Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

Stormy weather hit Kitchener and with it came heat and humidity. Mosquitoes love humid weather and the line had now been drawn at Lakeside Park, stay on the path in the sunlight, keep away from the shade and you are safe. But dare to venture off the walkway into the undergrowth and you are breakfast, lunch and dinner served in an overheated sweaty body that will act as a beacon to the hundreds of hungry mouths just waiting to bite. To continue with my photography, staying off the beaten track as I do, I needed a plan, and that arrived from Amazon a few days ago in the shape of a mesh hoodie that fits over my clothes. I eagerly brought it to Lakeside Park on Thursday morning, wearing it over my T-shirt. Fitting loosely over my cap and clothes, the mesh provided a safety zone around me and I was pleasantly pleased with how it was performing. To give it a real test though, I would have to venture to the far side of Shoemaker Lake, past the reed beds that are gradually reaching up a litt...

This morning was special, Lakeside Park gifted me with so many photo opportunities. Photos of an animal that I have not seen at Lakeside Park for a long time and also of some elusive birds that I had wanted to better my previous photos of. It was a cold but gloriously sunny morning, everything crunched underfoot from the nights low of -2 degrees. I followed the sunlight along the bank of the lake and was preoccupied, focusing on a northern flicker that was drumming on a hollow dead tree when I noticed a distraction off to my left as it climbed its way up a tree. The last time that I saw a raccoon at Lakeside Park was back in March of 2018, and that was a young raccoon ( https://wildlakeside.blogspot.com/2019/07/a-wet-and-cold-raccoon.html ). This raccoon was a large adult. I took a few photos before moving along. The northern flicker's drumming and calling had attracted a mate. It presented itself to its partner, tail feathers spread out in an orange fan, fri...

A dark, wet morning with just enough light for my pocket-sized Powershot to take a photo of the night heron. Perched in the shade as it watched over the fish and other goings-on at Lakeside Park: Far in the distance, I caught sight of the beaver heading for its den where it would rest the day away. It seemed different though, this time. The wake that it was leaving behind was much larger than normal, and it wasn't until it came closer that I understood why. The beaver had been foraging: It dragged its food along with it and then took it underwater, disappearing without a trace. I waited at my usual vantage point and then waited a little more before I noticed some movement out of the corner of my eye. Much to my surprise, a little raccoon was walking along the grassy path toward me. It hadn't seen me, not until I turned my head and then it paused, unsure of what it should do in that situation. After a moment or two of thought, it took to the tree that it had just wal...