Brown Creeper and Redpolls at Humber Bay: Nov. 26, 2020

The Brown Creeper is usually seen spirally upward around trunks of big trees, then planing down to the base of the next tree, only to repeat he process.

Brown Creeper

Brown Creepers are very small and delicate with a slender curved bill.

Brown Creeper

They are found all over North America almost to the limit of trees.

Brown Creeper

In the Toronto area they are among the first birds to arrive in spring and the last to leave in fall. I occasionally see them in winter.

Brown Creeper

This fall, many Common Redpolls are appearing in our area. We had about a dozen this morning:

Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll
Common Redpolls
Common Redpoll
Common Redpoll

Other birds:

Long-tailed Ducks (male)
Long-tailed Ducks (male)
Red-breasted Merganser (female)
Red-breasted Merganser (male)
Gadwall (female)
Gadwall (male)
Mallard (female)
Mallard (male)
Wood Duck (male)
Wood Duck (male)
Wood Duck (male)
European Starlings
European Starlings
Northern Cardinal (male)
House Sparrow and Cardinal
Lesser Scaup (female)
Lesser Scaup (female)
Buffleheads (female)
Buffleheads (male)
Bufflehead (female)
Buffleheads
Hooded Merganser (male)
Hooded Merganser (male)
Hooded Merganser (female)
Hooded Merganser (female)
American Wigeons
American Wigeons
American Wigeon (male)
Downy Woodpecker
American Robin
Mute Swan
Ring-billed Gull (juvenile)
Herring Gull with fish
Herring Gull with fish
Herring Gull with fish

Species list: mute swan, Canada goose, mallard, gadwall, bufflehead, American wigeon, wood duck, long-tailed duck, lesser scaup, red-breasted merganser, hooded merganser, ring-billed gull, herring gull, belted kingfisher, downy woodpecker, brown creeper, black-capped chickadee, European starling, house sparrow, American robin, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, common redpoll.  (23 species)

Park views:

Muskrat
Lily seeds
Gray Squirrel

Today’s group:

Thanks to Carl McCrosky for these photos of a Saw-whet Owl at his Amherst island home:

Saw-whet Owl (photo: Carl McCrosky)
Saw-whet Owl (photo: Carl McCrosky)

NATURE POETRY

Wild Geese by Mary OliverYou do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting —
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Miles Hearn

1 thought on “Brown Creeper and Redpolls at Humber Bay: Nov. 26, 2020

  1. Linda Vannucci

    Miles, thank you for another wonderful season of birdwatching in our great city.
    Know that the walks and daily photo log with selected poem of the day have a very positive impact especially during these fraught times.
    See you next Fall!

    Reply

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