Our birding crew is going to Niagara Falls to see what birds we can find and to appreciate
the natural beauty of one of the Natural Wonders of the world.
The Niagara River is a beautiful tourist destination, but we're not here just to look at the scenery.
We are looking for birds.
We start in the Dufferin Islands.
This nature area is an easy walk away from the big waterfalls.
We arrived just after sunrise.
Things were peaceful and clear.
I'm curious what we will find!
A cormorant was diving for fish.
And mallard ducks were getting ready to start the day.
The Niagara River is a designated "Important Bird Area", providing food and habitat for
lots of birds.
Canada Geese were teaching their young to forage.
And a Common Tern flew by!
Barn Swallows got ready to fly.
The two on the right are juveniles.
This bird was identified by its song.
American Robins did their morning routine.
Hundreds of thousands of birds spend part of the year here.
Species change through the seasons.
A Cardinal sat in a tree.
We were lucky to see this bird.
But this one walked right up to us.
Blue jays are easy to find.
Having a field guide was really helpful for identifying this one!
But Chipping Sparrows have that cool hat which makes them easy to identify.
A Gray Catbird was hopping around.
And a Great Egret flew by.
We also found some non-bird species!
Like this hive of bees getting ready for the day.
And this bug with a cool name!
A chipmunk was foraging on the path.
And we saw a woodchuck swim for the first time!
Have you seen a bird fly like this before?
The rapids just above the falls are a great place to see water birds!
Cormorants and gulls find lots of fish here.
The river is a migration path as birds move with the seasons.
Protecting the water and nearby forests will ensure that birds have food and shelter for
years to come.
Niagara Falls is beautiful to look at, and birds fly around in the mist.
We would need much more experience to identify any of them though!
But seeing this natural wonder was a great way to end a day of birding.
I have lived here for almost 5 years, and had no idea there was so much bird diversity
in my own backyard.
Write in the comments if there are any interesting birding areas near you.
And after the fun we had today, maybe you'll be inspired to go visit one.
If you want to know more about birds you should subscribe to know when new videos are released
into the wild.
And watch another video on this channel.
Here are a couple you might like.
Thanks for stopping by this week to learn what makes Life awesome!