Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

I have not been to Lakeside Park since the 2nd of April and I must admit that I am missing my walks around the lake and my observations of the wildlife there. Work has kept me too busy to even go through my photos, but I feel I should make an effort. The last time that I observed this bird at Lakeside Park was in October of 2019. From the front, it is a strange-looking creature with its black bib and those eyes that appear to see everything from every direction. It is remarkably hard to get close to. From the side, it is easily identifiable as a pied-billed grebe. It was extremely cautious, and the slightest suggestion that there may be something human-looking and it moved off, and out of range. I circled the lake a few times in my rubber boots attempting to sneak up unawares, but this grebe was way too canny for me. After my initial photos, the best that I could do was to take shots from a good distance away, and while being not very detailed, they do show what ...

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 But on balance, what I miss has been replaced by birds that are just as captivating.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 ...