The park was abuzz this morning with keen birdwatchers looking for a reported White-eyed Vireo:

We didn’t find the vireo, but did spot a very occasional visitor to the Toronto area; a Canvasback.

The Canvasback is essentially a prairie breeder.

In Ontario we look for it in migration.

The long sloping head and bill profile is diagnostic.

The very white back separates it from the somewhat similarly coloured Redhead at a distance.

Another highly sought after November bird here is the Snow Bunting. We were fortunate in having a brief look at one.

For the second day in a row, a Cooper’s Hawk made an appearance.

Other birds:

Species list: mute swan, red-necked grebe, horned grebe, Canada goose, mallard, gadwall, American black duck, American wigeon, canvasback, red-breasted merganser, long-tailed duck, bufflehead, ring-billed gull, red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, mourning dove, black-capped chickadee, American robin, house sparrow, northern cardinal, European starling, snow bunting, American tree sparrow, dark-eyed junco, white-throated sparrow.  (25 species)

Park views:

I photographed this cat at the park this morning but it has both eyes:

Today’s group:

NATURE POETRY

The white chrysanthemums and asters star
The frosty silence.                                                               – Alice Wellington Rollins (1847–97)

Miles Hearn