Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

My previous post was to be the last for February, but this morning I heard a familiar call at Lakeside Park. A bird call I have not heard since October of 2019 ( https://wildlakeside.blogspot.com/2019/10/text-text-photos-copyright-wildlakeside.html ), and a reminder of warmer months. The calls of red-winged blackbirds pulled me out into the reed beds at the very top of the lake this morning. I could hear two male red-winged blackbirds calling back and forth across the frozen expanse of the lake. The closest to me was perched on a dead bush surrounded by cattails. The beds of cattails are a criss-cross of long reeds that seemingly wrap tighter around your boots the more you struggle. I am not joking when I say that I had to fight my way through the reeds for these photos and when I finally emerged, I was covered in fluff from the cattails. Thankfully the -12 C temperature this morning kept everything nice and solid underfoot. Apparently, the male red-winged blackbirds retu...

When you consider the density of wildlife present at Lakeside Park, it is not surprising that the park also attracts lots of predators. Aerial predators are energy conscious and can oftentimes be hard to locate, as they are hidden from sight, watching and waiting for an opportunity that will not be a wasted effort. Sometimes, the lack of activity from the squirrels and birds is a giveaway; other times it is the overactivity, the noisy complaints targetted at the predator that gives away its location. It was the cawing of crows that made me look up as they mobbed this red-tailed hawk, forcing it to circle up and away from the park. Hearing, I find at times to be much more useful than sight when it comes to birdwatching. I know; it does seem to be a contradiction, but I was led to my next predator by listening to the complaints of chickadees. I was fortunate that the bright morning sunlight lit up the chest feathers of this Cooper's hawk, making it fairly easy to locate amo...

Having moved from the UK to Canada almost 19 years ago, I have to say that I do at times miss some of the native British birds. For example, the different finches with their bold colours, the kestrel which can hover motionless in the strongest winds, the dipper from the rivers and streams which swims under the water as it hunts for food and is aptly named for its bobbing motion. But on balance, what I miss has been replaced by birds that are just as captivating. One definite plus in Ontario is the cardinal with its flamboyant head crest and its ridiculously bright red feathers. These photos were taken on a gloriously mild and sunny February the 3rd. The contrast of the bright morning sunlight really brought out the vivid red of this cardinal's feathers.  But why are cardinals so red? Well, they do say that you are what you eat, and cardinals do love red berries. Cardinals do actually create the redness in their feathers from the red foods in their diet. Without ...