Lakeside Birdwatching

Hello and welcome to Weekend Coffee Share #7! I’m glad you’re here. Please come on in, help yourself to a cup of coffee, or tea, or hot chocolate at my coffee station and let’s chat.

1. Link-Up News

Last weekend, we had a new high: 42 participants at Weekend Coffee Share #6 (41 in InLinkz and 1 did a ping back to my blog but didn’t enter the InLinkz party). Thank you, everyone, for your participation.

We have new participants and some returned from a blogging break at each link-up. So, a gentle reminder of my guidelines to join the Weekend Coffee Share link-up:

  1. Link one post.
  2. Read the host’s post and two posts from other Coffee Share participants and leave a comment so they know you’ve dropped by.
  3. Spread the Weekend Coffee Share word and link back. The hashtag is #WeekendCoffeeShare.

The guidelines are also posted in the InLinkz dashboard.

2. This Past Week

I had a good week, enjoyed many activities, and chatted with my family and friends more than normal. Downtown Toronto got some snow overnight on Monday and part of Tuesday, a lot less than other areas in Ontario. During the week, my brisk and long walks boosted my mood and the birds by the lake kept me entertained.

3. Birdwatching

I got into birdwatching about two years ago. When my sister and I went to Ecuador, the biodiversity there, including species of birds were amazing and noticeable. We spent time watching colourful birds and had a memorable overnight stay in the Amazon rainforest.

After that trip, I pay more attention to birds. Lucky me, Toronto is the home of the Blue Jays and over 350 other incredible species of birds. Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. They won the World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.

When I walk by Lake Ontario, I enjoy watching birds in the harbour. They make my walk more fun and interesting. In this post, I focus on birds by the lake even though I’ve seen many more bird species in land. Let me show you in photos.

Common Birds

Common birds that are at the lake year-round include gulls, ducks, geese, rock pigeons, and swans. The ring-billed gulls have a black band encircling the yellow bill that distinguish them from other gulls.

A ring-billed gull.
A ring-billed gull.

Canada geese have the signature white chinstrap on their black necks. There are many of them along the lake shore, both on land and in the water.

2 Canada geese.
2 Canada geese.
Winter Birds

In the winter, attractive bufflehead ducks, long-tailed ducks, and common mergansers arrive here and stay for a few months. The cormorants with aquamarine eyes show up in the Spring.

Bufflehead ducks: The male duck has a large white patch on the head, the female duck has a small white patch on the cheek.

2 Bufflehead ducks.
2 Bufflehead ducks.

Long-tailed ducks: The males have mostly white, rich brown, black and grey on the face and long, slender tail feathers. Females are smudgy brown and white without the long tail.

4 male and 1 female long-tailed ducks.
4 male and 1 female long-tailed ducks.

Common Mergansers: They are large ducks with long, slender bills. The males are striking with clean white bodies, dark green heads, and a slender, serrated red bill. The gray-bodied females have rich, cinnamon heads with a short crest.

3 female mergansers.
3 female mergansers.
Summer Birds

Last summer, I was thrilled to see many birds when I went paddling in the wetlands on Toronto Islands. My favourites were the great egrets and grey herons.

Great egret.
Great egret.
Grey heron.
Grey heron.

I refer to the Birds of Toronto guide to identify these birds.

What birds are common in your neighbourhood?

Linking with Sunday Stills, Life This Week, The Weekly Smile.

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133 thoughts on “Lakeside Birdwatching

  1. leannelc February 19, 2021 / 8:13 am

    Hi Natalie – thanks for another great link party – and also for the bird pics. I had to smile at the seagull in the first photo – it seems that these birds are everywhere from the top of the world where you are, down to the bottom of the world where I am – and I bet they hang around when you’re eating a picnic on the beach – hoping for a chip or two!

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 10:49 am

      Hi Leanne – Yes, the seagulls seem to be everywhere and they’re quick to arrive where there is food. I learn from the bird guide to identify more than one gull species in my neighbourhood. Thank you for linking with #WeekendCoffeeShare. Have a great weekend!

      Like

  2. Erica/Erika February 19, 2021 / 8:13 am

    A different, fun heading photo again, Natalie. People seem to be noticing birds more and I wonder whether there are more birds on our planet this year. I recall your beautiful photos and story about the Amazon forest. I had not thought about the Blue Jays until you mentioned it here. I have never been close enough to a long-tailed duck to notice their tails. We have a lot of birds in our neighbourhood, yet I do not know the names. I am fortunate how we seem to be on a hummingbird path all year long. I love all of your photos and interesting trivia about the birds. Thank you for sharing. #WeekendCoffeeShare

    Liked by 1 person

      • Erica/Erika February 19, 2021 / 8:32 am

        You are welcome, Jill. ❤️ I do not usually zoom with my phone, yet I am happy it turned out okay. They put a smile on my face, too. xo

        Liked by 1 person

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 11:09 am

      Erica/ Erika, I like variety and use Canva free templates to create my header “Welcome” images 🙂 Thank you for linking with #WeekendCoffeeShare.

      I guess with the pandemic, there is less human and road traffic outdoors so the birds and other wildlife are more daring and visible, even in urban centres. In Toronto, we have many colourful birds (blue jays, red cardinals, gold finches, etc) and the various water birds come right up to the harbour walls so I can literally look at them at my feet. Some are quick divers and make it a challenge to get a good photo.

      It’s wonderful that you’re on a hummingbird path all year long. The hummingbirds are amazing to watch. Before I went to Ecuador, I’ve seen incredible biodiversity in Costa Rica and have been in the rainforest in South East Asia. The powerful Amazon rainforest is something else. I pay more attention to local flora and fauna these days.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Erica/Erika February 19, 2021 / 8:06 pm

        So, you notice more birds/wildlike, too. I am with you on paying more attention to all the little things/flora/fauna in my neighbourhood. A great post, Natalie!

        Like

  3. Jill Weatherholt February 19, 2021 / 8:25 am

    I’m a big bird lover and watcher, Natalie. We have gorgeous herons that live around the lake behind our home. They are snow white and amazing to watch in flight. Of course, my favorite is the hummingbird. Ours don’t hang around during the winter months, but when you have sweet friends like Erica, who sends her videos, I can enjoy them year around.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 11:15 am

      Jill, How wonderful that you have gorgeous herons behind your home. I love watching them. I’d probably take tons of photos. That’s so sweet of Erica to send you her videos of the hummingbirds. I bet you look forward to nicer weather and the return of the hummingbirds in your backyard.

      Like

  4. Molly Totoro February 19, 2021 / 9:14 am

    I adore the Weekend Coffee Share graphic this week! We are just starting to climb out of a very deep freeze here in the Midwest US and thoughts of palm trees and flamingos bring a smile to my face.
    I have not participated in bird watching much (although in retirement that may change). However, my father adored birds. He had a raging battle with squirrels, who always stole the birdseed from the many feeders we had around our deck. But he enjoyed his morning cup of coffee watching his feathered-friends, the Audubon Society Bird Book by his side.

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 11:23 am

      Molly, I’m glad my palm trees and flamingos graphic made you smile. I think once you start watching birds, it’s easy to get more curious about them.

      I wasn’t into birdwatching until about two years ago. When I start watching the birds, I see so many species with unique feather colours and patterns, and behaviours. I start looking them up and find it fun to successfully identify some birds. I refer to Audubon web site, an excellent resource to learn more about birds.

      Like

  5. Ally Bean February 19, 2021 / 9:15 am

    I’m not much into birds, but your photos could change my mind. You’re fortunate to have a pleasant place to wander around. Thanks for sharing your pics here. They really are lovely.

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 11:31 am

      Ally, I’m glad you like my photos. I wasn’t into birds until about two years ago. I’m still a beginner, watching birds with my eyes and without binoculars or big zoom lens. I think once you start watching them, it’s easy to get more curious about them. I find it fun (like problem-solving or puzzle-solving fun) to successfully identify a bird species. I like how unique they are such as in feather colours, patterns, sounds, and behaviours. I’m grateful to have a pleasant place to wander around.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. dawnkinster February 19, 2021 / 10:41 am

    I love bird watching too. Loved your great egret!

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 11:32 am

      Dawn, Your bird photos are amazing. I love seeing them on your blog. That great egret was big in real life and it was close to my kayak.

      Like

  7. smkelly8 February 19, 2021 / 12:04 pm

    I love the bird photos! Several species I can see outside my window in Illinois. As I understand it blue jays can be quite aggressive.

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:07 pm

      Susan, I’ve met blue jays that are not aggressive. The red-winged blackbirds in my neighbourhood are very aggressive especially when they’re nesting.

      Like

  8. smkelly8 February 19, 2021 / 12:08 pm

    We’ve got Canadian geese, mallard ducks, blue jays and cardinals in these parts.

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:08 pm

      That sounds similar to what we have here. The name of the geese is actually Canada geese.

      Like

  9. Sue from Women Living Well After 50 February 19, 2021 / 1:09 pm

    Hi Natalie, this week’s prompt on Sunday Stills is about birds so I’ve written a post for that which publishes tomorrow. Where I live there are seagulls, galahs (a small grey and pink cockatoo) pigeons, ibis and rainbow lorikeets. I enjoyed looking at the photos of the birds where you live especially the Canadian Geese. Thanks for the the linkup and congratulations on having such great numbers for #weekendcoffeeshare. x

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:11 pm

      Hi Sue, I’d be interested in seeing the galahs and rainbow lorikeets which are not common here. Thank you for linking with Weekend Coffee Share and making the total number so great.

      Liked by 1 person

        • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 6:05 pm

          Hi Sue, I’m hopeful that one day travel restrictions will be fully lifted and I’ll get to visit Australia.

          Liked by 1 person

            • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 9:48 am

              For sure, Sue. When I go to Australia, I plan to give myself time there because it’s such a long way from Canada and Australia is a big country.

              Liked by 1 person

  10. Thistles and Kiwis February 19, 2021 / 2:01 pm

    New Zealand is a land of birds – there were no mammalian predators before humans arrived. Native birds in our garden include tuis, fantails, silvereyes, kereru and of course the noisy kaka flying overhead. This last bird is endangered, everywhere but our little bit of the city, due to the Zealandia wildlife reserve.

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:14 pm

      Barbara, I’d love to see the birds that you mentioned. Their names sound exotic to me. It’s great that the wildlife reserve is available to protect the endangered bird.

      Like

  11. Debbie February 19, 2021 / 3:42 pm

    It’s always interesting to read your posts Natalie, and I learn something new each time. I enjoyed seeing the birds around your area, especially the Canada Geese and egrets. Thanks again for the opportunity to link up for #weekendcoffeeshare

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:16 pm

      Thank you, Debbie, for your positive feedback about my post and for linking with Weekend Coffee Share. I try to share something local that may not exist in other countries.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. midlifestylist February 19, 2021 / 3:53 pm

    Hi Natalie, I love reading about your diverse birdlife in Canada. The Amazon must have been incredible! My blog post this week is about our weekend in the Lamington National Park where we fed lots of native birds. Thanks again for the opportunity to share my blog. Regards Christina

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:20 pm

      Hi Christina, The Amazon rainforest is definitely one of a kind, powerful and awesome. Your weekend at the LNP sounds amazing. Thank you for linking with Weekend Coffee Share.

      Like

  13. Bear February 19, 2021 / 4:11 pm

    all the way to the bottom for links, back up to top for comments… It’s a workout! I love to birdwatch, too… from my window. Our common winter birds are Canada Geese, and Cardinals. I love the little spot of red that pops out amid the dark and snow covered woods (like it’s been this week). We usually have a lot, but haven’t seen so many this year. Where we used to live I’d see 20-30 in the yard on any given morning. Kinda miss that, but like my townhome, too. I love Heron’s but haven’t seen one in a while, either. Just haven’t been out and about so much… pandemic, ugh!

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:24 pm

      Bear, The red cardinals are beautiful. I see hundreds of Canada geese but very few red cardinals here. Thanks for sharing your common winter birds.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. rawsonjl February 19, 2021 / 4:26 pm

    We don’t see much in the way of birds this time of year other than the occasional cardinal or blue jay or even bald eagle. Bt as spring thaw begins we will see common mergansers, mallard ducks, Canadian geese, herons, the occasional swan and lots of hawks and falcons.

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 5:27 pm

      Joanne, Sounds like you have similar species of birds but they appear later in your area than in mine. The bald eagles, hawks and falcons are amazing to see.

      Like

  15. Laurie February 19, 2021 / 7:19 pm

    Natalie, I am so glad your link party is going well. It is a fun link-up. I am a birder too! There is a lake near me that usually has tens of thousands of snow geese about this time of year. I visited but the geese numbers were much lower than usual. The lake is still almost all frozen. We saw tundra swans too but none of the ducks we usually see. Maybe in March!

    Like

    • Natalie February 19, 2021 / 7:43 pm

      Laurie, Must be quite a sight to see tens of thousands of snow geese. Hopefully the birds return to your lake area in March. The ducks, geese and gulls in my area are tough. They stay on ice in large groups on cold days and when it’s slightly less frigid, they happily swim in the water. The swans come out to join them. Thank you for linking with Weekend Coffee Share and making the total number so great.

      Like

  16. Denyse Whelan Blogs February 19, 2021 / 8:41 pm

    Great to see your link up has been such a success. Congratulations. I like to photograph birds that are of interest. I have, around here, on coast of NSW seen many rainbow lorikeets whose colours are the best..so bright. They are also very noisy, attack people’s gardens and plants…doing what they think they should. I steered away from the Sunday Stills today to post my most recent post on Kindness and Gratitude.

    Denyse.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 9:00 am

      Denyse, I’d love to see the rainbow lorikeets. Thank you for linking with Weekend Coffee Share and making the total number so great.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Retirement Reflections February 19, 2021 / 8:58 pm

    Hi, Natalie – This is a great post to link up to this week’s #SundayStills #Feedthebirds.
    I love the photos and info that you have given here about common birds in your area.
    I am grateful that Vancouver Island is home to many species of birds migrating up and down the Pacific Coast, so we also get to see a huge variety of birds here. Spotting Bald Eagles, Steller Jays, Pileated Woodpeckers and Barred Owls are among my favourites. You will definitely need to come back for another visit.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 9:05 am

      Hi Donna, Thank you for mentioning Terri’s Sunday Stills. I’ll link up on Sunday. I’d love to see your favourite birds. I know I’ll be back to Vancouver Island and BC when it’s safe to travel again.

      Like

  18. PurplePumpernickel February 19, 2021 / 9:31 pm

    Wow! Birdwatching in Ecuador would be quite rather different, I imagine.
    Thanks for sharing your passion.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 9:09 am

      Ju-Lyn, The quantity of species of birds in Ecuador is incredible. We stayed at a lodge, got around by boat and hiked in the Amazon rainforest. We got to see so many of the local plants, trees, birds, and other animals. Thank you for reading my post and commenting.

      Like

  19. Antoinette Truglio Martin February 19, 2021 / 10:48 pm

    While staying in Hilton Head SC this winter, the turkey vultures are huge and glide on air currents above tree tAwesome. some.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 9:25 am

      Antoinette, I’d be interested in watching the turkey vultures. I haven’t seen one in real life where I live.

      Like

  20. Cheryl February 20, 2021 / 3:46 am

    Hi Natalie, I love water birds. I don’t know what birds we have here in Bulgaria, I’ve yet to discover them. I’ll wait until the weather starts to warm up before I venture out! But I do remember back in 2009 my husband and I spent a month in Geneva, Switzerland. He was on a training course, and I had all my days free to wander around the city taking photos. At the end of the month I had hundreds and hundreds of photos of different water birds! It was also nesting season while we were there so I got some photos of eggs, and then eggs hatching. Such a magical experience!

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 9:32 am

      Cheryl, It’s exciting to see the birds, their nests and eggs hatching. I’d love to see some of your bird photos from Geneva. I visited Geneva a few times before the pandemic.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Cheryl February 20, 2021 / 3:29 pm

        Hi Natalie, shall I write a photo blog post on my Swiss birds then?

        Like

        • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 3:53 pm

          Hi Cheryl, Only if you want to. I’d love to see your Swiss bird photos and blog if it’s fun for you to write and you’re in the mood to write about them 🙂

          Liked by 1 person

          • Cheryl February 21, 2021 / 1:15 am

            I’d never thought to write about my time in Geneva, but it was a very intense and amazing time! I’m going to do it!

            Like

            • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 9:03 am

              I love a blogging dialogue that inspires more blogging 🙂 Looking forward to reading your Geneva post.

              Liked by 1 person

  21. SadiRose February 20, 2021 / 5:21 am

    Hi Natalie – I would love to be able to spend time bird-watching. I have seen Bald Eagles and many hawks as well. In my neighborhood however, starlings seem to be the most prolific bird. The open fields around our neighborhood brings thousands of starlings all doing their murmurations.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 9:36 am

      SadiRose, Must be quite a sight to see thousands of starlings. We have them here but not that many in my neighbourhood. The bald eagles and hawks are majestic-looking birds. I saw a hawk recently with very intense eyes.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. PamelaS.Canepa, Writing and Living February 20, 2021 / 11:29 am

    Natalie, Thank you for hosting the coffee shares! I used to take frequent pictures of the birds in my neighborhood. I need to start doing that again. Anyhow, nice to meet you, and have a great week! -Pam

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 3:56 pm

      Nice to meet you, Pam. I’d love to see photos of the birds in your neighbourhood. Thank you for linking with Weekend Coffee Share and making the total number so great. Have a wonderful weekend!

      Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 3:58 pm

      Thank you, Shari, for the link to your photo. The ducklings are very cute. I saw a few young duck families last spring and summer. I hope to see them again this year. Have a great weekend!

      Like

  23. Gary A Wilson February 20, 2021 / 2:39 pm

    Hi Natalie – we have many of the same birds here in Sonoma County, Calif. I’ve seen many of the ones you shared, and they’re gorgeous.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 4:02 pm

      Gary, Once I start watching the birds, I really like their unique appearances. Their feather colours, and sometimes eyes as in the cormorants’ aquamarine eyes, are beautiful.

      Like

  24. Lizl Bennefeld February 20, 2021 / 5:04 pm

    Our town has a river to the east with pathways and trees along the banks. I enjoy the wild turkey as they venture out into the streets. We are perhaps 25 blocks away from the river at the nearest point, and occasionally they will visit our neighborhood, walking the sidewalks, perching on trees and rooftops. Around our neighborhood there are many elm trees. Mornings and evenings, the crows gather. It looks as though they are playing as they, for no seeming reason, stream and call loudly as they move to another treetop. They settle in to visit, and then a few get restless and eventually fly off to another group of trees. And everyone else flies after them.

    In the yard the Northern Flicker, mourning doves, robins, sparrows and wrens. Overhead hawks and falcons and the occasional group of eagles, whose nests are along the river to the North, a few miles outside of town. My favorite, however, is watching the ducks and geese fly overhead during their migrations North and South, calling to one another. I do not know why it is that when I hear their calls, I start to cry. I have always mourned leave-takings. Returns are never certain.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 6:03 pm

      Lizl, I like the birds you mentioned, especially those in your 2nd paragraph. I appreciate your feeling of sadness about leave-takings. I guess train stations, airport departure terminals and the like are emotional places for you. Life is uncertain although the optimistic me is hopeful.

      Like

  25. kirstin troyer February 20, 2021 / 5:54 pm

    THese are awesome. I love watching birds. I wouldn’t say I’m a “Bird watcher”, but I certainly enjoy them. We have the typical robins, hummingbirds, stellar Jays, scrub jays, barn swallows, bald eagles, hawks, blue herons, egrets, quite a few others we see on a regular basis.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 6:09 pm

      Kirstin, That’s a good variety of bird species that you see on a regular basis. I watch birds with my eyes when I walk outside, not with binoculars or big zoom lens like the more “serious” birders.

      Like

  26. csuhpat1 February 20, 2021 / 8:32 pm

    Hood Rat Ducks and Geese-LOL. There is little walking path near my house and there is a spillway and water there I am sure is toxic but we have ducks and geese in there all the time.

    Also, there is a family of egrets living in a park near walking path.

    Thanks for hosting and I hope that you have a wonderful week.

    Like

    • Natalie February 20, 2021 / 9:11 pm

      Patrick, The egrets sound nice. The poor ducks and geese if their habitat is toxic. Have a great weekend!

      Like

  27. Jo February 20, 2021 / 11:09 pm

    The egret and heron are so graceful. I spent the last week watching a family of magpies and a pair of osprey. Just listening to birdsong makes me smile.

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 9:00 am

      Jo, I love to watch osprey and listen to birdsong. The magpies are birds of western North America and I live on the eastern side so I don’t get to see them.

      Liked by 1 person

  28. Susanne February 21, 2021 / 6:26 am

    Looking at birds in the rainforest must be fantastic!! We have a lot of seaside birds here but I’m not really interested in birds so I have no idea what they are. I really like puffins though, they are so pretty and beautiful. We don’t have them here but you don’t have to travel far to see them, at the Skellig islands in Kerry, or another island outside Wexford.
    The birds in your last two photos are super cool – especially the great egret, so beautiful and majestic, is that a large bird?
    I have friends who are very interested in birds, but I’m more of an insect and spider geek myself!

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 9:11 am

      Susanne, Puffins are pretty. I saw them when I went to the Atlantic coast of Canada. The Amazon rainforest is incredible for many things and is a challenging, very humid environment. The great egret that I saw is about 1 meter tall. Its wingspan is about 1.4 meters. It was very close to my kayak. It’s a beautiful bird. I’m interested in insect and spiders, too 🙂

      Like

  29. Sagittarius Viking February 21, 2021 / 7:49 am

    It sounds so nice with brisk long walks 🙂 I actually walked less than usual this week, due to it being very slippery. Birdwatching is fun. I did more of that in California, but I still enjoy it from time to time. We have sea gulls, crows, howls (the eagle howl being the most famous one,) hawks, magpies, and many others little birds with Swedish names, such as Domherre, Blåmes and Talgoxe. Thank you for the coffee, and making a place for this lovely crowd to chat in the weekends.

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 9:36 am

      Maria, I’m lucky that the sidewalks and trail where I live get cleared of ice and snow and we haven’t got much ice and snow here so I feel safe walking outside. I like that birdwatching makes us slow down and stay quiet 🙂 I saw a hawk recently, close to where I was standing, and that was a thrill. Thank you for being part of my Weekend Coffee Share link-up.

      Like

  30. Suzanne@PictureRetirement February 21, 2021 / 7:57 am

    Hi Natalie, I am partial to your summer birds since we have them in Florida year-round – the egrets and great blue heron being the most notable. We also have seasonal Eagles and Osprey, and spottings are rare but delightful. I can see how bird-watching can become addictive. You have inspired me to take the time to be more observant.

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 9:46 am

      Suzanne, I love watching egrets, herons, eagles and osprey. With you camera and photography skills, you’d produce stunning bird photos. Similar to photo-taking, bird-watching makes us slow down, stay quiet/ focused, and be patient. Identifying bird species is fun like solving a puzzle.

      Like

  31. Beaton February 21, 2021 / 10:24 am

    I was bird watching too…. well not really I was sitting outside and the was a murder of crows ^_^ creepy flock of birds that. Looked almost ominous, when reached for my phone to snap a picture they flew off
    ~B

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 10:47 am

      B, The crows are sometimes mischievous. You’ll get them (their photo) next time.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Beaton February 21, 2021 / 10:52 am

        I suspect crows could easily be one of the smartest bird species, I know nothing about birds though hahaha
        ~B

        Like

        • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 11:01 am

          B, You read crows well. From my guidebook, crows are good learners and problem-solvers. They’re also aggressive and often chase away larger birds including hawks, owls and herons.

          Like

          • Beaton February 22, 2021 / 12:10 am

            As for the learning of crows i noticed a curious oddity at first when if i wanted to get them to disperse i could gesture like Im picking up a rock and pretend to throw it at them and they would fly away…. And now they seem to see through this ruse🤣🤣 although they ran away when i took out my phone i suppose they think i want to throw out at them or something
            ~B

            Like

            • Natalie February 22, 2021 / 12:28 pm

              They’re good learners. Eventually they’ll figure out your phone is harmless and may even get close to it.

              Like

  32. Terri Webster Schrandt February 21, 2021 / 10:32 am

    I love when great minds think alike and we can link to each others’ blogs in the same week! I enjoy bird watching when there are birds to see! Your Canadian geese are so beautiful, I’ve never been able to snap one close up. There are several bird and wildlife sanctuaries in Northern California, and the Canadian geese frequent there. I will miss hearing their honking, but I suspect I’ll see a few here in Washington once the weather warms! Thanks for the coffee, too 🙂

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 10:55 am

      Terri, There are so many Canada geese here. They’re literally at my feet when I walk or ride my bike on the waterfront trail. When a group of them takes off, it’s a beautiful sight. It’s cute to see them calling each other when half of a group is in the lake and the other half is on the trail. Thank you for linking with Weekend Coffee Share.

      Liked by 1 person

  33. dprastka February 21, 2021 / 10:59 am

    Thank you for the coffee! I love all the birds and although I’m not an official bird watcher, I LOVE them and all things out in nature! Such beautiful photos! ❤️ I’m going to try and join this week with a coffee share, what WONDERFUL participation!! Thank you so much for all you do for hosting them! ❤️ 🤠

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 11:05 am

      Diana, Great to hear from you and am glad you like my photos. I’m not an official birdwatcher either. I just watch them with my eyes and enjoy them as part of nature. I look forward to reading your coffee share.

      Liked by 1 person

  34. Jeanne February 21, 2021 / 1:24 pm

    Hello, I just found your blog and party for the first time! Enjoy your coffee!

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 1:53 pm

      Thank you, Jeanne, for your visit and comment. May I ask how you found my blog and link party? I’ll visit your blog shortly.

      Like

      • Jeanne February 22, 2021 / 11:02 pm

        Hello Natalie! I can’t really remember. I was looking at a bunch of blogs, (many of them birding ones today) and somehow a link led to here. Sometimes I’m just like – wow, that’s a new party I haven’t seen before, so I’ll follow a link.

        Like

        • Natalie February 23, 2021 / 8:36 am

          Hi Jeanne, I’m glad to know you follow a link and find my blog and my weekly link-up.

          Like

  35. Sanch @ Sanch Writes February 21, 2021 / 2:22 pm

    That would have been such a relaxing activity, Natalie! We have a lot of sea gulls here but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ring-billed one. Hope you have a lovely week ahead !

    Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 2:38 pm

      Sanch, Excellent observation about the sea gulls. There are at least 3 different gull species where I live and they look slightly different: Ring-billed, Herring (no black ring on the bill), and Iceland gulls (grey bill, no black ring and light dots on chest). Have a great week ahead!

      Like

    • Natalie February 21, 2021 / 2:56 pm

      Lydia, You’re on time. The link-up runs from Friday to end of Sunday . Welcome to Weekend Coffee Share!

      Like

  36. Corina February 21, 2021 / 10:45 pm

    I have long wanted to do some bird watching. It sounds so interesting. I know next to nothing about it and don’t have anyone near me to share this with. So I’m fascinated when others do it.

    Like

    • Natalie February 22, 2021 / 9:15 am

      Corina, You can start any time, do it at your own pace, and share your findings on your blog. I do it for fun and am not a serious birder. I watch birds, take photos, read the local bird guidebook and web sites to identify the birds. It’s like putting a puzzle together 🙂

      Like

  37. A. February 22, 2021 / 1:08 am

    Hi Natalie! These are some great pictures! I love bird watching, especially in the spring. I’m not very knowledgeable on birds, however so I couldn’t identify them right away, but they’re still beautiful to look at. 🙂 I haven’t seen many birds in my area lately as last week we had a terrible freeze, but I think they’ll all start to come out soon! I hope you have a great week. 😀

    Like

    • Natalie February 22, 2021 / 9:21 am

      Hi Angie, I’m glad you like my photos. I took them with my phone camera so they’re not as sharp as I’d like. I’m a beginner and a casual bird watcher. I watch birds, take photos, look them up on my local bird guidebook or web sites to identify them. It’s fun like solving a puzzle kind of fun. I hope the weather improves in your area and the birds return. Have a great week!

      Liked by 1 person

  38. endardoo February 22, 2021 / 7:30 am

    That egret means business — but my favourite is the brave ring-billed gull. Tough little cookie. #WeekendCoffeeShare

    Like

  39. Jennifer Jones February 23, 2021 / 3:08 am

    Hi Natalie I love your bird photos. We have a huge variety of bird life on our property. I was looking forward to this prompt in #sundaystills but ran out of time last week. If I get organised I’ll do it anyway in a future post

    Like

    • Natalie February 23, 2021 / 8:31 am

      Hi Jennifer, I hear you about running out of time. I look forward to seeing some of the birds on your property when you do a post about them.

      Like

  40. Chicken Librarian February 23, 2021 / 7:12 am

    I love birds! Once upon a time I used to keep a journal of the birds and their Latin names. I don’t go into all that detail now, but I do have my favorite birds and I just love watching them. I love seeing new birds and trying to ID them. My favorite birds are: eagles, rose breasted grosbeaks, and indigo buntings!

    We have tons of birds where we live. All kinds of song birds, hawks, ducks, geese, herons, eagles, pheasants, woodcock, grouse, and on and on. There’s nothing like seeing birds in the wild!

    Like

    • Natalie February 23, 2021 / 8:40 am

      Kristin, With the name “Chicken Librarian”, I figure you’d be interested in birds. So cool you used to keep a journal with their Latin names. Seeing birds or animals in their natural habitat is a thrill.

      Like

  41. Marsha February 23, 2021 / 3:42 pm

    We saw a gray heron a couple of days ago, Natalie. I’m not sure what else is here besides lots of different kinds of ducks. 🙂 Beautiful shots. Would you be interested in doing an interview on my blog about your coffee share>? It sounds interesting. 🙂

    Like

    • Natalie February 23, 2021 / 6:28 pm

      Marsha, Gray herons are great to see. I just started hosting the weekly Weekend Coffee Share link-up in January. I picked up the baton from another host. Do you have minimum hosting experience requirements for your interview? If you have a set of questions for the interview, please let me know. Thank you for dropping by.

      Liked by 1 person

        • Natalie February 24, 2021 / 8:38 am

          Marsha, Your “I don’t have a minimum of anything” statement made me smile. Thank you for your contact info. Look forward to connecting with you.

          Liked by 1 person

          • Marsha February 24, 2021 / 11:32 am

            Yay, I look forward to it too! 🙂

            Like

  42. Denyse Whelan Blogs February 24, 2021 / 2:56 am

    Thank you for linking up your blog post for #lifethisweek on Monday 22 Feb 2021. Next week, it’s the first optional prompt of Taking Stock where I am using my own prompts for the first time. Hope to see you there, on or off prompt. Take care, Denyse #lifethisweek #linkup #Australia

    Like

  43. victoriarose002 February 24, 2021 / 3:11 am

    Interesting post, it’s always nice to be able to distinguish💜

    Like

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