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.
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:
A Red Squirrel
Some turkey tails:
some botany:
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