A lucky morning let me visit a local wetland at sunrise, and this non-breeding male (with the distinctive scaly appearance) used the Sumacs to set himself up against the early sky. I love Sumacs as perches; sometimes they are busy, and sometimes more spare, as here. But they create, for me anyway, a sense of both habitat and display.

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This male was an uncommon visitor to the Ottawa River for a few days, and he attracted quite a crowd when he came close to shore. I was lucky to head down to the water late in the day and he was moving around, feeding and mingling with the resident Mallards. This species is as striking a duck as one can see around here, and for the short time he was here he gave lots of people lots of great looks.

This bird came so close to a couple of ice prone on the shoreline ice that I had to dial back the lens considerably.

Tags:   Canard pilet Northern Pintail Winter birding Ottawa River Ottawa

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Ducks yawn too. Same issue of not knowing for sure why, although in the bright late afternoon sun, and after having paddled around in the Ottawa River, none of the suggested reasons seem obvious. Maybe it doesn’t have a reason; or maybe she is trying to show me her ridged bill.

I used ‘signs of spring’ because the Merganser was actually close to ‘shore’ because of very high spring water levels on the River, enabling me to hide behind a tree and secure this image. We lose spring shorebirds because of the high and fast water, but we get hides for the ducks.

Tags:   Grand Harle Common Merganser Ottawa Ottawa River Signs of spring

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Seeking shelter on a windy day, this Night Heron managed to lean into some sunlight as it stretched and yawned.

It is interesting to try to find out what scientists think these yawns might be for. They can be attempts to regulate body temperature, or a simple stretch ahead of hunting (for a bird that often swallows large fish whole, having a limber jaw makes sense), or an attempt to dislodge bones of other food fragments in the throat.

In any event: what can look in an image like a scream was only a silent opening and closing of the bill. I think the extended tongue heightens the scream illusion.

Tags:   Bihoreau gris Black-crowned Night Heron Ottawa Signs of spring Mud Lake

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One of the fun things about lying down in the brush is that surprises can happen. This backscratching (a motion on the ground as opposed to resolving an itchy back) Sparrow approached me while I was observing something else (image later). The resourceful and assertive bird was far more concerned with finding bits of nutrition on its migration than it was with me.

Tags:   Bruant à gorge blanche White-throated Sparrow Ottawa Signs of spring

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