Mute Swans
Driving along near Markdale… this white swan with the dark back ground looked pretty, so I took a photo. Is it wild? Likely.
Slurping up the fish!
In just a few minutes, this Heron slurped up 7 fish, have a look at the photos, one after another, down the hatch they went … the last victim was drinking at the waters edge had a narrow escape
Fish 1
Fish 2
Fish 3
Fish 4
Fish 5
Fish 6
This was almost the 7th victim, a narrow escape!
Flocking Sandhill Cranes
The Sandhills are plentiful these days, this flock in the Stayner area is well over 1000 birds. Daily, smaller flocks are passing over our farm in the Beaver Valley, we can usually hear them before we see them as they are very noisy when flying … they sound like a litter of young racoons at war. I literally look around for racoons, then noticed the sound is coming from the sky.
Wood Ducks in the fall
Hunted nearly to extinction these beautiful ducks are making a comeback here in Ontario. Distinctively North American, they are not found anywhere other than the wetland forests of eastern North America.
Great Blue Heron
Many of the blue Herons have flown south for the warmer weather, perhaps the one knows about the Hurricane hitting the east coast today and decided to stay a little longer, but I doubt it. This one was settling in for the evening and eventually went to sleep whit’s head tucked in. 
Sanderling in winter plumage
Wasaga Beach is a great place to family portraits, which is what I was doing when Tammy pointed out this shore bird running in the surf. I was intent on what I was doing and it had run right up behind me. So of course I took a few photos, challenging to identify it’s first year fall/winter plumage. they spend the summers in the high Arctic, migrating south for winter.
Sandhill Crane Chick
This family was working their way along the shore line, I stayed somewhat still, and they walked right by me minding their own business. I feel good when my presence doesnt interrupt what they were doing and they continue on without giving me much notice. As they mosey along finding bugs to feed the chick, they also tried to show it where the bugs are found and encouraged it to pick them up. Fascinating.
Ring Billed Gulls #175
Wow #175 is one of the most common shore birds in Ontario… sometimes we simply need to stop and enjoy the birds right in front of us.
Mature Ring Billed Gulls
First year Gull without a clear ring around it’s bill.
Young Gulls with brown feathers, preaning on the beach.
Roseate Spoonbill
This is a Florida bird from earlier in the spring. They look prehistoric to me, I am somewhat infatuated with them and would love to search out a wild flock to photograph. This single bird was at a popular state park known for birding. Spoonbills have a large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side trading small aquatic creatures inside… info from my iBird ap.
Snowy Plover
Why the fake bird? Biologists are trying to establish the population on Sarasota Beach, unfortunately the local crows enjoy the eggs so a girl goes out each morning and places these decoys and eggs. The idea is that the crows eat the decoy eggs which are actually some other birds eggs. These decoy eggs have been injected with a substance that will cause the crow to vomit and not like plover eggs. hmmmm
A Pair of Loons and a little surprise!
Great Blue Herons
Graceful yet awkward…
Sanderling
Green Winged Teals
Famous last words “there won’t be anything in this pond” bird number 157 was in this pond!
Brown Pelican
Once can’t help to notice the Pelican patroling the beaches in Florida, they seem to cruise for hours. This one cruised right into a 
sunset.
Laughing Gulls #174
These gulls are everywhere along the Florida shore line. Efficient clean up crews pick up any little morsel left behind on the beaches. These photos were taken at Siesta Key Beach at sunset. ( it was late being assigned #174, missed this one)
Willets on the beach
The beaches at Siesta Key Florida are so very beautiful, these Willets run up and down the beach in the sunset looking for snacks in the sand, how lucky they are! Willets are often seen alone. They walk deliberately, pausing to probe for crabs, worms and other prey in sand and mudflats, or to pick at insects and mollusks. 
Brown Pelicans
My first bird to photograph in Florida this year were Pelicans, right outside the place I was staying was a beautiful harbour with many boats. The reflections on the water were fabulous. I hardly had to leave the front door and I had some nice pics a nice way to start the photographic holiday.
Blue Heron Rookery
While in Florida I was lucky enough to come across a Heron Rookery, these young herons look like they are almost at the fledgling age. They are always starving hungry and very demanding of the parents when they bring back a meal which then needs to be coughed up.
Limpkins
A marsh bird, known for it’s limping-like flight with it’s dandling legs and jerky wing beat. The only species in it’s family, the closest relations are cranes and rails.
