participants are asked to count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the four-day event and report their sightings online at birdcount.org. Are you participating in the GBBC this year? 🐦

14/02/2024

Happy Valentine's Day! 💕 Did you know that we have native Wild Roses right here in Ontario?! They look a little different than roses you'd find at a florist, but they are just as beautiful - if not more so - AND they're much more beneficial to our wildlife. Wild Roses have pale to bright pink blossoms with yellow anthers, typically blooming in late June to early July. The pollen-laden flowers are an excellent source of food for pollinators and other beneficial insects, and the rose hips left behind provide a source of food for many animals over the winter months. 🌹

11/02/2024

Male and female Downy Woodpeckers split up their foraging areas throughout winter. Males spend most of their time feeding on small branches and in grasses & weeds, while females feed on larger branches and trunks. Males will also chase females away from the more productive foraging areas. 🐦

10/02/2024

Pine Siskins are small birds but require a lot of energy to keep them going through the cold winter months. to help with this, siskins are able to store seed in a part of their esophagus called a crop. Amazingly, they are able to temporarily hold up to 10% off their body mass which is enough to get them through nearly a full night of below zero temperatures. 🐦🥶

08/02/2024

A butterfly - in the winter?! 😮🦋 It's not as uncommon as you may think. Mourning Cloaks are a species of butterfly who overwinter as adults in brush piles, holes in trees, or rock crevices. When the weather starts to get cold, Mourning Cloaks shut down their bodies and go into a state known as torpor. Not quite awake, not quite hibernating! When the temperatures rise, it triggers the butterflies to wake and emerge from their sleepy state. This can happen on mild winter days, which is why you may see one out and about even when there is still snow on the ground. ❄️

07/02/2024

Butternut is a beautiful tree that is a Species at Risk in Ontario. 🌳 It's main threat is Butternut Canker, a fungal disease that spreads quickly and can kill a tree within a few years. While it is a devastating disease and has had a critical impact on Butternut populations, there are some tree who live many years which experts are hoping is an indication of resistance to the disease. 🌳

05/02/2024

Northern Cardinals are starting to sing their love songs! 🥰 Northern Cardinals are non-migratory, meaning they remain in the same area year-round. This gives them the advantage of beginning the nesting process early and choosing the best sites for nesting and raising their families before spring migrants return. 🐣 Listen for their "cheer, cheer, cheer" song in your yard 🎶

04/02/2024

Birds may be small, but they are not fragile when it comes to cold weather! ❄ Certain feather types on birds' bodies aid in insulation, such as semiplumes which help add some insulation under the contour feathers, and down feathers which are fluffy feathers that lie under contour feathers with semiplumes, and are responsible for forming a thick layer of insulation. Some birds will also grow in extra layers of feathers during the molting process in the fall. In addition to insulating feathers, birds have small "scales" on their feet and legs that reduce heat loss, and are even able to control the temperature of their legs and feet by constricting blood flow. 🐦

02/02/2024

Crossbills have an undoubtedly odd-shaped bill, but it's with purpose. The unique shape makes them specialized conifer-seed-eaters, with the biting muscles being stronger than the muscles used to open the bill. To extract seeds from conifer cones, a crossbill will place the tips of its bill under a cone scale and bite down, pushing the scale up and exposing the seed inside. 🌲🐦

01/02/2024

February is National Bird Feeding Month! 🐦🥜 Why should backyard bird feeding be celebrated? It improves mental health! Studies have shown that bird watching is a great stress reliever and helps boost serotonin levels. 🧠 It can benefit science! Participating in community science projects like Project FeederWatch (on now!) & Great Backyard Bird Count (starts in a couple weeks!) help researchers learn more about birds' habits and help further conservation efforts. 🐦 It's fun for all ages! It's never too early or too late to enjoy bird feeding. The benefits are truly endless. 💕 Do you feed birds in your yard?

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30/01/2024

Have you ever noticed that some Downy (and Hairy) Woodpeckers have a red cap and some don’t? This little fiery cap is distinguishes male from female! Males are the ones who have the red patch, which develops shortly after their first feathers come through when they hatch, and grows more solid and rich in colour as they mature. 🐦

29/01/2024

This stunning plant is the Sacred Lotus, a type of water plant native to Northern Australia and tropical areas of Asia. 🪷 The seeds, stems, and roots of the Sacred Lotus are edible and are used in a variety of ways including breads or simply eaten raw (the stem is said to be texturally similar to celery). 🪷

26/01/2024

Winter is tough on wildlife and one of the most difficult feats can be staying hydrated. It takes a lot of energy to convert snow to water, so when open water is available many animals will stick close to that area. These open pools of water are great places to set up trail or game cameras so you can see who's visiting them! ❄️🎦

23/01/2024

Do you know how to tell the difference between a male and a female red-bellied woodpecker? It can be tough since they look nearly identical, but have a close look at the head. Males have a bright red nape and crown, with colouring extending down to the bill. Females have a red nape and some red at the base of the bill, but lack the red crown. ❤️

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