Silly Little Country

Ashbridge's Bay, March 18, 2009

Spring is fighting its way back here in Toronto as well as in London. Robins and red-winged blackbirds have returned, though not in the numbers there will be soon.
Not all the winter birds have left. The buffleheads are still paddling around, but in larger groups than I am used to seeing. One day I will go down and they will have headed north.
There was also a pair of swans, I assume the same ones whose breeding attempts I have been tracking over the years.

I decided to check for the beaver situation. The lodge provided a clear hint, a log that had pretty clearly been chewed quite recently (upper left in this photo).

About 100 metres later on my normal walking route, I found this.

We have clear evidence there is beaver action in the inner bay. What mama beaver is doing this year after papa beaver got himself hit by a car is not yet clear.
I turned one corner on my walk to see this juxtaposition of colorful branches, which will not be visible later in the spring or summer as the leaves come in.

Even more promise of pleasures from spring to fall.
A few years ago, I started hearing a particular song along parts of the walk through the summer; it took a few years to determine it was a song sparrow (I go with a camera, not binoculars). Had this bold little specimen shown up before this week, I would have known a lot sooner!

posted by Alan Adamson @ 5:01 PM