Clay-colored Sparrow

This Clay-colored Sparrow is not a common visitor to this province. I was able to find and get a few photographs in early December before the snow fall.

This is one of the first birds that I photographed and I didn't have much of a chance. It took me a while to realize that it was the Clay-colored and then to get set up for a couple of shots.

It was quite active and I didn't get any clear images but this is a fair record shot.  In several of the pictures that I took, the branches blocked the head of the bird so I didn't post them.  The color of this bird does not seem as rich as the pictures in the books, but the markings are true to the Clay-colored. It is possibly because this is a winter coat.

I am not sure if this is a female or male. After all of the sparrows that I have posted today, it is easy to see how difficult it can be to identify the differences. It is kind of like the seagull series that I posted over the winter.

I have one more sparrow to post in the near future. Now, at last, I can upload my many weekend pictures from from my camera to my computer. I can hardly wait to see them all.

American Black Duck

As a novice birdwatcher, it is easy to overlook the most common birds around us all of the time. I guess I am guilty of that. I have taken many pictures of Black Ducks but for some reason, never posted them. The Black Duck is a great bird to practice photography on because they are so ever present in all of the inner city ponds. I really like this shot because of the great light bouncing off the tail feathers. This is likely a hybrid with a Mallard, given the touch of green showing on the head.

The Black Ducks in the ponds have almost become domesticated because so many people in the city feed them. They are quite playful and will entertain even the casual onlookers. This one decided to sing me a song.

It is a very common sight to see the Black Ducks flying about and landing with a flare and a swish very close to shore. They also dip their head under water and let it roll off its back. I guess that is where the saying comes from: "Like water off a duck's back."

 I came across this duck with her ducklings in a more isolated pond. She certainly seems to be on guard to protect her little ones. I have never seen the head feathers like this before.

 During the spring, there were baby ducklings everywhere. If they all made it, there will be many Black Ducks in the years ahead. There are even some road signs here indicating "Duck Crossing."

It is easy to forget that the Black Duck is a wild, game bird because we see them all of the time. They seem to be pretty smart thought because when hunting season starts, they move into city ponds where there is no shooting allowed. Good for them.