Last Pics of 2021!

Close up and personal with a Ring-billed Gull at Centennial Park!

He had lots of friends nearby!

The female Harlequin Duck can still be found in the area. I recently watched her catch and eat a fish just north of the Bluewater Bridges.

A male Downy Woodpecker actively looking for lunch.

It was a busy day for woodpeckers as we also found a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers searching dead wood for some food.

Final full moon of 2021.

Happy New Year's Eve!

 Nature Inverted!

I didn't have high expectations of good photo opportunities today until I started looking closely at the drops of water forming on branches in Canatara Park. Many of the droplets reflected an inverted version of the surrounding area!

I think I was most excited about seeing the inverted layers of sand, water, and blue sky at Canatara beach!

Curly-cues above, also held water droplets on hanging vines!

(Click on the photos to view the inverted image in each droplet.)

I enjoyed exploring an upside down world this afternoon!

 Entertaining Wildlife!

Upon noticing a lump in a tree, I took a closer look to find a raccoon wedged in a tree hole.

He appeared to be sound asleep, just hanging there.

I checked again before leaving the park and found him in a more comfortable position. The hole in which he tried to squeeze, is slightly below and to the right of where he is resting.

I would have missed the Wild Turkeys if I hadn't crossed their tracks in the fresh snow.

All 3 have survived Christmas! I found them this 

morning eating seeds from a fallen Basswood Tree.

It was a beautiful morning for a walk!

 Happy Holidays!

Christmas has come and gone for another year. Many decorated stones and ornaments have been "hidden" on the Canatara trails in recent weeks.

A Bald Eagle sat above one of the trails in Canatara Park. As he readjusted his position, I could see that he was eating a fish. When the crows arrived to harass him, he carried his prized fish head away to find a quieter spot to dine.

I could see 3 Bald Eagles at the same time. The above picture is distant and heavily cropped, but he successfully caught a fish from Lake Huron!

An adult and juvenile appeared not to be getting along over Lake Chipican.

Beautiful female Northern Cardinal resting on a log.

Grey phase Eastern Screech Owl enjoying the afternoon sun!

We found a Savannah Sparrow at the Dow Wetlands last week!

An acrobatic White-breasted Nuthatch searching for food in Canatara.

 December 2021:

Some of the recent windy weather restyled the feathers on this female Northern Cardinal at our backyard feeder.

A pair of Common Loons have been viewed near the Sarnia Bay in recent weeks. I was lucky to have one of them pop up nearby when I went down for a look! That beak looks like it means business!

I encountered a raccoon foraging for food on a calm morning. Perhaps he was hesitant to leave his shelter at night during the high winds?

A Red-bellied Woodpecker found food tucked into some dead wood.

Mourning Dove relaxing in the morning.

Surprisingly, the grey Eastern Screech Owl peered out of its shelter on one of the particularly windy days!

Morning sunrise over Lake Huron.

 Traffic Jam Over Canatara!

On the shortest day of the year, I was excited to hear the bugling sound of Sandhill Cranes approaching overhead! In flight, they fly with their necks outstretched in front of them. (Herons bend their necks in flight.) Sandhill Cranes can live up to 20 years in the wild. (Cornel Lab, All About Birds.)

When I first heard them calling, I looked up to see 42 birds migrating towards me!

I watched them circle overhead for 3 minutes. (I checked the times on my photos)  It made me wonder if they were considering landing. They were probably trying to gain altitude by catching thermals as they headed west towards the St. Clair River.

Looks like 3 of them had a mid-air collision!

A great way to celebrate the beginning of longer daylight hours!

 

 Feeding the Birds!

We found ourselves in North Lambton a couple of weeks ago and decided to stop at Pinery Provincial Park. It was exciting to hand-feed the Tufted Titmice! Last year they wouldn't land on our outstretched hands.

There is definitely a "pecking order" in the Black-capped Chickadee population! The bird on the left was the first to arrive, but slowly rolled backwards and out of the way when the more dominant bird on the right showed up!

Constantly in motion!

Air Traffic Control might be needed with all the birds lined up!

It can be a calming, magical experience!