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

A few hours of sunshine amidst what seemed like weeks of grey weather saw me working my way up the path on the side of the frozen lake at Lakeside Park, snapping a photo here and there as chickadees foraged their way down from the treetops to ground level. I walked further and soon veered off the path, seeking isolation at the top of the lake. I chose a secluded area where I believed I could blend into the background, camouflaged against the trunk of an old willow tree that closely matched the patterns on my jacket. I watched and waited, but the juncos and cardinals which had graced me with their company on other days did not present themselves. A lone wren let me know it had seen me as it appeared for a split second before disappearing under the loose thatch of reeds which edge the perimeter of the lake. I could hear nuthatches and chickadees to my left. Cardinals to my right and at the far side of the lake, bluejays were complaining. I was certainly not alone and littl

It's been a cold start to 2020 at Lakeside Park. Not much activity you'd think with the lake being frozen, but in the trees, bushes and plants there was a lot going on.  Grey squirrels could be heard from up high in the trees munching on the plentiful supply of walnuts. Red squirrels also seem to prefer the higher branches of the trees where it's easier to keep an eye on their surroundings: I always seem to find this little red squirrel in the same location, sitting on a tree branch. I took a few photos and then edged closer, and then a little more. The red squirrel unusually did not move. Not even a whisker: I walked directly beneath the squirrel and then saw movement, not from the squirrel, but from two red-tailed hawks who'd been perched close by, high up in the trees on the edge of the lake. The two red-tailed hawks circled the park, gaining height before gliding off over the treetops on the far side of the lake: With the hawks now long gone thin

Chores at home have kept me away from my photography, but today I was determined to get some fresh air and take my cameras with me. I set off on foot in the direction of the Borden Wetlands which are but a stone's throw away from my house, although the walk is much further as I have to walk around the seemingly endless wall which borders the Fischer Hallman road: The wetlands are not really user-friendly and I honestly did not hold much hope of seeing anything other than this little chickadee, which I photographed as it performed acrobatics in its attempts at getting to the seeds in the photos: The wetlands are just that, very wet in the open areas and elsewhere are shrouded by a high canopy of leaves held up on the branches of some really tall trees. It does not have the same friendly feel as Lakeside Park. Every step you take comes with the snap of a broken twig or rustle of dead leaves. The ducks and geese there are very wary of any noise or movement, and rightly

This morning started with a beautiful golden sunrise that lit up the tops of the trees and slowly descended to the lake. It unfortunately did not last and was soon eclipsed by a grey sky. Undaunted by the poor light, I set out with an agenda; to photograph some of the migrating warblers that are still passing through Lakeside Park. I set off, up the side of the lake, following some yellow coloured warblers which were flitting through the undergrowth. I took any opportunity I could to photograph what I saw on the way: There were lots of hickory tussock moth caterpillars, fattening up on the remaining leaves: A catbird sat out in the open for a few moments as I passed through a clearing: And at the top edge of the lake, I again saw the merlin on its usual vantage point, watching for any unwary birds: It was a failed effort on my part. As soon as I saw a warbler and raised my lens, it was gone. I decided to make my way back to the parking area and the fir trees besid