Birding on Home Turf

Not much time for birding trips this weekend.  I just had a couple of hours after work, before making dinner, and decided to enjoy my own backyard and local parks.  James Gardens is a beautiful park to walk, bike and bird in.  I've been going there to bike since I moved into the Lawrence/Royal York Neighbourhood.  I saw and heard all the regular birds, Red-winged Blackbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Starlings and a pair of frolicking Downy Woodpeckers.

But it was the last bird I saw as the sun was setting that made my heart beat a little faster, as I had not seen owls in James Gardens before.  Sue says she's never seen a Great-horned Owl in James Gardens and was jealous.  So if you like owls, take a walk along the forest path in Lambton Woods and keep a keen eye out for the Great-horned Owl.  I am not sure if it is nesting now, or just passing through, but perhaps it will spend the summer here, for everyone's enjoyment.

 Sorry about the focus, but it was getting dark and the shutter speed was slow.

Some other photos from the walk:

And a Robbin is nesting in my front Yard