Category: Birds

The Racing Loons

I recently did a post about loons, but thought I would add this. Last week, when we were staying in Canisbay, Algonquin Park, we saw something that was completely new to us. We’ve seen loons run along the water as they are taking off to fly, but this time it looked like two loons were […]

Loons

One of my favourite things to do in the summer is to go out on the lake during the morning and  try to capture photos of our loons. One of the best ways to do this is by going out in a canoe or kayak, which is quieter and not as threatening to the loons. Sometimes […]

Nashville Warbler

I’m so glad we see birds in their migration paths. We went to Point Pelee last year and saw some, but I think it’s even nicer to see the birds here. One thing you don’t have to deal with is the crowds. The challenge is to identify these little birds as they travel through. The […]

Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle)

We’ve had some interesting birds going through on their migration to the north. This one is a yellow-rumped warbler (Myrtle – eastern). They don’t stay in place for very long as they are catching insects, so it is difficult to get a good clear picture of them. We had a small flock of them in […]

American Tree Sparrow

We have had the privilege of having American Tree Sparrows in our yard. They are interesting to watch. They have a rusty cap on their heads, and have a streaked brown back. Their breast is a smooth gray and they have a dark smudge in the centre of the breast. They are smaller than the […]

Fox Sparrow

We’ve had a visitor in our yard for the last few days. We didn’t recognize the bird, so I contacted one of my expert friends who identified it for us. He said it is a fox sparrow, and apparently it only shows up in our area for a few weeks in the spring and fall […]

Eastern Wild Turkey Feather

We found a turkey feather last summer, and I’ve been meaning to take some photos of it. We’ve had a flock of turkeys in the area, and occasionally see them on our neighbour’s property, the road, and sometimes on our own. One of these days I may be able to get a good photo of […]

Loon Feathers

This fall when we were out in the kayaks, we often saw loon feathers floating in the water. I believe these were from the loons (probably the young) molting before migrating. Some mornings you would see quite a few, so  I started gathering them up. I was unable to take a photo of them from […]

Mother Robin and her Babies

We were visiting my father in Burk’s Falls a couple of weeks ago, and I was able to capture some photos of a robin feeding her young … or maybe it was the father feeding his young. The  robin was quite curious about me taking pictures, but was not very nervous. She is used to […]

Cedar Waxwings

Cedar Waxwings are usually shy. We see them very rarely, and when we do, it is difficult to get good photos of them. They are usually peaking at you from behind leaves, like this one, or they fly away as soon as you look like you’re going their direction. I love their song. If you […]