I lived at the top of the Beechwood hill for over ten years. Needless to say, I spent countless hours exploring the valley either on my own or with my children.

Towards the end of the long winters, I would come down each day and hopefully search for the first arriving song sparrow of spring. It was always a thrill when I found it.

I thought of this today as both morning and afternoon groups saw song sparrows.

Here is a photo of an early arriver this spring:

Other birds:

Species list: great blue heron, wood duck, turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, ring-billed gull, belted kingfisher, northern flicker, hairy woodpecker, downy woodpecker, white-breasted nuthatch, eastern phoebe, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, American robin, gray catbird, ruby-crowned kinglet, northern cardinal, American goldfinch, white-throated sparrow, song sparrow. (20 species)

10 am group:

1 pm group:

Don Valley views:

Some botany:

NATURE POETRY

Just a friendly sunbeam’s flutter
Wishing all a night’s repose, 
Ere the stars swing back the curtain
Bringing twilight’s dewy close.                       – Joshua Henry Jones, Jr. (1872–1906)

Miles Hearn