What a pleasure to once again have a working zoom-lens camera! I was able to resume getting interesting bird photos.

Today’s highlight was a male Eastern Bluebird. Bluebirds were common in the Toronto area until the 1920’s when European Starlings arrived and out-competed the bluebirds for food and nesting areas.

We also had several Juncos. These were my first of the season and some juncos will likely start appearing for their winter stay near my feeder.

Species list: great blue heron, mallard, belted kingfisher, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, northern flicker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, American robin, eastern bluebird, ruby-crowned kinglet, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, dark-eyed junco, white-throated sparrow, song sparrow.  (16 species)

Park scenes:

This today’s group on this 6 degree sunny morning:

There is an apple tree here which has very small apples. It is called the Sweet Crab,Wild Crab or American Crab (Malus coronaria). The leaves are quite variable in shape.

Other botany:

NATURE POETRY

The dead leaves fall like noiseless rain,
The air is calm and warm and sweet;
Upon the woodland and the plain
The ghost of summer rests her feet.       – Clinton Scollard (1860–1932)

Miles Hearn