Lancaster - We get the odd one in migration with the Snow Geese. This one has more Lesser genes than Ross's. It is a little smaller than a Lesser Snow Goose and has a smaller bill and head like Ross's. The forehead is sloping like a Snow Goose rather than more vertical like a Ross's Goose.
Algoma District - A treat for us so used to Red-winged Blackbirds. They have little in common with them except the family association. They are more approachable, spend most of the day ground feeding in grassy areas, fly about interacting with one another, have a very different call and males have an almost liquid metallic sheen.
1000 Islands - This is a poor quality record shot of a wayward visitor to Ontario and New York. The remnants of Hurricane Laura were expected to bring the odd southern bird along for the ride. While the storm passed well below Canada, some birds would have been pushed along by the perimeter winds and continued north, stopping when they reached the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. This young Brown Pelican, an occasional visitor to Canada, spent about a week in the area, moving back and forth between the US and Canada.
Now for the photo. The pelican could really only be viewed with a scope, which I had, and even that was pushing it. I thought I'd at least try for a record shot for the fun of it. I lay the camera/500mm lens across the car roof (more stable than even my heavy tripod) and used a remote to minimize shake. I had to shift to manual focus because the lens couldn't pick up the distant subject. This is about a 50% crop so at least you can see the bird with its hefty bill and compare it to the smaller cormorants. When I returned home, I checked the distance using satellite view online with the distance measure. The bird was 3.4 km out but still identifiable. That was a record, record shot. :) Other birds that showed up along the lower Great Lakes included Laughing Gulls, Brown Booby and Magnificent Frigatebird.
Ottawa - Very rare locally. The last record for this seafaring pirate was 1973. It pesters gulls until they disgorge their catch. The species shows up on Lake Ontario near Hamilton every few years.
Near Whitby - This is the second record for Canada. The first was a bird in Toronto in late fall 1993. They are very rare in North America, with only six U.S. records of this South American species. It saved me a trip south :)
This is a rare wanderer from the West that was discovered inside a farm building. The shot was taken inside from 4 metres with the window as a backdrop. The bird had the right idea because it is a large heated structure with lots of windows that it checks for anything moving, like flies and spiders. We discovered that it gets in and out through a pet access door that has vertical plastic strips which can be easily pushed to the side. Smart bird. It may survive the winter.
Canada (Ontario)
