A pair of Tree Swallows - one alert, the other snoozing. Seen at Princess Point Park, Hamilton #HamOnt #birds #TreeSwallow #spring

Close up on a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, seen along the trail around Ducks Unlimited Pond, MacGregor Point Prov Park. #Ontario #birds #sapsuckers

Poor photo as the dragonfly never landed, but this was the first one I saw flying around in 2018 - a Common Green Darner I believe - seen at Schmidt Lake, near Chepstow #Ontario #dragonflies #spring

Side by side - the brown and green morphs of the northern leopard frog (Lithobates pipiens) - a pair amongst dozens in the ponds at MacGregor Pt. #frogs #Ontario #spring #LeopardFrog

Overhead flyby of a Sandhill Crane at the Ducks' Unlimited Pond at MacGregor Point Prov Park, Port Elgin #Ontario #birds #SandhillCrane

A male Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler, seen migrating through MacGregor Point Prov Park, Port Elgin #birds #warblers #Ontario

A surprise backyard visitor during migration this week: a female Eastern Towhee. Inch Park neighbourhood, Hamilton #HamOnt #birds #migration #EasternTowhee

A pair of Canvasbacks coasting through the waters of Cootes Paradise, Hamilton, Ontario #HamOnt #canvasbacks #ducks #birds

🐍 With the warmer weather the snakes are back out, like this garter snake photographed at McMaster Forest, Hamilton #HamOnt #snakes #gartersnake #macro #spring
(shot at 2000 fps to get the tongue!)

Had this Mourning Dove fledgeling show up in the backyard this week - who knew they could nest, lay eggs, hatch, and then fledge by this early in Ontario? Very hardy parents. #HamOnt #birds #MourningDove

Pied-billed Grebe in the waters of Cootes Paradise, Hamilton #HamOnt #birds #grebes

One of the lesser-known skills of the Mute Swan: is a decent icebreaker!
Seen at Princess Point Park, Hamilton #HamOnt #birds #swans #MuteSwan

A quick shot of the first Tree Swallow to arrive at Princess Point this year - a male who is still moulting into the breeding plumage. #birds #HamOnt #swallows #TreeSwallow #spring

(look closely at the branch and you'll see this is being held up for the most part by spider webs!)

It’s rather late to find this, but here’s a Red-eyed Vireo nest that seems to have survived the winter. The species should be back again in about 6-7 weeks. Found at McMaster Forest, near Ancaster #HamOnt #nests #vireos

Close up on a Song Sparrow male singing at the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, Dundas #HamOnt #birds #sparrows #spring #SongSparrow

Long distance view of an immature Bald Eagle trying to ward off harassing crows at Lake Niapenco at Binbrook CA #HamOnt #BaldEagle #birds

A Great Blue Heron, returned for spring, fishing at Princess Point in the morning sun. Hamilton, Ontario. #HamOnt #birds #herons #GreatBlueHeron

...and here it is having a bit of a run-in with a territorial Mute Swan.

A tiny Pied-billed Grebe, seen diving for food at Princess Point Park, Hamilton #HamOnt #birds #spring #migration #grebes #PiedBilledGrebe

A mix of setae in various stages - unopened, open, depleted.

This seta is still in a growth phase, not much red to it yet. Fire moss release spores typically just as the snow melts in late winter/early spring.

Here's a small "forest" of setae, reddish in colour that give the fire moss its name.

An extreme closeup on a seta (capsule for releasing spores) of fire moss (Ceratodon purpureus). Found at McMaster Forest, Hamilton, Ontario, on some old rotting wood. #moss #mosses #ceratodon #HamOnt #macrophotography

A male American Robin perched on hawthorn, seen at McMaster Forest, Hamilton, Ontario #HamOnt #birds #robins #spring #AmericanRobin

Great photo by @PeregrinePrints - never seen this colour on a Katydid before! twitter.com/inaturalist/status/97577...

Close up on a Red-breasted Nuthatch, seen at Binbrook CA, Binbrook, Ontario #HamOnt #Ontario #birds #nuthatches

Close up on a Pine Siskin, found in the conifers at Binbrook CA #HamOnt #birds #siskin #winter #finches

Just saw this Snowy Owl atop the roof tonight at @petsmart in Stoney Creek, Ontario #HamOnt #SnowyOwl #birds #owls #winter

Close up on a female Snowy Owl, perched atop a hydro pole north of Alma, Ontario at dusk. #SnowyOwl #birds #Ontario #owls #winter