JULY 2019

30th and 31st July

Location: Around Kitchener

Weather: Continuing sunny & hot

As I've mentioned before July & August can be really tough when it comes to photographing birds, so I have to be content with shooting a few bugs. Not that I really mind as bugs are my second photography subject personal choice.

29th July 2019

Location: Darlington Provincial Park, Oshawa

Weather: Clear, sunny, hot & muggy

This Piping Plover pair haven't had much luck - their first nest was washed away during some unusually high water and they lost their entire egg clutch, and then they re-nested and laid 3 eggs. These eggs hatched OK , but by today the chicks were down to just the one, with the other two predated by an unknown "assassin". However this one seems to be health and quite vigorous. The female was also gone - likely heading south, and leaving "dear ole Pa" to look after junior

26th & 27th July 2019

Location: New Hamburg (26th) and Kitchener (27th)

Weather: Sunny & Hot both days

As much as I love summer - I can't say I like the sweltering temperatures. The other thing that isn't that great is the lack of bird photography opportunities. Saying that today (26th) I headed over to the Red-headed Woodpecker nest that I'm aware off near New Hamburg, with the hope that maybe the babies are the "hanging out the nest hole" stage. Unfortunately, it looks like I missed it and the babies have flown the nest - good that they made it to fledgling, but bad for me in that I missed yet another photo op.  On the plus side I did hear and see a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos close by so all was not a waste.
Today(27th) I headed out to see what I could find in the bug world  ... some images below - nothing unusual, but pretyy cool anyways

25th July 2019

Location: My back yard in Kitchener

Weather: Sunny & hot

​The last few days have been a little "toasty" for nature photography as such, with temperatures, some days, in the low 30's, so I have not been venturing too far (other than a sightseeing trip to Fort Niagara, in NY state yesterday). Today while catching up on, some much needed, gardening I encountered this beauty - a Cicada. I don't see these large bugs too often, so I was pretty excited to find one. He must have been almost 1.5 inches long, so quite a bug. I have been trying to identify the sub species but not too sure at this point, but think it's a Dog-day Cicada ​Neotibicen canicularis

​​ This image is clickable - ie just click on the image and it will go full size.

Cicada

19th - 20th July 2019

Location: In and around Kitchener

Weather: Pretty hot for the most part 

With the almost overpowering heat we have been having over the last day or two, it means that I have not been venturing too far from the car's AC or the house AC either. We have three large Trumpet Vine "structures" close to one side of our deck, and these plants have been a spot where several species of insects have been foraging. Some feeding on the nectar from the flowers and others just buzzing around and on their leaves. 
This morning (20th) I did head out to a local swamp (Tilt's Bush) to see what I could find (and also to provide some involuntary sustenance to the local mosquito population). I was amazed to find that the Ebony Jewelwings were everywhere, so it was relatively easy to get one to pose for a few shots.
​​All images are clickable to go full size, and hovering over will display species or description

15th July 2019

Location: My backyard in Kitchener

Weather: Hot, hot  and HOT

This last week a lot of birds are being attracted to the Mulberry tree in my back garden, including a few juvenile Baltimore Orioles. At one time I counted four of these (getting) beautiful youngsters feeding on the almost ripe fruit. After a while they ventured to new treats that are available in my yard - first the Trumpet Vine Flowers then the Hummingbird feeders

10th - 13th July 2019

Location: RARE property, just outside Blair

Weather: Hot

In my opinion, and in this weather, one of the only practical wildlife photography opportunities is with insects. One of my favorite local spots is in and around the RARE properties near Blair, and just outside Cambridge. RARE maintains and manages several trails here - some of which border the Grand River, and others through woodland and others through open meadows. So many of these areas host lots of differing bugs, butterflies, dragonflies, etc etc.
For all of these images taken today I used my 5D Mk4 and a 100mm Macro lens. I also added a short extension tube to get me even closer to the subject should I needed to. 
​All images are clickable to go full size, and hovering over will display species or description

7th - 8th July 2019

Location: 7th (Urquhart Butterfly Gardens, Dundas) and 8th Cambridge

Weather: Sunny

A good place to find a few butterflies and some other interesting bugs is at Urquhart Butterfly Gardens in Dundas, but today it was bit quiet with little or no activity. The wind was almost no-existent so a perfect day for some insect photography, but "the best laid plans of mice and men" and bugs.
Day 2 - I headed to a spot along the river near Cambridge and although there were lots of Dragonflies & Damselflies they weren't sitting still for more than a split second, so photography was a distinct challenge - I realized a long time ago that patience was the name of the game, but today ... it got a little strained. I did, however, mange to get a few shots of the Stream Bluet, so the day was still a success :)

3rd July 2019

Location: Halton Region Tracts

Weather: Sunny & Hot 

A friend asked me if I could take him around a few local places in the search of some bird subjects, so yesterday had been reasonably successful and fairly close to home, so Halton Tracts it ended up being.
We dropped in at around 4 or 5 different locations - Halton has an amazing Forest Trail system, which can be accessed below, by clicking the link .....
Click this link 
​Birds were a little hard to find this morning - I suspect the hot weather kept them in the deep shade (which is where we ended up as well for the most part). but we did spot Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Pine Warbler and a couple of others. We also spotted a few other goodies incl the Snapping Turtle & Watersnake.

2nd July 2019

Location: Halton Tracts. Milton

Weather: Cloudy with light rain (but poss Thunderstorms)

I quite often mention that when I go out I have a target in mind, but in order to come up with that target I do a bit of research as to what might be around and where. To accomplish this I use several resources ... some online and some of my own records. I don't keep formal records, but my blog here is often what I use, by looking up what I had found and where, on similar dates, in previous years. Birds often return to the same areas to breed, year after year so this method is  surprisingly productive The other sources of information are the ones online eg Ebird, Facebook, Flickr and some of the specialty groups like the Google Group ... "Hamilton Birders". 
For this outing today I checked the weather, and it was pretty good being dull (ie not hot sun), and then I did some looking at the online resources I mentioned above. The Hamilton Birders had a report that at Britton Tract a few good birds had been seen over the last few weeks - Acadian Flycatcher being the most interesting, but also Yellow-throated Vireo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker & Winter Wren mentioned as well. The report was also very specific about the location along Britton, so after some further research on Google Maps, I had the spot pinpointed. The only "bad" thing about the location was that it was a significant hike to the spot, but no pain .. no gain, so I headed there this morning.
Carrying a full frame camera, 500mm lens, 1.4 Converter, battery pack, Tripod & backpack had me puffin' a bit by the time I reached the spot, but after a bit of a wait, a little calling and some listening I did in fact spot the Acadian, but unfortunately that was all I managed (no pics). The Yellow-throated Vireo & the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker I had better luck with, but the Winter Wren I never saw, or heard.
I checked in at a couple of the other Tracts and also did Ok with several birds showing up.

1st July 2019

Location: Kitchener & Cambridge 

Weather: Hot & sunny

As I have often mentioned that hot & sunny is my least favorite weather for photographing birds, so for the next month or so I will be out more with Macro lens instead of the Telephoto. Today was my first serious day this year shooting bugs & butterflies.