Eastern Phoebes along Ontario’s Seaton Hiking Trail

Eastern Phoebes along Ontario’s Seaton Hiking Trail

eastern phoebe - on bullrush stem - whitevale - ontario

On a rather damp Sunday afternoon, Bob and I seized a reprieve from the rain for a hike along the Seaton Hiking Trail north of Whitevale, in Ontario.  From the lookout at the dam, we observed numerous Barn Swallows darting about the surface of the water, but also watched as a pair of Eastern Phoebes (Sayornis phoebe) made repeated forays into the bulrushes where the water was calm.

seaton hiking trail sign - whitevale - ontario

Seaton Hiking Trail offers two options for exploration from the pretty little community of Whitevale.

seaton hiking trail map

Hikers can head south towards Rossland Road or north toward Highway 7.  In either direction, the trail follows the river and offers ample opportunities for wildlife sightings.

dam on green river - north of whitevale - ontario

About 2/3 of the way between Whitevale and Highway 7, there is a man-made dam that was constructed to control the flow of water.  Because of the previous day’s rain, the waters were running red with stirred up sediment and thundered over the dam with abandon.

eastern phoebe - on a bullrush stem - whitevale - ontario

The Eastern Phoebes, time and again, flew in and landed, either on the stalk of a bulrush or on the dense dried spike at the top of a stalk.

green river - north of whitevale - ontario

Gathering storm clouds once again threatened to block the sun at about the time Bob and I reached the dam, but still we dallied there, enjoying our view of the calmer waters above the dam and the sounds of surging water when it plummeted over the barrier.

jean takes picture of an eastern phoebe - whitevale - ontario

When Bob and I first caught sight of the black and white birds, our first thought was of Eastern Kingbirds, but these birds were too small.

eastern phoebe - sits atop bullrush - green river - whitevale - ontario

A distinct difference in the colouring of the two birds led us to believe that one was a male and the other a female.  With each passing visit to a bulrush spike, the birds departed with a mouthful of cottony fluff.  Eastern Phoebes make their nests of mud, moss, and grasses, and will line them with soft material such as fine grass, hair or plant fibres.

eastern phoebe - sits on bullrush - green river - whitevale - ontario

The two birds remained within sight of one another, and made stops in a small tree at the bottom, and just to the side, of the dam.  We thought perhaps they were building a nest but could see no evidence of one.

eastern phoebe - view of back - whitevale - ontario

An Eastern Phoebe is a plump songbird with a head that seems too large for its body.  The plumage on the head is darker than that of the back, but both are a blackish-brown in colour.

eastern phoebe - stands atop bullrush - green river - whitevale - ontario

Eastern Phoebes are flycatchers, and in nesting season, can be found in the vicinity of streams and lakes where rocky walls or bridges provide nesting locations, and trees or shrubs furnish foraging places.  I was happy to see that this phoebe had captured some sort of insect as a reward for its efforts.

eastern phoebe - on fence - green river - whitevale - ontario

The barrier on the far side of the dam was a popular spot for the phoebes to pull up and stop.  They had a pattern of circulating between the bulrushes, the fence and the small tree below the dam.    These dull-coloured flycatchers have a habit of frequently pumping their tails up and down when at rest.

eastern phoebe - sits on fence - green river - whitevale - ontario

An Eastern Phoebe has a white throat, dirty grey breast and buffish underparts that become whiter during the breeding season.  Of note is the bill which is black above and below.

eastern phoebe - --- green river - whitevale - ontario

Eastern Phoebes are very active birds, and make short flights to capture insects before often returning to the exact same perch.  The pair we were watching constantly moved about, as if trying to keep up with the Barn Swallows swooshing about them.  Interestingly, Eastern Phoebes will sometimes renovate and use old Barn Swallow nests.

eastern phoebe - green river - whitevale - ontario

Bob and I rejoiced in the calm beauty of the marsh bordering the river, and as always reveled in the marvels of nature.   A passing shadow over the rustling bulrushes warned of a hawk soaring on high, and yet it was too distant to worry the phoebes and swallows.

eastern phoebe - stands atop wooden stake - whitevale - ontario

The looming sky had Bob and I concerned about a sudden downpour and sent us hustling back along the trail towards Whitevale.  The phoebes paid no notice of the incoming rain and continued their endless circuit of the marsh grasses.

You May Also Like:

long-eared owl, tommy thompson park, toronto 11

A Long-eared Owl at Tommy Thompson Park

Glossy Ibis eats a leech, Whitby, Ontario

Glossy Ibis sighted in Whitby, Ontario

A Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) takes time out to sit on the side of a tree in Algonquin Provincial Park

A Black-backed woodpecker in Algonquin Provincial Park

monarch butterflies along creek at el rosario biosphere reserve, mexico 9

Among the Winged Magic at El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Reserve in Mexico

kudu, kruger national park, south africa

Our South African Journey to Kruger National Park

pinnacle rock, graskop, mpumalanga, south africa 3

Our visit to Pinnacle Rock in Mpumalanga, South Africa

Visiting Machu Picchu, Our Long Time Dream

reed boat construction, floating island, lake titicaca, peru

Our Visit To The Floating Islands On Lake Titicaca

jean above spruce tree house at mesa verde national park - colorado 4

Exploring The Cliff Dwellings At Mesa Verde National Park

jean checks out the drombeg stone circle, near glandore, county cork, ireland

Drombeg Stone Circle,  Our Visit To The Druid’s Altar

red fox in algonquin park - november 2014 pic 6

Red foxes wintering in Algonquin Provincial Park

black bear with cub - algonquin park - ontario

Black Bear Mom And Cubs Eat Blueberries In Algonquin Park

eastern screech owl gray morph_lasalle park_burlington_ontario 2

Eastern Screech Owl: A Master of Disguise In Burlington, Ontario

moose - female and calf - in algonquin provincial park - ontario 2

Cow Moose and Calf in Algonquin Provincial Park

Frame To Frame – Bob and Jean

2 comments

  • Have you been sending these off to Nature Canada? They are collecting data on Canadian bird populations, in particular migrating passerines.

    • We have been reporting all of our sightings through ebird Ontario and Bird Canada. We will look into giving our information to Nature Canada as well. Thanks for the tip.