Borden Wetlands

The months of January and February have been bitterly cold in Kitchener. The last areas of free-running water were confined to the faster-moving water flowing from the Wetlands. Shallow areas that attracted song sparrows to plodge in the small trickling streams as they searched for fallen seeds. And then came the cold!  With the ground completely covered in snow and the water frozen song sparrows were left to feed on what seeds they could find on the remaining flowering stems of plants that had long withered away. American tree sparrows, with their rusty crest and bicolored bill, were also on the search for seeds. They were seen briefly, flitting from branch to branch. Redpolls appeared utterly oblivious to the freezing conditions. A female redpoll is pictured below feeding on the seeds of a goldenrod plant. When the goldenrod seeds were exhausted, the redpoll's main food source was still in good supply. The seeds of Alder trees are available only to those with a specific skillset....

The Wetlands have presented a different habitat, and with that, some new birds to add to my list, such as the migrating rusty blackbirds that favour wet habitats. Another addition to that list presented itself on a dull October morning hidden among a group of mallards.  Groups of mallards are always worth looking at in a little more detail because their numbers occasionally hide other species. Another migratory bird. This male American wigeon was quite happy to dabble with the mallards, enjoying the advantage of safety in numbers. The American wigeon was not as comfortable with my company as the resident mallards. I again had to make use of a tree stump to hide behind for these photos, and thankfully, the sun broke through the clouds just at the right time. Another really overcast and dull morning in November saw two more male widgeons circling the wetlands in preparation for landing. Both males, in turn, displaying remarkable acrobatics as they cornered. The poor light did not ena...