I featured a grackle on my blog recently and thought I would again. This time the bird is gathering nesting material. I Iike these handsome curious birds that never remain idle for long.
Tag Archives: Birds
FEMALE WOOD DUCK
Not as flamboyant as the male, the female wood duck has a more subtle beauty. As the summer moves on these rather shy birds become less apprehensive of people and will come quite close to shore, as this one did.
GRACEFUL GOOSE
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.
DOWNY WOODPECKER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Spring is a busy time for downy woodpeckers. Food is becoming more plentiful as it warms up and more insects appear. I took the photos of this male downy with a 300 mm lens, the bird was very close by. Of the many photos I took, these were the only two where I managed to capture the entire length of the bird.
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON
I have featured this photo before in colour but thought it would lend itself nicely to black and white. That and the fact that it’s too early for photo opportunities like this. We had a snowfall yesterday, a little early for April Fools’ Day and for the return of the herons.
EASTERN SCREECH OWL
At the reserve we go to most often, we’ve seen barred, great horned and eastern screech owls. We see eastern screech owls most often. We usually hear of their presence from other photographers and then we go in search of them. Given their terrific camouflage, I’m always amazed when we do spot one.
STANDOUT
I’ve never seen a hybrid goose before. Its distinctive colouring and lone presence stood out on that March morning. It was still too early for the return of the Canada Geese but not for this bird and I was glad to spot him that day.
