31st March 2020
| Location: In and around Cambridge | Weather: Dull and drizzly |
With the pandemic well and truly in our lives for the foreseeable future, I try hard to think where to go without a) travelling too far and b) staying isolated. Today I went out for a couple of hours and dropped by a couple of our local ponds. One is quite well known as it is on the side of quite a busy road (Wellington County Rd 32) but the other pond is not known at all, so I'll keep that one under my hat for a while. Anyways the little known pond this morning had a couple of Buffleheads buzzing around, so with the weather being dull, a perfect subject (Buffleheads don't photograph well in the sun)
30th March 2020
| Location: Grass Lake Area | Weather: Cloudy & cool'ish |
A short outing to one of my local and favorite spots (Grass Lake and neighborhood) was far from productive, but I did see my first of year Ospreys. Initially there was only the one, but on my return journey, an hour later, the mate had shown up.
29th March 2020
| Location: North & East of Elmira | Weather: Foggy-rainy start but cleared up to just cloud |
Today the morning was raining pretty hard, but around noon, the rain stopped and it looked like it might even break into some sunshine, but after being cooped up all morning I decided to venture forth and see what I could find, but keeping myself as isolated as possible (social distancing).
A friend was just asking me about a Heron Rookery up in Mennonite country (north of Elmira). of which I wasn't aware, so it's gotta be worth a check out. (even though it's a tad early for Herons). I found the spot that was detailed for me at 43.669809, -80.472892, but no sign of any Herons or any related old nesting, but there was a fairly large group of Common Mergansers in the pond there. Unfortunately they were keeping their distance, so photos of any consequence to show for the sighting.
A few other species in the area - Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrels (I had 4 altogether), Song Sparrows, Cardinals, Killdeer, Meadowlarks & of course Chickadees & Robins.
A friend was just asking me about a Heron Rookery up in Mennonite country (north of Elmira). of which I wasn't aware, so it's gotta be worth a check out. (even though it's a tad early for Herons). I found the spot that was detailed for me at 43.669809, -80.472892, but no sign of any Herons or any related old nesting, but there was a fairly large group of Common Mergansers in the pond there. Unfortunately they were keeping their distance, so photos of any consequence to show for the sighting.
A few other species in the area - Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrels (I had 4 altogether), Song Sparrows, Cardinals, Killdeer, Meadowlarks & of course Chickadees & Robins.
Tip of the Day: Experienced Photographers usually avoid placing any subject in the exact center of a photograph. It tends to be more visually stimulating to see the bird off to one side, facing inward. Our own eyes naturally follow the same trajectory. Likewise, avoid placing the horizon line in the middle of a picture which cuts it in half and divides the image. It’s better to frame the horizon in the top or bottom third of your photograph.
27th March 2020
| Location: Colonel Sam Smith Park, Toronto | Weather: Dull start, but brightened up (12C) |
I had heard that there was a good selection of waterfowl hanging out at Colonel Sams, so it should be worth a trip up, and yes it was, with several species incl Red-necked Grebe, Horned Grebe, Long-tailed Duck, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneyes, Bufflehead, and likely a few more that I missed. Photographing ducks and other water birds, I find, is always best on a clear and bright day, but not overly bright, and most importantly with little or no wind.
Highlight for me today, was a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets that were foraging along the shrubbery next to the Lake. I have to say that they were tricky to get a shot as they constantly bounced from tree to tree, but with a little patience, and a fair amount of good fortune, I managed a couple of shots
Highlight for me today, was a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets that were foraging along the shrubbery next to the Lake. I have to say that they were tricky to get a shot as they constantly bounced from tree to tree, but with a little patience, and a fair amount of good fortune, I managed a couple of shots
26th March 2020
| Location: Elora to Guelph | Weather: Sun, turning to cloud, but nicely warm |
I spent another morning on a solo exploration of some back roads between Elora and Guelph. The results were pretty poor - I had hoped to stumble into something interesting, but the highlight of the morning was a Muskrat feeding in a creek. It's that time of year I suppose.
I was home by late morning so I stocked the back yard feeders, set the camera/lens on a tripod and shot a few visitors through my patio doors.
I was home by late morning so I stocked the back yard feeders, set the camera/lens on a tripod and shot a few visitors through my patio doors.
Tip of the Day: In many locations birds are quite used to seeing vehicles coming and going, so sitting in your car and taking photos of birds can be quite effective. However it's important to position the vehicle in an area where birds appear to be agreeable to your presence and such that from your open window you have a good viewpoint.. Once setup keep your movements within your vehicle to a bare minimum, and avoid sudden changes in position, and of course stay quiet.
24th March 2020
| Location: Back roads around Flamborough | Weather: Dull start, then sun & cloud (mild) |
With our current international crisis I have still been getting out birding, but very much to locations devoid of any people, and on a solo basis, so although I would have liked to head to some hot spots along the shore of Lake Ontario, I instead chose an area that I have always liked, but normally much later in the spring. I started off cruising a few gravel roads, but generally headed towards Beverley Swamp, where if the water was open there, there might be a few goodies hanging out. As it was there was nothing much to see, other than a couple of Canada Geese, and a few Grackles, Robins & RW Blackbirds. From here I headed over to Safari Road, and cruised the minor roads and at a couple of locations I spotted Eastern Meadowlarks. What to look for are rough unkept meadows - these seem to have the best chance of having a Meadowlark or two.
Throughout the morning, I stopped off at several roadside ponds and scanned the water looking for anything interesting and at a pond just outside of Cambridge on my way home I came across a pond with several Ring-necked Ducks and a couple of Hooded Mergansers.
Throughout the morning, I stopped off at several roadside ponds and scanned the water looking for anything interesting and at a pond just outside of Cambridge on my way home I came across a pond with several Ring-necked Ducks and a couple of Hooded Mergansers.
23rd March 2020
| Location: Close to Grass Lake | Weather: Snow, Sleet, then rain ... YUK |
It wasn't the best day to take bird photographs, but I was a little stir crazy. My plan was to head to Grass Lake (again) - it's close to where I live and usually has something to shoot at ... usually. My hope was that the Bluebirds would be active and that just maybe I could get one on a snowy branch, but unfortunately they sat on a nest box, and then on hydro wires, so not the best perches, and so I ended up with zero shots. After an hour of hanging around I headed back home, but on the way back I came across a couple of Sandhill Cranes way out in a field - the sleety snow that was happening didn't do anything for the shot, but sometimes you take what you get.
Other species seen were American Robin, Killdeer, Starlings, Grackles, Buffleheads, Mallards, Canada Geese, Tree Sparrows, Horned Larks (lots)
Other species seen were American Robin, Killdeer, Starlings, Grackles, Buffleheads, Mallards, Canada Geese, Tree Sparrows, Horned Larks (lots)
17th - 22nd March 2020
| Location: Between Cambridge & Paris | Weather: Sun and cloud, but still chilly |
For the last several days I had a project or two on the go, so birding had to take a bit of a back seat. However during that time I took a couple of hours off here and there a) for a break and b) to satisfy my passion for nature photography.
Mid March always has a few birds starting to show up as migration starts to develop, and a welcome time it is. I think all of us get a little fed up shooting the same subjects over an extended time .. ie winter. Over the last few days I'm starting to see the birds in the gallery below (of course) and a few others including .. Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Grackles, Song Sparrows and many others. On the flipside I'm also seeing way fewer of our over-wintering visitors - Tree Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and several species of Ducks, so I suppose the balance is somewhat neutral.
Mid March always has a few birds starting to show up as migration starts to develop, and a welcome time it is. I think all of us get a little fed up shooting the same subjects over an extended time .. ie winter. Over the last few days I'm starting to see the birds in the gallery below (of course) and a few others including .. Brown-headed Cowbirds, Common Grackles, Song Sparrows and many others. On the flipside I'm also seeing way fewer of our over-wintering visitors - Tree Sparrows, Dark-eyed Juncos and several species of Ducks, so I suppose the balance is somewhat neutral.
Tip of the Day: It's become very popular during our current crisis to go out on your own and to use your vehicle as a mobile blind. Be careful, especially when it's cold, as the the heat from inside the vehicle escapes through your open window. This escaping heat causes a heat haze that you now are shooting though, making your images way softer than they should be. Same is true to a lesser extent from engine heat. What I try to do is a) switch the motor off b) get setup with the window(s) open and allow the heat to drop somewhat, thus minimizing the heat haze... before clicking that shutter.
14th March 2020
| Location: Grass Lake to east of Cambridge | Weather: Cloudy and cool (0C) |
 Red-winged Blackbird | It was a non-birding and busy week for me, so it was only until today that I was able to get out, and it was most enjoyable, but with not too images to show for it. The skies were very busy with many flocks of the early migrants heading north'ish. Nothing too exciting - mainly Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, Crows and Grackles for the most part, but I did see a few Sandhill Cranes as well. I generally "worked" the area around Grass Lake for the best part of the morning and was delighted to see a couple of pairs of Bluebirds on territory and hanging around their chosen boxes. As I got closer to Cambridge I found a third pair and again they were nicely coloured and hanging out near a box. Mid March is very typical for Bluebirds to get on territory, but many will have over-wintered not too far away. The dozen or so that hung out in the cemetery just a bit north of Burlington for the coldest months seemed to have dispersed to their Spring homes but a couple that I saw there last week, look like they are going to take possession of one of the cemetery boxes. All the local ponds and lakes seem to have a few Red-winged Blackbirds hanging out in the trees around it. The males arrive first and fight out territories before the females arrive in a few more weeks. |
7th March 2020
| Location: a) Irondale b) Algonquin | Weather: Blue Skies but chilly early |
Up at the crack of stupid this morning (4am) to make the 4 hour trip to Irondale looking to see if the long visiting Varied Thrush was still there. I picked up a birding friend on the way there, and by 9:00 am we were at the the location at the Bark Lake Conference Centre. Within 10 mins the bird popped up and gave us about 5 or 10 mins of posing - initially in the tree then on the snow covered ground. After about another 90 mins or so with no show we headed to Algonquin, which was about another 90 mins, but it was a nice day, and the sun was shining.
We arrived at the Visitor Centre, which we decided was the most likely spot to find birds quickly (the day was getting on and it made sense to speed things up so-to-speak). Off the deck at the Visitor Centre there was several birds hanging around the feeders - Blue Jays, Evening Crossbeaks, Red Crossbills and Pine Siskins.
All in all not a bad day, but the harsh sun was tricky - it gave us plenty of light but the contrasty shadows and the very bright highlights were tough to handle.
We arrived at the Visitor Centre, which we decided was the most likely spot to find birds quickly (the day was getting on and it made sense to speed things up so-to-speak). Off the deck at the Visitor Centre there was several birds hanging around the feeders - Blue Jays, Evening Crossbeaks, Red Crossbills and Pine Siskins.
All in all not a bad day, but the harsh sun was tricky - it gave us plenty of light but the contrasty shadows and the very bright highlights were tough to handle.
5th March 2020
| Location: Burlington | Weather: Spring like (almost) ...mild and sunny |
A day down by the Lake on a reasonably warm day cannot be beat. There wasn't too much exciting around, but nevertheless it beats working or hanging out at home. Spring almost felt like it was around the corner, but in early March we all know that our next dump of snow isn't too far away, but a Spring was a nice thought anyway.
Tip of the Day: Today's tip is periodically check your settings and not rely on your historical settings. I say this because yesterday I discovered that I had been shooting jpg for pretty much the last 3 weeks. Settings can get adjusted/changed without you realizing it, so be aware of this and check periodically, and especially if you have had your gear in for a service.
1st March 2020
| Location: In and around Burlington | Weather: Cold start at -11C, but warmed up to a +1C |
We are slowly creeping towards spring ... March 1st is unquestionably most welcome - I am now getting a tad impatient for the better weather and the spring migration that will accompany it. I think we are getting a little bored with the birds we have at this time.
Today, along with a good birding friend, we headed to Burlington, with a list of "targets" we hoped to see and photograph. Top of that list was Eastern Bluebirds, several of which have been hanging out at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. As soon as we arrived we spotted 4 or 5 but they were very cautious and not longer after we arrived they drifted away fairly quickly. They were generally hanging out near the nesting boxes, so I was a little surprised that they didn't hang around, but I came to the conclusion that we are still to far away from their nesting season, and the related instincts they have to "protect" their area. Might be worth trying again in a couple of weeks.
Our next stop was at Valley Inn where if there was any open water then likely a few water birds might be around, and in particular Hooded Mergansers. Unfortunately the spot where I would have expected was frozen over .. albeit very thinly. However another bird that is usually found there was the Winter Wren, who did pop up for a short time and so we managed a few shots. Surprisingly a Song Sparrow was in the same area, and it proved to be a better subject as it danced around the same area.
Last spot for the day was Woodland Cemetery where we hoped to see the Red morph Screech Owl, and which we did. Normally this individual is quite nervous and often we find that, as soon as we arrive it drops down out of sight, but today it cooperated fully - we had a few displays of behavior which made our visit worthwhile. A few times the owl opened it's eyes and gave us a look, it did little hacking (thought we were about to see a pellet discharge .. but no) and it also did a bit of scratching, so lots of photo opportunities. A good day A good tip is to stay well back and allow the owl some space .
Today, along with a good birding friend, we headed to Burlington, with a list of "targets" we hoped to see and photograph. Top of that list was Eastern Bluebirds, several of which have been hanging out at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery. As soon as we arrived we spotted 4 or 5 but they were very cautious and not longer after we arrived they drifted away fairly quickly. They were generally hanging out near the nesting boxes, so I was a little surprised that they didn't hang around, but I came to the conclusion that we are still to far away from their nesting season, and the related instincts they have to "protect" their area. Might be worth trying again in a couple of weeks.
Our next stop was at Valley Inn where if there was any open water then likely a few water birds might be around, and in particular Hooded Mergansers. Unfortunately the spot where I would have expected was frozen over .. albeit very thinly. However another bird that is usually found there was the Winter Wren, who did pop up for a short time and so we managed a few shots. Surprisingly a Song Sparrow was in the same area, and it proved to be a better subject as it danced around the same area.
Last spot for the day was Woodland Cemetery where we hoped to see the Red morph Screech Owl, and which we did. Normally this individual is quite nervous and often we find that, as soon as we arrive it drops down out of sight, but today it cooperated fully - we had a few displays of behavior which made our visit worthwhile. A few times the owl opened it's eyes and gave us a look, it did little hacking (thought we were about to see a pellet discharge .. but no) and it also did a bit of scratching, so lots of photo opportunities. A good day A good tip is to stay well back and allow the owl some space .
Tip of the Day: If you prefer to handhold your camera & telephoto lens make sure that you’re using the appropriate body posture. Use both hands and tuck your elbows in against your body or rest them on a large stable object like a rock or tree or whatever sturdy object is around. Your right hand should be wrapped around the camera and your left should be flat underneath for support, but that can change based on your stance and hand availability. Practice this at home until it's second nature.
