Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

We have experienced some really changeable weather of late. From grey overcast days with cold winds that made everyone wrap up again in their winter clothes to warm and beautifully sunny days which gave the illusion that summer is finally here. There has been plenty of activity at Lakeside Park, but I am falling a little behind with my posts and that is purely down to how much time I have to process the images I have been taking. I'll try to recap, starting from the second of May with a pair of Canada geese flying down from the lake to Shoemaker Creek. As you can see it was really overcast. And from the same grainy day, a swamp sparrow sang out at the edge of the reed beds at the top of Shoemaker Lake. Now on to the third of May which really contrasted to the previous day in regards to temperature and visibility. The bright sunlight added a splash of colour to this female red-winged blackbird. Not that it was needed at all, but the strong morning sunlight also l...

Today was my first sighting this year of a great blue heron at Lakeside Park. I was, however, unable to get a clear shot, as I was under the cover of the branches of the trees on the far side of the lake when the heron flew up. I did see it though and have a very blurred photo as proof. I also had my first sighting of 2020 of this strange-looking creature. The lake has obviously completely thawed now, all the way down to the stream that runs away from the lake. But what of the mysterious creature with the tail of an eel. It is, of course, a muskrat and not strange at all but beautifully adapted to its lifestyle. A little wash, and then a scratch here and there with those incredible hind feet... so good! And then off into the water. The muskrat may not look like it'd be a good swimmer with that lumpy looking body, but it is a great swimmer. The muskrat's flat tail is used to propel it through the water. And it also has the added advantage of those h...