You'll never guess what I saw!!

Winter in Ottawa and you'll never guess what I saw today. Never! Not one, not two, not three, but a few dozen (wait for it)....................chickadees! Yessiree, Bob. Chickadees. It was astounding. Okay - all kidding aside, there were slim pickings out there today.

Mallards and Common Goldeneyes on the Ottawa River and Black-capped Chickadees, White-breasted Nuthatches and a Downy Woodpecker around Mud Lake. And that's about it. No Bohemian Waxwings, no Cardinals, no nothin'.

I also went out to the Bell Sensplex to see if I could find the Gray Partridge Bruce Di Labbio has posted about on Ont-Birds. Checked around the parking lot and in the woods across the street...saw lots of signs of the bird (either that or weird squirrel tracks!) but no luck. And the light was perfect...ah well. C'est la vie. It's been a good weekend no less.

Here's the only decent shot I got today (I only pressed the trigger a dozen times or so):

White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)
Nikon D80, 70-300 mm f4.5-5.6
ISO 400, 1/500, f/11, 300 mm
Handheld, Full frame

I suppose I shouldn't be fussy and should be happy that spring is around the corner. I am. I really am! :)

- Frances