Warblers and an Osprey
Tripods were set, photographers and birdwatchers alike had their favourite locations on the banks of Shoemaker Lake, ready to observe the migration of the warblers through Lakeside Park and to identify as many as possible. But sometimes what you expect is not exactly what you get. This bird made everyone forget the warblers for the few minutes that it landed in the treetops above us. Clinging to end of a single branch with its extremely sharp and curved talons, this osprey surveyed the lake for its next meal. The osprey graced us with its company just long enough for a few photos. It took off to the far side of Shoemaker lake, and to the unwanted attention of the male red-winged blackbirds. Everyone's focus switched back to the job in hand which was in the case of the binocular wielding birdwatchers, to identify how many warblers they could see, and for the photographers, to capture good photos of birds that we do not normally see in Kitchener. A few of the warblers, like the