I searched for the Great Horned Owls before this morning’s walk without success so I did not lead this morning’s group on that path. However afterwards a few us did go there and were shown the two chicks high in a tree by Ken Sproule.

We also had four woodpecker species on this 8 degree, overcast morning:

Species list: double-crested cormorant, great blue heron, black-crowned night heron, mute swan, Canada goose, mallard, wood duck, northern shoveler, bufflehead, red-tailed hawk, ring-billed gull, great horned owl, northern flicker, red-bellied woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch,  American robin, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, brown-headed cowbird, northern cardinal, house finch, American goldfinch, song sparrow.  (27 species)

This photo shows the size difference between a male Mallard and a male Wood Duck:

Other birds:

Scenes from the park:

Some botany:

This morning’s group:

NATURE POETRY

Blossom of the almond trees,
April’s gift to April’s bees,
Birthday ornament of spring,
Flora’s fairest daughterling.     – Sir Edwin Arnold (1832–1904)

Miles Hearn