The Milne Dam Conservation Park in Markham is located on the Rouge River.

When I arrived at the little natural beach area, I was immediately alerted to the presence of Lesser Yellowlegs by the two call-notes which are much softer, flatter and usually very different from the loud, ringing three or four of the Greater Yellowlegs. I posted many photos of Great Yellowlegs in a post from Quebec about two weeks ago.

The Lesser Yellowlegs is almost exactly like the Greater in all plumages, but is decidedly smaller. The Lesser is about the size of a Killdeer.

They nest in open woodland in country interspersed with muskegs, ponds and lakes.

Lesser Yellowlegs breed in Alaska and much of western Canada east to James Bay.

They winter from the Gulf States and Mexico south to Chile and Argentina.

Perhaps because they see humans so infrequently, both Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs allow you to approach them fairly closely.

Other birds:

Leopard Frog:

NATURE POETRY

Little fly,
Thy summer’s play
My thoughtless hand
Has brushed away.   – William Blake (1757–1827) 

Miles Hearn