Recently a pair of loons built a nest in the small bay further down the lake from our place. It was a very special experience for us to see one so close. The problem was that the nest was so close to the shore and cottagers’ docks. We were concerned that it was not a […]
We have our two loons back again. This morning they were in the small cove in our lake, and I was able to get some pictures of them. One of the loons “stood up” and flapped its wings, which gave me the opportunity to take several pictures of it doing this. I put together the […]
It’s been interesting to see the Pine Siskins this winter as we have seen the most we have ever seen before. They usually come in a big flock of 20 or so. They remind us of chickens when they are crowded on to our window feeder. We aren’t seeing as many now, so we don’t […]
Brown Creepers are very difficult to spot. They blend in with the trees, and are hard to see. My husband spots them easier than I do. A brown creeper is about 5 inches in size, which is smaller than a nuthatch. They often look like a piece of bark from the difference. Brown creepers go […]
We’ve had a few goldfinches coming with the pine siskins. They are starting to get more colour. I enjoy their bright colours in the spring and summer, but they are beautiful at this time too. Their subtle colours at this time of year are beautiful too. We haven’t seen them very much, so it’s a […]
We’ve had a flock of pine siskins at our backyard feeder during the last couple of weeks. They are small and belong to the finch family. Adult pine siskins are brown. They have lots of brown streaks on their breasts, and the edge of their wings and tail are a subtle yellow. It is rare […]
We had a couple of purple finches visit our feeder today. They were in a flock of pine siskins and goldfinches. I haven’t seen any purple finches here for a long time. These pictures aren’t as sharp as I would like – I’m hoping they come back again soon.
Today we saw seven swans swimming in the west end of our lake where it empties into the river. A friend told me about them so we drove over to see them. Six of them are trumpeter swans. These swans are the largest in the world. Their black bill stretches up to the eyes, and […]
Our backyard borders on some bush / woods / forest – whatever you want to call it. When I looked out the window a week ago, I spotted a larger bird in one of the trees. It was a partridge, or a ruffed grouse as it is also known. The proper name is Bonasa Umbellus. […]
We are seeing some American Goldfinches at our bird feeders. They have their winter plumage, which is not as bright as in the summer. In the summer the males are quite bright yellow, but in the winter they are similar in colour to the females. Goldfinches eat seeds from weeds, shrubs, trees, and especially like […]