I quote from my grandfather’s (Dr J. Murray Speirs) writings: In breeding dress the black head, with fiery red eyes and jaunty golden “horns” running back from the eyes to the angle where crown and nape come together is quite distinctive.
The Horned Grebe is mainly a prairie breeder who winters on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
We had a group of 5 in the lake on this chilly (4 degrees), windy and overcast morning.
Not to be outdone, a quartet of Cowbirds made an appearance:
Blackbirds were well represented:
Species list: horned grebe, red-necked grebe, double-crested cormorant, mute swan, Canada goose, mallard, lesser scaup, long-tailed duck, bufflehead, red-breasted merganser, ring-billed gull, rock pigeon, mourning dove, northern flicker, downy woodpecker, tree swallow, rough-winged Swallow, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, American robin, ruby-crowned kinglet, European starling, house sparrow, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, brown-headed cowbird, northern cardinal, chipping sparrow, white-throated sparrow, song sparrow. (30 species).
Nannyberry buds are starting to open:
Some park scenes:
This morning’s group:
NATURE POETRY
April brings the primrose sweet,
Scatters daisies at our feet. – Sara Coleridge (1802–52)
Miles Hearn