| A beautiful day for a walk in the park. |
Thursday July 24, 2014. Swan Lake Village area, Markham, Ontario |
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| The last 10 days have been very interesting in Swan Lake Park. Great Blue Herons, Osprey and Caspian Terns have been fishing in the lake. Occasionally the competition between these predators has let to arial combats taking place in the skies over Swan Lake. The Cygnets continue to grow at a phemomenal rate while the parents guard them from foxes and minks in the park. |
| Swan Lake Park - July 16th, 2014 |
| Mute Swans |
| Romeo, Juliet and the Cygnets continue to stay at the North Island where they are less likely to be disturbed by predators, dogs and people. |
| Noon feeding. Our dedicated volunteers continue to feed the swans 3 times daily and stay with them during the feeding to discourage predators. |
| Red-winged Blackbird |
| This one was watching me from the fence as I walked along the path around the lake. |
| Mallard Duck |
| This juvenile duck was trying to sleep on a piece of wood that is stuck just off the north shore. I thought you might find it's resting position interesting as the head is turned 180 degrees and the wings have been moved to cover it's bill. |
| Mute Swans |
| Heading back to the north Island after their late afternoon feeding, one of the Cygnets waves by stretching one wing above its back. |
| Red-winged Blackbird |
| Adult female watching from the top of a tree as I walk by below. |
| Swan Lake Village - July 17th, 2014 |
| American Crow |
| It's very rare to see Crows in the park or village. But a small flock, also know as a 'murder', of crows landed on the roof of a house as I walked by on my way to the park. |
| Swan Lake Park - July 23rd, 2014 |
| Mute Swans |
| Noon feeding and the parents are still guarding the cygnets. |
| Mallard Ducks |
| 4 of the 7 junvenile mallard ducks raid the feeder after the Swans have finished. |
| The gang of 7 juvenile Mallard ducks waiting outside the feeding station waiting for the Swans to finish. These are very greedy ducks and Juliet keeps them out of the feeder . |
| Great Blue Herons |
| A second Great Bue Heron showed up today and the other Heron begins to chase it away. |
| Having driven it off the lake the Heron continues to chase it out of the park. |
| Still chasing the other heron this one drives it towards the houses across the street from the park on the north side. |
| After the chase, the Great Blue Heron flies back to the lake and then swings around to land on a branch of a large tree on the hill where it can watch the lake. |
| Robin |
| While trying to take pictures of the Cormorant fishing in the shallows just south of the North Island this Robin landed right in front of us and puffed himself up. |
| Caspian Tern |
| Two Caspian Terns were hunting for fish in Swan Lake. If you are lucky enough to see them over the lake, take a break and watch these beautiful birds as they dive from a great height to try and catch a fish under the waters of the lake. It amazing to see them burst forth from under the waters with a fat fish in their beak and fly back up into the air. |
| Caspian Tern sees a fish in the waters below. |
| Banks to the right and continues to cirle the lake in hopes of finding a fish. |
| Osprey |
| While the Caspian Terns were looking for fish this Osprey arrived and began searching for fish on the far side of the lake. |
| Caspian Tern and Osprey |
| Both Caspian Terns made a lot of lound cries as they chased the Osprey away from the lake. Cindy caught this picture of one of the Terns chasing the Osprey across the lake. |
| Eastern Cottontail Rabbit |
| We found this bunny waiting for us beside the path around the north side of the lake. |
| Swan Lake Park - July 24th, 2014 |
| Song Sparrow |
| While we fed the Swans this Song Sparrow landed in a tree near the feeder and burst forth with it's beautiful song. |
| Mute Swan |
| Later when we came to do the noon feeding the Swans were too far away to hear us calling. I went over to the landing and found Romeo still on the north island. I called even louder and romeo started to swim east towards the feed. Juliet and the Cygnets came around the point shortly afterwards heading towards the feeder. |
| Robin |
| This Robin had a bit of a Dilemma as it tried to carry both the worm and the bug at the same time. After a few tries it finally got both of them and ran off into the grass to enjoy them. |
| Mallard Ducks |
| The gang of seven raiding the Swan feeding station again after the evening feeding. The 7th duck is too far to the left to see in this shot. |
| Mute Swans |
| Juliet and her two cygnets heading back to the North Island. |
| Canada Geese |
| Watch you step when walking along the north path. The Canada Geese have been garthering there to eat the grass. |
| Double-crested Cormorant |
| This juvenile was sitting on a broken branch that ran aground just south of the north island. Shot was taken from way up on the Hill overlooking the lake. |
| Robin |
| Well this robin has it's mouth full with two large berries. |
| American GoldFinch |
| Both my wife and I managed to get s few good shots of this hansome male GoldFinch sitting in a tree along the path. |