New Years Day Walk

Got out for a bit before heading into Toronto for a family evening. First walk of the year and we spotted something new, and some creepy and cool things.

Again, there was like 50,000 Canada Geese at the shore of Lake Ontario in Whitby, and this time we were a little more alert to spotting the "different" goose that had to be there. Bingo - don't we see some grey goose that had a strip of white in front of its bill this time. No Snow Geese though. This one we learned after viewing it at home and checking, is a Greater White Fronted Goose. Maps show it is off course but who knows how accurate those are or how much migrating birds vary off course. This goose shouldn't be found this far east according to maps we noticed.

We also noticed what was a mottled swan, maybe still in its juvi stage. Tons of ducks too, some Buffleheads, and what we think may be a mix of some other ducks, maybe Ring-Necks or Wigeons or something, we can't be sure. One in the group which landed had a copper coloured head.

Besides the bird life, there washed up on the shore was a very large crayfish which must have washed up in the tide and died on shore. The other enticing subject matter was all the ice formations where water has splashed up on the fallen dead trees along the shoreline.

The walk began with the spotting of a red tailed Hawk, on the ground, under a tree, which pretty much took off as we neared it, carrying its prey.