This morning was my 77th and final walk of the autumn, and the first which was done entirely in fairly heavy rain.

Despite the wet conditions, a good-sized group came out:

For 34 years Birds Canada has organized a “FeederWatch” community which has recorded the birds at feeders from November through April throughout Canada.

#3 on last winter’s Ontario list is the Blue Jay:

The Blue Jay is common on winter lists in all regions of Canada except for British Columbia where it is replaced by the Stellers’s Jay.

The Blue Jay is #4 on the Atlantic Canada list, #5 on the Quebec list and #3 on the Prairies list.

Other birds:

Species list:  mallard, red-breasted merganser, hooded merganser, red-tailed hawk, ring-billed gull, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, cedar waxwing, American robin, house sparrow, northern cardinal. (13 species)

Some botany:

NATURE POETRY

There is a time for everything. Look,

just this morning a vulture

nodded his red, grizzled head at me,

and I looked at him, admiring

the sickle of his beak.

Then the wind kicked up, and,

after arranging that good suit of feathers

he up and took off. – Ross Gay

Miles Hearn