The Mergansers are Back!

The mergansers have come back to the lake. They are more timid than the mallards and the loons, so I was happy to get some photos of them. The ice was off of the shoreline, so the ducks were staying fairly close to shore. The male and female look very different. Immature males look similar […]

Deer Visitors

We have had a doe and three fawns visiting our yard and neighbour’s yards this winter. It’s interesting to watch them as they wander around. It’s been a long winter for them. Some neighbours are feeding them, but today they were enjoying our cedar trees and bushes.

A Fisher in our Backyard

Yesterday we had a fisher visit us in the backyard. A couple of these pictures were taken by my husband as I have injured my shoulder and can only hold the camera with one hand. It’s difficult to get a sharp photo. Fishers are part of the weasel family. They aren’t seen very often as […]

Mourning Doves

We have had a lot more mourning doves in our backyard this winter. They like to sit in the trees for a long time, especially when it is sunny back there. It’s a perfect opportunity to take their photos. They are very common, which means that we don’t think about them very much, except when […]

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

We have had a new visitor to our feeders. Apparently, it is a yellow-rumped warbler – Myrtle species. We haven’t seen any of these before, so it was interesting to see it here. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of the most common warblers in North America, and can winter farther north than any other warbler. […]

Pine Grosbeaks

Pine grosbeaks are interesting to see. Today, one of our neighbours let us know that there was a flock eating crab-apples near us.   We have seen them before, but not in large numbers the way we saw them today. The males are red and the females are grey and yellow. One of the largest species in […]

Long-tailed Duck

We recently saw a duck we have never seen before on our lake. I was told that this is a female long-tailed duck. It looks very different than the male, which we have not seen. Our neighbour was fortunate enough to see the male. The male has a long tail, but the female does not. […]

Winter Adult Common Loons

Our loons are starting to show their winter plumage.  Their heads and bills turn grey, as well as their back feathers. Their necks are white. This looks very different from their black and white colours in the spring and summer when they have their breeding summer plumage. Their shades are varied as they change to […]