Egret and deer at Sawmill Creek

I went for a bike ride around Sawmill Creek Constructed Wetland this afternoon.  While scanning the edge of the wetland for birds, I first saw an egret!

This is the first time I seen a Great Egret (Ardea alba) in Canada, even though I had seen it before in Taiwan and New Orleans.  According to members in the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Facebook page, egrets can be seen along the Ottawa River and sometimes a bit inland (such as here) as well.

 There were also many bumble bees flying around visiting dandelions, the main flowering plant in the area, and most bees were the Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens).

 Watched this Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) taking a bird bath.

 While this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was fishing, it was getting attacked by Red-winged Blackbirds, which I assumed because it was too close to their nests.


Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)


Quite a handsome bird.

On my bike, I sensed something ahead looking at me.  I stopped and realized it was a white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus).  After seeing me, the deer took off into the woodland.

 A much better Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) photo than the first time.

While the weather was mostly sunny, there were some clouds pouring rain sporadically.  So I decided to head back.

But then I saw this Silvery Blue (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) and stopped to take its photo, because this will be the first blue butterfly of the year.  Last year, my first blue butterfly photo was taken almost exactly one year ago in Peterborough.

After putting my camera into my backpack, I saw this Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) perching obediently in front of me.  I took the camera back out and snapped a few photos before heading back.

Just counting the number of days before departing Ottawa - 4.