Like many other migrants, starlings reappear in early spring. As attractive as they are, they are an invasive species in Canada, compete with native birds for food and can cause a lot of agricultural damage.  I watched as this one and its mate tore across the grass.

I’ve seen several robins recently but this time I had my camera with me.

I saw my first Red-winged blackbird the other day, so did the mallard 😏

I’m not sure how the argument got started but it ended soon enough!

Seeing a Red-winged Blackbird is a sure sign that spring has arrived. This photo was taken last year, around this date 😏. 

I enjoyed watching the young goose tentatively explore its environment.

This small man made lake attracts a lot of waterbirds during the nicer months. The water is crowded and the birds seem to get along. I liked the way the gulls appeared to form a guard around the sunning cormorants.

Late last fall we discovered this pond while on the way to another location. There was so much activity on the water that we never made it to our original destination.  We’ll be heading back in a couple of weeks when spring migration is underway.

This is a first winter ring-billed gull or at least it was, when I took the photo in October. It is still speckled and has a pink bill.  You can appreciate these birds on their own when they don’t blend into the colony.

These birds are among the first to return in the early spring. We’ll just have to wait a few more weeks.  However, I did see a pair of Canada Geese flying overhead. What a sight at the end of a long winter 😊

Sometimes you just have to plunge right in.

This female northern cardinal had just flown back from a feeder. If a bird can look put out this one certainly did.

Another occasion where I heard the woodpecker tapping away before I spotted him.

We are fortunate to see quite a few wood ducks during the warmer months. They return each year to a nearby lake, breed and raise their young and then migrate at the first frost. I took this photo in late summer.

The river is shallow at this point and muddy. It’s also a favourite fishing spot for Egrets.  This one had caught something, and cleaned up after eating .😊

The duck doesn’t seem to mind winter at all.

This is a slightly re-edited version of a photo I’ve featured before.

You can just see a bit of this downy woodpecker’s red cap.  I like the way his back feathers caught the wind as well.

I always enjoy seeing these little birds while walking in the woods.

I wondered why the birds were in such a frenzy, when I imported the image I saw why.  The gull in the lower right-hand corner had caught something to eat that the others wanted.  The scene is a bit raw but nature is that way sometimes.

One of the nice things about Downy Woodpeckers is that they remain here even in the winter. They continue to find insects by drilling into the bark of trees; their diet also includes berries and well stocked feeders.

Wishing you all a very Happy New Year!