During the cold weather months, you can regularly see the three smallest duck species in North America at Humber Bay East.

The Ruddy Duck; 15 inches long, 18.5 inch wingspan and a weight of 1.2 pounds.

The Bufflehead; 13.5 inches long, wingspan 21 inches and a weight of 16 ounces

The Hooded Merganser; 18 inches long, wingspan 24 inches and a weight of 1.4 pounds

Long-tailed Ducks have returned to this area as well:

This female mallard races towards us during every visit to the pond area and comes extremely close in hopes that we bring food:

Cardinals are is easy to spot:

Here is a late-in-the-season juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron:

We also encountered a flock of about 5 Yellow-rumped Warblers on several occasions:

and were fortunate to observe a perched Peregrine Falcon:

Species list:  great blue heron, black-crowned night heron, mute swan, Canada goose, mallard, gadwall, northern shoveler,  ruddy duck, common goldeneye, bufflehead, long-tailed duck, hooded merganser, red-breasted merganser, peregrine falcon,greater black-backed gull, ring-billed gull, belted kingfisher, black-capped chickadee, American robin, ruby-crowned kinglet, yellow-rumped warbler, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, American goldfinch.  (25 species)

A Muskrat was out in the pond:

and some Velvet-leaf was also spotted:

Here are some scenes from the park on this overcast, 2 degree morning:

Miles Hearn

                                             NATURE POETRY

Dry leaves upon the wall,
Which flap like rustling wings, and seek escape;
A single frosted cluster on the grape
Still hangs—and that is all.

– Sarah Chauncey Woolsey (1835–1905)