The Liverpool Trestle Trail. A stretch of disaffected railroad. The tracks have been pulled long ago and the terrain is now a much loved place for jogging, dog-walking and strolling.
For the last few weeks, I have been walking this trail twice a day for numerous reasons. One of which would be health-related.
The first few days were just walking back and forth. My motivation for photography was kind of low at that time. Until I started to spot different birds in the awakening nature on the trail. The lead picture of this post shows how bare everything still was at that time.
Yellow Warbler
Yet a few birds had started singing there, apart from the ubiquitous crows. So I tried to find them in the branches. The first was an easy to spot Yellow Warbler, loud and very visible. Then I heard other birds and a few of them I knew from my time in Manitoba.
American Redstart
One of the more vocal birds of the warbler family is this American Redstart. Easily heard from far away. But to find it and photograph it is another matter. This one sat still for just enough time for me to snap off a few frames. Then it was gone again.
Black and White Warbler
So the next day, my camera came with me. I shot the Yellow Warbler as well as a few other birds. Over the next few weeks, the number of birds was growing steadily. From the above Black and White Warbler all the way to my “prize”.
Northern Cardinal
A Northern Cardinal. In Manitoba I had seen plenty of reports of people spotting ONE in a park, but I had never been lucky enough to find it. Here there are “plenty” of them, even in my backyard.
Gray Catbird
A Gray Catbird, chattering along, was taken on a different stretch of the trail, although I have heard many, but not seen any of them along the daily trail.
Cedar Waxwing
Then the Cedar Waxwings, hungry as ever. They can clean a whole tree of its fruit within an hour. I used to go “hunting” for them in Manitoba, by temps of –15C and lower. Here they seem to be perfectly comfortable with sunshine and warm weather.
Forget-me-nots
Along with the birds, nature was also awakening. Green leaves started to grow, first very shyly, then an outburst over a few days of warm weather. The Forget-me-nots started to show, along with a few lookalikes. I thought they were all the same until I had a closer look at them.
Azure Bleuets
These are not Forget-Me-Nots, forget those. These are Azure Bleuets. See the difference in number of petals? Looking closer does pay off. So closer looking was what was needed on the trail. Little by little more plants and flowers were coming up.
Swamp Beacon
So from the bigger subjects I went all the way to the tiny ones. Like the above Swamp Beacon. A bright yellow dot above dark water and weeds.
Walking the same trail every day may seem to become a drag. Every day the same, the same trees, the same water features and ditches. Yet every day there is something different. Every day there is something new. Come join me for a walk on the Liverpool Trestle Trail when you have a chance.
For those who may have forgotten, that is Liverpool, Nova Scotia, not the UK… 
Until next time…