It’s been a fine spring for these young birds. I see them on most of my visits to the lake.
Tag Archives: Birds
Blackbird
Red-winged blackbirds can be difficult to photograph given their black feathers. I liked the exposure on this bird, I just wish I could have got a bit more of its wing colour 😏
Wood Duck Duckling
I featured a portrait of this duckling’s mother a few days ago. In this photo the young wood duck is trying to keep up with her as she heads back to the lake.
Lesser Scaup
One in a group of Lesser Scaups we saw at the very beginning of last month. They are known to breed in the west of the country and in smaller numbers in eastern Canada.
Female Wood Duck
Wood ducks are usually a lot shyer at this point in the season. The reserve where I took this has become more popular in the last couple of years so the animals are more used to people. Probably not a good thing for them, but it does work out for the photographer.
Both Sides Now – Two Photographs
Though more subtle than male Red-winged blackbirds, the females have fine markings.
Grackle Antics
Grackles are animated, active and very intense. I don’t know what caught the bird’s attention but it was completed absorbed by whatever it was.
Little Buddies
We saw a number of goslings on a recent walk. I tend to alternate the subjects I post each day but sometimes I don’t 😊
Nap Time
After a busy morning, this gosling looked about ready for a rest.
Regal Robin
A bit haughty too.
Spring Mallard
Always a welcome sight.
Lesser Scaups
We saw a large group of scaups at the very beginning of May. They were swimming in a small man made lake in a park close to the river. As the river was still high I guess they preferred the more shallow water. We only saw them that once and at quite a distance but I was happy with the sighting.
Robin
We’ve seen a lot of robins this spring. What posers they are!
Grackle in the Grass
These birds look intense or angry and rather funny at the same time. I often see grackles by the water, so I’m surprised to see so many this year in city gardens.
What’s for Dinner?
I watched as the starling ran across the lawn, stopping several times to dig in the earth. Finally, it posed with its catch 😏.
Morning Mallard
One of the regulars I see on my walks.
Mourning Dove
I almost walked right past the mourning dove until someone pointed it out; it blended in so well with its surroundings. I usually see them on rooftops or in trees so this one was a surprise.
Robins
There are lot of robins around right now. I caught one mid walk and the other mid stare.
Wood Duck
It had been a great day at the lake but all of a sudden it got even better 😊
Female Red-winged Blackbird
We saw several male Red-winged Blackbirds but she was the only female I spotted. She’ll have her pick of the fellas 😊
Seen on a Walk
Another spring first, grackles! This imposing bird had just visited a feeder and was strutting off with its prize.
Spring Downy
I took this photo two weeks ago before the trees had really begun to bud. This male downy woodpecker stood out nicely against the bare tree.
Spring Goose
I saw this goose on a small patch of grass close to the river. The current was strong and the water was high given the recent ice melt. We only saw a few geese on the water; this one was looking for something to eat but I can’t imagine the grass holds much nutrition yet.
In the Market
I watched as the house sparrow perched on the brick and window sills of this old house. I looked to see whether it had a nesting hole somewhere in the brick, as sparrows often build their nests in buildings, but saw nothing. It’s a busy time for them,
Canada Goose
Geese are returning after a long winter. I took this before today’s snow 😏
Young Robin
Late last spring, I saw this young robin perched on a park bench. I didn’t see any adult birds around, so I guessed he was on his own. He’ll be all grown up now.
Looking On
I believe this is a leucistic Canada Goose, it lacked the usual pigmentation of the other nearby geese but otherwise resembled them. I hope he joined the group after a while, he looked a bit lonely 😏.
Black-capped Chickadee
We’re lucky to enjoy these birds all year round.
Robin Ready
I saw two robins recently when the weather was a bit nicer. It’s been a stormy weekend. Hopefully, that’s it for the snow and ice and scenes like this are around the corner.
Electric Blue
The Blue Jay landed on an old electrical insulator as I followed its flight down a laneway.
You Go Your Way, I’ll Go Mine
Sometimes, that’s just the way it is 😏
Setting up House
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.
Pondering
Many of us are wondering what exactly is going on right now 😏
Early Heron
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.
In the Spotlight
Males mallards seem to chum around more than the females. This can lead to a portrait like this.
Black-capped Chickadee
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.
Something About Mallards
I think I’ve said it before but I do love these ducks 😊
On Alert
A common sparrow, yet I think her stance and the spring setting set her apart.
Female Cardinal
Getting her colour back. I took this photo in late summer as her feathers were growing back in.
MONDAY MALLARD
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 😊
BELINDA GROVER PHOTOGRAPHY 