April 30th 2021
| LOCATION: North Dumfries Township | WEATHER: Very breezy, cloudy with odd glimpses of sun |
Wow ... last day of the month already !!!
Tip of the Day: Bird Photography tends to be quite an expensive hobby/vocation when it comes to the equipment we use, so it is always a good idea to have that equipment insured. There are several insurance companies that specialize in Photography Equipment insurance for accidental damage for a fairly low annual rate. Accidents happen all too easy !!
April 27th-28th 2021
| LOCATION: Puslinch and Flamborough | WEATHER: Mainly sunny and increasingly warmer |
Over the last couple of days, I have been driving around the Puslinch area, in search of any early migrating Warblers. It has been a bit of a fruitless search, other than finding several Northern Waterthrushes at several different locations. However .. I'm not complaining as I love finding and photographing these amazing birds. Northern Waterthrush prefer cool, dark, wooded swamps, and bogs. During the spring, the bird can generally be found in thick cover along streams, in marshes, and by stagnant pools. Listen for its distinct "chee-chee-chee, chip-chip-chip-chew-chew-chew" call, loud and ringing
After supper, and it being such a nice night, I headed out towards Grass Lake hoping for a Warbler or two. At one spot I found a few Palm Warblers, with a couple of Yellow-rumped foraging along the roadside. One of the Palms looks like it picked up a tick ... so look out folks - Ticks are around.
As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title
After supper, and it being such a nice night, I headed out towards Grass Lake hoping for a Warbler or two. At one spot I found a few Palm Warblers, with a couple of Yellow-rumped foraging along the roadside. One of the Palms looks like it picked up a tick ... so look out folks - Ticks are around.
As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title
Tip of the Day: Birds are notoriously skittish and any abrupt movement can scare them away. This includes the way you lift your camera. Rather than lifting it quickly to your eye, as you would elsewhere, make it a slow, subtle movement. If you’ll miss shots by moving slowly, try to keep the camera to your eye as much as possible. If you’re sitting you may be able to find a way to brace your arms on your knees to help take the weight.
April 26th 2021
| LOCATION: Flamborough | WEATHER: Pure sun most of the day. but cool wind |
Thankfully the weather is getting generally warmer, so the anticipation of birds arriving is getting to be quite intense. However it's still a little slow. First thing I headed to a well known wetland, and had a little fun photographing a few of the regulars - Cormorants, Ospreys and Great Blue Herons. I'm sure there quite well could have been a Night Heron or a Green Heron skulking, but neither species was showing face, so I had to be satisfied with what I found.
A bit later in the morning I headed out to a gravel road in the Flamborough area in search of something a little more interesting but even though I saw both Hermit Thrushes and Northern Waterthrushes, neither was too cooperative,, The Waterthrush a little more so, but I'm pretty sure National Geographic isn't going to be calling anytime soon for copies of the images I did manage... oh well
A bit later in the morning I headed out to a gravel road in the Flamborough area in search of something a little more interesting but even though I saw both Hermit Thrushes and Northern Waterthrushes, neither was too cooperative,, The Waterthrush a little more so, but I'm pretty sure National Geographic isn't going to be calling anytime soon for copies of the images I did manage... oh well
Tip of the Day: Research your locations before heading out. Having a pre-researched location and/or habitat and or species in mind, will more than likely improve your chances and generally reap rewards for you, when it comes to the shots you might get.
April 24th 2021
| LOCATION: A few miles out of, and around, town | WEATHER: Sunny, with very little cloud, and warm |
I'll start by saying that I get a huge kick out of seeing a bird for the first time seasonally ie what we often refer to as a FOY (First of Year) bird. A bigger thrill is always seeing and photographing a lifer bird ie one that I had never seen before .. unfortunately, because I have been looking for and photographing birds for many years, a lifer is getting to be a rare event, and today was no exception, but today I did see a FOY - the Brown Thrasher. Maybe a few lifers in the coming weeks (I hope)
Today, Helen (my long time birding buddy) & I, didn't have as much luck as we had hoped for, but the weather was pretty reasonable .. Plenty of light and, best of all, very little wind. We cruised a few back roads but there wasn't too much around, so shots in can were minimal ... However it's only a matter of a few days or a week or two before the migrants hit our area in numbers, so we keep on looking.
Today, Helen (my long time birding buddy) & I, didn't have as much luck as we had hoped for, but the weather was pretty reasonable .. Plenty of light and, best of all, very little wind. We cruised a few back roads but there wasn't too much around, so shots in can were minimal ... However it's only a matter of a few days or a week or two before the migrants hit our area in numbers, so we keep on looking.
Tip of the Day: Getting down on the same level as your subject can make for a much more inviting image - so whenever possible, get down to your subjects eye level - carrying a yoga mat with you when you anticipate that these will your kind of shots, is a good idea. I often carry padded knee pads for the same reason.
April 23rd 2021
| LOCATION: Sorry .. secret spot!! | WEATHER: Not a cloud in the sky, but breezy |
Many thanks to my shooting partner for coming up with a location for a den of fox cubs in my general area. We dropped by and were really fortunate to hit a time when they were active and playful just outside their den. Cubs were nothing more than a little inquisitive about our presence and, other than glance our way occasionally, they cavorted and generally enjoyed the sunny weather. Because they were fairly close to my vehicle I left the big guns (Canon EF500) in the car and used my little used 100-400, which I have to say was perfect for the job in hand.
Before heading to the fox area I spent an hour so along a gravel road just outside Cambridge, where a few Hooded Mergansers were, and although the males didn't cooperate and do the full mating display, one of them dropped by reasonably close so I was able to get a couple of decent close to shore images.
Before heading to the fox area I spent an hour so along a gravel road just outside Cambridge, where a few Hooded Mergansers were, and although the males didn't cooperate and do the full mating display, one of them dropped by reasonably close so I was able to get a couple of decent close to shore images.
Tip of the Day: Wildlife photography isn’t just about finding a bird or animal and then taking a well focused picture - the images that stand out are those that have been carefully composed, so always try to picture the finished image in your viewfinder during the focusing stage.
April 22nd 2021
| LOCATION: Local - around North Dumfries | WEATHER: Sun and cloud, but chilly |
| Weather was less than inviting, with snow flurries and the occasion break through of sun, and the winds were gusty and very cold, so it was a day to dig out my winter coat and stay in the car as much as possible. North Dumfries is a nice short drive for me and so quite easy to check out the Lapland Longspur location - unfortunately I never got a glimpse of a single bird, so it might be a case of giving hope on getting any shots. One thing about this grid of roads where the Laplanders have been hanging out, is the proliferation of other species that can be found there - especially Horned Larks, and right now dozens of Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Grackles, Sandhill Cranes, Killdeer and a few sparrow species including the Vesper Sparrow (which I photographed in this area, yesterday. Today I also found out, from a friend that I bumped into while driving around, that there is also a few Wilson's Snipes hanging out as well - today I saw three individuals.. so nice !! Last species to get a few shots of was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet - these guys are tough o get a decent shot off - I think I need more practice. |  Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
Tip of the Day: Sometimes all we seem to get is one of the classic bird poses bird photo, but you can add interest by getting an action shot - this might be a bird in flight or nesting, eating, fighting, preening and if you are lucky .. performing their courtship display. Interesting action can trump a perfectly focused and exposed shot !!
April 20th 2021
| LOCATION: Local | WEATHER: Cloudy, windy and icy cold brrr! |
 Vesper Sparrow | Being that it was windy and icy cold, we weren't expecting too much when it came to bird sightings, and so therefore we weren't too disappointed when we didn't get too much in front of the lenses. Today was a day driving around the outskirts of my city stopping at any likely looking habitat and seeing what was hanging around, and as I mentioned above there was very little. I think the lower temperatures had the birds skulking down, trying to keep out of the wind and keep reasonably warm, and if I was a bird that's what I would be doing too. We stopped by a spot in North Dumfries where Lapland Longspurs have been seen over the last few days, but I only had a distant sighting of a fairly sizeable flock as they changed feeding positions. The distance involved meant that pointing a camera would have been a waste of time, so I didn't bother. Last stop of the day was close to the previous one, and we were fortunate to get a few shots of a Vesper Sparrow, albeit a little further than I would have liked, but not complaining about this FOY sighting. Snow tomorrow, so it'll be a day at home I think. |
Tip of the Day: Birds that have longer bills/beaks demand that you make depth of field compensations when the bird has it's head turned toward you. So in order that the bill/beak is in focus, as well as the rest of the head, it will be necessary to close down your aperture a bit (say from 5.6 to f11, or so)
April 19th 2021
| LOCATION: Just outside Cambridge | WEATHER: A bit of a mix of sun and cloud |
A short drive around a few of the back roads just outside of town was a little disappointing with almost no movement, so I wasn't able to find too much. Unfortunately I've lost my higher end hearing (and the low end isn't much good either :) ), so it's days like this I really miss that ability to hear birds. However I did see and photograph a male Pileated Woodpecker that gave me a shot or two.
Tip of the Day: Try to anticipate what is about to happen - If you wait for that something to happen (eg bird launching off a branch etc etc) and then try to photograph it you'll undoubtedly miss it.
As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title
April 18th 2021
| LOCATION: Close to home | WEATHER: Cloudy with sun later |
A short day just outside of town was the schedule, so to be honest I wasn't too confident in getting anything too interesting, but ... luck was with me, and lots of help from a fellow birder didn't go amiss either, and managed two FOY (first of year) images ... a small flock of Pine Siskins and a Yellow-rumped Warbler as well.
Tip of the Day: Unfortunately in low light when you are forced to use a slower shutter speed and/or to keep your ISO down, image stabilization is not the be all and end all in ensuring you get that clear image. So, when you can, use what you can to help decrease your camera movements. Ideally, a tripod or monopod would be the best option, but you can also make use of tree branches, hood of your car, a large rock, or pretty much anything else sturdy enough to support your camera.
April 17th 2021
| LOCATION: In and around Kitchener | WEATHER: Cloudy and still a tad chilly |
The Ford government has made it a bit more difficult for us bird photographers, by restricting movement outside our local areas, to find and photograph birds, but even within those limitations it's still possible to catch a few birds albeit frustratingly difficult. However, a couple of FOY's today made up for it somewhat. Highlights were two sparrows that I can add to my FOY list ... the White-throated and the Chipping.
So far I've seen 3 or 4 Hermit Thrushes this season, but yet again I failed to get that shot I had been hoping for ... oh well !!
So far I've seen 3 or 4 Hermit Thrushes this season, but yet again I failed to get that shot I had been hoping for ... oh well !!
Tip of the Day: Be patient and wait for the bird to act naturally.
April 16th 2021
| LOCATION: Flamborough | WEATHER: Cold, and for 95% of the time...Cloudy |
Migrants are a bit slow in arriving - the weather was warm for the time of year, but it seems birds are sticking to their "schedule" and waiting a bit . Still .... today was reasonably successful with at least one FOY ... the Swamp Sparrow.
Tip of the Day: If the bird you want to photograph is on the ground or in the water, then get down as best you can to that level. There is no doubt that photos taken at the bird's eye level have an intimacy with the viewer that photos taken from above or below (or even from side-on) can't match. Also, getting at eye level with the bird helps to reduce the amount of background and foreground in focus, resulting in pleasing blurs around the bird.
April 15th 2021
| LOCATION: Flamborough (Loc: ON209) | WEATHER: Cloudy and a tad chilly |
To follow ..
Tip of the Day: When just starting out in Bird Photography, begin by photographing birds that are easily accessible and accustomed to human presence. Many city birds like Robins, Pigeons, Crows, Sparrows, Cardinals etc could be your ideal first subjects as they are used to human presence. This will help you hone your technical skills as well as allow you to get a broader understanding of bird behavior.
April 14th 2021
| LOCATION: Halton Region (Loc ON205 & ON211) | WEATHER: Sunny and reasonably warm |
Steve & I headed out to check out a few public areas in the Halton Region - It wasn't the best of days, but it certainty wasn't the worst. We had a very cooperative Pine Warbler that gave us some pretty decent shots, which was one of two main highlights for the day. The other highlight was a pair of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers that came close and gave us a few shots
Tip of the Day: Always keep to marked trails and don’t get too close to nests, nesting colonies, roosts or feeding areas.
April 11th 2021
| LOCATION: Flamborough & Puslinch | WEATHER: Rainy start but dried up late morning |
A rainy start, but a few birds around.
The big surprise today was that we saw and photographed three separate Eastern Towhees, so it's safe to say ... they are back!!. Today, I teamed up with my great friend, Helen Lam, who was instrumental in getting these sightings with her incredible hearing and audio ID ability. Picture it - driving along, then a shout "stop the car - I hear a Towhee" and sure enough there it was :) - Great job Helen !!
The only FOY for me today was the Savannah Sparrow. In fact we saw several in several different locations, so really nice to see them back.
The big surprise today was that we saw and photographed three separate Eastern Towhees, so it's safe to say ... they are back!!. Today, I teamed up with my great friend, Helen Lam, who was instrumental in getting these sightings with her incredible hearing and audio ID ability. Picture it - driving along, then a shout "stop the car - I hear a Towhee" and sure enough there it was :) - Great job Helen !!
The only FOY for me today was the Savannah Sparrow. In fact we saw several in several different locations, so really nice to see them back.
Tip of the Day: Look for, and try to capture the catchlight in the birds eye .. The catchlight gives the bird’s eyes expression and makes them look alive and gives the image viewer a point of focus.
April 10th 2021
| LOCATION: ON209 & ON210 | WEATHER: Hazy sun, and getting warmer |
My luck continues - today I managed to find and photograph a second Warbler - It would have been nice if had been a different species from the other day, but I'm still happy with another Pine Warbler. About 100 yards from the Pine, a Brown Creeper was foraging down some large deciduous trees, and gave me a couple of shots, so all in all not too bad of a day.
Tip of the Day: Image Composition is very important Some principles of composition to make your bird photographs stand out, as follows. Use the rule of thirds to keep the bird off-center.. Give enough breathing space in the direction of movement or gaze. Aim for light or colour contrast between the bird and the background. This helps the autofocus to focus faster. Also, it helps to make the bird stand out.
April 9th 2021
| LOCATION: For Location click on image | WEATHER: Sun and cloud.. continuing warm |
My luck is continuing - I found my first of year (FOY) Eastern Towhee alongside a gravel road in the Flamborough area. It was quite an inquisitive bird, so wasn't hard to shoot once it dropped into the open.
Based on yesterdays Warbler and today's Towhee it looks like the songbird season is getting underway quite early this year, of which I am very, very happy. :)
Based on yesterdays Warbler and today's Towhee it looks like the songbird season is getting underway quite early this year, of which I am very, very happy. :)
Tip of the Day: Prior research of your chosen birding area, through online blogs, E -bird and by going through the distribution maps provided in the field guides, is a great way to maximize your bird photography experience.
April 8th 2021
| LOCATION: North Dumfries (ON206,ON207) | WEATHER: Sunny and very warm (23C) |
It's been a long winter, and today I spotted my first Warbler of the year, so it's officially Warbler season for me. I will looking more now for these returning beauties (all the Warblers), and of course their cousins in the songbird world - Vireos, Towhees, Buntings etc etc.. My Pine Warbler sighting was a little surprising as it wasn't quite the habitat I was expecting - I found it in a rough swampy area with low birches and lots of dogwood out front of the swamp.
Moving on getting nearer the Grass Lake area, I saw some movement up in a grove of trees and it was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, so I managed my first shots of 2021 of this little guy as well - so two FOY (first of year) on the same day was awesome - although technically the Sapsucker wasn't sighting wise, as I had seen one a couple of days ago, but no photograph.
Moving on getting nearer the Grass Lake area, I saw some movement up in a grove of trees and it was a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, so I managed my first shots of 2021 of this little guy as well - so two FOY (first of year) on the same day was awesome - although technically the Sapsucker wasn't sighting wise, as I had seen one a couple of days ago, but no photograph.
Tip of the Day: The habitat of birds is critical for our own well being as birds are the propagators of flowers, plants and trees in the ecological system. Hence, birding must be done with minimal impact on the surroundings and any litter should be kept on your person needless to say. Also remember that stepping into the nesting proximities of ground birds is a strict no no!!
April 7th 2021
| LOCATION: ON205 | WEATHER: Sunny, with almost no cloud, and warm |
| Along with a good friend, we headed into the Halton Region to check out one or three of the of the public land tracts they have. The hope was that we may find an early migrating songbird - specifically one of the well know early bird Warblers - the Pine Warbler, the Yellow-rumped Warbler and the Palm Warbler. Alas it was not to be - The spots we checked out have, in the past, been a good spot to try for early migrants, but not today. On the plus side we found a pond that had a few ducks - Buffleheads, Ring-necked & Gadwall, but the only one who gave us any opportunities was a male Bufflehead that came & went - so we managed a few flight shots, pretty much as a consolation prize. A pair of Trumpeter Swans drifted by and didn't seem too worried about our presence, so a couple of quick snaps seemed appropriate. Along the trail there was a couple of Golden-crowned Kinglets, 2 or 3 Song Sparrows, and a Northern Flicker that never came close. .. oh well - better than sitting at home, but just :) |  Trumpeter Swan |
April 5th 2021
| LOCATION: Guelph ON204, then ON200 | WEATHER: Hazy sun and some cloud |
First stop this morning was to check out the report that there was some Bohemian Waxwings at the Guelph Arboretum, and apparently, according to a fellow birder I met there, there was around 3 or 4 of them. However there was also 40 or 50 Cedar Waxwings, and all of them buzzing around above me, so although I didn't particularly get one in my sights, I likely did see one (I think).
Tip of the Day: Getting on the same level as your subject can make for a much more inviting image - so get down to eye level! It’s also worth remembering that with wildlife photography, as long as the animal’s eye is in focus it often doesn’t matter if the rest of the image is not sharp - blurred fore/background or even wingtips can help concentrate the viewer’s attention on the subject.
April 3rd 2021
| LOCATION: Toronto - ON202 & ON203 | WEATHER: Sunny |
 Eastern Phoebe | Along with a couple of friends I headed to the metropolis of Toronto to see what might be around, bird wise. Migration is getting underway now so I was hoping for something that was a new arrival and hopefully interesting. As it turned out there were a few new arrivals but nothing too exciting. One of my targets today was to try to get a decent shot of an Easter Phoebe - I had seen a few over the last few days, but they were either distant or fleeting so so far I hadn't managed a snap. Today, however, this one cooperated so this particular target was checkmarked on my list . Another hopeful list item was the the Golden-crowned Kinglet and although there was not too many around (in fact this was the only one I saw) I managed a couple of OK shots Tip of the Day: A good rule to remember is that the smaller the bird, the faster it moves, so adjust your settings accordingly when on the hunt for songbirds and similar species |
April 2nd 2021
| LOCATION: Mississauga - ON201 | WEATHER: Mainly sunny, but chilly |
It's been a while since I was at this spot, and even though it lots of people around it also held a few birds ... which is good :)
Initially the plan had been to track down one of the resident Pileated Woodpeckers, but we came across a few other birds, so the focus changed slightly, as it often happens, I suppose. One of the local Pileated was really easy to find, and even though my hearing is pretty bad, we could hear this individual hammering away from several hundred yards away, so it was a case of following the noise until we spotted it fairly high up in a tree that he was banging away on. We hung out there for at least 15 minutes, and during that time he never let up .. banging away on the exact same spot.
Initially the plan had been to track down one of the resident Pileated Woodpeckers, but we came across a few other birds, so the focus changed slightly, as it often happens, I suppose. One of the local Pileated was really easy to find, and even though my hearing is pretty bad, we could hear this individual hammering away from several hundred yards away, so it was a case of following the noise until we spotted it fairly high up in a tree that he was banging away on. We hung out there for at least 15 minutes, and during that time he never let up .. banging away on the exact same spot.
Tip of the Day: It's fairly important to know what you are looking at, before you start shooting - You don't want to take too much time trying maneuver into position, take a few shots and then realize what you've invested time in is a back yard bird, so it pays to learn to distinguish the different shapes or outlines of the birds you are looking at. Does the bird have long legs or short legs, a long, medium or short tail? And what shape is its beak? With some practice you will soon be nailing the ID's just by their silhouette and/or with only part of the bird showing.
