First Visit to Tiny Marsh

Work took me northwards yesterday, and I spent about 10 minutes at Tiny Marsh (mainly just wanted to see the place!) and was very impressed. I had about 40 Black Terns feeding in a condensed area (60-70 total), a family of Common Loons, American Bittern, Virginia Rail, Osprey, Sandhill Cranes, etc. - all in that very short time frame at mid day. Kind of makes me wish I had a place like this right close to home, as it would be a lot of fun to check regularly.

-------------

This spring on Pelee/Pelee Island, I managed a number of "record shots" of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, which were really moving through (multiple birds almost every day I think). 

In the end, I decided to delete most of them, and really only saved these gull "record shots". Above, is a Herring X Great Black-bakced Gull hybrid (about 2 years old), towards the left. On the far right, is a very bleached Thayer's Gull. Take a look at the below image to see some of the dark wing markings that haven't been bleached yet (because they're protected from the elements by the folded feathers when the bird is standing):

Jenn and I had a Lesser Black-backed Gull in Prince Edward County on June 8th, along with a really late "Kumlien's" Iceland Gull at the same spot! Unlike the bleached Thayer's above, that shows lots of brown, this bird had worn to essentially pure white! No photos unfortunately

------------------

I've been spending some time trying to get my old insect photos online, which isn't done yet, but moving along well. 

(one of my favourite bug photos: Mottled Darner at Algonquin Park)

Not that I've had much time to look, but it's prime time for Dragonflying in Ontario right now! I'm always surprised that more birders aren't interested in insects like dragonflies - they're really just an additional "family" of birds to learn, with all the same excitement (eg,/ shorebirds, sparrows, warblers and dragonflies). 

I help look after a google group, dedicated to dragonflies in Ontario (Ont-odes), and if you're interested in seeing a bit more of what Ontario has to offer, it's a good place to start.. Here's the link:

http://groups.google.com/group/Ont-Odes

We're currently at 63 members, and always looking to grow. Some spectacular (and very rare) dragonfly photos have been sent out in just the last few days, including Arrowhead Spiketail, and Spatterdock Darner! -- But, at the same time, the group is open for any manner of sightings (unlike Ontbirds, which is apparently just for rare birds)...  

Be sure to sign up!

----------------------

Hopefully more things for the blog soon.. Some things I hope to get done sometime in the next month or so include:

--- Book review of the "Crossley ID Guide"

--- Book Review of "Hawks at a Distance"

--- Equipment review of the new Vortex Viper HD Binoculars (just got my hands on them a few days ago)

--- my thoughts about online Nature photography forums

--- and I still have a good collection of photos taken from spring migration!

And more! So keep checking back. A day or two ago the blog passed 30,000 visits, so I'm glad to see some people are reading these ramblings!  :)

A spring favourite

One of my favourite photos from the spring... Taken at the tip of Fish Point, Pelee Island.!

It was one of those weird situations where I had no plans of getting a photo like this. I suddenly noticed these RB Mergansers flying straight towards us, so I lunged for the camera, snapped a few quick pics (actually startled them, which is why they have this great pose), and then looked at the screen!

My settings weren't perfect, but I was pretty happy with the result!

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_RBME.htm



A bit pressed for time again, so a short blog post today!

Back in Winter

Somewhat "New" photos that I've recently put on the website:


White-winged Crossbill from Netitishi Point last November:

and Hoary Redpolls from my winter trip up north:

to their respective pages:

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_WWCR.htm

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_HORE.htm

We'll return to spring and summer next time!

Back in Black

Work had me away from the internet for a few days.... Not much news to add from me. Continuing to take it easy and do my work!

Some more "New" photos from this past May. Today's collection is some more examples of my new focus on the less-seen styles of bird photography:

Veery

Black-throated Green

Canada Warbler

Scarlet Tanager

They aren't the greatest things to ever appear on a bird-website, but I'm pretty fond of them (esp the Tanager). I frequently get people who (when seeing some of my bird photos) say "The birds don't really look like that, do they?" when presented with frame-filling detail in bird shots. These shots try and capture some of that feeling I get when seeing the birds with my  own eyes (or binoculars). 

------------------------------

A few days ago I posted some passerines in flight, without ID's. Apparently they're in demand! SO, this is what  I had:

Warbling Vireo
Bay-breasted Warbler
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-winged Warb
Chestnut-Sided Warb
Scarlet Tanager
2 Chestnut-sideds
Nashville Warb
Baltimore Oriole (with some red? on the breast)
Yellow-rump
Magnolia
Black-throated green
Indigo Bunting
Orchard Oriole
Bobolink
Red-headed Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird


_____________________

This day in Ontario birding history:

White-collared Swift found at Rondeau - 2002

Vole?

Sometime just after mid-may, with little happening, my Dad and I decided to take a break and sit in the visitors centre parking lot at Point Pelee. I decided to set up my camera, because the camera was on top of our chairs (sad, but true)..

Thankfully, it really paid off! We noticed some people watching a remarkably tame Vole at the front of the VC! Small mammals like this are really difficult to photograph (especially by chance), so I fired away 100ish shots before the little critter vanished back into the garden. 

From what I can tell, it's a Meadow Vole... Probably the only species to expect in the park. I've been working away on my spring photos, and will have a steady supply to post on the blog for the next while. This will be very useful, since I'm feeling 100% content with the birding I did this spring, and probably won't do much serious birding until after mid-July (other than work, that is). 

!

Flycatchers! Go flycatchers!

Photos from May! If you were following along on the blog, you'll remember the crazy cold snap and rain that hit pelee just after mid may. No one knows what convinced the flycatchers and vireos to move, but they were in terribly rough shape the first morning.

When I get my camera out in situations like this, there's a specific class of birds I'm looking for... ((see classes:

Class 1: practically dead.... --- the birds are crawling along the ground or in the grass... This time, many were still soaked from the previous nights rain... They look pretty bad in real life, and in the photos... I usually try to leave these birds in peace, since they don't make for great photos - yet draw the most attention from birders in the area.

Class 2: slowed down... --- the birds I want!!! They have enough wits about them to still maintain a safe distance from threats, still fly around a bit, yet know they have to be low to the ground and focused if they're going to find any food.  Arming myself with a 600mm lens is enough to photograph these reasonably healthy looking birds, while they go about their desired routine.

Class 3: still a pain in the butt... --- despite the cold weather, they're still actively avoiding my lens and seem pretty healthy.



So without further hesitation, some "Class 2" flycatchers from Pelee. I have very few empid photos before this spring, and getting all of these birds in the same day was a bit of a treat:

Above: Yellow-bellied Flycatchers! First "good" photos of the species for me.

Next two: "Alder" Flycatchers! First photos of a "Trail's" I've taken... Sad, but true, and now fixed!

Next up: Least Flycatcher

Below: the highlight of the day for me, a briefly cooperative Acadian Flycatcher:

Not bad for half a days work! More "New" spring photos over the next while... 

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_YBFL.htm

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_ALFL.htm

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_LEFL.htm

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_ACFL.htm

Birds in Reverse - Pelee Island

Still muckin around with the spring stuff.

A breif collection of images taken at Fish Point, Pelee Island with Jennifer, My Dad, and team Burrell.... These were taken over two decent days, but were NOT taken during the EPIC 6000+ bird reverse on May 10th (when I didn't have my camera out):

http://www.blog.peregrineprints.com/2011/05/fw-fwd-ontbirds-pelee-island-may-10th.html



This is how photo quizzes are made! When It's easier than writing out the species name for each photo:

-------------------------

This day in Ontario Birding: 

Cassin's Finch found at Point Pelee in 1994!

May 31st --- power down

Time to get back to the real world... Working again, and going to do some of my own work on the site.....

To start, Red-necked Phalarope behind the Shoeless Joes in Leamington... No idea what these birds were doing there, but they were unbelievably cooperative.

The photos I'll be working on will also be added to the proper pages:

http://peregrineprints.com/zz_RENP.htm

----------------

Still rare birds to be found, but most of us are 100% content after another spring migration. (I know I am)... Just remember what it was like 6 weeks ago in Mid April, dying for the chance to be out to see the first migrant warblers??

---------------

This day in Ontario Birding:

Brown Pelican found at Port Dover - 1994. Then spends several weeks wandering around lake erie. 

Rarity photos from the spring and forever!

I've been wanting to get my rarity photos back online for a while now (they don't really sell, but they're fun)... And decided to use flickr as a venue...

So yeah... Pretty much all the main highlights from before, just not laid out the same. Check out the link here:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/bhbirds/

Fish Crow - This spring at Point Pelee... Possibly the first FICR photo ever taken in Ontario??? Not much of a looker though......

----------

If you have any comments or suggestions about this new idea, I'd love to hear it !! Not that I'll do it (as Jenn and my parents know).. but I still do like to hear it     :)

worthy of it's own post

 Go here:

http://www.pbase.com/lightrae/naturenb


and scroll down to the bottom ~10 images on that page, to check out photos of a mega-fallout on michias seal island


Impressive!

the real Gray Fox photo

Click for a larger view, but possibly my highlight photo from the spring. Taken at ISO 5000 in some pretty dark morning conditions. Never thought I'd photograph one of these beasts in the province!

IMG01010-20110523-1050.jpg

Hillman Marsh! Now 100% connected to lake erie.

Not much magic to report from the point this morning! Back to the real world for me.

Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

tonights radar map

apparently I can't post png. files from my phone... A really fast post. Really really huge numbers of birds moving towards lake Erie, and advancing thunderstorms as of 10:30pm... These predictions aren't really reliable, but it sure looks like it could be a good morning at Point Pelee!

cleas.png

Watching the birds take off while at Hillman Marsh. The shorebird cell was actually good this evening!!!

1 Whimbrel
1 Stilt Sandpiper
1 red-necked phalarope
2 wilsons pharlies
2 White-rumped sands

Not too shabby. Picked up about 3 nighthawks while watching too.

A virginia rail (still calling now) is my 260th bird of the year for the province.. Here's hoping for a few more tomorrow!


Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Pelee May 22 - am report

These odd days continue at Pelee... Odd because they're good (without huge numbers of birds), but now also odd in the species...

Again today:

Summer Tanager - 1 - 1st year male that hung out and flew off the tip several times

Dickcissel - 1.. maybe 2... flying off the tip

Thayer's Gull - 1 juv bird at the tip

Prothonotary Warbler - sang once on the WNT

Hooded Warbler - 1 near white pines (singing)

Notice anything similar? PROW, SUTA again? Today's bird was my 8th "self found" Summer Tanager of the year (eg,/ not chasing). What the heck is going on?

White-rumped Sandpiper is my only new bird of the year... Bringing it to 257 for Ontario! My highest to-date list by far I think (not that I would have any way of checking)... 

IMG00999-20110521-0820.jpg

One of those fun and unusual mornings at the tip. Final Tanager tally was 2 Summer's, 1 Scarlet and 1 Western --- a female Ken Burell and I independently identified in flight... Steady reverse migration on calm as glass water. 2 Little Gulls as well!

Ken also picked out a singing Prothonotary Warb at the tip... Not a whole lot of birds, but it seems like rarities can really turn up on these warm calm nights.

A few more days left of pelee magic before some real work... High hopes for tomorrow.. Like always, but hopefully some rain overnight!


Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

IMG00989-20110520-0709.jpg

Today's fog at Pelee. Note how few leaves on the big trees!!! Is the leaf-out late? Or is it just a bunch of dead ash trees?

Beautiful time to be in the park. Tons of birds and way less people. Already found a female Summer Tanager this morning. My 5th "self found" SUTA this year !


Yesterday was a bit birdier! Had 24 warbler species by 10am, then nothin new. Found Prothonotary, Hooded, 2 White-eyed Vireos, Olive-sided fly, Grasshopper sparrow etc. Nothin super rare but a very enjoyable day.

We're hopeful for hawks today, but it's less that stellar right now.


Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

IMG00988-20110519-1457.jpg

Look! Blue Sky!

Suddenly its HOT with no wind.. How does this happen!?


Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.