01 April, 2025
Spring has been a decidedly hit and miss proposition this year, but the first of April was delightful and we went for a walk.
In the eternal way of the affairs of nature, procreation was on the minds of many.
A pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) had chosen the top of a Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) house as the site for their nest.
Doubtless a wise choice, the nest is elevated, located in the water away from land predators, and Muskrats are fierce animals and never shy away from a fight, so they probably fill the role of additional defender.
The male goose, ready to chase away intruders, patrolled the pond in silent warning to all who might contemplate interference with the nest, to back off, or risk attack. An enraged Canada Goose is a formidable force!
A second pair of Canada Geese had sealed their bond once again, and were focussing all their efforts on producing the next generation.
Broadleaf Cattails (Typha latifolia) were surging up through inundated wetlands.
Last year's nest of Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) reminded us that they too will be returning a few weeks from now.
The Grand River, swollen by constant rain, was flowing rapidly.
A male Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) seemed to relish being effortlessly swept along.
Eastern Towhee (Pipilo erythropthalmus) is not an uncommon bird, but it can be devilishly hard to find.
This is the best picture we could get of an evasive male.
On the way home we spotted a female American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) on a snag and turned the car around to get a picture.
Amazingly, she didn't immediately fly off, as is usually the case.
She knew what was about to happen.
Mission accomplished!
Her look of contentment surely indicates that kestrel eggs will soon be laid and busy parents will have their work cut out for them to find food for a growing brood.
There will be more love in the air, of course, but last night we had snow and fierce winds, and as I compose this post it is minus seven degrees.
The Melody d'Amour may have to wait a while yet!
.svg.webp)
...it looks lovely in your neck of the woods, it's snowing here today.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful signs of spring. The Canada Goose is truly formidable.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how you captured the breeding sequence of the American Kestrel.
Here we are already in a warm spring, 24°C.
Un abrazo David
I'm so sorry to hear about the cold weather you have, David. It have been 16 degrees here today. It's nice to see that's love in the air, and I have seen it here too. There is no doubt that there will be more birds here in the future. I hope you will get warmer weather soon.
ReplyDeleteHugs and kisses, Marit
It is just not fair, Marit!
DeleteNo, it's not fair at all David.
DeleteReally great photos. It's been cold here in Finland too, a couple of days ago it was 10 degrees below zero. This morning it's 7 degrees below zero.
ReplyDeleteApril is unseasonably cold here too, with no end in sight.
DeleteQuerido David parece que aún hace mucho frío y quizás tengan que esperar un poco, aún así la primavera esta en el ambiente y pronto tendremos nuevos vecinos. Las fotos son preciosas y el cernícalo bien pillado. Un fuerte abrazo para ti y para Miriam.
ReplyDeleteSuch beautiful birds on the nest💖I think you have good weather but I read it is cold😊We have spring over here but today a bit cloudy..Thank you for sharing beauty💖
ReplyDeleteWonderful photos, David. The weather is getting warmer here and the days are nice and sunny for a change.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have your weather!
ReplyDeleteI was out earlier, Shari, and the wind today will cut your face off! It was minus 7, air temperature, but the wind chill took it down to around minus 20.
DeleteHi David,
ReplyDeletethis is a lovely post on the different ways birds are getting ready for the coming breeding season. Such a misfortune that now it's freezing again. Hopefully spring will come soon to stay.
Best regards, Corrie
my teeth are chattering reading your temps, we are having COLD front today, instead of yesterdays wake up at 72 went to 89, woke up to 67 and 82 high brrr. love the kestrel show and we have osprey nests, or had them, during 2020 THEY took down all the light poles to UPDATE and tourdown 5 nests, no idea where they went.
ReplyDeletepeople are just crazy..
PS that goose on the muskrat house makes me smile and feel happy inside
ReplyDeleteLovely photographs! I love goosanders, our European (and Asian) subspecies of common meganser. The Canada goose sitting on the muskrat house in picture no. 2 is truly gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteAn exciting time. I hope that spring settles in and evicts winter soon. And that the obscene trade war draws to a close. Buy Canadian indeed. Buy anything - except American.
ReplyDeleteSpring and love are definitely in the air;)
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteOh, such voyeurism on that Kestrel pair... (though I'm delighted you managed to get such good shots to share!)
I am sure we will get another blast before the month is out, but I must say that this past week and for the next it seems, we are having an amazing burst of high teens centigrade. Sigh... YAM xx
Voyeurism, you say! Hah! This is dedicated, concentrated, objective, illuminating, intense scientific observation. And blog fodder too!
DeleteThe ducks are paired here these days as are the geese. Great photos as always!
ReplyDeleteI've heard Canada Geese called Hissing cobra chickens...they can be very scary when they or their offspring are threatened.
ReplyDeleteYour temps are cold! The nest on top of the muskrat home is a good choice. The birds are out and about around our farm. I am appreciating signs of spring.
ReplyDeleteMinus 7 degrees - no thank you. I'm enjoying 20 degrees right now with lots of sunshine. This is perfect. I worked in the garden all morning - my happy place.
ReplyDeleteThese are some fantastic photos,especially those of the Kestrel. Lucky you to have been able to witness it. At "my" lake I noticed a Canada Goose sitting on a nest on top of a muskrat house as well, and she took on a swan who dared to come too close. Quite the show! "Our" mourning doves are nesting on top of our solar box again, and I'm excited. I hope that very soon you will warmer weather and can enjoy the arrival of spring. Hugs - Carola
Surs signs of Spring, even if the weather doesn't cooperate.
ReplyDeleteThere is a pair of Canada Geese that's always make their nest in a flat field about 20 feet from the busy road to Walmart. Seems very foolish, but they have been doing it for years.
If they have successfully raised their brood there, they have no reason to change their habits.
DeleteSo many birds. Spring is happening.
ReplyDeleteBuona sera, caro amico David! (i'm very multilingual these days XD
ReplyDeletedespite the low temperatures, spring advances and every creature follows its instinct with purpose and all that spring atmosphere reminded me of a beautiful song that goes something like this:
"Love is in the air, everywhere I look around…
Love is in the air, every sight and every sound…"
Lala lalala ♪♪♪
💚
I say goodbye, sending a big hug from my autumnal Argentina, which is also cold, windy, humid, and rainy... perfect and comfortable weather jaja
Byeeeee
It is unseasonably cold here, Carolina - day after day.
DeleteThat male Common Merganser doesn't look common at all...have never seen one like that over here. We have quite a bit of Canada ducks and geese here though. How do you tell whether they are male or female?
ReplyDeleteDepends on the species, but in most ducks the male is brightly coloured and the female is a dull brown so that she is less visible when sitting on the nest.
DeleteThank you so much David
ReplyDeletefor showing us that there is so much life around us in nature with your wonderful photos! Unfortunately, many times due to the fast pace of life we don't have time to look around us!! Fantastic creatures!!
Slow down, then!
DeleteThat Canadian goose must have trusted you to get that close a picture!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos of the birds and surrounds. Getting cooler here in our autumn.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful series of photos David.
ReplyDeleteThe American kestrel is beautiful, great that you were able to photograph the mating.
I wish you a beautiful Wednesday.
Greetings Irma
We are having similar weather, but with a lot of rain and then snow showers which thankfully do not leave any accumulation. The mergansers we saw weeks ago have moved on, but the Canada geese, Mallards and gulls remain constant on the Nashua River.
ReplyDeleteI’d be interested in seeing pictures of the gulls if you are able to get some reasonably close shots. You have the potential for several different species located where you are.
DeleteDavid, once the weather and my leg improve, I will resume longer walks that include the river walks. We have noticed that whenever a storm is forecast, the gulls are numerous overhead.
DeleteOur geese must be getting ready to nest too, as I've seen the geese but not the nests yet. I'll have to check it out. Tis the season!
ReplyDeleteYour April looks like ours, at least in the environment aspect. I saw a kestrel the other day on an electric pole too. Now if only the weather would because spring every day instead of occasionally. :) Nice photos. I bet you had a nice walk. hugs-Erika
ReplyDeleteHi David, beautiful photos. Today I saw a pair of Canadese geese too. I hope they are going to breed here.
ReplyDeleteYour words and photos are filled with the beauty that springs brings, that is until all that gets interrupted with more cold and snow! Elbows Up in more ways than one!
ReplyDeleteI have seen a nest like this above the water, among the swans on the Dambovita river.
ReplyDeleteWe're having a little cool front but only getting into the 40s at night. Probably the last one.
ReplyDeleteSuch s wonderful walk! Good breeding place for the Canada Goose. Fantastic nest for the Osprey. And big surprise to see the kestrel paring. Spring is in the air! Here a saw een Great crested grebe with already 3 baby's!
ReplyDeleteGreetings Maria.
Love is in the air....For birds....and for patriots !
ReplyDeleteHug
Anna
Having encountered a Canada Goose more than once on a golf course I know that it is best to stay away from them..They can be nasty..in more ways than one :)
ReplyDeleteWe have a cornfield adjacent to our property where the geese stop over night each year during their migration..Noisy they are!!!
Great photos :-D Gorgeous geese :-D It has been fairly warm here and most of Scotland is acting like it's summer. To be fair, we hardly get any sunshine so make the most of it when we can haha! And by warm I am talking highs of 17C - that's summer for us!
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures!....we are in the +20 C now, but last week we were starting in the +30 C. We are having birds all over, and they are already nesting!......Abrazotes, Marcela
ReplyDeleteDear David, thank you so much for your greetings and this wonderful walk... the Baltimore oriole's nest is very impressive. What magnificent weaving! I hope it arrives soon and the nest is inhabited. And of course, I hope the time doesn't seem too long until spring finally arrives, warm and happy.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the great photos... I love!
Hugs from Viola
Hi David.
ReplyDeleteThose geese are sitting high up and hopefully still dry.
That osprey is also very beautiful.
Greetings from Patricia.
PS
ReplyDeleteWhen to cut the grass - prevention against ticks in the city.
Hi David,
ReplyDeleteI have a Danish blogfriend who have visit of a special pheasant in her garden. I wonder if you can identify it?
http://www.ullashave.dk/2025/04/trkeindeks-i-det-tidlige-forar.html?sc=1744288209901#c6379635268977313357
Hi, Marit:
DeleteWhat a wonderful addition to your friend's garden.
This is a Ring-necked Pheasant, also known as Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). The male is the colourful one with the defining ring around the neck, the female is more subdued since she will rely on camouflage when sitting on the nest.
This bird is a native of Southeast Asia, but has been widely released throughout the world by hunters. Naturally (and fortunately) some avoid the guns and establish feral populations.
I hope this helps. If you need even more information I would be happy to provide it.
Thank you for your answer David. I have given her your answer, and I'm sure it helps a lot.
DeleteHi David, I'm sorry to bother you again. If you look at the bottom picture again, it's the female on the left that she wanted to find the Latin name for. I explained it poorly, so that's my fault.
DeleteIt is the female of the same species, Marit. The female lacks all of the gorgeous colours of the male. (As you know, we males are very handsome!)
DeleteAha, so that's the reason, David. Yes, I know it's like that :)
DeleteHello David :)
ReplyDeleteThat you are experiencing below zero temperatures and icy cold winds is such a shame, when I know how much you like the outdoors. I hope your weather improves soon. Your recent walk is filled with signs of spring however and the photos of the Canada Goose on its nest, the Osprey in it's nest and the American Kestrel mating are great captures.It's also encouraging to see the Broadleaf Cattails starting to emerge in the water.The leaves are also appearing on the trees on my driveway which were heavily pruned earlier in the year, leaving the trees looking unattractive but the renewal of life will soon enhance those bare branches.
My very best wishes
Hugs and Kisses
Sonjia.
Hello David :)
ReplyDeleteThat you are experiencing below zero temperatures and icy cold winds is such a shame, when I know how much you like the outdoors. I hope your weather improves soon. Your recent walk is filled with signs of spring however and the photos of the Canada Goose on its nest, the Osprey in it's nest and the American Kestrel mating are great captures.It's also encouraging to see the Broadleaf Cattails starting to emerge in the water.The leaves are also appearing on the trees on my driveway which were heavily pruned earlier in the year, leaving the trees looking unattractive but the renewal of life will
Mooie serie die je maakte David.
ReplyDeleteMooi om de canadese gans te zien, die komt hier ook ;-))
Groetjes Tinie
Hello David,
ReplyDeleteHere too, the time has come. We call it the breeding and nesting season here in Germany, from April 1st to July 15th of each year. Sadly, almost no one adheres to it.
Legal basis:
Section 33 of the Lower Saxony Forest and Landscape Ordinance Act (NWaldLG)
Greetings, Frank
Has hecho un gran reportaje, me gusta mucho. Abrazos.
ReplyDeleteLovely photographs ...
ReplyDeleteI do hope your weather warms up soon for you.
Here in the UK we've had some nice sunny days, I'll try and send the sunshine over to Canada :)
All the best Jan
Hi David - love is indeed in the air ... especially in the north ... our cold wind has been a bit much - but I'm on the seaside ... cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi David, reading your blog again, which stands out for its entertaining accounts of each of your outings, accompanied by good photos. I'll be checking out more soon. After another trip, a lot of work, and now with pneumonia, I don't have time for anything else. Best regards.
ReplyDeleteWelcome home, Hernán. I am very sorry to learn that you have pneumonia and hope that you will recover quickly.
Delete