We discovered this morning that High Park is now closed to vehicles on weekends in order to prevent overcrowding and potential virus spread.

This meant that those of us who drove had to park on nearby streets and walk into the Grenadier Restaurant parking lot. Result was a good long walk this morning for all:

I’m told that the park will be open to automobiles for this week’s walks on Wednesday and Friday.

We were rewarded with a long look at a Belted Kingfisher:

Belted Kingfishers are found throughout Ontario, wherever there are small fish to catch and sand banks to tunnel into for nesting purposes.

They winter as far south as Panama and Trinidad

Some will winter in Ontario if there is open water.

Their rattling cry is a familiar sound along streams and lake borders.

The rusty side of this individual shows that it is a female.

Both sexes are generally blue above and white below and have ragged crests.

The huge bills distinguish them from Blue Jays.

Other birds:

Species list: great blue heron, American black duck, mallard, wood duck, hooded merganser, red-tailed hawk, ring-billed gull, belted kingfisher, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, white-breasted nuthatch, American robin, house sparrow, northern cardinal, American goldfinch. (17 species)

Parks views:

NATURE POETRY

The sun’s away,  
And the bird estranged;
The wind has dropped,
And the sky’s deranged;
Summer has stopped.                   – Robert Browning (1812–89) 

Miles Hearn