A Very Common Day

I took Sue birding on Sunday.  Funny, she used to drag me out kicking and screaming into the cold, dead of winter to look at ducks, but the chance to see a Western Grebe in Ontario, at Colonel Sam Smith Park, brought us both out.  Alas, we waited until mid afternoon and the lost bird from the west had not been seen since that morning.

However, right behind the path where we were looking, on a mostly dead tree were some very lively Common Redpolls.  Quite a few of them darting about and, at times, hanging upside down like so many birdie Christmas ornaments.  Even though we didn't see the grebe, we were happy to see the redpolls so far south.  Sue didn't remember ever seeing them down by the lake, at Colonel Sam.

We did enjoy a raft of Long-tailed Ducks, along with Golden-eyes and Buffleheads, but the White-winged Scoter was nowhere to be found on this day.  Still, it wasn't too cold and though it was late afternoon, we decided to make a stop at James Gardens on the way home and were treated to a nice show of Common Mergansers, and one female Hooded Mergansers.

I had hoped to do some birding today, but with the rain and fog, the best I could do was watch the Northern Cardinals at my back yard feeder, fighting the squirrels for their dinner.  I hope the fog lifts tomorrow so I can go back down to the lake.  Trying to decide if I will go up to Algonquin Park on Wednesday for a chance to see a Great Gray Owl.  I missed seeing one late on Saturday night after visiting with my daughter, up in Ottawa, but couldn't stay the night and had to head back for a Sunday of birding at home.  I still need better photos of Boreal Chickadee and Spruce Grouse as well as a closer photo of the Great Gray Owl than I have from Alaska last year.