Varied Thrush (11)

Ixoreus naevius

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Mar 7 2025

Details: female, adult, outside normal range

Ottawa - The bird remained in the area since January.

Date uploaded: Mar 20

Comments (2):
BobTour: very nice colorful bird
Brian Morin: It brightens up a winter landscape.

Willow Ptarmigan (7)

Lagopus lagopus

Brian Morin

Canada (Québec)

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Date taken: Mar 12 2025

Details: adult, winter plummage, outside normal range

Barraute - There has been a major irruption from the Arctic in Abitibi County. It was my second trip this winter and this time I had 51 birds in two days. The experience was terrific.

Date uploaded: Mar 17

Comments (2):
BobTour: wow what a great accomplishment, very nice photo
Brian Morin: This was a whole lot of fun. Very long days slowly driving country roads but well worth the effort.

Painted Bunting (7)

Passerina ciris

(Near-threatened)

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: May 3 2021

Details: female, adult, outside normal range

Ottawa - I had forgotten to post this individual, well out of range but a pleasant surprise.

Date uploaded: Feb 27

Boreal Owl (10)

Aegolius funereus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Feb 22 2025

Details: adult

Ottawa - Well hidden in cedars, I finally saw this bird that I had missed earlier in the week. There have been a number of Boreal Owls in southwestern Quebec and this one in Eastern Ontario, part of a minor irruption along with Great Gray Owls. The bird was very difficult to shoot because of branches. My shot window was no more than 6" wide and 2" high before branches compromised the shot. I used a monopod otherwise precision would have been impossible. It was also very dark and very late on a cloudy day. I shot at 1/10 second at 8,000 ISO.

Date uploaded: Feb 23

Barred Owl (26)

Strix varia

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Feb 20 2025

Details: adult

Ottawa - The bird was still actively hunting 90 minutes after sunrise. The frosty look to its face is actual frost.

Date uploaded: Feb 21

Comments (2):
Ahmad Shah: Fantastic capture.
Brian Morin: A very cooperative bird in nice early light. This makes up for a midday shot of another one in bright sunlight that I got a few weeks ago. I couldn't do much with the conditions and that bird was squinting.

Northern Shrike (23)

Lanius excubitor

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Feb 14 2025

Details: adult

Kingston (Wolfe Island) - A pleasant surprise at the end of the day.

Date uploaded: Feb 15

Comments (2):
Ahmad Shah: Fantastic capture.
Brian Morin: It was the best capture of the day. Very few subjects to work with on that outing.

Eastern Screech Owl (23)

Otus asio

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

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Date taken: Feb 12 2025

Details: adult

Ormond - I waited an hour for it to open its eyes at sundown. I am in my car on the other side of the road.

Date uploaded: Feb 13

Northern Saw-whet Owl (12)

Aegolius acadicus

Chris

Canada (British Columbia)

Date taken: Feb 9 2025

Seen on the east dyke at Reifel Sanctuary, Delta, BC

Date uploaded: Feb 10

Comments (4):
Brian Morin: Nice one. I don't tire of these birds.
Chris: Very lucky yesterday. Also had 2 Great-horned in the same sanctuary but about 60 feet in a dense conifer

Northern Hawk-Owl (23)

Surnia ulula

Chris

Canada (British Columbia)

Date taken: Feb 9 2025

Outside Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta, BC

Date uploaded: Feb 10

Comments (3):
Brian Morin: A winter favourite. I'm hoping for one closer to home this year.
Chris: This guy was making all sorts of sounds, head rolls/bobs, and moving from perch to perch. He ended up landing on a boat mast in the harbour and I couldn’t manage anything better than this.

Short-eared Owl (22)

Asio flammeus

Chris

Canada (British Columbia)

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Date taken: Jan 5 2025

Details: inflight

At YVR/Vancouver Airport.

Date uploaded: Feb 10

Comments (3):
Brian Morin: Great capture, one of the famous Vancouver airport Shorties.
Chris: A little more to add: while looking for a Brambling, we saw what I thought was a Harrier from far away. Completely unconcerned about us, this bird actually approached us, did a few circles above, close enough to woo our 4-year old who has never seen anything of this nature before.