Confucius reigns both in our world and that of the birds methinks! With the temperatures being all over the place in this, the early 2024 month of February, it is hard to imagine what the birds and hibernating animals are thinking. Chipmunks have appeared and are sitting in the bright sunlight as it melts some of our winter “blues” away, and a very black flash of bird feathers in one of my front garden feeders, accompanied by that tell-tale flash of white in the wing, gave away the presence of a Red Winged Blackbird! As if that wasn’t exciting and bewildering enough, above my head I heard the “honking” of a beautifully symmetrical “vee” formation of Canada Geese, as it traversed my viewing range, seeking, no doubt, some of the “still open” waters nearby. How confusing for us all.
Talking of open waters, whilst in a pharmacy and in conversation with a lady who lives near the Rideau River, she informed me that they are seeing ducks and also other water birds appearing early too, so nature is really topsy-turvy! Perhaps you too are also seeing for yourselves what is happening in your gardens and in your trees, there are obviously different things to be seen, so I hope you can enjoy the moments as these events occur before your very own eyes. My two pictures for this article are a Tree Sparrow and a Red Winged Blackbird.
Stay safe and well.
Cheers,
John Baldwin
