Despite the ongoing pandemic, spring continues its slow march (or crawl) forward. It has been a slow start to the spring in southern Ontario, but there is still lots to see! I have been out enjoying nature within 5 miles of my house for the ongoing "5 Mile Radius Challenge" to see as many birds as you can in this area in a calendar year. This has turned out to be a great distraction from the current situation, and I have enjoyed finding new and exciting spots to bird watch near my house. I am currently up to 73 species for my 5MR this year!
This morning I was out at my favourite new spot that has a nice mix of forest, thicket, and wetland. I was rewarded with 45 species this morning including a bunch of new ones for the year! Here are a few shots from my outing:
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| Hermit Thrush |
Our backyard Northern Shrike has returned a couple of times this winter. The photo below was taken through my kitchen window.
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| Northern Shrike |
The Fox Sparrow was a welcome surprise while out walking last week, but it didn't want to pose for the camera!
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| Fox Sparrow |
Wood Frogs and Chorus Frogs have been calling while I have been out and about. I spotted these Wood Frog egg masses in a small ditch of water.
I have enjoyed the vacant trails the past few weeks. Social distancing has been quite easy these days while out and about. I look forward to getting out more in the coming weeks to enjoy the glory of spring.
