New birds of the year

I took the long route to the bus station (around Sawmill Creek Wetland) yesterday, and I was very glad that I did - because of the birds that I saw.

Female Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus).

 Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser)

I think they got spooked by my presence (even though they were at least 50 m away from me on the other side of the wetland).

Landed in a different area of the wetland.

Near the beaver lodge.

A sign of the beaver around the lodge.

 Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris).  First of the year!  I saw the same species around this time last year too.

 I photographed this bird without knowing who it was at the time.

Based on its rusty crown, my labmate and I think it is an American Tree Sparrow (Spizella arborea).  Another first of the year.

 Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia).

After photographing the sparrow, I put my camera away because I was getting close to the bus station.  Then I saw American Robins feeding on the ground ahead of me, and among the robins was a bird with a yellow breast.

 I quickly realized it was an Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna) - a bird that I last documented in my blog almost six year ago!

Once the meadowlark realized I was photographing it, it flew to a tree and was gone afterwards.

Definitely the most exciting wildlife day so far this year!