February 20, 2012
Happy Family Day! I hope you are all enjoying some quality time today with your family, your friends, your backyard birds, or whatever brings a smile to your face and warms your heart.
If bird watching is one of your activities of choice, then you couldn’t ask for a better February. I was out yesterday, and was rewarded with a lot of great sightings. I can’t say that I was filled with much hope when I first woke up yesterday. I pulled open the blinds expecting to see a partially cloudy sky, but instead was greeted with the discouraging sight of steady snow falling. A sensible person would have jumped back into bed and waited for a better day – but not me!
I cleared the snow off my car, loaded my gear into the back seat, and headed for Prince Edward Point. The snow kept trying to dampen my mood, but I didn’t let it, and when I reached Schoharie Road I was rewarded with a Northern Shrike! It was perched atop a small bushy tree. These birds love to take a high perch. I pulled over and snapped two quick shots before he took off. Unfortunately with the poor light and falling snow, the pictures didn’t turn out well – but I couldn`t stop smiling!
The snow finally let up as I drove through Milford, and that’s when I spotted a great little raptor – a Merlin.

Isn’t she a delightful looking falcon! Merlins are larger and less colourful than the American Kestrel. They are a tenacious little falcon that can catch birds in flight. Their nickname is “Pigeon Hawk” because they often go after larger birds like Rock Pigeons. They also feed on insects, and mice. I was so lucky that this wonderful little bird had chosen such a beautiful snowy tree branch as her perch.
Although the snow had stopped falling, the sky remained a blanket of thick clouds. Here’s how Prince Edward Point looked as I entered the park.

I had come to Prince Edward Point in hopes of seeing the Mountain Bluebird that was reported to be hanging around. Initially I couldn’t find the bird, so I decided to take a look in the waters to see what sort of ducks might be wanting to have their photos taken. There were Gadwalls, Buffleheads, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Long-tailed Ducks. Here’s a photo of a male Long-tailed.

I never tire of photographing these terrific little beauties.
The trees were alive with Cedar Waxwings and American Robins, and I even witnessed a Raven in flight as I was capturing images of the diving ducks. The bird activity in general was much better than I had expected, but I really wanted to see the bluebird so I headed back to the west end of the park where it had most often been seen. When I got close, a fellow birder pointed to a spot a few hundred yards further down the road, and that was where I got this shot.

It’s not the sharpest image I’ve ever captured, but it is definitely one of the sweetest! I was beaming! This is a fairly rare bird in these parts, and I feel very privileged to have seen one.
My next stop was the Glenora Ferry. I had heard that there had been sightings of eagles near there, and I thought on such a lucky day, why not press my luck.
I made my way along County Road 13 just past Black River when a pair of large birds started shadowing me. They were like dark silhouettes against the bright grey sky. They matched my speed, and followed me around the next turn and then started to circle in typical raptor style. I pulled over and took a couple of photos. I could tell they were both immature Bald Eagles, but they were too far away for me to get any decent shots.
I reached the Glenora Ferry just as it was about to leave the dock. I scooted on board, grabbed my camera, and headed for the front of the boat. There were no eagles in the vicinity, but there were ducks, geese, swans, and Herring Gulls like this juvenile taking off from the water directly ahead of the ferry.

Once the ferry docked, I drove off to Millhaven to see if the Snowy Owl was still about. Unfortunately it wasn`t at home, but I did see a Northern Harrier in the same field where the owl had been. Across the road there were Common Mergansers, and on my way out of town I spotted this beautiful Red-tailed Hawk.

From its facial markings I would have sworn this was a full grown adult, but when it flew off it revealed a brown tail with thin bars which meant it was still a juvenile. Either way, a terrific looking hawk.
After that final sighting of the day, I drove home with my head full of great memories of a super day of birding and a camera full of images that I couldn`t wait to share with Elaine. When I got in, we grabbed some coffee, and I got to relive all the best moments of the day. What a wonderful hobby this is!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com
www.kirschphotography.com 

February 12, 2012
In all my years (and there have been more than I’d like to ‘fess up to) I’ve never seen a winter as mild as this one. We’re almost midway through February… in Ontario… Canada… and we haven’t had a real snowfall yet!
This weekend we did get a small reminder of winters past. There was an inch or two of snow, and the temperatures dropped to near season norms – and Elaine and I witnessed just how cold it was yesterday afternoon when we went out for a few hours photographer-ing (a word I have recently invented).
We started at the Moira River where we saw a very dramatic sign of just how cold it was. As we stepped out of the car, four Canada Geese on the far side of the river made a beeline toward us (probably hoping for some food). They reached our side quickly, and then stepped out of the water onto a narrow strip of icy shoreline. That’s when we noticed that one poor fellow’s bill was caked in ice.

I’ve never seen a duck or goose with such an icy build up. Elaine was quite upset to see the poor bird in this condition (notice also the damaged wing feathers) but there was nothing that we could do to help him. We hoped the ice on his bill wouldn’t prevent the bird from eating. In a later shot that I took, it showed the bill open about a 1/4″, so breathing and drinking wouldn’t have been an issue.
On a brighter note, there were two male Common Goldeneyes in the middle of the river, swimming against the current and frequently diving for food.

We stood and watched this beautiful pair of ducks for a few minutes, but the cold wind soon pushed us back into the car. We backed out onto Coleman Street and headed for the Bay Bridge and our main destination, Wellington Harbour.
When we arrived, we discovered that the stiff cold wind had come with us. We were tempted to do all our shooting from the cozy confines of our vehicle, but the waters were teeming with geese and ducks, and we couldn’t resist trying to get some closer shots.
There were hundreds and hundreds of Canada Geese. There were also Mallards, Goldeneyes, Mergansers, and plenty of Long-tailed Ducks. As we approached the nearby slip, a pair of Mallards flew up and past us. It happened very quickly, and I only managed to get this one shot of them.

Mallards are a very beautiful, much overlooked duck.
I next focused my camera on a small group of Long-tailed Ducks. They seemed to be being led around by an alpha male.

It’s probably just my imagination, but the slightly larger male seemed to be always in the lead, and when the rest of the group dove for fish, he would stay on the surface and “keep watch” – or so it seemed.
Elaine continued shooting the smaller ducks as I made my way south towards the lake. Suddenly the geese started calling urgently and a large number of them took to the sky. They flew towards Elaine, so she got some larger group shots, while I managed to grab a photo of this trailing pair.

It was great fun, and we shot for a while longer, but again the brisk cold wind was relentless, and it began whispering “go and get a bowl of hot chili at Tim Horton’s” – and so we did!
On the way out of the harbour we stopped for just a moment to look out over the lake.

It was a beautiful image to savour at the end of a really fun (if cold) afternoon!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com
www.kirschphotography.com

Feb. 6, 2012
I’m sure you’ve all witnessed low-hanging cloud formations that hug the horizon like a phantom mountain range. Well, last Saturday morning just before sunrise that’s what I was seeing as I drove south into Prince Edward County. Here’s a photo I took just as I passed through Cherry Valley.

* click on the image for a larger view *
The diversity of nature is remarkable, isn’t it? Almost every daybreak brings a different combination of clouds and colours. I really enjoy my early morning drives and getting to see what wonders the predawn sky will deliver.
By the time the sun came up, I was almost at Prince Edward Point. Unfortunately the weather was not what I expected. It was supposed to be predominately sunny and calm. Instead it was overcast, cold, and very very windy – and one thing I’ve learned about The Point, is that windy conditions are the worst for birding.
Jeff met me at the top of the bluff in the Traverse Woods, and I could tell from his expression that there was very little to see. The water was rough, the wind was bitter cold, and Jeff had seen no signs of any raptors. Occasionally a duck or two would fly by, but that was it. Here’s one of the few shots I managed to get that morning.

This is a pair of Long-tailed Ducks. The one on the left is the male. In addition to the Long-tails, there were also some White-winged Scoters, and some Scaup, but that was about it.
Jeff and I took a drive over to Lake on the Mountain, but that also proved fruitless. Fortunately for Jeff he took the Glenora ferry on his way home, and got this great picture of a juvenile Bald Eagle.

On my drive home, I photographed a couple of Red-tailed Hawks, but only from distance.

All I can say is, I wish I’d have taken the ferry!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com
www.kirschphotography.com

Jan. 29, 2012
The roads were becoming more and more snow covered as I headed further south into Prince Edward County, and there were occasional snow squalls which almost convinced me to turn around and go back home – almost.  I figured, ‘what the heck’, I’m already halfway to Prince Edward Point, I might as well keep going. The sun was just peeking above the horizon as I turned onto County Road 13 and drove along the shoreline of South Bay. I was keeping one eye on the sky, as I often do when I’m driving, and just past Helmer Road I spotted an eagle – a juvenile Bald Eagle. It flew over the car and down the road behind me. I stopped and looked over my shoulder just in time to see it join up with two more young eagles heading in the same direction. I figured I had three choices. I could get out of the car and take a distant shot of the eagles flying off over the bay. I could find a driveway, turn the car around, and possibly get no shot at all, or – and this is what I did – throw the car into reverse and start driving backwards down the highway, trying to catch up to them. Birding makes you do crazy things.  Fortunately I was the only person nutty enough to be on that road at daybreak, so there was no traffic to contend with. Unfortunately I couldn’t go fast enough to catch up, so I had to watch out my back window as one by one the birds dipped below the tree line. I did get a small reward for my efforts though. I pulled over and stepped out of the car with my camera just as one of the eagles reemerged, and I managed to get this one shot.

A moment later they were both gone. But what a great way to start the morning!
When I reached Prince Edward Point, I drove straight to the harbour. Here’s what it looked like when I arrived.

Gorgeous moments like this are a fringe benefit of any hobby that involves spending time in the great outdoors. I took a moment to enjoy the scenery, and then looked for a good vantage point from which to capture some shots of the many ducks on the water.
The floating ice that had been choking the mouth of the harbour last week was gone, and the Long-tailed Ducks were having a great time in the big waves.

I had my winter camouflage on, so I was able to get fairly close to the ducks without scaring them away. Here’s a shot that shows how these ducks got their name.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of some birds in the woods to my left. Even though it’s near the end of January, there were still American Robins (in small numbers) flying about in the treetops.

I also spent some time in the Traverse Woods near the top of the bluff that overlooks the bay. Once again my camouflage gear enabled me to get some good shots. There were several small groups of White-winged Scoters that were working their way west. They would swim casually for a few minutes, then turn and swim very quickly towards the shore and then dive as a group. When they emerged again almost every one of them had something in their beaks. Here’s a picture of a female with a clam.

You can click on the picture to get a closer look.
The weather soon started to turn, so I was back in the car heading home sooner than I would have liked. As I drove through Cherry Valley I spotted a Red-tailed Hawk, and managed to get this in-flight shot.

I also spotted a Raven at the corner of Schoharie Road and highway 62, but never got a decent shot of it. Back in Belleville, I made a quick stop at the Moira River and took this picture of the resident Hooded Merganser.

Isn’t he a little beauty!
After that I called it a day. I drove home for some tea and toast with Elaine. What a wonderful way to cap a really neat morning of birding!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com
www.kirschphotography.com

Jan. 24, 2012
It’s an hour’s drive to Prince Edward Point, so last Sunday I was up and on my way well before daybreak. As I crossed over the Bay Bridge, the dark sky began to change into a beautiful watercolour painting of pastel blues and pinks, smudged with small clouds of deep purple.  Directly in front of me, near the horizon, the blue-pink sky started to glow orange, and I could pinpoint exactly where the sun would emerge. It wasn’t long before that bright ball of fire surfaced in spectacular fashion.
As I approached the park, I got my first good sighting of the day. An immature Bald Eagle flew across in front of my car and out over the bay, turned, and shadowed me for several hundred yards until I reached the park entrance. It was a terrific start to the day!
Jeff was waiting for me at the Traverse Woods, and he  had also just seen a Bald Eagle – an adult, just two minutes before I arrived. He pointed in the general direction of where it had flown, and we quickly grabbed our cameras and made our way into the woods hoping for another look at that magnificent bird. We were not disappointed. About 100 feet from the edge of the bluff, I spotted the eagle out over the water. Unfortunately there were too many trees between us and him, and by the time we reached the water’s edge, the bird was a long way out. We had no photos of the eagle, but it was still a thrill to have seen it.
We stayed at the edge of the bluff for a long time waiting for the eagle to possibly return. It never did, but the time there was not wasted. There were numerous ducks on the water; Buffleheads, Scaup, Mergansers, Long-tailed Ducks, and White-winged Scoters.
The ducks were quite active, and the top of the bluff is a great vantage point for in-flight shots. Here’s one I took of a Long-tailed Duck.

And here’s one of three Scaup.

And speaking of Scaup, there were thousands! We had witnessed dozens flying past us, but then Jeff drew my attention to a raft of the birds a good distance out on the bay. There were hundreds already on the water when this flock joined them.

Incredible!
After shooting our fill of ducks in-flight, Jeff suggested that we go over to the lighthouse to see what was on the water there. That turned out to be a great decision, because it resulted in some wonderful photos. The mouth of the harbour was covered by floating ice, but just beyond it in the open water were several flocks of Long-tailed Ducks, and a few of those Long-tails seemed to consider Jeff and I just part of the frozen shoreline, so we were able to get closer to these amazing looking birds than I have ever been able to in the past.

The markings on these ducks are amazing. This one reminds me of a puppy dog with big floppy brown ears.
Seeing the eagles was great (and by the way we saw a few more immatures before the day was over) but getting these shots of the Long-tailed Ducks was the highlight of my day.
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com
www.kirschphotography.com

Jan. 01, 2012
Happy New Year!
May 2012 bring you much happiness, and many birds!
Like most people, I was up late last night, and before going to bed I checked the Weather Network. It said the morning would bring “variable cloudiness” (which I read as “variable sunniness”) for Belleville and the surrounding area – from 8am through 11am. So I thought,  what better way to start the new year than to get up early and go birding. Unfortunately, the Weather Network was wrong. From 8am to 11am there was nothing but a very thick blanket of dark grey clouds covering the entire sky.
I was heading for the village of Bath, and halfway there I actually considered turning the car around because I could tell the light was going to be just abysmal.  However, I pressed on, kidding myself that at any moment the sun would break through – but it never did. Oh well, when I reached highway 33, I turned left and headed east to a farmer’s field just past the Amherst Island ferry dock. There had been reports of a Snowy Owl living in that field for several days, and the big beautiful bird was still there when I arrived.

This shot was taken from inside the car when I first got there. I grabbed a few quick images this way, and then I stepped out of the car to get a better vantage point.  When the owl saw me move towards it, it flew off to a spot too far away to offer any opportunity for a good photo – especially with the very poor light. Of course, I would never go onto someone’s private property without permission, so I had to satisfy myself with this shot, and move on to my next target.
I headed east towards the Glenora ferry, because I heard of several sightings recently of Bald Eagles in that vicinity. Well I didn’t have to go all that way because as I reached the east end of Bath, I spotted an eagle flying along the shoreline. Unfortunately I was driving east while it was flying west. I turned my car around and started to follow the big raptor, hoping it would perch somewhere close to the highway – but it didn’t show any sign of slowing down. I decided to accelerate past the bird and once I was a hundred yards ahead of it I pulled over and got out. Within a second it was there overhead. I tried my best to get a good shot, but the results were not as I had hoped. They were only just good enough to identify it as a juvenile Bald Eagle, but they were underexposed and blurry – mostly as a result of using too slow a shutter speed. In hindsight, I should have bumped up the ISO – live and learn.
Although the photography wasn’t going well, I was very happy with the sightings.  On my way back home, just north of Bath I photographed a Red-tailed Hawk, and on highway 2 I got this shot of an American Kestrel.

Finally, when I got back to the Moira River, I took a shot of our local Hooded Merganser.

There were also Mallards, American Black Ducks, and Common Goldeneyes on the river.
I guess if I learned anything today it would be that getting good quality images is only half the fun. There is also much pleasure in just seeing these great birds and being able to share the story of where I found them.
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com 

Dec 16, 2011
The holidays are upon us, and I wish you all a Santa-sack full of  joy and happiness!
For the next couple of weeks you and I should be spending as much time as we can with our loved ones. And for a short while my birding and photography will have to take a back seat. The Christmas season is my favourite, so I don’t mind immersing myself in it and enjoying all the great times it has to offer.
I thought as a blog today, I would offer my 12 Birds of Christmas!
So here they are –  twelve shots, one taken each month of 2011. It’s been a terrific year for seeing many beautiful birds, seeing some amazing bird behaviours, and capturing some images that I am very happy with. So, without further ado, here are some of my most memorable moments of 2011.

The year started off great with this Red-tailed Hawk that I was lucky enough to see take a Rock Pigeon on the roof of a Church on Coleman Street.

February featured the super cute Hooded Merganser and all his antics on the Moira River.

I caught this Canada Goose during a very cold month of March. I think even his feet were cold.

The highlight of April had to be this in-flight shot of an American Kestrel.

May is definitely my favourite month for birding. It is the month of the Spring Warblers, and this Yellow Warbler was one of my favourite shots.

It’s not often you get the chance for an open shot of a Virginia Rail, so this was a special moment from last June.

Sometimes you don’t have to look any further than your own backyard. That’s where I captured this gorgeous Mourning Dove.

August is often a slow time for birding, but this year I found some wonderful opportunities at Prince Edward Point, like this shot of a Lesser Yellowlegs.

This young Bald Eagle provided the most memorable moment of last September.

This wonderful Turkey Vulture just insisted on having his picture taken, and I was happy to oblige.

Gull photos, even ones in-flight, are often eschewed, but this young Herring Gull flying in the late afternoon sun was just too beautiful to pass up.

For the final picture, I offer this beautiful male Downy Woodpecker taken through my back window just a week or so ago.
And that’s it for my little 2011 ‘wrap up’. I hope you liked the photos, and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com

Dec. 12, 2011
The winter is upon us, and some would have you believe that this is a very poor time for birding. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. It may not be obvious, because everywhere you look you only see Starlings, Crows, and Ring-billed Gulls – but there is much more going on than that!
Jeff and I took a little tour around Belleville on Saturday morning to find out what was hiding in plain sight. We set out early and headed for the mouth of the Moira River. Our first sighting was a Hooded Merganser beneath the Dundas Street bridge.

The Merganser was swimming with a small group of Mallards, and despite the poor light beneath the bridge, it’s easy to see how small this little duck is compared to his companions.
A little further out in the mouth of the river were Canada Geese, Mute Swans, Common Goldeneyes, and a female Common Merganser. I watched the Common Merganser diving for fish, and more than once saw her come up with a good sized fish in her bill.
From the Moira, we headed over to the Bayshore Trail. Our first sighting was a small flock of large Gulls standing on some rocks in the Bay of Quinte about midway between Herchimer and Foster.

You can click on the picture to get a closer look, but I apologize for how small the birds are in this photo. The flock was a long way from shore. The remarkable thing is that none of these gulls are Ring-billed Gulls. The flock is a mix of Herring and Black-backed Gulls.
A little further out were rafts of Goldeneyes, and here and there we saw Buffleheads and Scaup. There were also several pair of Mute Swans.

Aren`t they gorgeous!
After following the trail for a while and seeing hundreds of ducks and geese and gulls, we had to make a decision about where to look next. Should we drive over to the corner of Farley and Station Streets to see the American Kestrels? Should we go to Zwick`s Island for more waterfowl and maybe a hawk or two, or should we drive north on Sidney Street past the 401 to look for Wild Turkeys? The options were all good.
Unfortunately, instead, we decided to drive out to the Frink Centre on Thrasher Road to see what birds were at the feeders. What we discovered was that the feeders were neglected – no feed in any of them – and no birds anywhere. That was a shame.
At that point I bid Jeff farewell and headed home. As I pulled into my driveway, I could see a lot of activity in the back garden. The feeders were very busy. We had Dark-eyed Juncos, Chickadees, Mourning Doves, House Finches, and this gorgeous little Downy Woodpecker.

So there you have it. In a few short hours in Belleville we had seen dozens of different kinds of birds and we had verified that with a little effort, there are a lot of birds to see this time of year – right here in your own backyard!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com

Last Saturday, Elaine and I visited a very nice lady named Shirley Preston. Shirley lives in Roslin, and is the proud owner of the largest bird feeder I’ve ever seen.

It was built by Shirley’s son and his friends to help out with the fact that Shirley isn’t able to make frequent trips to her backyard anymore to replenish the seed in her many small feeders, especially when the icy weather makes the ground even more slippery. As you can see, the feeder is supported by the frame of an old swing set. It is hung from the crossbar with metal strapping and utilizes two old coffee can lids to cover the openings where the feed goes. This behemoth of a feeder holds over 40 pounds of black oil sunflower seed!
When we heard about this giant seed dispenser, Elaine and I just had to go and take a look. Shirley met us at her door, and we had a very nice visit. While we talked with Shirley, we watched bird after bird come to the feeder. Once, I spotted six Blue Jays: two on the feeder, two perched on the cross bars, and two more in a nearby bush waiting their turn. There were also numerous Chickadees and the occasional Nuthatch making regular trips to the big wooden ‘house of seed’.

It was fun to watch, and with it situated just outside Shirley’s kitchen window, it’s easy for her to have constant entertainment from her feathered visitors. I’d like to thank Shirley for her hospitality, and for letting us get a close-up look at this 7th wonder of the bird feeder world!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com

Nov. 27, 2011
Trenton has its Mute Swans that nest along 2nd Dug Hill road; Napanee has its male Wood Duck swimming with the Mallards on the Napanee River; and Belleville has its male Hooded Merganser that always makes its home on the Moira River this time of year.

Isn’t he a gorgeous little duck!
Hooded Mergansers are about five inches shorter than Mallards, but what they lack in size, they make up for with their good looks.
I saw this little hooded beauty yesterday morning (after an unsuccessful attempt to get some close-up shots of a Kestrel – but that’s another story). The Merganser was just north of Bridge Street, which is what I had expected. He typically haunts the mile or so of river north from Dundas, and he’s not very difficult to find.
Here’s another shot of him.

I never get tired of watching this little guy. In addition to his striking looks, he also entertains; swimming, hunting, preening, etc.
If you like to watch birds at all, take a trip over to the Moira (on the next fair weather day) and spend some time with our resident little Merganser. You won’t be disappointed!
Garry
www.birdingandmore.com
www.kirschphotography.com