Trumpeter Swans and many singing birds / Bluffs: February 14, 2019

When Roger Tory Peterson first published his Field Guide to the Birds many years ago, the Trumpeter Swan was thought to be almost extinct and was not included. Happily, these magnificent birds are being reintroduced and Scarborough Bluffs at the bottom of Brimley Road is a good place to see them. The wingspan of about 80 inches is the largest of any North American bird.

Trumpeter Swan
Trumpeter Swans

Here is today’s group on this -2 degree morning which started cloudy and finished sunny:

Spring is approaching and we heard numerous singing cardinals and a singing house finch. In addition a Carolina wren sang and we heard various short calls from blue jay, crow, trumpeter swan, Canada goose, long-tailed duck and white-breasted nuthatch.

Species list: trumpeter swan, Canada goose, mallard, American black duck, bufflehead, greater scaup, common goldeneye, long-tailed duck, red-tailed hawk, herring gull,  ring-billed gull, mourning dove, rock pigeon, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, blue jay, American crow, white-breasted nuthatch, Carolina wren, black-capped chickadee, European starling, house sparrow, northern cardinal, American tree sparrow, dark-eyed junco.  (25 species)

Some of the birds that I was able to photograph:

Mallards
American Tree Sparrow
Mourning Dove
Mourning Doves
Canada Geese
Red-tailed Hawk
Hairy Woodpecker (female)
American Crows
American Crow with European Starling
Northern Cardinal (male)
5 bird species in one photo: from top: Ring-billed Gull, Canada Goose, American Black Duck (male) , Mallard (female) and Rock Pigeon

A Red Squirrel

Some turkey tails:

some botany:

Red-osier (Cornus sericea)
Red Ash flower galls
Autumn-olive twigs (Elaeagnus umbellata)

and some park scenes:

COMING UP: February 17 in Friends of Miles: Some Birds from Algonquin Park: Ian Valentine

February 20 in Articles: Sycamore Maple

NATURE POETRY

When we try to pick out anything by itself,
we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.    – John Muir (1838–1914)

Miles Hearn

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *