Photos and videos

One of our Winter birds is the Pine Siskin.  They can be confused with female House Finches, but have sharper bills, heavier and darker streaking on the undersides, yellow on tail, and yellow wing bars.  This has been an exceptional year, with numerous sightings and visits to home feeders.

Wolf. Oesterreich (01/20/26)

Steam rises off the lake as countless numbers of Canada Geese and Trumpeter Swans battle the frigid Arctic temperatures at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in Ames, (Sean Taylor, 1/23/2026)

Steam rises off the lake as countless numbers of Canada Geese and Trumpeter Swans battle the frigid Arctic temperatures at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in Ames, (Sean Taylor, 1/23/2026)

Trumpeters swans keeping their eye on me. (Taylor Lyon 12-31-25)

Mass of waterfowl (>2000 Canada Geese, ≈100 Trumpeter Swans, and at least 1 Snow Goose) packed into a small patch of open water on South Lake east of the Bluff (Greg Courtney, 23 January 2026).

Some photos taken during the mass invasion of Canada geese on January 6. (Thomas Meyer)

Some photos taken during the mass invasion of Canada geese on January 6. (Thomas Meyer)

It looks like this swan has four wings, but it's an optical illusion. There is a second swan behind but its head is hidden by the wings of the front swan (Tana Tesdall, 1/21/26)

An immature Bald Eagle soars over Ada Hayden Heritage Park (Sean Taylor, 1/23/2026)

An immature Bald Eagle soars over Ada Hayden Heritage Park (Sean Taylor, 1/23/2026)

An immature Bald Eagle soars over Ada Hayden Heritage Park (Sean Taylor, 1/23/2026)

An immature Bald Eagle soars over Ada Hayden Heritage Park (Sean Taylor, 1/23/2026)

Sunrise: looking SE across the south lake's west bay & main body, with Canada Geese on the ice and slivers of open water.

Wolf. Oesterreich (01/18/26)

Snow Goose coming in for a landing (Tana Tesdall, 1/18/26)

A Downy Woodpecker peeking out of its hole. (Taylor Lyon 1-11-26)

A sub adult (nearly mature) Bald Eagle sits in a tree (Tana Tesdall, 1/18/26)

View from the southwest cove of North Lake on a bitterly cold morning (Greg Courtney, 23 January 2026).

Double banded goose flying off at sunset. (Taylor Lyon 1-11-26)

Canada Geese, Trumpeter Swans, and a singleton Snow Goose (middle of the frame) on the only open water remaining in the park (Greg Courtney, 23 January 2026).

Swan coming in fast in the golden light right before sunset (Tana Tesdall, 1/21/26)

Sunrise over South Lake on the coldest day we’ve had thus far (-14° with wind chills to -40°) (Greg Courtney, 23 January 2026).

Female merganser popped out from under the water very close to me and slowly swam off.(South Lake Taylor Lyon 1-7-26)

Mallard drake and hen landing on the open water near swans and geese. (Tana Tesdall, 1/21/26)

A pair of American Coot that have been at South Lake during recent weeks (Greg Courtney, 11 January 2026).