Confessions of an Incredibly Lazy Blogger

Okfine, I've been off the radar for the past few weeks, but hopefully that's about to change as I'm getting caught up with some odds 'n' sods, so here goes with some birds from a few weeks ago in the Kawarthas, beginning with some Wild Turkeys:

A Hairy Woodpecker enjoying a tasty meal:

A Common Redpoll. Is it possible as we're now into March that this may be one of the last times I'll see one of these beauties for the year??

Admittedly it was a slow day, but these frisky Mallards in some open water made Ann and I stop to "smell the roses", as they really are quite lovely ducks and are frequently overlooked. Courtship and more was going on with males and females as Ann and I lived up to our "pornithologist" reputations by watching them primp and preen and mate. The female's fanned-out tail feathers must be a come-hither signal to the males:  

A very special Boreal Chickadee indeed was seen at a private feeder, as were several others of this species in Algonquin Park this winter by other birders:

And last, but certainly not least, Ann and I were privileged to be included in the release of a local Mallard Duck a few weeks ago, thanks to Chris, a highly-respected volunteer at the Toronto Wildlife Centre. This Mallard was rescued before Christmas due to a severe bill injury, and after successful surgery, it was to be released back into the wild.

Here goes with what took place, Chris opens the door to the cage and he makes his way out...

...he's still not sure what the deal is, but waddles his way down to the shoreline- or should I say "iceline"??

...and then it's his first flight in the wild after several weeks in captivity for rehab:

It all happened within a minute, but we were so pleased to see him safely back on his home turf again!

I confess that I'm not sure if these these next two photos are of him, or another Mallard, this is what happens when one delays editing photos on a timely basis, sorry Chris!! :-(

Thanks again to Chris for sharing this special moment with Ann and I. Here's a link to the Toronto Wildlife Centre (as well as my new home-away-from-home as I've just begun to volunteer there too also a reason for my delayed posting as my TWC training took priority!)

http://torontowildlifecentre.com/