Osprey with Red-winged Blackbird escort.

Clover mower

Here's the one that's wreaking havoc on the garden but also doing a decent job of keeping the clover from proliferating in the lawn.

Chipmunk daintily nibbling on a maple key

Red Squirrels are usually my photographic nemesis. Always scooting around and scolding, seldom staying in one place for more than a nanosecond. That is until this cute gal took an interest in me doing yardwork. She perched a few feet above my head for 20 minutes and didn't seem at all perturbed by a camera lens pointed at her face.

Mallard on the move

Eastern Kingbird

Canvasback side view. One with the drippy nose, one with the see-through nose.

Curious Canvasback comes quite close.

Mute Swan cygnet doing its best to choke back some salad. I wasn't a big fan of spinach either, as a young 'un.

Belted Kingfisher makes a successful plunge for a minnow.

Caspian Tern doing a little shimmy shake.

Sticky sweetness

Yellow Warbler belting out a tune from the half shadows.

Valens Conservation Area

This all happened over the course of an hour one hot afternoon last week. No deep cleaning between uses, no regard for physical distancing at times but for picture taking it was remarkable. Here is a Cardinal, Oriole, Catbird, Cowbird, Goldfinch, Robin, Grackle, Downy Woodpecker, Warbling Vireo, Scarlet Tanager and a group in the hot tub.

Warbling Vireo at our bird bath.

Scarlet Tanager at our bird bath.

Our backyard.  May 25, 2020.

Gray Catbird

The Canvasback who has been hanging around, keeping the local mallards company.

Hamilton Waterfront Trail.  May 29, 2020.

Cedar Waxwing laying off the berries for a second.

RBG

Open wide, here comes the airplane.

Toronto, ON.

European Starling chick with enormous head appears to be getting its share of the seed and is still squawking for more.

Toronto, ON.

American Redstart male

Valens Conservation Area

Brown Thrasher

Valens Conservation Area

Rose-breasted Grosbeak female

Valens Conservation area.

(Not) Gone Fishing - link to video

Won't be going fishing with my pals this year so I put together a short 'memories' video using content from past years.  I think it'll be obvious that the actual fishing part is secondary to the comradery we enjoy up there. 

Click below.

Fish camp

Magnolia Warbler

Valens Conservation Area

Wilson's Warbler

Valens Conservation Area