We love going for walks along the Grand River, The Royal Botanical Gardens and Apps' Mills We usually have the camera with us and sometimes I think we spend more time snapping away than we do walking!!! We feel very blessed to have such beautiful areas so close to home and spend as much time as possible enjoying all the peaceful scenery, each others company and of course the birds!!
All the photos below were taken at one of the places mentioned above in 2007. For full photos, please click on the thumbnails.

Downy Woodpecker: This is the most common as well as the smallest (15-18cm or 6-7 inches) woodpecker in Canada. Downies are black and white with a white stripe down it's back. Wings are checkered in a black and white pattern. The only difference between male and female is the male has a small red patch at the back of the crown. The downy has a long, barbed tongue and sticky, glue-like saliva which help it catch insects. More than 75% of it's diet consists of insects but it will eat nuts, seeds and berries.
We were amazed when a male landed on our hand and took his time deciding between the peanuts and sunflower seeds in our hand. Most of the time he chooses peanuts!! He is so light and gentle and as long as we don't move will stay on our hand for several seconds. What an absolute thrill!!!

So light!!	Upside down	Watching us
Spring is here	Close up	Staredown

Red Bellied Woodpecker: A medium to large sized woodpecker, the Red Bellied measures 24 cm (9 inches.) It's belly is covered in a light red or pinkish wash that is very difficult to see. It is easy to identify by the spot of red on the back and top of it's head. Males have a red nape and crown and, to a leser extent, their forehead and lores are also red. Females have only a red nape and lore. Both have a black and white barred back which includes much of the wing. Most of the rest of it is a grayish white. This woodpecker also eats insects, fruits, nuts and seed. It is one of the woodpeckers which constantly stores food.
We have only seen the red bellied woodpecker at the gardens once. We keep looking and hopefully will get more opportunities to photograph him!!

The black-capped chickadee (which we believe is the one in all our photos) is quite tame and common through much of North America. The distinguishing vocalization "chick-a-dee-dee" of this bird is one of the most complex vocalizations in the animal kindom and is what gives the bird its name.
Black-capped Chickadees are approximately 13 cm (5 inches) in length. A small active bird with a black cap, white cheeks, and a black bib, it is easily recognizable. Both sexes are similar in appearance.
From sunrise to sunset, the chickadee spends most of its time feeding. It eats large quantities of insect eggs, larvae and pupae, weevils, lice, sawflies, and other insects, as well as a variety of seeds.
Cool facts:

• can remember where it hid food for at least 28 days after putting it in its hiding place
• drops its body temperature at night by 10 to 12°C below daytime body temperature, to conserve energy
• depletes much of its energy by feeding nestlings from six to 14 times an hour
• has a very established hierarchy, or “pecking order”

We were so amazed when these little guys landed on our hands. They are so light and gentle and appear to have no fear of us. It gives us quite a laugh to be walking the trails and see a chickadee land in a tree and start chattering away at us. We have now learned this is when we stop, hold out a handful of food and wait. To have a wild bird and one so tiny train us is so awesome!!!