I feature mallards a lot on my blog. There are plenty of them year round always up for a photo shoot and are sociable, good looking subjects. This handsome male was competing for my attention with the wonderful fall background.

One of several woodpeckers we see year round, I took this photo in July. Using a narrow depth of field I got the background you see here.

This juvenile Black-crowned night heron was a fair distance from me and very high up a tree. I had to crop the picture quite a bit and when I did I noticed its stern expression. It’s a common look for this stocky heron and one that never fails to make me laugh.

These herons usually remain until the lakes begins to freeze, so with a bit of luck we’ll have a few more sightings before then. I didn’t see the heron right away. I was focussed on a goose in the water and panned around to see if there were any other birds about when I spotted the heron standing absolutely motionless. At that distance I would have missed him if hadn’t been for the goose!

 I featured the same cardinal a few weeks ago, in this photo he’s giving me a a sidelong glance. I guess he realizes he’s looking a bit rough. While out today I saw another cardinal that was in perfect form but it flew off before I could take a shot.

I didn’t see many night herons this summer but the few I saw were nice and close. So intent on fishing they ignored us, the only challenge being the leaves blocking our view and the narrow pathways.

We often see Black-crowned night herons intent on the water, performing this balancing act. They can hold the pose much longer than I can keep my camera raised. I took the photo from further than I would have liked but it does allow a glimpse of the surroundings.

It was nice when this goldfinch positioned himself away from the leaves so I could get a clear shot. He was just within range of my lens and although happy to get the photo, I wish I had had my longer lens with me. Best news of all though, is that last week at this very spot we still wore wool against the cold, today it was 100% cotton!

Not sure what caught the eye of these wood ducks but they certainly had my attention. They remained in this quiet cove for quite a while. This small lake in midsummer is a busy place full of noisy mallards. Perhaps the wood ducks were enjoying a momentary calm.

Even though the tree looked like it had been picked pretty clean, this pileated woodpecker still found it worth investigating. Our largest woodpecker, the pileated is always a pleasure to see and hear, with it’s rattling, slightly maniacal call that announces its presence.

These mallards and wood ducks are my first duck photos of the spring. A good number of mallards over-winter here, the wood ducks migrate in fall and return when most traces of snow are gone. Due to severe flooding we have been unable to return to this reserve. We’ll have a lot of catching up to do when it reopens.

I saw a small flock of Canada Geese fly overhead the other day. No matter the temperature, they return here every spring. The grass has not begun to grow yet but with the rivers and lakes thawing I imagine geese are finding vegetation in the water to eat. I thought the bird in this photo struck a very swan-like pose.

I like to hear the nuthatch’s nasal call, often alerting me to its presence in the woods. As they move along the tree trunks and branches so quickly, it’s often hit or miss to capture one in focus. Oh, but when you do😊.

The white-throated sparrow is a common visitor to backyard feeders but having neither a backyard or a feeder I spotted this bird in the woods. I usually see a few in season but no more than that. This little bird perched himself on a fallen tree and remained there long enough for me to take his photo.