I took this photo as the mallard was emerging from the river. The duck didn’t look too pleased by my presence 😏

This downy woodpecker is one of the first I’ve seen this spring. She appeared to be considering how to approach the job of searching for insects.

You can’t get much cuter than these goslings.

Wood Ducks are the most colourful ducks we see in this area. A few have been spotted here this spring. They return to breed and remain until the temperatures dip. I took these photos several years back.

We have a good number of mallards in my area and they’re a favourite on my blog. They’re handsome, lively ducks and you usually see them in large groups or rafts. This male mallard found the perfect spot for a quiet stretch.

Great Blue Herons migrate alone or in numbers and return here in early April. I saw this solitary heron on the water’s edge. With the water open it would find plenty to eat while it waited for its mates to arrive.

I took this photo in late fall as the water was just beginning to freeze. Mallards tolerate the cold and quite a few remain in this location all year. We’re under an extreme cold warning tonight and while we add on the layers, I can’t helping wondering how the ducks will manage.

Winter doesn’t seem as long and bleak when there are Cardinals in the woods.

Pileated Woodpeckers are the largest woodpeckers in North America. We’re fortunate that they remain year round, On a grey winter day, seeing this lively colourful bird always brightens things up.

I took this photograph one December day when the light was just right. The male’s head was the emerald green you see here, I didn’t enhance the colour.

Eastern Phoebes migrate south between September and November, so this is probably the last one I’ll see until Spring. We enjoy them for only a short period so every sighting is a pleasure.

We’re fortunate to see black-capped chickadees all year round. I’m always amazed at how a bird so tiny can survive our winters!

Another wigeon photo I took one November day. It looked like he was enjoying his greens 😏.

We’ve had few opportunities to see or photograph great egrets in the last year and a half. Our favourite reserve has been jam-packed since Covid struck and we haven’t been back. We parked by the Ottawa River recently hoping to see one of these beautiful birds and luck was with us.

Goldfinches breed later in the summer than a lot of other birds. I watched as the goldfinch gathered nesting material and flew back and forth to her nest deep in the trees.

Nothing common about this Common or European Starling. Their plumage is extremely colourful and unlike many birds in the neighbourhood, they never shy away from my camera.

Despite that long neck, when a Great Blue Heron stands motionless it can blend in easily to its surroundings. They imitate statues quite well.

No matter the season, chickadees are always around; near a feeder or seen in the woods. Although they’re common it’s hard to think of these little birds in that way.

One of the most attractive ducks that migrate through each year. I chose not to crop in further as the reflections in the water were also vying for attention.

A wood duck admiring its reflection.

These gulls have presence and this one was no exception. He looked around like he owned this patch of grass.

Not sure what’s going on here, not sure the mallard on the left knows either. Just another afternoon at the lake. 😏

This female cardinal gave me a strange look. I almost felt like I was trespassing as I passed by.

I usually see pileated woodpeckers high up in the trees, often hearing them before I see them. It’s easier to spot them in winter when there are no leaves to block the view.

With their tucked in necks, these herons often look like they’re skulking around. I took this photo in early spring so it was easier to get a clear shot. This becomes tricky later in the season with all the greenery.

Some mallards remain here year round. They can find enough to eat if the water along the shore remains free of ice and if people feed them. Canada Geese, on the other hand, fly south in late fall. Smart birds!