Birds.  I have to say that I did not really pay too much attention to them until the hummingbirds began to frequent my yard a few years ago.  Since then, I've kept track of how many different species visit the yard each year and have learned more about the many species of waterfowl that frequent the nearby ponds.  

My favorite water birds by far are loons.  Hearing their haunting calls on a mountain lake is something I look forward to on each camping trip.  Well, camping season is short lived, so when not in the mountains, I've come to appreciate the local feathered population.  There are many that I've observed and still do not know their names and there are many that I've heard and still do not know their calls to ID them.  Nonetheless, it has come to be a regular part of my outings to pay attention to the swimmers and tweeters.

My backyard has a number of feeders in it.  They entice chickadees, nuthatches, bluejays, red-winged blackbirds, hummingbirds, orioles, magpies, pileated woodpeckers, downy and hairy woodpeckers, flickers, grosbeaks, goldfinches, purple finches, etc.  The poplar snag in my yard has deep holes created by the pileated woodpeckers.  The holes have become nesting spots for tree swallows and house wrens.  The nuthatches work their way up and down the loose bark collecting insects.  The local feathered friends have provided hours of entertainment.

During my trip to Elk Island yesterday, I was witness to a couple of crows raiding a blackbird nest.  Each one had an egg in their beak.  The parent blackbirds fought hard to keep the crows at bay.

The goslings at the park have started feeding in the water.  It has been fun to watch them grow. Some are beginning to grow their feathers.

The tree swallows at the Strathcona Wilderness Center provide entertainment to those heading to the hiking trails.  Anyone walking on the east trails must walk by the many birdhouses inhabited by the swallows.  If you get too close, you may have one of the swallows swooping at your head.

This morning not one but two blue herons flew over the road in front of my vehicle.  I was in no position to take a photograph but if I could have, I would not have needed a zoom lens.  What beautiful, graceful birds.

There have been many occasions that binoculars would have come in handy and I didn't have them along.  They now have a home in one pocket of my camera bag.