Tuesday, December 03, 2019

Tuesday Rambles with David - Hillside Park, Waterloo, ON

      Having spent the weekend in Ottawa with my daughter, Caroline, and her family, we were happy to be back with our "gang" for our regular Tuesday ramble. Mary was unable to make it this week, so we were seven today.
     The past few days have brought full-on winter conditions to southern Ontario, and it was with great delight that we embarked on a walk through Hillside Park in crisp, clean snow with the temperature a very pleasant minus 4°C.
     The winter scene was little short of exquisite.




     The air was still and clear with no wind, and bright sunshine. It was a Christmas card made to order, with birds aplenty to complete the scene.
     We could have been forgiven at several points along the way had we concluded that a convention of cardinals was taking place (the important kind, not those ancient celibates in Rome). Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) were vivid exclamation marks against the whites and greens of the season as they sought winter provender. 




     Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) no doubt were also finding food throughout the snowy woods.




     The creek runs swiftly enough through Hillside Park that there is always open water, even in the depths of winter.



     We knew that last year a male Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) had remained throughout the winter, maintaining a territory in anticipation of the return of a female in spring, so we mounted a search to see whether he had stayed again this year. It did not take long to find him, with Francine's sharp eyes detecting him first. Miriam's picture was taken at a distance, but it serves to record this significant sighting.



     There were no takers at the bench this morning.



         But we cast a long shadow on the trail.



     White-breasted Nuthatches (Sitta carolinensis) were both vocal and visible, foraging along trunks and branches in that most characteristic nuthatch way; upside down is all in a day's work for a nuthatch.





     Black-capped Chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) were never far from us either.



     And Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata), that gallant cavalier of the woodland, had no hesitation in showing off his finery.



     A few forlorn leaves still clung to a branch here and there.....



     ..... and the snow on the evergreens was magical to say the least. Be sure not to walk under the tree when a squirrel is scampering across the branches, however, or you will be wearing that snow!



     At some point during every walk we muse about "the bird of the day." And since we all agree that any day when we find an owl is a banner day, kudos must go to Jim Huffman for locating an Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio).
     Here is Jim:



     And here is the owl:





     I will leave it up to you to decide who looks the wiser. Francine is not allowed to vote on this one!
     A Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) was not in the best position for a picture, but it did not escape unphotographed.



     Franc and I were a little ahead of the group when we saw a Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) come out of the creek and scurry into someone's backyard where it was grubbing around for food of some kind.



     It spent several minutes there so we assume its quest was successful.
     The resident House Sparrows (Passer domesticus), perched in a stand of Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stolonifera) had their own affairs to take care of.




     At a section of the creek where houses are located on the opposite side of the path, Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) are prone to congregate and as soon as they see a human they all approach as one, knowing that often food will be dispensed.





     We could be forgiven for thinking this was dessert left out for us. Snow cone anyone?



     We made our way back to our cars and just a couple of minutes from the end of the trail a Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) graced us with its presence.




     What a great way to end a walk, already made memorable by the kingfisher and the owl. 
     I wonder where we will go next week?
David M. Gascoigne,
David M. Gascoigne,

I'm a life long birder. My interests are birds, nature, reading, books, outdoors, travel, food and wine.

99 comments:

  1. Hola David, un placer acompañaros en tan precioso paseo. Es maravilloso disfrutar de tantas y preciosas aves. Las fotos son espectaculares, enhorabuena. Y también un placer conocer a Jim. Un fuerte abrazo para todos/as.

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  2. Absolute wintry magic. Awe. Wonder. Delight (and a smidge of jealous).
    Thank you so much for taking us along.

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  3. Bird songs can be lovely to listen to. They reduce stress and promote a sense of well-being. In the spring the dawn chorus wakes up very early each morning… too early for my well-being! : )
    Most pictures look like postcards.


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  4. Oh my, I would have very much liked to accompany you all on that trip, pity my local tram doesn't stop anywhere near there. I would have brought coffee, too! You saw some wonderful birds. I love the belted kingfisher with his punk hairdo! And the owl is magnificent, how wonderfully it blends with the tree park. Wonderful photos, thanks. Valerie

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  5. ...beautiful winter images!

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  6. A beautiful winter day combined with a variety of lovely birds - what else could one wish for? Miriam's photos of the snow, trees and birds are superb!

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  7. Hari OM
    There is something very festive about all that white and red... delightful as ever. YAM xx

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  8. What a GREAT walk! So many discoveries and so beautiful. Tell Miriam those two photos of the sun coming gently through the snow covered trees with the pond are a Christmas card waiting to happen!

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  9. What a productive birding adventure you had. I’ve see most of the creatures but never in the same area and never an owl. That is such a treat. Thank you for sharing.

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  10. Beautiful scenes and lovely to see the Cardinal!

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  11. You had a very good afternoon of birding. A group of birders can usually spot birds that are very obscure like the owl.

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  12. Wonderful pictures. I do love the picture of the owl and the nuthatch particularly, but all of them together paint a portrait of winter in Waterloo. Magical.

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  13. Already snow that is a good sign David. Than those amazing amount of different birds you saw. That Kingfisher is so beautyful! The Cardinal keeps amazing me with that red colour. Those Woodpeckers are stunning and they did not even fly away. But that Eastern Screech Owl is the top of it all. Great photos again from Miriam and your comment of the trip is full of humor.
    Take care and warm regards from this part of the world.
    Roos

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  14. Having never ever lived where it snows during winter, I was surprised and delighted at how many birds you were able to see. The snow makes such a pretty picture, but I guess it is cold too. I confess to being a bit ignorant about this, but do the birds suffer from the cold? Or do they grow extra feathers, like cats and dogs growing more fur when the weather is cold?
    I especially loved the owl. What a thrill to see him sitting there in his tree :)

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    1. The question of avian adaptation to winter is a little too complex for a short answer, but let me just say that some species are equipped for cold weather survival and do very well. Snowy Owls, for example, are quite capable of surviving winter in the Arctic where temperatures can dip to minus 70 and for a period of several weeks there is permanent darkness.

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  15. All that and a pileated, too. The trifecta?
    Recently I saw "my" grey heron by the pond on my road to the valley. I know they migrate, but he seems not to, and I wonder if he's doing just that; staking out "his" pond for next year.

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    1. Your heron would be a Great Blue Heron, Joanne. Grey Heron is a species found in Europe and Asia. Great Blue Herons will linger as long as there is open water for them to forage in.

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  16. I have seen few birds around but yesterday did see a White-breasted Nuthatch, Hairy woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, male Cardinal, Goldfinch and of course a lot of House Sparrows. There has been a Peregrine Falcon around who seems to be scaring the little guys away. I love that you found your Kingfisher!

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    1. I suspect that the Peregrine Falcon is not a huge threat to those small songbirds, but may nevertheless make them nervous. Urban pigeons probably comprise the bulk of the prey species for the Peregrine, but if there is a Sharp-shinned Hawk or a Cooper's Hawk, or a Merlin for that matter In the vicinity, the songbirds would do well to be wary.

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  17. Birds a beautiful, was hard for me at first to see the Cardinal, (I'm one eyed at the moment, sort of) Love the snow photos, they do look pretty.

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  18. Spotting an Owl is indeed special. As is seeing a Pileated Woodpecker. Years ago when we lived in the country we had a family of them nesting nearby.

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  19. Prachtige serie met de winterfoto's, heerlijk die verse sneeuw.
    Groet Kees.

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  20. A handsome selection of birds in such Christmassy scenery! It's the same here; owls, kingfishers and woodpeckers always steal the show, even when rarer birds are seen on a walk. Jim is definitely the wiser - he's got his ears covered up against the cold!

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  21. The Kingfisher is my favourite...so punk! ;)

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  22. Hi David,
    The photos with the winter are spectacular.
    I love the guy with the rumpled hair and bow tie (Belted Kingfisher). I think any female would fall in love with him ...
    The other birds were also beautiful in specially the Cardinal but my hair always says that the owl has something special
    The winter scenes .... they are so beautiful.
    I want to thank you for your nice words and support in this difficult period!
    Warm regards!

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  23. Hi David - wonderful chilly photos - completely giving us the idea of early winter. Gorgeous images too from some clever photographers ... wonderful range of birds you were able to see - and the muskrat ... I think Jim looks a bit more awake than his owl ... but I suspect the owl would react more quickly to a scuttling mouse in the undergrowth. Good to know you had a happy weekend with your daughter and family in Ottawa - cheers Hilary

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  24. Jag njuter av att läsa dina berättelser om era utflykter i naturen, de olika årstiderna som förändrar omgivningen på ett ganska radikalt sätt gör att både bilder och text blir varierande. Visst är det härligt med fyra årstider trots att vi ibland suckar över snö och kyla? När det är som mörkast kommer snön som lyser upp och plötsligt har världen omkring oss genomgått en drastisk förändring.
    Fåglarna som visar upp sig i vintrigt klimat blir särskilt värdefulla i de strama och sparsmakade vintermiljöerna.

    Mycket fina vinterbilder!

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    1. You are quite right, Gunilla. Thank goodness for four seasons.

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  25. Waaaa il y a plein d'animaux! Même un hibou!
    Les photos sont belles, et les paysages merveilleux avec cette neige!
    Bonne journée

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  26. Hello David,
    Minus 4 the temprature today here too. Wonderful winterphotos!
    I'm always so impressed over all your photos and variety of the birds.
    Have a nice winterday!

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  27. Que paseo más bonito. A las ave no les importa el frío, se ven espléndidas. Todo un éxito localizar al buho. Venir aquí es encontrar una gran variedad de pájaros que nunca veremos. Gracias David.
    Buen miércoles.
    Un abrazo

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  28. This was really a special winterday to remember, David.
    A bit of snow, blue sky and no wind...and then soooo many birds you've seen!!
    A kingfisher in wintertime, and a fine photograph; I think it's punky hairdress is funny. And an owl!
    I love also the landscape pictures Miriam made; especially nrs 6 and 7 have a nice atmosphere.

    Best regards, Corrie

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  29. Un maravilloso paseo amigo David con preciosas aves y paisaje navideño. Me encantan todas las fotografías, la que hace el número 7 es de portada de postal navideña ¡preciosa! Me gusta mucho el Búho y el pescador Megaceryle precioso con esa cresta aunque me encantan todas son extraordinarias. Mis felicitaciones a Miriam por tan bellas fotos.
    Un fuerte abrazo de tu siempre amigo y compadre Juan.

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  30. Hello, David

    What a nice variety of birds, a great bird walk. I would agree, the bird of the day is the cute screech owl. I enjoyed all the bird photos and pretty winter scenes. Wishing you a happy day!

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  31. Hi David.

    Beautiful in the snow.
    What a beautiful setting.
    And you have also seen unusual birds.

    Very beautiful all those birds and beautiful nature.
    Beautiful pictures.

    Greeting from Patricia.

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  32. I think those two "specials" of Pileated Woodpecker and Belted Kingfisher would have made my day too. We matched you for temperatures this week but back to normal at weekend with strong winds and rain predicted. Lucky Andy who's with Sandra in Morocco this week!

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  33. Great walk around in this post the winter landscape is really pretty and the birds great too...kudos for Jim finding the Screech Owl.

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  34. Wow! What a wonderful selection of birds!
    The Owl would have made it a great day for me. I very rarely see one in the daytime.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  35. Amazing photos of the birds, David. Lovely White-breasted Nuthatches and Cardinals. I see the weather is similar in your place to ours, although snow has started to melt today. The owl is beautiful!

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  36. Very beautiful photoes David!You have such much different kinds of birds!!

    I love the Owl he/ she is soo cute :))also wonderful landscapes coverd with a little snow

    Wish you a good week!

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  37. David - a wonderland walk in the woods, from the snowy scenes to this grand collection of animals. I miss the Cardinals of the Midwest, but the owl and the muskrat take the prize for me today!

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  38. Another wonderful day of bird sightings. They looks absolutely gorgeous in their winter setting. The winter scenes are fabulous.
    Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful evening.

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  39. What a fabulous walk, David! Your sightings were wonbderful, with Belted Kingfisher, Eastern Screech Owl, and Pileated Woodpecker making me feel particularly envious. However, it's not a bird photo, but Miriam's photo of the creek (the one above the kingfisher), that I find to be absolute perfection.

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  40. Beautiful series of photos, it's like stepping into a winter wonderland.
    A day well spent with friends and seeing a great variety of birds.
    I always enjoy reading your posts, you have a great sense of humor as well.

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  41. Hello David.
    It is true that the landscapes under the snow are splendid. It hasn't snowed in my house in years.
    All these beautiful birds make me smile! And...... I know the little sparrow well ;-)
    Hugs

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  42. Hi Both
    Another very successful outing for you and your group, you never appear to fail in finding something out of the ordinary, congratulations to Jim with the Eastern Screech Owl. Again well done Miriam with some superb images. Our weather has been considerably brighter and colder the last few days but nothing as to what you offer, the forecast is for us to return to rain.
    most enjoyable read,
    All the best,
    John

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  43. Beautiful photos - I'd love to see a muskrat!

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  44. Great photos of beautiful birds and also the snow on the leaves and branches. Jim has sharp eyes to spot the owl. Looks like the owl was sleeping. Have a great day!

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  45. Wow, you had some great sightings. I love that black-capped chickadee!

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  46. Siempre me gustan tus paseos y me quedo encantada de ver esos pájaros que son tan preciosos. Un fuerte abrazo.

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  47. Nature is so beautiful in all seasons of the year.
    I loved all the photos, but I especially liked the pictures of the owl, how beautiful it is.
    Excellent photo report.
    All the best
    Maria

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  48. My, goodness, what a stunning array of wildlife! I would love to find that many wonderful critters on a walk :) I enjoyed every photo.

    It's great to see you at 'My Corner of the World' this week!

    My Corner of the World

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  49. Your shots of the owl are my favourites.

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  50. look like frozen to me...
    Love the black cap chickadee and woodpecker....

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  51. Hi David,
    Your description of your encounter with the cardinals made me smile, for several reasons. It must have felt to wander through the landscape under the winter conditions, it looks great anyway. The other highlights are this time the muskrat and the owl, both of them you don't see very often.
    Greetings, Kees

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  52. A beautiful walk David, the snow makes for such a picturesque scene especially with the sun too!

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  53. I marvel at every single bird that was seen in this post! The kingfisher is really an imposing appearance and the owl the highlight, but also beautiful is the cardinal's bird .... Such and many other birds, which were presented here, can not be found in our latitudes!

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  54. Hello my friend David,
    you again show a beautiful series of birds but also of nature. I love the snowy landscape and that is what I often miss in the Netherlands. Beautiful to see. Your birds such as the cardinals are great but also your woodpecker and the woodpeckers are turning green hahahaha ......
    And yes ..... the owl !!! Wow !!! I love owls so this is really amazing to see.
    I wish you a very nice weekend.
    Kind regards from the Netherlands xx

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  55. El invierno debe ser un tiempo muy dificíl para esas aves, el buscar el alimento tiene que tener sus dificultades.

    Me he sonreído cuando he leído , que es agradable una temperatura de 4º, para mí que vivo en una ciudad, donde es muy dificíl que llegue a nevar, ya es frío y salgo a la calle bien abrigada...le temo mucho al frío y eso hace que me prive de las espectaculares vistas que proporciona la nieve. Siempre evito viajar en invierno, a las ciudades cuya clima es bastante frío.

    Ne ha encantado esa colección de aves.

    Besos

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  56. Winter wonderland comes to mind when I view your photos. So beautiful, and so different from my area! They are all great, but the owl and the kingfisher stand out for me. Enjoy your weekend!

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  57. You have so vary bird speices in your country. It is not possible to see them in Turkey...

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    1. That is true, but you have many species in Turkey not present here, interesting species that I would very much enjoy getting to know for the first time!

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  58. Hello, David, this is a great post and trip report and outing. You saw a nice variety of birds. The photos are all beautiful. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend. PS, thank for visit and commenting on my blog.

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  59. a fascinating trip in the snow and you have photographed wonderful bird! I love this variety of birds that are so beautiful. The snow motifs as well!
    good weekend
    Elke

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  60. Beautiful winter scenes David! The pale gold sun peaking through the snowy trees is always a pretty treat to see. That is a great hairdo on the Belted Kingfisher! What handsome owl. I imagine the they are a difficult bird to spot in the wild since I am never fortunate enough to see one.

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  61. I like what you said about it being a banner day when you see an owl! I finally got to see one in the wild and I'm still 'over the moon'! You had beautiful scenes with the snow and saw a nice variety of birds. I love the little Sparrows and smaller birds! What great photos!

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  62. Wow! I have found your blog via Julie Ford Oliver's blog ... I am going to share this with my birder friend and my hubby who is a birder along with being a carver of birds! Thank you!

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  63. Looks such a beautiful winter's day and such a great variety of birds, always lovely to see.

    All the best Jan

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  64. You have some lovely photos -- avian and otherwise. I really like the snowy woods with their super light.

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  65. hello David
    Picture book weather is said in Germany ... :-)) the trip in the first snow was worth the cardinal fits perfectly into the landscape but the owl is the highlight for me, you have to find them in their hiding, great series
    Thank you for showing me
    Greetings Frank

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  66. Great shots and quite artistic!

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  67. I am truly not one for snow (even tho I grew up in the Colorado Rockies). Enjoyed all your birds this week David. I have yet to find a p. Woodpecker (reported just north of us in Victoria Texas). Jealous, I am.

    I'm happy you decided to stop by I'd Rather B Birdin today and take time to share your link! Thanks. (And I'll pass on the voting ... jk)

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  68. First time visiting, I'm a fellow Ontarian!
    Gorgeous photos!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Jackie. It's always good to meet a fellow Ontarian.

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  69. That was a very invigorating walk! Superb collection of birds, too. Any day one spots an owl is a special day, in my humble opinion.

    I must confess, the scenery is absolutely stunning! If only snow wasn't so blasted cold ...

    Thank you for sharing your outing, David!

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    1. I agree with you, Wally. Any day with an owl is very special. The Snowy Owls are starting to arrive here, so that will be our next quest.

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  70. Hello David. What beautiful photos of the winter.
    Hope to see it here this winter too, I love the snow ;-))
    Without snow, the hedge is winter for me.
    I enjoyed your photos.
    Greetings Tinie

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  71. Maravillosos estos paisajes nevados, difruto mucho de vuestros paseos y de las fotos que hace Miriam a esas aves, de las que sólo conozco al Black-capped o uno similar. El pájaro carpintero es hermoso, nunca he visto ninguno.
    La nieve sólo la veo si voy a la montaña cercana Montseny o en los Pirineos, en el valle o la ciudad de la costa no suele nevar, me gusta la nieve.
    Muchos besos, amigo David.

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  72. Your camera catches are phenomenal. Seriously. They make me feel like I am there. You caught my cardinals!

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  73. Wonderful post! I like the way you have tried to set me up for the weather to come! Off to the airport tomorrow!

    Hope all is well. Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne

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    1. Just wait till you get up to northern Norway and then you will have winter!

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  74. Those are definitely my kind of cardinals. And, in all seriousness, my kind of every other wonderful bird you show us, all beautiful against the snowy background. Except ....wow, you guys are strong and tough and brave! (Based on the number of lovely Maple Leafs I see flying here at the snowbird resort, I know not every one of your countrymen and women share your admiration for the cold white stuff. ....but based on your pictures, I am very glad you do! Thanks for sharing.

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    1. That small percentage of wimps do tend to gather in little Canadian ghettos don't they?

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  75. I didn't think the day could get better after the sighting of the Belted Kingfisher, but I was so, so wrong. What a wondrous day bird and weatherwise!

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  76. Hello David! So many different birds you met on the trip! We have a few of them here in Norway too, but most of them I have only seen in photos.

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  77. Cardinals are such a bright spot in a winter white tree. - Margy

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  78. The birds in your photos look well though winter is a hard time for them.

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  79. lol, the cardinal sits nicely among those flowers :) Love the owl shots. :)

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  80. I feel like I took a vacation...peaceful, interesting and so very beautiful. Thank you and Miriam.

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  81. What a great walk - you have some lovely colourful birds there and snow already.

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  82. As wonderful as the birds are, those winter landscapes are thrilling. Miriam's photos never fail to delight. I've already found that I have cardinals in the shrubbery around my new place, and goldfinch. Before I got involved with the move, I found a belted kingfisher along the same road, perched on the very same wire, three times in a row. I'll be interested to see if he's still there when I get out and about again.

    It's good to see these photos from your colder and snowier place in the world. It helps me not worry so much about our birds when it dips below freezing!

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  83. Oh my God!
    A wonderful winter land, wonderful sun and blue sky.
    David, I love your wonderful photos and beautiful birds!
    Hugs and greetings :)
    Lucja

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  84. So many beautiful photos! I especially like the handsome cardinal and Mother Nature's ice sculptures on the river. Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

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  85. Wow! Love the owl in the tree! Not that I am that great of a bird observer but I don't think I have ever seen a cardinal in Alberta and I can count on my 1 hand the amount of times I have seen a blue jay.

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