Birding at Lake Wilcox...

                                                                                                       Photos by BarrytheBirder

While Ring-billed Gulls at Lake Wilcox are quite prone to getting handouts from picnickers, It is the Caspian Tern (pictured above and below) that continues to stay strikingly silhouetted aloft, going back and forth, watching for prey in the water below.

 

Seven male Mallard ducks make an attractive group as they pursue a single female Mallard duck (see below).

The male Mallards reverse themselves when the female makes a turn and heads in the opposite direction.   These manoeuvres continued for quite a while, without incident.

Sailrboarders and kayakers enjoyed themselves also.

Please comment if you wish.

Barry Wallace

A few more swan photos...

Swooning over swans...

Swooning 

over swans may be a bit 

of an over-statement, but

they are always spectacular

and I love taking pictures of them.  

Here a few photos which I will share over the next couple of days.   

The photos are of  Trumpeter Swans

and Mute Swans.  Mute swans have the orange bills.

   

Photos by 

Barry the Birder

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Green Herons at Dufferin Marsh

  

  Photos by BarrytheBirder

Green Heron

Butorides virescens

 

The photo above shows a Green Heron on the upper right and a juvenile American Bittern on the lower left.

The Green Heron above is holding a very tiny fish in its bill.

Green Heron shares the pond with nearby Painted Turtle.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Some backyard warblers in recent years

     Photos by BarrytheBirder

Black and White Warbler

Black-throated Blue Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Pine Warbler

Wilson's Warbler

Yellow Warbler

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Tennessee Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Palm Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler

Please comment if you wish

BarrytheBirder

Birds at Dufferin Marsh in Schomberg

                                                                                                     Photos by BarrytheBirder

The overflow pond at the Dufferin Marsh in the middle of Schomberg is slowly drying up in this summer's hot weather but the Solitary Sandpiper (above) seems to be foraging quite well in the mucky pond bottom.   Below, a female Mallard Duck and three juvenile females rest on shore of the pond while taking a time-out.   At first glance the mature female's breast was such a bright rusty-orange, I thought she might be a cross-breed of some sort.   

A naturalist's delight

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder 

Dave Kemp's British Columbia hummingbirds...

                                                                  

Anna's Hummingbird (male)

 Rufous Hummingbird (male)

My British Columbia acquaintance Dave Kemp has shared a few of his west coast hummingbird pictures with me in recent years.   Pictured above are two of my favourites.   Being an easterner, I am limited to seeing and photographing only the Ruby-throated Hummingbird.   Not that I'm complaining, but lucky Dave has seven species to choose from in B.C.  However, there are over 300 species of 'hummers' in the Americas, so Dave and I should never run out of species still to see.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder

Great Egrets at Luther Marsh...

                                                                                                    Photos by BarrytheBirder

Great Egret

(Ardea Alba)

You won't find any Great Egrets in and around King City, but head west across Hwy. 9 for 70 or so kilometers, to the other side of Orangeville and Grand Valley to Luther Marsh and you will find many Great Egrets that have summered on Luther Lake.   In another month or, you will also spot lots of Great Egrets migrating south from more northern nesting sites, when they stopover at Luther Marsh for several days.   At times during migration they can be seen together by the dozens or more.  These magnificent birds, almost as big as Great Blue Herons, are also known as Great White Egret, Common Egret, Large Egret and Great white Heron.

If you spot the sign below, then you have arrived at Luther Marsh, at 034588 East Luther Sideroad 21-22, north-west of Grand Valley, Ontario.   Before you go, check online for Grand River Parks Status.   At the time of this writing, Luther Marsh was welcoming visitors.   Weekdays may be better than weekends.

Please comment if you wish.

BarrytheBirder