On a recent walk, several house sparrows flew past me and landed in a nearby yard. This one had a mouthful of fluff that I imagine was going to be used in nest building.

I took this photo at the beginning of April a few years ago. The water had begun to thaw so I imagine he found something to eat.  I had never seen a heron return this early before or since; usually they wait until the ice has melted and the locals come out.

Usually black-capped chickadees don’t stay in one place for long. I’ll raise my camera just to miss them as they fly to another tree,  I was more fortunate with this bird, it stayed put long enough for me to get the shot, Another year round bird here.

Regular readers will have noticed that it’s been a few weeks since my last post. I was out of town for a while and then picked up a nasty bug (yes, Covid is still very much out there).  I’m on the mend now and what better evidence than to feature one of my favourite ducks 😊

A sight I love at the end of the day😊

We see barred owls year round in our woods.  I was hoping the owl would open its eyes wider but he was content to doze and I was happy just to have seen him.

Another little bird that is often overlooked. It was nice to see her perched on some long grass.

I do appreciate these birds as individuals, not as much in flocks when they can be aggressive and messy 😏. This immature ring-billed gull made a nice subject.

There’s still a meal to be found for woodpeckers under tree bark though bird feeders must be an easier alternative for them this time of year.

I took this photo before the water began to freeze though it was still pretty brisk.

I had several opportunities to photograph these beautiful ducks last year. We kept returning to the same area over several days and there they were. I guess they’re being enjoyed right now by those living in more hospitable climates. 😏

Here’s hoping for calm waters in 2025. Happy New Year!

As owls are nocturnal, when I see them during the day they often look half asleep. The eastern screech owl is tiny and blends into its surroundings so well that you have to be pretty lucky to spot one.

This small lake attracts a lot of ducks; even in winter we see a few mallards. They are hardy. The wood ducks have left now but I did catch this one as it took a last solitary swim.

I haven’t seen many downy woodpeckers this year but I did see this one in the spring. I really like these little birds, our smallest woodpecker.

A few more migrants passing through, I’ve only seen ring-billed ducks a few times and always as it gets colder.

One last swim at the lake. The waterfowl usually remain until the lakes and rivers begin to freeze.

These flycatchers are one of my favourite songbirds. I look forward to their return next spring.

The red-winged blackbird had found a good perch and and finally moved its head long enough to give me a clear shot.

Happily, some of these ducks remain during the colder months.