Kitchener Waterloo & Area Birding: Blog commentary on my, (Bill McDonald) birding and wildlife sightings & observations
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FEBRUARY 2023

31/1/2023

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February 28th 2023

LOCATION: FWR Dickson .. again!
WEATHER: Cloudy, but mild (ish)
After yesterdays snow storm I thought that there might be some decent perching bird images possible on a snowy perch here at Dickson, but sadly the branches were clear of snow mostly, but still nice to see the regulars hanging out .. especially the Tufted Titmouse and the Rusty's. 

February 27th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Cloudy and chilly (-7C)
Because of some pretty serios computer issues, again, I haven't been out much over the last week. Hopefully after buying a new computer and reinstalling software, I should be trouble free going forward (I hope).
Today I went to FWR Dickson and around the back roads in the same area, and it turned out not too bad with a couple of decent shots in the can.

February 18th - 20th 2023

LOCATION: 18th - North Dumfries 20th - Burlington
WEATHER:  Sunny both days and quite mild
Again ... nothing too exciting around, but nice to see an early spring arrival ... the Red-winged Blackbird.
​**  As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title

February 12th -16th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Dry, sun and cloud
I have been having some computer issues over the last few days, so I have fallen behind with my posts. However it seems to past me now, so I think I can return to normal .. maybe :).
I spent a little time cruising the back roads around North Dumfries and also at FWR Dickson. Birds are getting harder to find that's for sure as I think many of our winter "visitors" are starting to drift north, and our spring arrivals are still in transit .. so to speak. There is a Bald Eagle pair in the area, and it looks like they are sitting on eggs, so one to keep an eye on, I think.

February 11th 2023

LOCATION: FWR Dickson, North Dumfries
WEATHER:  Mainly cloudy, and chilly
This location has been the gift that keeps on giving now for a couple of months, and with not too many other spots where you can be sure of getting in a few clicks, I headed there this morning primarily for a chance at a few shots of one of the Rusty Blackbirds that have been frequenting the boardwalk. After about an hour I gave up and headed back to the car, and on the way back 3 or 4 Rustys popped up ... my lucky day :)
Tip of the Day: Maybe you’ve heard of “golden hour.” It’s the time of day just after the sun starts to rise and just before it sets when the daylight is softer than it is the rest of the day. Photos were taken when the sun was high in the sky and often had harsh shadows or came out very dark. Even the best photographers will struggle to produce excellent images at high noon, instead opting for the soft, golden light. Not only will your photos look better at this time, but wildlife, including many birds, are typically more active in the morning and as the sun sets.

February 10th 2023

LOCATION: Dundas
WEATHER: Cloudy and chilly
Especially since I retired I find myself absorbed with a couple of passions. One of course is bird photography and the other is reading, and for the last year or so, the type has been detective novels. Its funny but some of things I have gleaned from reading this kind of "rubbish" is I find myself taking a lot of the same things into consideration as the fictional detectives do ... location, clues, history, right place-right time, and a few others. Of course, habitat and time of year comes into play as well.
Today I went back, with a friend, to the same spot in Dundas as a couple of days ago, a) to share my previous good luck and b) to see if I can get a shot of the White-throated Sparrow. Luck was with me on the sparrow, as it did sit out in the semi-open for several seconds allowing us each a couple of shots. On the down side the Hermit Thrush didn't show. On the up side Merlin picked both Winter Wren and Carolina Wren but again neither gave us a glimpse ... oh well another reason maybe to visit in the next little while. :)
**  As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title

February 8th 2023

LOCATION: Dundas/Flamborough
WEATHER: Bright sunshine & mild
When I spotted the Hermit Thrush a few days ago down in the Dundas area, I also caught a glimpse of a White-throated Sparrow, so today my target was said Sparrow. I staked out an area around where I had seen it a few days ago, and after a significant wait, it did show up, but it was again a very brief visit before disappearing back into the scrub. On the plus side I did have another couple of decent visitors - the Winter Wren, and the House Finch, and of course the Hermit Thrush was still around. 
After a few hours I gave up, and headed off. A mile or two from my spot I saw another good looking habitat with several sparrows flying around. They were primarily American Tree Sparrows, but one was an unlikely Song Sparrow, and bonus ... he hung around, and checked me out :)
Tip of the Day: ​You don’t necessarily have to travel far to have a good Birdwatching/Bird Photography experience in the winter. The combination of fewer species plus birds’ heavier reliance on bird feeders during the colder months, all you need to do is scout your neighbourhood area to get to know where all the active feeders and if you are lucky,  heated bird baths are! eg - in my area FWR Dickson is very productive

February 7th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Cloudy, and very mild (+5)
Funny how good luck manifests itself. This morning I took a shortcut between main roads - one I had taken a few times in the past) and where almost always there is nothing to see or find. This morning however, I spotted a decent sized flock of Tree Sparrows on the side of the road, so I stopped and rolled the window down with a thought that I might get a shot or two, through the now open window. A few moments later a small flock of Snow Buntings hit the air about 80 yards away, so now these became the focus. They circled a couple of times and at one point a few landed on a nearby fence post, but almost immediately a Northern Harrier flew over and that was it with Snow Buntings as they high tailed it. 
I sat in my vehicle for a while hoping for some Tree Sparrow action, and then my good luck hit home - the Harrier swung around several times hoping for a Tree Sparrow breakfast. I was able to fire off dozens of shots, sometimes he was too close and overfilled the frame. 
​After this I headed down to Dickson for a short visit. Lots of birds there ... as usual.
Tip of the Day: Shooting from inside a vehicle during the winter and extremely cold temps helps to keep the photographer warmer than they would be standing outside, but it can also cause problems because heat can come up from under the vehicle or escape from inside a vehicle and cause problems with focusing - photos will likely be soft and not quite in focus. So tip is that if you can get out of the vehicle, or what I try to do (it seems to help) is get the inside of the car cold usually by opening the windows several minutes before I get to my stopping spot.

February 5th 2023

LOCATION: Dundas/Flamborough
WEATHER: Sun early on, then Cloudy, and very mild
One of the primary reasons to running this blog wasn't to show off my finds and photographs, but more as an alternate to a diary that I used to keep, so lets call it an online and shared diary. Before heading out this morning I went through similar days at this time of year over a few years, to see what & where I was finding birds. I came across an entry that showed I had found a Hermit Thrush at the beginning of February, at a spot near Dundas, so I headed down with my fingers crossed that it might be a productive option. Almost at the same spot as in a previous year I was delighted to find my target ... the Hermit Thrush.
Tip of the Day: Cold weather and freezing water force many waterfowl south each winter. Look for residents of the far north like tundra swans in open marshes, lakes, and flooded fields, often mixed with flocks of slightly larger trumpeter swans. Diving ducks such as redheads, canvasbacks, common goldeneyes, buffleheads, mergansers, and more seek open water. Look for them in and around open water - rivers and ponds.

February 3rd 2023

I made my first entry on Feb 3d 2013, so that makes it 10 years. It has been a lot of fun :)
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January 2023

3/1/2023

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January 30th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Cloudy with flurries
The weather was a little iffy, but at least the snow looked like it was going to minimal, if at all. I had originally planned to head to Lake Ontario, but at the last minute, I though maybe looking for a Lapland Longspur would be more satisfying, so I headed out towards Ayr, and the back roads beyond. Yesterday I came across a couple of flocks of Snow Buntings, so I headed to the same spots and yes the SB's were still there, but unfortunately there was also a Northern Harrier keeping them on the move, so I never was not able to get these little white gems  close enough or still enough for a decent shot. Of what I could seed there wasn't any Laplands in the mixes anyways...  I will keep looking :)
On the way back home I detoured around to FWR Dickson and as always a ton of bird activity, so I didn't come home empty handed.
Tip of the Day: No matter where you're shooting your bird/wildlife shots you need to have a good look around the viewfinder to make sure there's nothing in the background that will distract the viewer. Throwing the background out of focus can look great, however, this can cause parts of your subject, particularly when working with small subjects such as birds, to also go out of focus. If this happens try using a slightly smaller aperture as getting the subject sharp is what's more important.
**  As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title

January 29th 2023

LOCATION: a) Kitchener b) North Dumfries
WEATHER: Cloudy and a light snow
Top Row:  were a a couple of shots I managed through my dining room door onto my deck setup.
Mid Row: I took a drive around North Dumfries looking for Snow Buntings, and was rewarded with spotting a couple of small flocks. No Lapland Longspurs in either flock sadly.
Bottom Row: On my way back, I dropped in at FWR Dickson, and was delighted to see 4 Rusty Blackbirds. None of them posed too well, but happy nonetheless.
Tip of the Day: Snow makes for a clean background Its not often we are blessed with great backgrounds when shooting wildlife – after all they won’t pose for us or do what we ask for them to do. But when the snow falls, and leaves that great blanket of white everywhere, getting separation between your subject and the background is easy and really makes the bird POP.

January 26th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Cloudy and a bit chilly
After yesterday, which was a nasty snow day, I took a run out, once more, trailing the back roads between Paris and Cambridge looking for anything interesting. I often find that after a fresh fall of snow quite a few bird species look for food along the freshly ploughed back roads., so can be easier to find than normal. Today was certainly like that, with several flocks of a few different species hanging out along the roadside.
Tip of the Day: Snow Buntings breed far to the north, on rocky tundra, but in winter, flocks move into the more southern reaches of Ontario and can be seen along roadsides as they forage in agricultural fields, generally in corn stubble. They tend to migrate in large flocks, and it is quite rare just to see a single Snow Bunting on its own, which makes looking for these birds a little easier. I like to drive along the back roads and look for a large flock out in the fields, than take it from there.

January 25th 2023

LOCATION: Kitchener
WEATHER: Snow, and more snow
Forecast was to be flurries in the morning then snow for the rest of the day. As it turned out, the snow started mid morning, so all in all it was a day to stay close to home.
**  As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title

January 24th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Dark and cloudy, first thing
Back along the back roads in North Dumfries looking for another chance at the Snow Buntings, but they seem to have exited the area ... oh well !! On the plus side there was a few Horned Larks hanging around along West Dumfries Road.

January 23rd 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Early sun, then cloud
Initially I took a drive around lots of the back roads/gravel roads in the North Dumfries area, including some roads I rarely travel. I am glad I did as I came across, initially, some Horned Larks, then a bit further along a small flock of Snow Buntings. The bright sun was a a little fierce, but with a bit of post processing I was able to tone down the highlights .. a bit anyways.

January 20th 2022

LOCATION: Kitchener
WEATHER: Snowy afternoon
It wasn't a day to go too far with the forecast showing it to be a snowy afternoon, so I propped the camera on a tripod inside my dining room pointing in the direction of my setup that I had positioned above my deck rail. Set out some seed etc, just out of shot, and hoped for something other than the multitude of squirrels that I usually get.
It wasn't overly birdy, but a few birds came in for a snack. 

January 18th 2023

LOCATION: North of Elmira
WEATHER: Cloudy, but not too cold
I trundled dozens of back roads and side roads north of Elmira towards Listowel looking for a Snowy Owl, and after almost giving up, and after several hours I spotted a distant Snowy in a farmers field. IO was within 15 minutes of giving up, so I was very pleased that the amount of fuel I burned wasn't a complete waste.
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January 14th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries & Kitchener
WEATHER: Sunny, and very cold
A sunny morning , which isn't my most favorite shooting environments, but after several days of cloud, it was nice to see... but it was chilly.
​I took a run down to the North Dumfries area to see what I could find. FWR Dickson was quite active, but no surprises. From there I headed home and kept an eye on my back yard feeders.

January 10th 11th & 13th 2023

LOCATION: Kitchener
WEATHER: Cannot remember :)
A couple of days at home shooting a few birds that hang around my back yard feeders. On the 13th we had a little snow, so that added some nice winter effects to the images. Unfortunately the feeder not only attract the seed eaters, but also the occasional raptor, like the Coopers Hawk I photographed on the 13th. He has been generally not too successful, but I do see some Junco feather blowing around, so he must have a meal one day.

January 7th & 8th 2023

LOCATION: North Dumfries
WEATHER: Cooler, but more than seasonal
I popped into FWR Dickson both days, hoping for something a little different. There was a Carolina Wren popping up occasionally, but other than that just the usual birds. Not that that is too bad as these normal birds are Tufted Titmouse, White-breasted Nuthatch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Chickadees, Juncos, Downy Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker and of course the aforementioned Carolina Wren.

January 5th & 6th 2023

LOCATION: Kitchener
WEATHER: Mixed, but mild
A few shots taken in and around our back yard feeders.

January 1st & 2nd 2023

LOCATION:  North of North Bay (private location)
WEATHER: Mild and cloudy 
My friend Steve, and myself headed back to a spot we have been to a few times over the years, which unfortunately I cannot share with you as I have been asked to keep it to myself. I can say that it was a fair ways north of Barrie, and took us several hours to get there.
We had hoped for a few of the northern finches, but unfortunately we missed out on the Crossbills, but on the plus side we were able to photograph lots of Pine Grosbeaks, and quite a few Common Redpolls. There were a few other species around (Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers and a few Blue Jays).
The species shown below were a delight to photograph as they came in close many, many times over the two days we were there.
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    Pretty much all my life I have had an interest in nature photography albeit in, off and on, phases of interest. Around 15 years ago, I found myself, again, getting that nature bug, and I am now, especially since I retired just over 7 years ago, very passionate about  wildlife & wildlife photography.

    ​Enough about me ...             I hope that you enjoy my ramblings and the occasional  decent  image.

                       Bill McDonald

    “In order to see birds it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” 
    ― Robert Lynd
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