Back to Birding August 11, 2024

It's been about two weeks since I was "out & about" with the sole focus being on birding!  As we approach mid August, I better get going before the birds get going south.  As the sun was rising between the trees, was when I arrived at the Lagoon.  It was peaceful, it was pretty, it was calm and cool.  It was a very successful meander with lots of songs filling the air and loads of activity presenting many photo opportunities.   

This American Goldfinch was not my first sighting but it was the brightest!  I captured two dozen photos while he sat on the thistles picking away at them for breakfast.  There was not a big distance between the two of us and he pretty much ignored me while he went about his business.  He did look my way a few times!

When he looked my way this time, I thought oh I have a perfect muse for my next painting. When I got home, I went to work and this is the outcome.  I tried my best to replicate his hair style which reminds me of the "mop-top" made famous by The Beatles!

The beaver was near the bridge and stayed there while I watched it go about its morning business.  I did come for the birding though and its time to get on with sharing the birds I saw.

Sometimes there are stories that go with the photos I share and other times the photos are just photos of birds.  There is a story to go with this photograph of an Osprey.  There were two calling back and forth to each other.  This one flew around quite a bit not venturing too far from where I was.  The other was in the distance, I could see it when I zoomed in with my camera but it was not close enough to bother with a photo. I believe this is the adult and the far off one was its young one.    

This is a Red-tailed Hawk!  It has a story too!  This shot is from the second group of photos I took of it.  About an hour prior, it was sitting in the same spot and I captured photos which turned out on the dark side.  The lighting was better the second time around.  It stayed sitting in the same spot facing in the same direction for roughly the hour.  It may have already been sitting there for awhile when I first saw it and it may have stayed a while longer after I passed by the second time.  

a Northern Flicker with a berry treat

a Chipping Sparrow

a male Hairy Woodpecker

There was a frenzy of House Wren activity in one area.  There is a little story to tell about these little ones!     With that fluff on the backside and the sad face this would be a recent fledgling.  It did not move from that spot on the branch.  An adult did come in and feed it but I was not quick enough to capture a photo.  While I was watching all the activity, I then focused in on another area when an adult flew in and quickly flew away.

This was what I focused in on, another House Wren fledgling. My thought at this point was these tiny little birds will soon be flying thousands and thousands of kilometres south. 

And yet, another story to tell!  These are Eastern Kingbirds.  The adult is feeding the young one.  I was only able to get one shot of this and I want to share it even though it is blurry.  As soon as the young one was fed.....

.....another Kingbird flew in between the two.  It appears it wants a treat too and looked at the adult for the longest time just waiting!  I believe the one on the right is an adult and the other three are juveniles.    Then, just like that, all four flew away!  I wondered if one of the juveniles is one I saw fledge from the nest right before my eyes and which I shared the story about in the July 24th post.

There seems to be a baby boom this summer with the Cedar Waxwings!  The Waxwings are  plentiful throughout the Sanctuary.  This is one of a few young ones who appeared to be waiting for breakfast.  

soon that young one above will have the colouring of this adult

stretching its neck to get a better view

That berry disappeared in a split second!  My timing was perfect to get a photo with the berry in its mouth before the berry was swallowed whole.  I read Cedar Waxwings eat so many berries that at times they become drunk! 

With such success, I want to get back out birding again soon!