Lynde Shores CA & Cranberry Marsh April 12th, 2014

It feels so good being able to get back out into nature without freezing your fingers off when you're shooting. We can now confidently say that spring is here. Thank goodness. 

I'll be out many times in the next 8 weeks as the migrants pass through and the spring wildflowers sprout & bloom. Spring in nature is a time of reawakening, rebirth and wonder.

I went back to Lynde Shores, then over to Cranberry Marsh to look for waterfowl. With the warmer weather, more people are out & about too, enjoying nature and all she has to offer us.

Redwings are the premier marsh bird in my eyes. They cling to reeds like no other bird. Half-hanging, seemingly half-falling. Sometimes both feet on the same reed...

Sometimes a foot on each of two reeds...

A cattail doesn't pose any problem.

A fence offers a change from the reeds & cattails. Their buzzing call is unique. It heralds spring for me. I love it. It reminds of my younger days in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Ring-billed Gull

All birds spend a good deal of time grooming their feathers. They have to clear parasites, but even more important they have to be in good shape for flying.

Not sure if the red eyeliner serves some special purpose or not. Scientists seem to suggest reasons for almost every feature & characteristic of birds & animals.

Wood beetle (or borer) markings on a decaying tree trunk--formed beneath the bark while the tree is growing, the botanists tell us. I see lots of these. These ones caught my eye though since they look like cave paintings to me. They're actually grooves but they look raised in some lighting conditions.

This is the time of year for birch trees to stand out from the crowd.

A fallen birch with its coat-of-many-colors.  Lenticles are clearly visible, as they always are with birch.

Buffleheads are passing through in big numbers. They're a small duck but they stand out with their black & white coloring.

Light can make all the difference. The iridescence on the male is clear here (if you enlarge it), whereas you don't see it in the previous shot.

This female Mallard was curled up to have a snooze. She was only 4 feet from me, semi-relaxed, keeping an eye on me, then closing it, then another peek, then closing it again. I left so she could sleep in peace.

This is at Cranberry Marsh. The birds are much further away. This is the best I could do with my lens. Buffleheads, Mergansers, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, American Widgeons (I was told)... the odd Mallard as well. And a few Mute Swans on the other side of the marsh. Thanks for your sharp-eyed IDs John.

When Mute Swans puff up their wings they look elegant.

This male Red-breasted Merganser was at Cobourg harbour last week. Not many birds have red eyes.

The female...

A Coot at Cobourg harbour.

There were Greater Scaup at Cobourg too. They're becoming one of my many favourites. They're excellent divers. I took a short video of them displaying their diving skills. Something under the dock attracted them. The wind noise is about all you hear but there wasn't much other sound anyway.

It's only 20 seconds long. I uploaded it to You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61aWGuhrq_Y&feature=youtu.be

Spring, spring, spring! Keep it coming.

- fini -