One of these birds is not like the other...

 When our children were young enough to watch Sesame Street, there was a little game that started with the song,

One of these things is not like the others,

One of these things just doesn't belong,

Can you tell which thing is not like the others

By the time I finish my song?

Did you guess which thing was not like the others?

Did you guess which thing just doesn't belong?

If you guessed this one is not like the others,

Then you're absolutely... right!

The temperatures yesterday afternoon were a comfortable -4C and the sun was shining, so we went for a walk on the Linear Trail at the confluence of the Grand and Speed Rivers in Cambridge ON. A variety of water birds migrate to southern Ontario in the winter from the far north and this is a good spot to see a few seasonal visitors. I have seen the odd Trumpeter Swan here in recent years, but yesterday there were dozens of them in the water making their characteristic "trumpeting" calls. This species has been brought back from the verge of local extirpation. Volunteers used to monitor and feed over-wintering swans at Lasalle Park in Burlington ON where the birds were tagged with large yellow numbers. Yesterday I saw only one bird with a tag. It is good to see they are making a healthy comeback without being fed by humans. 

Trumpeter Swans outnumbered Mute Swans in the river yesterday even though they hung out together. The one thing that doesn't belong in the picture is the Mute Swan with the orange beak. 

We also saw a few muskrats enjoying the sunshine and munching on shoreline reeds, along with Common Mergansers, Golden-eye ducks and Buffleheads making for an interesting outing indeed.