Tons of Birds

In the interest of getting some much needed exercise this morning, I decided to take a walk out to the McKell Wascana Conservation Park. This is the first time this year that I have been out to this marsh area near my house. Earlier in the spring, the entire marsh area was flooded during the spring runoff. We had a lot of snow this past winter and there was a ton of runoff. Even today, there were still signs of the flooding of the marsh.

The weather this morning was absolutely beautiful. Sunny, few clouds, little to no wind, and around 14C. The fact that there was hardly any wind was a bonus around here. It was very relaxing to walk around the marsh and watch and listen to the wildlife. There were tons of birds out of all kinds and it was great to just observe them and listen to their song. 

Mallard ducks were in abundance in this part of the city today. Lots of green headed males around. I did spot one female with her ducklings. It's that time of year. 

 

There were also some American Widgeons in the park. They are very distinctive with their blue heads and beaks.

I was also surprised to a pair of pelicans in the marsh. They're usually found more in the larger area of Wascana Lake near downtown Regina. 

There were also tons of tree swallows out this morning. They make their homes in a series of small birdhouses that run around the periphery of the conservation area.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed walking around and taking pictures this morning. I haven't done this for a long time, especially after the long cold winter that we just experienced. I need to do this more often. Not only to help improve my cardiovascular fitness with some brisk walking but to also help me relax. I work in an office and when I'm not there during the week I'm usually driving around Regina from one activity to another. I just simply don't exercise and relax enough. At my age, this is not a good recipe for health in my later years. Here's to more exploring this area. And... he's to avoiding picking up any ticks. I saw one on my pant leg this morning. Good riddance!