July 30th 2024
| LOCATION: Close to home | WEATHER: Sun & cloud, and hot !! |
Weather was promising to get a bity damp later in the morning, so headed to my favorite local spot, which is only 10mins from home. Nothing too exciting, other than the Rose-breasted Grosbeak female. I could see that she had been feeding on some red berries, but couldn't see where those might have been .. certainly not ion the direct vicinity of my sighting.
July 27th & 28th 2024
| LOCATION: North Dumfries area, mainly | WEATHER: Sunny and hot for the most part |
Over the last two days I have seen and photographed quite a diversity of natures offerings .. bird. frogs, insects, and saw a few other creatures that were too quick for me. One was a Racoon that came down to the creek (likely for a drink on a hot day) that I was sitting beside. Clumsy me made a swing with my camera and clipped an obstruction after which the Coon bolted in the opposite direction, so no shot!!
Tip of the Day: (Birds) Just like any other wild animal, birds have a heightened sense of awareness. They probably know you’re lurking around even before you see them. Fortunately, there are a few tactics you can try to minimize your chances of scaring them away. First, wear something that doesn’t attract attention. You can wear camouflaged hunting clothing or keep it simple with a muted, neutral-colored shirt and pants. Remember that bright colors aren’t just distracting, but birds can also misinterpret them as a sign of danger. Steer clear of bringing along any gear that could alert them.
July 25th 2024
| LOCATION: Brant County .. mainly | WEATHER: Bright and sunny |
I have been hearing about a local spot, that, yes I have been there before, but not for quite some time. Anyways, this spot is good for seeing Marsh Wrens, and so after a couple of hours there, I could se that it certainly was. Another species spotted was the Common Gallinule. There was a small family group including some youngsters, that were generally staying out of site, but nice to see !!
July 21st 2024
| LOCATION: Norfolk County | WEATHER: Hot, hot. HOT |
Today was a primarily butterfly day, and along with a good friend, who is a very knowledgeable person when it comes to these critters, we headed down to check out a couple of places in the area between Long Point and Woodstock.
First spot was at Yarmouth Heritage where we had hoped to see a local rarity here .. the Harvester, but alas no luck, but did see quite a few others. Next stop was along a dirt road near St Williams, and again saw quite a few decent Butterflies.
First spot was at Yarmouth Heritage where we had hoped to see a local rarity here .. the Harvester, but alas no luck, but did see quite a few others. Next stop was along a dirt road near St Williams, and again saw quite a few decent Butterflies.
Tip of the Day: I always find that when looking for butterflies, or dragonflies, they can be really difficult to get close enough for a standard macro shot, so a longer lens is more useful than a Macro Lens. For most of these images below I used the Canon RF 200-800. For smaller insects that don't move too much, then I use the RF100mm Macro. Another lens I often use is the RF100-500. Happy shooting !!
**As always .. click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title**
July 20th & 23rd 2024
| LOCATION: North Dumfries Gravel Road | WEATHER: Day1 - sunny Day2 - cloudy |
Todays post is split between a couple of days that I spent along one of my favorite roads near Kitchener, with limited success. I have been spending a bit of time along there looking for a couple of rarities that have been reported there, but I neither saw nor heard either one. Rarities are a Clay-coloured Sparrow and an unlikely Sedge Wren. Nature of the beast I suppose ... some you find and some you don't, but I plan to keep checking.
July 18th & 19th 2024
| LOCATION: North Dumfries gravel road | WEATHER: Sun & cloud, but a little cooler |
**As always .. click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title **
 Belted Kingfisher | ;As I have mentioned a few times before, one of my favorite local drives is only a few miles from my house, and yet again it produced some decent birds (and a decent butterfly). Highlights for me was mainly the Belted Kingfisher. I staked this fella out for about three hours, and eventually he landed on a decent perch that wasn't too far away I could hear him almost constantly and saw him flipping from spot to spot, so I figured it was only a matter of time until he gave me a decent shot. However during that stakeout I managed a few other visitors to my chosen spot, so it was all good !! |
July 17th 2024
| LOCATION : mainly Urquhart Butterfly Gardens, Dundas | WEATHER: Sun and cloud, and pretty hot |
Todays plan was to team up with a good photo friend (Cerian), and head down to Urquhart Butterfly Gardens in Dundas . This is a fantastic location for a chance to see and photograph a few butterflies. The City of Dundas has done an amazing job of cultivating this, free to the public, flower garden next to the Desjardin Canal, where they have planted flowers that generally attract butterflies, as well as lots of other insects. The hope was to find a Hummingbird Moth, which is often spotted here, but alas we were unlucky in that respect.
On the way back home I drooped in at some marshland along Safari Road where I was hoping to see a Marsh Wren, and was delighted when one popped up for a second or two.
On the way back home I drooped in at some marshland along Safari Road where I was hoping to see a Marsh Wren, and was delighted when one popped up for a second or two.
July 15th & 16th 2024
| LOCATION: Kitchener area | WEATHER: Generally hot but rainy |
Just a few dragonflies, which aren't too hard to find in the hot damp days around here
July 10th - 13th 2024
| LOCATION: North Dumfries ... mostly | WEATHER: Generally sunny & hot |
With the warmer weather., bugs are starting to take over photo subjects
July 6th - 9th 2024
| LOCATION: North Dumfries Gravel Road | WEATHER: Hot .. all days |
Over the last few days I haven't ventured too far - We have a gravel road just outside the city limits that can be quite good, so over the last few days I have spent a few hours there, but only in the morning - usually between 8 & 12 am. The area has some awesome mixed habitat - forest, marsh, meadow and general scrub, so hosts quite a good variety of birds and bugs.
Tip of the Day: Personally I like to do birding by driving along back roads, stopping at likely looking habitat, but stopping only at a spot that has some likely open perches, then ... have a listen *using Merlin and then trying to manipulate a shot or two. The tip is make sure you have a perch chosen that would work photographically, and pre-focus at that point, and be ready !! !!
July 4th 2024
| LOCATION: Guelph Line and area | WEATHER: Sunny and quite hot |
I hadn't done much birding in this area for a couple of weeks, so thought .. why not ? I am glad I did as there were a couple of decent sightings including one that had been a target for the last couple of weeks, albeit with no sightings .. the Eastern Towhee. I came across him almost immediately, so the day started off good. The one bird I usually find along this road is the Blackburnian Warbler, but today .. no sightings and no calls either !!
July 01 & 02 2024
| LOCATION: North Dumfries | WEATHER: Sun, cloud, but cooler |
Both days touring the local back roads in North Dumfries .. only a few miles from home so keeping the gas costs in check
