Category: Birds

Swans

About a week or two ago, we had some trumpeter swans in the river at the end of the lake. There were three of them. Two of them looked like adults, and one looked like a cygnet (young swan). We haven’t seen them for a couple of years. I took some pictures of them a […]

Mourning Doves

We have several mourning doves staying in our area. I know a lot of people find them to be a nuisance, but we have been enjoying seeing them. This morning they were sitting on trees with the sun shining on them, and the trees behind were in shadow – perfect chance to get some pictures. […]

Great Blue Heron

I was trying this summer to get some photos of the great blue herons that are on our lake. Finally, there was one this week that co-operated with me and let me get some pictures. It was in the morning during sunrise and foggy conditions, so I was able to get some silhouette pictures too.

Mallard Ducklings

One of the things we enjoy in the summer is watching the ducklings as they grow. The mothers keep a very close eye on them. When they are very little, they bunch up together when they are swimming on the water. This one is from later in the summer, but I like the picture so […]

Hummingbirds

I’ve been trying to get some photos of hummingbirds. I’m not satisfied yet, but thought I would put these up here for now. They have been very busy for the last while. The male is very bossy, and doesn’t like it when others come near the feeder.

SongSparrow

We recently had a pair of songsparrows build a nest in our front garden. It was tucked between daylilies, hostas, and wild geraniums. I had some help identifying the birds because I wasn’t sure. They are identified by the stripes and the darker patch on their chest. They have a pretty sound, which is probably […]

Red-Winged Blackbirds

I’ve had the chance lately to see some red-winged blackbirds up close. They have entertained me as I’ve been kayaking past. They are a familiar sight in Ontario, but I haven’t been able to get close enough to take their photos before. Male red-winged blackbirds are easier to spot than the females. They have red […]

Red-Eyed Vireo

I took a photo of this small songbird and didn’t know what it was. From the distance I couldn’t tell, but my new lens brought it up close enough to see the bird. Thanks to some friends on Facebook I found out that it is a Red-eyed Vireo. It has a brief song, but it […]

Pileated Woodpecker

The pileated woodpecker is often seen around here, but is usually timid and flies away before I can take any pictures. This one was quite involved looking for bugs, and didn’t seem to pay any attention to me. It is the largest woodpecker in Canada. This one is a male, as it has a red […]

Geese and Goslings

We have been enjoying seeing the Canada Geese and their goslings – as long as they aren’t on our beach. It’s interesting as we watch them. The little ones stay very close to the adults. The goslings have yellowish down. Their eyes are open when they are born and within 2 days they can walk, […]