A Coyote, an Osprey and a Goldfish

I never know what I'll find when I go to Lakeside Park, and sometimes it isn't what I find, rather what finds me.

Partly hidden behind the woodland's latticework of twigs and fallen branches, this coyote knew I was there. It could definitely hear my clumsy rubber boots and with the wind coming from behind me, it also had the advantage of scent, but it hadn't seen me yet. I knew that I only had a few moments, if that, to capture some photographs. My autofocus struggled, as did the coyote's sight, to cut through all of the obstructions between us, but I did somehow manage a few shots before the coyote disappeared into the undergrowth. 

The unexpected often catches me unprepared. A little earlier in the morning, I was attempting to take a photo of the first migratory warbler that I have seen this year, a yellow-rumped warbler. The warbler would not sit still for an instant, and in the course of attempting to relocate the warbler, I was entirely taken by surprise by an osprey circling to my right over Shoemaker Lake. I had the wrong speed on my camera, and with the sun shining directly in my face they were not perfect conditions for photography, all I could do was to press the shutter and hope for the best.

I'd had the shutter speed on my camera set at 640 for the low morning light and that is nowhere near fast enough for birds in flight, but a few of the photos were presentable. As it circled around the osprey held its magnificent wings wide open and looked down at me before it passed overhead.

After all the steely glares, I think it's time for some cuteness.

This cute as button little red squirrel was chewing on what was left of the seed it had just found. There are lots of old seeds left lying around from last year. It nimbly extracted the seeds from their casing, ate the good and discarded the undigestible part.

I have seen kingfishers, ring-billed gulls and arctic terns dive in head first for fish, but never the great blue heron. The great blue heron likes to stalk its prey in the murky waters next to the reeds. At least that is what I thought.

There is then the problem of getting back into the air while carrying a large goldfish.

And that is not made any the easier when you are being chased by a territorial Canada goose. The great blue heron did manage to evade the goose though and find a good location among the reed beds at the top of the lake to enjoy its prize.

With a complete disregard for the horribly grey weather and the lack of light, I returned to Lakeside Park the next day for my missed photo of the yellow-rumped warbler. I was determined but had no need to be at all. An adult male (Myrtle) yellow-rumped warbler presented itself at the very bottom of Shoemaker Lake shortly after I set out.

And even better, it was accompanied by a female (Myrtle) yellow-rumped warbler. Not the best of detail in such low light, but I am not complaining. The first of the migratory warblers!

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