Snowy Owl (111)

Nyctea scandiaca

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Date taken: Dec 15 2024

Details: male, immature

Ottawa - After a disastrous winter in 2023-4 when the lowest number of Snowy Owls in living memory were present in Ontario, or anywhere in Eastern Canada, this winter has seen a modest recovery, closer to normal. Males are uncommon, even in good years. At the height of the peak, from 2012-19, we only saw 1 male for every 20 females.There may be a few more males this winter.

Date uploaded: Dec 16 2024

Comments (4):
Ahmad Shah: Magnificent capture.
Brian Morin: This was a real treat after seeing three others in recent weeks, all so far away you needed to have the bird identified in the photo. :)

Wild Turkey (28)

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Sep 11 2021

Details: male, adult

Amherst Island - They are so commonly seen now that I rarely take photos but the back light drew my attention to the colour.

Date uploaded: Sep 19 2021

Sandhill Crane (22)

Grus canadensis

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Details: adult

Cooper Marsh - Likely one of the birds from the local breeding pair.

Date uploaded: Mar 28 2024

Comments (3):
Sue Bishop: Nice one,Brian!
Brian Morin: It was a three hour wait for three birds to show up and another 45 minutes before they came out into the open but it paid off.

Wood Duck (20)

Aix sponsa

Brian Morin

Date taken: Oct 2 2022

Details: female, adult

Ottawa - Swimming on a canvas of fall colours.

Date uploaded: Oct 6 2022

Comments (6):
Ahmad Shah: Superb capture of this lovely female Wood Duck, with nice reflection in the water. Well done Brian .
BrianMorin: Thanks. I know the focus tends to be on the male and he's great but I enjoy the subtle plumage of the female with her colour highlights. I deliberately tried for shots that best showed the fall colours reflected in the water.

Osprey (19)

Pandion haliaetus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Details: male, adult

Brockville - Ospreys are pretty run of the mill for us but I won't turn down a good shot when it presents itself. This one had just snagged a small pike.

Date uploaded: Jun 22 2020

Great Blue Heron (18)

Ardea herodias

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Oct 6 2021

Details: adult

Long Sault - The obvious caption here would be 'That's a stretch'.

Date uploaded: Nov 15 2021

Comments (4):
Ahmad Shah: Wonderful capture.
BrianMorin: It's nice when a familiar bird does something different.

Northern Hawk-Owl (18)

Surnia ulula

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: Mar 3 2024

I don't normally post more than one shot of a recent subject but this one is worth an encore. I checked out the bird again and managed to get better shots than on the first sighting.

Date uploaded: Mar 4 2024

Comments (1):
Chris: Gorgeous - bird and capture :)

Eastern Bluebird (17)

Sialia sialis

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: May 24 2024

Details: male, adult

Beckstead

Date uploaded: Jul 21 2024

Bald Eagle (17)

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Date taken: Feb 13 2024

Details: adult

While driving a back road I spotted an eagle perched in an old tree. It was not too far from the road so I expected it to fly any second. It didn't. Over the course of the next 10 minutes I had a West Coast experience, where you could actually get close enough to an eagle for a decent shot. I slowly advanced, stopping every 20 feet or so, getting out and leaning over the car roof for cover. I made five stops, each time bewildered by the bird's disinterest in me. It eventually moved but not because of me. I was opposite it on the road so as close as I could be and it continued to look around in perfect light on a great perch against a deep blue winter sky. What an experience, one of a kind. Where I live, eagles are regular but getting close to one is virtually impossible.

Date uploaded: Feb 14 2024

Comments (2):
Ahmad Shah: Fantastic capture.
Brian Morin: I couldn't believe my good fortune. The bird, the light and the sky were perfect. No editing required.

Cedar Waxwing (15)

Bombycilla cedrorum

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: Jun 21 2019

Details: adult

Ottawa - Another relatively easy to find summer species but when one lands a few feet away you just have to take the shot. There is almost no vertical crop on this image.

Date uploaded: Jun 23 2019