Kitchener Waterloo & Area Birding: Blog commentary on my, (Bill McDonald) birding and wildlife sightings & observations
  • Grenfell's Birding Blog
  • Locations /Hot Spots
  • Bird Library
  • HOW TO
 

APRIL 2017

13/4/2017

4 Comments

 

April 26th -  29th 2017

Locations: 26th & 28th - Brant County, 27th - Stoney Creek, 29th - Hamilton & Stoney Creek 
Weather: Seasonal, except 27th which hit 28C at one point (nice)
There are a few migrants showing up, but it seems a little slow - I suspect it's all going to happen at once. Warblers were seen it the last few days but in lesser quantities than I would have expected. Yellow-rumped have been the most common, but I also spotted a few Palm and Pine Warblers. My FOY Vireo was spotted at Edgelake in Stoney Creek ... a Blue-headed Vireo.
I came across a flooded field along West Dumfries Road that had a dozen or so Yellowlegs, with the bulk of them being Lesser Yellowlegs, but it was nice to see them foraging together. I managed a shot with one of each together that showed the size difference (see below)
I don't get too many Life Birds these days, but I did, a day or two ago, and didn't have to travel very far to see it. Not that this bird is terribly rare, but it has been kind of a nemesis, for me over the last few years .. A Greater White-fronted Goose that was hanging out with a few Canada Geese in Riverside Park Cambridge.

April 24th 2017

Location: Long Point
Weather: Cool start (+1), but warmed up to a seasonal 18C
Up early, picked up my friend Steve, and on the road for 5:30 to head to Long Point. At this time of year lots of the returning migrants will show up at some Lake Eirie's south facing shore lines including Long Point. I'm not sure if the cool start was keeping the birds down or not but it was sure quiet (even the banding station at Old Cut was finding things lean). Still, it was a pleasant day even if the camera shutter didn't get fired much.  Kinda reminded me of one of my favorite sayings "Bird Photography is a bit like fishing - Going Fishing is not about catching fish ... it's about Going Fishing" 

April 21st - 23rd

Locations: Hamilton and Milton general areas
Weather : Cool mornings but pleasantly warm in the afternoon
On Friday Steve and I headed to Hamilton to check out Edgelake and Fifty Point. Edgelake had lots of migrating Warblers and a few Kinglets, but boy was the trails wet and slimy. Fifty Point was a bit of a wash with little or no birds around. On the way back we checked out Thornapple Loop and found a pair of Eastern Towhees that paraded for us .. nice !! and last stop was at Christie Lake where we had a pair of Bluebirds and a lone Pine Warbler that cooperated for s few shots.
Sunday I was on my own and did the "Milton" run - I started at Robertson Tract and logged  a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets and a Brown Thrasher both of which denied me any images ... it often works like that. However on the way out I came across a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers that posed nicely for several minutes. Hilton Falls was next - a place that I have had decent luck in the past, but other than a solitary Pine Warbler it was pretty quiet.   

April 5th - 12th 2017

Location: Tucson, Arizona
Weather: Hot & Sunny
I spent a marvelous week in SE Arizona. I based myself in Tucson and traveled to a few locations in and around the city as well as a several spots a bit further afield. As you can imagine it was cool in the early morning but heated up to around 90F as the day progressed. My biggest enemy while taking these pics was the very harsh light ... I literally deleted  hundreds of images as they were, either highlights burned out, or shadows too deep to recover. I have photographed in tropical regions many times but the desert was a bit more challenging. Note to self ... remember to take flash equipment next time :)
4 Comments
    Picture
    COMMENTS WELCOME
    LINK to my WEBSITE
    LINK to my FLICKR page

    ​Blog Author

    Pretty much all my life I have had an interest in nature photography albeit in, off and on, phases of interest. Around 18 years ago, I found myself, again, getting that nature bug, and I am now, especially since I retired just over 8 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
    ​

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    November 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013


If you like my blog then check out my other stuff on FLICKR and on my Webpage ....(hyperlinks are at top of this page)