Wildlife at Home, the Wetlands and Lakeside Park

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 But on balance, what I miss has been replaced by birds that are just as captivating.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

The oppressive grey-clad sky which seemed to have been with us forever finally gave way to warmer weather today and some much needed blue sky. I heard snowbirds (dark-eyed juncos) in the pollinator meadow and I was in pursuit of a photo. The same snowbirds which frequent my feeder at home, but these were nowhere near as tame. They were hiding behind branches and keeping a safe distance from anything moving. I concentrated on trying to get a clear shot through the criss-cross of twigs and managed to snag a few photos before the juncos moved on. Disappointed that I hadn't been able to get a clearer shot, I released my attention from the bushes, turned around and noticed what looked like someone's dog standing in the snow-covered meadow. I half expected to see the dog's owner walking a few feet away holding the dog's leash, but there was no one. This was a wild dog and a beautiful one at that. A coyote that appeared to have been hunting for small prey through th...