The usual creatures were present along the boardwalk and were the subjects of many conversations among walkers. Many stop to feed and all admire these old friends.
A flock of chickadees was busy along the bridge, flying in from the trees where they kept watch for food.
They are unable to take unshelled peanuts but if you shell them, the tiny birds will fly off with the nutty treats.
My husband and I spent time cracking the shells for them.
A female hairy woodpecker will take peanuts any way they are offered.
She doesn’t mind the chickadees and competes with them for the same morsels.
The blue jays were sounding off in the trees but stayed away from the rail of the bridge when the woodpecker and the chickadees were eating. This was unusual for the jays who are normally aggressive around the other birds.
A raven kept watch above the bridge, surveying the scene. Rarely have I seen them foraging among the treats left by walkers.
Several squirrels were busy in the feeders people leave along the boardwalk.
One, sat on a branch, chattered loudly as if scolding another for some transgression.
As we walked along the upper part of the boardwalk, a mature bald eagle flew about 20 feet above us, shifting its head from side to side as it hunted. I was unable to photograph the unusual sight.
We hoped this predator didn’t make lunch of any of our old friends.
18 comments:
I love these same old friends, too. Yesterday on our walk we saw bald eagles, heron nests, and even a coyote who watched us unafraid. :-)
It is quite wonderful to feed the birds like this.
Sounds lovely. Between the snows the little birds come out here and sing like they think spring is coming or maybe they're just relieved to have a break.
Such a rich day for photos of the local fauna. Thanks for sharing.
So good to see my old friends. I didn't realize a chickadee could not shell a peanut.
Hello, beautiful birds and sightings from your walk. I love the chickadees and woodpeckers. Enjoy your day, have a great weekend ahead!
Great time for the seed eaters as humans feed them...but I do wonder about the bug eaters.
What a nice thing to do for the wee birds. Open the shell so they can eat the nut. I'm sure when they see people, they expect that chore to be done by the people. That's quite the service. :)
Wonderful critters!
While parking in a mall parkade in Edmonton this week where there is ton -- A TON -- of pigeons up in the rafters all the time, I saw a huge -- HUGE -- bird fly in a few rows away. Not a pigeon. Not a crow. Not even a raven -- it was BIGGER. I swear it had a white head above its huge wingspan. But surely not an EAGLE? Are things that tough for them this winter that they're reduced to hunting parkade pigeons? But this mall is close to our river valley, which is often a corridor for all kinds of wildlife. COULD IT BE?
Loved seeing all of these photographs.
A wonderful selection of critters.
All the best Jan
beautiful captures, those little chickadees are adorable. how nice that people bring food for them, i'm sure in winter they count on it!!
Oh these are really GORGEOUS beauties dear Marie!!!!!!!!!
I absolutely LOVED the each single ADORABLE bird !
How skilled are you to capture them as nicely!
I appreciate your love and care for your old friends as you cracked shell for them :)
Either I hope eagle did not prey the poor birds
What wonderful photos, Marie, and I love your commentary.
I'm always amazed at how these tiny creatures, and some of the bigger ones too, manage to survive and feed them selves during a bitter Canadian winter.
These are pretty much most of my favorite wild animals. I always enjoy seeing them.
Oh la! Looooved seeing your boardwalk friends Marie, such delightful creatures and so beautifully shown here, merci beaucoup ✨
Lovely set of photos, thanks for sharing. Have a good week Diane
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