Tag Archives: Bird Photography

Goosey, Goosey Gander

I think the Canada geese are getting ready to nest.

The physical differences between females and males is quite subtle, but so are the behaviours. The males are slightly larger and have slightly larger necks, but I wouldn’t put money on being able to pick a male from a female.

Canada geese mate for life and are very much equal partners, taking turns guarding, sitting on the nest and feeding the little ones. In the case of the pair above, one was guarding while the other was eating, but I couldn’t tell which was which. One thing I could tell though was that the guarding goose was giving me the stinkeye!

I’m sure that nesting is starting soon because instead of maintaining their tight flock as they usually do, the couples have somewhat separated themselves from each other. Nevertheless they still tend not to stray too far. There were two other couples nearby and all three were clearly checking in with one another.

The best part is that soon there will be little ones around and it’s always so much fun to watch them grow.

I’ve been ill with flu but am on the mend now and was finally able to get out for a walk; I was rewarded with these geese sightings. Although it’s not official yet, Happy Spring.

Duck Shrinkage

The pond that the ducks have been inhabiting all winter is shrinking and shrinking.

If it wasn’t for the fountain, it would be completely closed and the ducks would be hunting for a place to swim and forage as there’s now a lot of ice around the lake edges.

But there’s relief coming since if all goes as predicted, we are supposed to be climbing well above freezing over the next few days. It won’t be long now, duckies!

Happy Saturday.

Quack!

When it becomes more difficult for our local duck flock to find food, we like to help them a bit with some cooked quinoa. Unlike bread, it’s a healthy choice for them. M recently prepared lots of it in individual bags that we can easily distribute to our duckie friends.

Well organised in a freezer drawer, he has very helpfully labelled it “quack.”

Quackers or not, the ducks love it and aren’t shy about gobbling it down!

I wish you a very duckie day. 😊

Antarctic Penguins

National Geographic has released its pictures of the year, including this amazing shot of penguins getting ready to follow one of their number into the ocean from an incredibly high ice sheet.

Photo courtesy of Bertie Gregory for National Geographic. Gregory photographed a young emperor penguin leaping off a 15 metre (50 ft) cliff in Atka Bay, Antarctica.

You can see all of National Geographic’s pictures at this link:

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/graphics/pictures-of-the-year-2024

Happy Thursday.

Duck Leaves

This sweet little duck seems to be wondering if there are some yummy bugs hiding under those leaves.

She wouldn’t be wrong since the rain has brought out quite a few worms. (I’m not including a worm photo because, well, I don’t want to.)

I hope she found some good ones but I wasn’t going to stick around to watch her eat lunch. I’m not really a fan of squishy things. Ugh.

Happy Wednesday.

Okanagan Swans

I had heard that swans will overwinter in the Okanagan Valley but I had never seen them here before, either in the summer or the winter. I was happy to spot this little family a few days ago. They seem to be two parents with their juvenile or cygnet.

All that flying means that they have to do some serious grooming. I can hear their conversation now!

Impatient swan: I’ll guard, you two get cleaned up!

Impatient Swan: Okay, you look clean now. Time to go!

Calm Swan: But darling, we’re swans. You know how important it is for us to maintain our image.

Impatient Swan: Okay, but you two look great. Let’s get going before all those Canada geese arrive. They’re so grumpy and mean and they always travel in gangs.

Calm Swan: Darling, you need a break. You’re the grumpy one, you know. Don’t worry about those geese. After all, they’ll never look as good as us. I’ll take point and you can rest your feathers.

Impatient Swan: Okay, I do feel tired. It’ll be good to rest and settle in for a while. How do I look?

Happy Tuesday!

Me and My Friends

Who says that it’s only birds of a feather that flock together? You can definitely flock with scales, too …

We have some trouble communicating but we still understand each other …

… because when the humans are dispensing food, it’s always a great idea to bring your best friends along to share the wealth. More friends, more food, especially if you look cute and needy, something that’s a bit difficult for a fish …

… but we know that sharing with our underwater, scaled friends is a good thing. They would do the same for us!

Happy Sunday.