Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

I was all set to leave Lakeside Park this morning without many photos. I'd seriously underestimated the weather and how cold it was going to be. I was literally shivering in my rubber boots and heading to the warmth of my little car when the smallest of movements caught my eye. You'd be forgiven for thinking that a small piece of bark was moving up this tree. This bird's colouring is designed to seamlessly blend into the surface on which it hunts. I'm more used to seeing brown creepers moving through the trees in groups of other small birds, for safety during the winter months. This brown creeper, however, was hunting over the jigsaw puzzle of cracks and crevices in this tree's bark all on its own. Only when a brown creeper is silhouetted on the side of a tree's trunk does it really stand out to the naked eye. It appears I'm writing this post last first, so I'll continue in reverse with this photo of a northern flicker. T...

Only one lonely photo of the wildlife at Lakeside Park this morning. The subject of the photo, however, was not lonely, as the beaver had the ducks and me for company. I arrived at the lake a little after 5 AM with the moon reflecting just enough light to see by: I had to push my bike from my workplace to the lake as my back tire was experiencing a general lack of air. I waited for just enough light (which wasn't much) to snap one photo of the beaver on my fastest ISO as it surfaced right in front of me: The beaver was busy with its weed and mud moving activities, but I, unfortunately, had to leave Lakeside Park early, as I had a long push home. A trip to Canadian Tire, one worn-out innertube replaced and I am back in business. Copyright  ©  wildlakeside.blogpot.com 2019 Scott Atkinson All Rights Reserved.

The nights are gradually starting to move in. Leaving me more time to get settled before the suns rays hit the trees on the trail side of Lakeside Park. The moon was still peering down on me as I arrived at the lake: The night heron was also waiting for the sun to rise: There were three night herons in a willow tree on the lake's edge. Two adults and one juvenile who was really tucked away, well out of sight. Its eyes pierced through the willow tree's leafy embrace: The birds at Lakeside Park are now, I feel, getting more used to my company. I could be wrong, but it seemed as if one of the adult herons even waved at me: And then had a laugh at my expense when I slipped trying to get a foot hold on a wet, fallen tree trunk: Seriously though, the night herons were doing exactly the same as what the great blue herons do in the mornings, warming up in the sun's rays before preening their feathers: I look at it as a bonus whenever ...