Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

Do birds play? Young animals do, so why not birds? This family of young wrens appeared to be having a great time playing this morning: Darting in and out of cover, chasing each other. Perhaps honing their survival skills: The split in a dead tree trunk, which looked as if it had been folded in half, made the perfect hiding place: I am no expert when it comes to Canadian birds. You can probably tell from my accent that I am from the UK, and I am still learning all about the birds in Ontario. So, if anyone can help identify this bird then please let me know: A juvenile, but I am not sure if it is a flycatcher or an oriole? It was seen feeding on the same mulberry bushes as in my post yesterday. I also found a few bushes at the side of the trail on my way home with some fruit within arms reach. I picked what I could and left what I couldn't reach for the birds. I love mulberries too: My post titled "Catbird Sings" showed a photo of a coopers hawk ...

I thought I'd missed my chance this morning. With the sun not quite clear of the trees on the far side of the lake, what sunlight there was on the opposite bank (where I was) was streaming through the gaps between the trees in shafts of golden light. A fallen tree trunk lay across the warm glow of one shaft and on it, landed a catbird, beautifully lit. This was the perfect opportunity. I raised my camera, took aim and turned the dial to focus on... the dead tree trunk. The catbird was long gone and I was left with the thought of what might have been a beautiful photo. The most distinctive thing about the catbird is not its appearance, which is grey with a smudge of black on its head, but its song which is glorious. It was the following of that song which led me to this photo. I then felt that I had, in some part, been gifted the photo which I'd missed out on earlier. In the light of the morning sun, that mundane catbird looked stunning: It is simply impossible not to tak...