This morning, I needed to get out for a walk…no connection to photography or the act of stalking birds.  It was raining and then, so cold, that the snow began to fall.  It was a very wet morning at the pond.  But, OH!  What a celebration!  Birds of every type seemed to be singing joy, singing love and hanging on the wet air!  It seems that the black birds, of every kind, just arrived…by the hundreds!  I made my first siting of a Ruddy Duck for the season.

I’ve watched the posted videos of murmurations of starlings on line…ones like this…

Well, this morning, I had the blessing of watching a smaller version of the same thing (not such a dense number) and a dance that moved just over the surface of the water and then up high, to return again and again.  Because the water was so much warmer than the air, a blanket of dreamy fog covered the pond.

In the trees, so many black birds…both red winged and yellow-headed blackbirds.  Max and I walked along the path and on both sides, the trees were filled with the birds.  They didn’t budge, but remained as we passed through.  It was an unbelievable experience.  And, through it all, I said to myself, “Lord, this magic is just happening for me…no photographs necessary…no Instagram…this is your gift for me.”

I’ve been tirelessly stalking first, one pair, then two and yesterday, five pairs of Northern Shovelers, trying to get a good ‘shot’.  This morning, I counted the males…15!!  What???  The females are more difficult to find, but, where there are that many men…there have to be a few chicas!  Again…no camera!  Wow!

I continue to be disappointed that Enmax has removed the nesting platforms for returning Osprey due to development of Stoney Trail.  A lone Osprey has been sitting in the vicinity for over a week, given that the nesting season begins in April.  Today, he was gone.  I noticed there are nesting materials stacking up on the top of a power pole, some distance away.  Normally, I would be watching the nesting behaviours of these beautiful Raptors, but, I guess this year will be different.

Posting a few of my favourite photographs here.