Grass Lake slowly getting some of the regular species back, with frequent sightings now of Sandhill Cranes, Eastern Meadowlarks and Bluebirds. I had expected to see the Ospreys back before the end of the month, as per previous years, but so far no sign. The other common species .. Savannah Sparrow, and somewhat common species, the Bobolink I wont expect for another couple of weeks yet.
Along West River Road is still producing decent birds with a Northern Shrike in this visit. ... which was within 100ft of the Kestrel the day before. ... great habitat so I shouldn't be surprised.

I was expecting a delivery some time through the day, so set up in my usual spot  at home - through the dining room patio doors, to a setup on my deck. Activity is definitely down from a few weeks ago, so I expect many of my regulars have headed north or ?. However there was still some things going on, other than just feeding the squirrels. I always get a lot of Downy Woodpeckers, as well as a few daily visits, by a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers. Today, I had a Hairy Woodpecker do some rooting around, so that was good.
My delivery arrived just before 2pm, so I headed out, knowing that I had to pick up my grandson at 4pm, so I couldn't go too far. I headed to the Grass Lake area, then along some gravel roads towards Paris. Over the next  30 mins or so I had a flood of activity with an American Woodcock topping the list.  Some days ... it just works !!

Headed to Burlington first thing this morning to see if there was anything around worth shooting. It's that time of year where the winter birds are heading out and the soring birds are not quite moving yet. However it wasn't too bad of a day. Strat point was La Salle Marine, then up to Gates of Heaven Cemetery to see if the Shrike was showing ... and he was but the shoot distance was massive, so image quality pretty poor, however still nice to see. I kinda noticing an odd situation with Shrike - I know of a few places where they hang out, and at the same spots there has always been Bluebirds close by. I'm not really sure if its the Bluebirds that are part of the Shrikes diet or simply the preferred habitat is the same for both species ...  mmmm?

A couple of surprises today - first was the Coyote that gave me some great views, and a bit later I came across a sunny grove in a woodlot that had 2 or 3 butterflies flying around.

Funny sometimes .. I went out with a few targets in mind, then ended up later back home with not one seen or photographed, but I came across a few others that in may ways better than I had planned for in the first place ... BTW I'm not complaining :)  
Highlight of the day was the pair of Pileated that kept me entertained for a good half hour on a back road near Killean (SE of Cambridge)
​
I found myself at a spot I hadn't been to in quite some time - Desjardanis Canal in Dundas, and it was quite birdy with quite a few nice species - American Wigeon, Black Duck, Hooded Merganser,  Pied-billed Grebe and a few other more common species. ... 

Weather was forecast to be mild, to be almost wind free and best of all very diffused sunlight and as it turned out the light was just perfect. First stop was at La Salle Marina where we managed a few good sightings including Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, a couple of Carolina Wrens, a few Long-tailed Ducks and a female Red-breasted Merganser.
Next stop was the short drive to Inksetter Road, where the rare winter visitor .. a Harris Sparrow, is often found, but unfortunately not today, a few Cedar Waxwings showed but they stayed a bit far away for a decent shot, so time for another move.
From here we headed up Valens Road, where at a certain spot for a few years we have seen an Eastern Meadowlark around this time of year, and today ... there he was ... He stayed a little far out but still a nice first of year bird to add to our list.
Last stop of the day was a spot we knew where there is usually some Eastern Bluebirds, and yes they were around a posed nicely during the hour or so we were there.
Every now and again we get some luck, and today a lot of things fell into place  .. light, wind, birds ... so all in all a good day.

Yesterday was pleasantly, and very unseasonably warm, so I expected today to be hot with new migrants, but although I did see a few new faces, generally they were keeping out of the way of my lens.

Met up with a friend and toured a few spots around Burlington - first stop was La Salle Marina, but it was still iced in so no waterbirds to see or photograph. From there headed to Gates of Heaven Cemetery, where in past years around this time, we had seen and photographed some Bluebirds. We did see 3 or 4, but they didn't cooperate, so left with only a couple of mediocre shots. From here we took some of the side roads between Highway 8 and Highway 6, heading north. Targets were more Bluebirds and possibly a Meadowlark, but nothing until I reached Valens Conservation Area, where a couple of Bluebirds were hanging around some nesting boxes.

It had been quite a while since I toured around this area. I had heard that there some Snow Buntings around and if I was lucky I might see a Snowy Owl. Found a few Snow Buntings but no sign of a Snowy Owl  - I looked on top of hundreds of hydro poles, and checked out a few white, what turned out to be plastic bags out in the fields, but nothing.
The one species that I had no problem finding were Horned Larks - it seemed that every side road had dozens of them. However they were a tad skittish and very few sat still long enough for a snap or two.

Nice looking morning so I headed back to a currently favorite area, in and around Flamborough. My first stop was at Summit Bog Conservation Area, where last week I had seen lots of Cedar Waxwings and a Brown Creeper (which was too fast for me to photograph). Today however the Brown Creeper stuck around long enough for a couple of shots, albeit at a fair distance, but at least I managed something. Other sightings at this spot were the American Robin and a Hermit Thrush (Not the pic below).
From here I headed to Inksetter Road to see if the Harris Sparrow was showing, but unfortunately it didn't, but lots of other sparrow species incl White throated Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow and the White-crowned Sparrow.
From here, I headed to Dundas Valley Conservation Area which was a waste of time as I didn't see anything .. zero, not even a Chickadee, but on the way there a flock of four Sandhill Cranes flew low over the road. They looked like they were getting ready to land, but I was unable to find them.
Last stop was a small trail which is a part of Christie Lake, but jut not the actual CA. Here I found another Hermit Thrush, which posed nicely for me. While here a Turkey Vulture flew over ... Really early I think. 

I initially headed to a trail along the Grand River in Cambridge, as I had heard that a Swainson's Thrush had been spotted along there a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be found, so after an hour, I headed to Riverside Park, which is fairly close by. 
I didn't expect much, but when I arrived at the boardwalk I met a friend who gave me the heads up about a Winter Wren that was popping up regularly. Now that was good news on this, so far, quiet day. Within a very short time .. up he popped and gave us a few great views. 
After a time a male Purple Finch showed up, but he didn't stick around too long, but I did manage a couple of shots while he was around. 
All in all not a bad day ... especially for late February.

With the weather being rain all day, I kinda had no choice but to stay home, and make the most of my back yard visitations. Nothing popped up that was any different from previous days, the rain does kind of add some atmosphere, so at the end of the day I was quite happy. 

It was amazing to get out on the road again, after a week "confined to barracks" so to speak. Both days I headed down to Flamborough area and toured a few of my favorite spots. The one spot I always go to when in this zone, is Inksetter Road, where for the last couple of months a rarity has been hiding out - a Harris's Sparrow. The Harris breed exclusively in northern Canada in areas of open tundra mixed with white pine, black spruce, larch, alder, and willow. In winter they use  shrubby areas near streams of the southern Great Plains, but this one has found it's way here instead. Over the last couple of weeks when I have visited I have been unlucky, but today managed a few shots.
The Harris is hanging out with a few other sparrow species - The White-throated, Song, White-crowned, Tree and some House Sparrows, so quite a good variety and well worth a visit.
On day 2 we were fortunate to find a Pins Siskin at the same location, so it was a great 2 days (maybe I should buy a lottery ticket while my luck holds ? )

Back yard shooting is pretty boring .. I know, but it has to beat not going out at all ... at least in my eyes anyways, and you never know what is going to show up and surprise you. At this time of year (mid Feb) I have in past years had visits from Pine Siskins and sometimes even Common Redpolls, but unfortunately, as far as know anyways, I have not had any of ether of these two show up, but I live in hope.

With all the recent snow I have been staying at home, but setting up, as usual, at my dining room patio doors, and waiting/hoping for a better "visitor" than the usual Juncos, House Sparrows, Cardinals and of course .. Blue Jays.
Saying that Blue Jays are an extremely photogenic bird and will often perch interestingly. I'm not saying the two images below fall into that category, but you get my thinkings :)

Just a day at home - snowy/wet kinda day

Decided to stay close to home today .. first stop was to check out Linear Trail in Cambridge - The Black-crowned Night Heron is still being seen, as well as a Kingfisher, both of whom would be awesome to photograph. I did, however, see a Blue Heron, but he high-tailed it before I could get a focus on him ... so maybe all 3 next time... maybe :)
After leaving Preston I headed to Blair, which is on my way home, to see what waterbirds were showing - Quite a few Scaup, Mergansers and especially Golden-eyes (and of course Mallards). While waiting I was delighted to see a Mink fishing on a little ice island directly out from where I was standing - and seemed to be doing OK with several catches in the 20 mins I stood there.
Back home I setup, yet again, looking out my dining room patio doors and  was delighted to see a few birds - nothing too unusual, but at one point a Coopers Hawk scattered them all and then landed out in the (almost) open and gave me a few shots.

Day1 was sunny, but with the wind it was really cold, so we didn't hang around in the open for too long I can tell you. The Horned Lark and the Snow Bunting were the highlights of the day.

Day2 I was on my own and headed to a spot where both a Pine Grosbeak and a Purple Finch had been reported over the last couple of days (Summit Bog near Ancaster) and was delighted to see both of these species, as well as a flock of Cedar Waxwings. Unfortunately I really goofed with both the Grosbeak and the Purple Finch ... I must have inadvertently moved the speed knob, so when I in-camera adjust ISO to set exposure I was shooting at a stupid 1/8000 sec, and with the ISO adjusted it was at ISO5000 .  See "Tip of the Day" below 

On the plus side after my mini disaster I came across a small flock of sparrows, cardinals and juncos and in the mix was a Song Sparrow and a White-crowned Sparrow, both of whom are slightly unlikely during the winter months, so they somewhat made up for my earlier mistake.

Thanks to a good friend who pointed me in the right direction to see and photograph mainly Horned Larks and Snow Buntings I was able to get a couple of decent shots of both (near Jerseyville) earlier today ... they generally sat out in the open, so I was pretty happy with the several shots I was able to snap.
In the same general area I found likely the most cooperative flock of Cedar Waxwings I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. They came down to almost eye level and in a couple of cases within 12 feet of where I was standing in the open. Incredible !!
​**  As always ... click on any image to show full size. Also by hovering your cursor over any image will provide a title

Back on 3rd February 2013 I started an online diary, which a short time later I called a blog and started to share the contents online. That was exactly 9 years ago today. I still find myself, very regularly, looking back to the the same time period in previous years to see what I found and where it was. Gives me ideas on where to go for the coming days .. amazing the number of times I find myself having a similar experience. 
Based on the site statistics, I can see that I get quite a few visitors on a daily basis, so for those that are, or have done so, I thank you for your participation & support.  ​

​Forecast for the next couple of days is snow, and we got a fair dump today, and we can expect the same again tomorrow. With most places pretty quiet anyways I have decided for these two days to stay at home, and do a little more shooting from our dining room, which unfortunately has to be through glass (our patio doors). 
Birds tend to be little cautious about coming to the feeders during a snowfall, but every now and then through today, I did get a few birds hanging around, and snacking. Unfortunately the squirrels tend to spook the birds, as well getting most of the food, but I suppose they have to eat as well, so I wasn't too aggressive about chasing them off, and generally they all got fed.
Snow started late morning, following a period of very light misty rain, so I was able to get a few shots pre-snow which gave me a nice variation through the day.

​Tip of the Day:   in low-light winter days, raising the ISO of your camera is almost a must. On overcast days, especially near sunrise or sunset, expect to use anywhere from ISO 800 to ISO 3200, depending on your desired shutter speed. When I’m on the go, I occasionally let my camera make some decisions for me. I often set my camera to auto ISO with a limit of 6400. This means the camera can pick any ISO it wants, but never above ISO 6400. I get flexibility, but avoid high noise levels in my images. Choose a level based on your camera’s capabilities, and if need be consult the manual

I hate to admit it, but my relatively old car is acting up, and so (even though I had planned a bit of a trip this morning) I reluctantly stayed at home  and did a small back yard setup. Generally the same old birds were showing up and stocking up at one of my feeders. However this morning I had a bird I don't think I have ever had around the feeders - a White-throated Sparrow., which almost made up for not getting to my planned location, and of course I would likely have had more "exotic" species to shoot .. maybe !!

​Tip of the Day: ​  It's not quite enough to just put out a feeder or two and hope that a nice bird will show up and pose for you. One thing you don't want is the feeder itself in the image, so what I like to do is setup a few branches or logs next to said feeders, and you will likely find that the birds on route to the feeders will perch on one of the placed branches, providing you with that photo op. It's a good idea to pre-focus on one of the branches, as you will find the birds don't sit too long.

This was pretty much day #1 with a new lens, and was the main reason for going to Riverside Park. I bought this lens for the days that I go trekking along some of the trails, and with it being significantly lighter and smaller than my 500mm prime lens I don't get quite so tired and sore. The new acquisition is the Canon RF100-500 zoom lens and I have to say it is an awesome lens, with incredible image quality. As you can see from these images, and especially if you click on them, that detail is quite outstanding.

Back on the 20th I had spent a few hours in this area and was very happy with some of the sightings. Today along with a fellow bird photographer, we headed back to see if there was some decent activity. The initial idea was to maybe get a few shots of the Harris Sparrow that has been semi resident here for a couple of months now, but this morning it was a no-show. Oh well !!
Next stop was a couple of miles away near the entrance to Christie Lake Conservation Area, and it was hopping with bird activity - I counted 25+ American Robins feeding on the roadside berries - they put on quite a show. Other birds same spot were Hermit Thrush, Cedar Waxwings, American Tree Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Juncos and Cardinals.

This morning I rearranged my perches around my back yard feeders - After a a few days taking shots at the same old setup gets a bit "samey", so by doing a bit of layout change, I was hoping for a fresh look on todays and shots over the next few days, then I suppose I will make some more changes.

Initially I headed to La Salle to see what kind of ducks might be in the area, but with the temperatures being extremely cold all the water birds were tucked down and not moving. On impulse I headed over to the the location where a Harris's Sparrow has been overwintering and was delighted to find that he was still very visible. Close by this location I spotted a bit of bird activity as I drove down to where the Harris was, so after getting a few shots I headed back and was delighted to find that there were several birds feeding on the buckthorn and winter grape along the roadside. So for the next half hour I did a lot of clicking :)

Over the last couple of days we have had a ton of snow, so much snow that my car got stuck just outside my house, so I was grounded until the snow plow made it around (which ended up being noon on the 18th). However it was a great excuse to photograph some more back yard birds. All photographed through my dining room patio doors ie through glass

After yesterday's complete waste of a day - yesterday I headed up north of Luther Marsh where at this time of year it can be awesome ... well yesterday it was not . Not a single click after 5 hours and 300km zig-zagging all the back roads. Oh well .... it happens.
So today I decided to stay at home and shoot a few back yard birds..... 

One of my biggest supporters in this passion of mine (Avian Photography) is my dear wife Margaret. This morning she was feeling very poor having picked some bug or other that was making her very unwell, so instead of going out I stayed home and kept the tea flowing etc. While here, I set up a tripod in my dining room and photographed yard birds as they visited my feeders. All shot through glass (my dining room patio doors).

A bitterly cold morning this morning as I took the hour and fifteen minute drive to Haldimand County, and more specifically Ruthven House. My target today was the Tufted Titmouse, which I had photographed last week at the same location, but I didn't get any shots that I really liked, so my fingers were tightly crossed in my heavy warm gloves.
After about an hour I only had very brief glimpses of two individuals, so after a quick jaunt into town for a coffee and a warm up, I reset up at the same spot as before. Thankfully one of them made some longer and a tad closer visits to the feeders that Ruthven set up. I focused on the shrubbery and trees just beside the feeders and managed several half decent shots.
On the way back to KW I took a looping route through an area quite well known for Short-eared Owls (Fisherville) but was not able to find any, but I did have a Kestrel that sat for quite a bit, so at least I managed ay least something on the raptor side.   

After all these years shooting birds, I rarely get a lifer, but today I am delighted to say that I did today. North Dumfries is a 15 min drive for me so it was kind of a double bonus. The Lifer is a Golden-crowned Sparrow.
​On my way from photographing the Sparrow I decided to run around by Grass Lake on my way home, and I was again delighted when I spotted a raptor was sitting up on a pole close to the road ... and the raptor was a Peregrine Falcon. This might be one of the days I should have bought a lottery ticket.  

Target today was for the Tufted Titmouse that was reported here, so I arrived mid morning and for the first hour the TT wasn't to be seen - a few other species were there .. House Finches, White-throated Sparrow, and lots of Juncos and Chickadees. 
Eventually the Tufted Titmouse did pop it's head out at the feeders, but he was in quick and out quick, making getting a few snaps distinctly frustrating. However after another couple of hours I had a couple of shots I was OK with, One thing for sure you had to be on your toes when he popped out if you wanted to get any kind of shot.

First stop this morning was La Salle Marina, but because of the severe cold the ducks were keeping way out and generally quite inactive... nature of the beast with ducks.
Next stop was down to 50 Point in Stoney Creek where we had heard there was a Boreal Owl hanging out in the park. We walked a lot, and checked a lot of trees, but no Boreal that we could find. We did however, find a Long-eared Owl and a Saw-whet Owl in the same tree ... what's the odds ?? Further around the Park we came across another Saw-whet, but like the first one it was tucked in pretty tight, so images were yucky.

Another year under our belt - Boy! where does the time go.
Quite a bit of snow this morning here in Kitchener, but after it stopped in the early afternoon, I took a short jaunt around some of the back roads close to home to see what might be around. As it happened it was quite quiet with very little out in the open "waiting for me", so I hope that isn't going to be the trend for 2022.
The most activity I came across was a small flock of American Tree Sparrows that were foraging along the roadside.