Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

You'd be forgiven for thinking that this ring-billed gull was having a leisurely stroll across the surface of the water at Lakeside Park. It does appear to be doing just that. The ripples on the surface of the lake were in evidence, but the water was completely frozen. I have no idea how water can freeze so fast as to preserve ripples, but as they say, the camera does not lie. I have seen ring-billed gulls diving for fish at Lakeside Park in warmer weather, but what was so enticing to this gull and its friend, on a frozen lake? Frozen hard-boiled eggs! That's right, hard-boiled eggs that two city workers discarded when they took an early morning break. The gift of a free meal did not go unnoticed for long, and the gulls were soon joined by another scavenger. These American crows were not going to miss out. That gave me the perfect opportunity to get close enough to the crows for some detail. There has been so much activity at Lakeside Park recently. ...

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 But on balance, what I miss has been replaced by birds that are just as captivating.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

Other than the odd sighting after their young fledged, the red-winged blackbirds have been all but transparent. That is up until a week ago when they again started calling and displaying from their usual vantage points. Perhaps this is normal behaviour and just a prelude to their migration south. Anyway, as the sign quite rightly says... keep your dogs on a leash: I found the most uncomfortable position this morning in my attempt at getting a good view of the beaver doing its late morning routine. One foot on the bank and one in the water, with my back leaning against some long-dead branches which felt as though they could give out at any moment: My discomfort was not in vain as I did capture some decent photos as the beaver went about its business: Keeping the bed of the stream clear and also taking time to have a snack here and there: Two woodpeckers; the first I believe is a male hairy woodpecker, looking for a tasty morsel inside an old seed head: And t...