November 29th 2025
| LOCATION: N. Dumfries in AM, Burlington in PM | WEATHER: Sun/cloud around 0C |
| Not too much around along my local gravel roads on the outskirts of town, but in the afternoon I had reason to be down in the Burlington area, so took the opportunity to check out a couple of spots there a) Valley Inn and b) La Salle Marina. As is typical for late Fall/early winter the ice and general wintery conditions meant that there wasn't too much that was overly interesting. It is still a bit early for the wintering wildfowl, but I did see something to photograph .... |  American Goldfinch |
November 28th 2025
| LOCATION: Kitchener | WEATHER: Snow |
| Quite a dump of snow over the last 12 hours. We have approx 10 inches of snow around the yard, so not heading too far looking for birds, was not on the cards today. However the bird feeders were still active and I was able to shoot a few birds through the glass of our patio doors, to my back yard setup, so was still able to get my daily "fix". I had hoped for the Fox Sparrow to show, or possibly a finch or two, but the sightings were limited to Blue Jays, Tree Sparrows, House Sparrows, Juncos and Mourning Doves. Tip of the Day: Winter backyard birds can be intense. Food sources can be limited so winter bird feeders should be kept stocked. A good plan is to setup a few branches around your feeders, to basically set a stage for the feeding birds. Before you get carried away with props and reflections, keep things simple and spend some time observing how different species of bird approach and feed – only then will you be able to create settings that optimize their visits. |  American Tree Sparrow |
November 27th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries & Kitchener | WEATHER: Light overnight snow, then mild |
The last couple of days have been on the poor side - I had hoped to start seeing some more of the winter species, seeing that some early winter weather has shown up. I suppose the Winter Wren is really a winter weather bird, so I am very grateful for this one giving me a couple of nice views.
Tip of the Day: Shooting birds takes a lot of patience and time, so, in the winter, leave home prepared to ensure your session isn’t cut short due to prevailing weather conditions. Pack accordingly: a toque and gloves go a long way when it’s cold out, as do a rain cover when it’s wet, or sunscreen and sunhat when the UV index is high
As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title
November 24th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries & FWR | WEATHER: Cloudy with some sun, mild |
Another day ... driving around and walking the FWR trail ....
November 22nd 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries & FWR | WEATHER: Mainly sunny.. some cloud |
| One thing about dropping by FWR is you are almost guaranteed to a) see a Tufted Titmouse (and likely a few other goodies) and b) meeting some fellow birders. Today was no exception on both counts. Highlight was probably the sighting of the Eastern Towhee and the Pine Siskins. We had hoped to get a shot or two of a Winter Wren, and although it was chirping away every now and again then, it never popped up for a pic or two. Took a run around Paris Plains & West River Road and spotted a couple of other species. One that Merlin was picking up that had me perked up, was that of a Carolina Wren ... I don't see too many of this species this late in the year ... but unfortunately I didn't see it ... but you can be sure I will keeping tabs on that spot over the next week or so !! |  Eastern Bluebird |
November 20th 2025
| LOCATION: Burlington | WEATHER: Cold start, sunny then nice later |
| Other notable birds seen but too far away when photographed, or too awful a pic, were Great Blue Heron and Hooded Merganser. Even the images below I wasn't too happy with - my least favorite weather to photograph birds is when it was bright sunshine like today .. the harsh shadows and bright highlights are quite a challenge!! |  Gadwall |
November 19th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries, incl FWR | WEATHER: Bright & sunny, but a cold start |
 American Tree Sparrow | Primarily FWR today... and it never fails to disappoint. My target bird when I headed out was, as #1 hopeful, a Yellow bellied Sapsucker, and although a crappy shot, at least it made the image list. The other bird that pretty much always shows up is the Tufted Titmouse, and in fact I saw three of them at one time. In SW Ontario I think this is the only spot where one could be fairly certain of finding one of these beauties. |
November 17th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Cold, and mainly cloudy |
Fairly quiet day with not too many sightings, especially of any species that I was hoping for. Reports around the area include Pine Siskins, Evening Grosbeaks and Redpolls, but no sign of them today ... fingers crossed for the coming days.
November 16th 2025
| LOCATION: Kitchener, then Grass Lake | WEATHER: Sun & cloud around +4C |
Not too far from home (less than 3 miles) is a small spot along the side of the road, that always seems to have some avian activity. I have set up a few branches at that spot and over the years I have managed quite a few interesting and, in my humble opinion, decent shots. I drop by this spot at least once a week, and today was that day ... The big surprise today was the Warbler that was hanging out with the sparrows.
November 14th 2025
| LOCATION: Grass Lake & FWR Dickson | WEATHER: Sun & cloud .. seasonal |
Yet again I take a run around Grass Lake and over to FWR, before heading home. Today was a short day as I had domestic plans to deal with, but still an OK day. Grass Lake had a small flock of around 20 individuals (Sandhill Cranes), but I had hoped to get another sighting of some Snow Buntings that I had seen the day before, and didn't manage a shot, but plan to keep looking in the coming days.
FWR had the usuals ... Tufted Titmouse, Nuthatches, Tree Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a few others.
FWR had the usuals ... Tufted Titmouse, Nuthatches, Tree Sparrows, Red-bellied Woodpeckers and a few others.
November 12th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Light snow |
| All the images except the Fox Sparrow (which was photographed at my house in Kitchener), were found along my drive around and close to Grass Lake, in North Dumfries. I can't believe that the Kinglets are still hanging around. Oddly enough at the same spot that I found both Kinglets, I was also hearing (not seen) a Yellow-rumped Warbler, and at exactly the same spot that I did see one the other day (see below). At Grass Lake, there were 20 or so Sandhill Cranes, and 3 or 4 Bluebirds. As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title |  Fox Sparrow |
November 10th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Mainly cloudy, but cold |
Another interesting day ... At first light (photography light) I headed towards Grass Lake and cruised up Beke Road looking for any birds , hanging out in the snowy branches, and I was not disappointed. The big surprise was the Yellow-rumped Warbler (one of two actually) that was foraging along the roadside next to a swampy area, and seemed quite comfortable looking for eats in the shrubbery along the roadside. The most fun shooting was a at a flock of Cedar Waxwings (around 20) that were feeding on a grove of Winter Berry - they just kept coming in repeatedly ... awesome !!
Tip of the Day: If you're lucky enough to have a covering of snow, it always adds to the wintry feel, but check your exposure first, to make sure you're not underexposing the snow. With low winter light levels, be careful to ensure a high-enough shutter speed and sufficient depth-of-field in your photos. It's always tempting to shoot at a wide aperture and throw the background out of focus, but make sure enough of the bird is sharp!
November 9th 2025
| LOCATION: At home in Kitchener | WEATHER: Light snow all day |
| An interesting day ... with the all the new snow I decided just to set up a camera such that I was shooting through the patio door glass, and pointing to points adjacent to our bird feeders. I have laid out a few natural perches next to the feeders with the hope that birds would land on them prior to getting to the feeders. As you can see it seemed to work OK. The big surprise was a Fox Sparrow showing up. I cant remember ever seeing one in my garden area ever before. |  Blue Jay |
November 8th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries (again) | WEATHER: Sun & cloud, but getting colder |
I took a drive around Grass Lake, which hadn't done in a couple of weeks, and was delighted with the variety of birds, and including my first of the season (FOS) a small flock of Pine Siskins. I am a tad surprised that I still hear and see so many Golden-crowned Kinglets, but maybe after tomorrows forecasted snow, that might change the ongoing numbers.
November 7th 2025
| LOCATION: North Dumfries & Kitchener | WEATHER: Mainly cloudy, and cool |
| A fairly quiet morning with nothing too exciting hitting the frame. We have good days and bad day I suppose, Today was nearer the bad side of things. The more common birds can still provide a nice subject for us bird nerds. Tip of the Day: Practice makes perfect, as they say! Don’t limit yourself by only taking photos of the rare or cool birds you see, because the common birds are the best for practice. A beautiful portrait of a Cardinal is still a beautiful photo! Use the everyday birds around you to practice using manual camera settings, fiddling with perspective and composition, and working on the lighting and mood of your photos. As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title |  White-breasted Nuthatch |
November 4th, 5th & 6th 2025
| LOCATION: All North Dumfries | WEATHER: Sun, cloud and occasional showers |
The first two images below are two of my most favorite that I have taken, in some time, so this batch ... I am really happy with. The next two images in the grid are species that I would expected to have been headed south already, but still here, but surely not for too much longer.
Tip of the Day: There is a rule that photographers use to compose great images. It’s called the Rule of Thirds. Rather than placing the subject right in the middle of a shot, try placing it roughly one third of the way along the photograph. Add more interest to the photo by including some other interesting features to frame the main subject such as tree branches or leaves.
November 2nd 2025
| LOCATION: Around Luther Marsh | WEATHER: Mainly sunny, but chilly |
Tim & I headed up to the Luther Marsh area, a spot which we have been to many times before, but today was the first trip for some time. As it turned out, it was not a wasted journey, with several species seen and photographed. The Horned Lark & American Pipit were two species that were on her "hope to get list", and we were not disappointed, However there were a couple of other species on that list that we didn't manage to see or photograph. In reality we were a little early in the season to see them ... Evening Grosbeak, Snow Bunting, White-winged Crossbill, but maybe we will try again in a few weeks.
