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7768 results found

Ruffed Grouse (20)

Bonasa umbellus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: Mar 3 2023

Details: female, adult

Beaver Lake - I spotted this bird sitting on the gravel right beside the Trans Canada Highway so I turned around and parked across the road. It popped up onto the snowbank offering a perfect eye-level setting before flying across the road.

Date uploaded: Mar 4 2023

Comments (2):
Chris: Excellent photo. Great to see him out of the tangles and in good light!
BrianMorin: It was a total fluke. I'm lucky it stuck around long enough for some shots.

Great Grey Owl (53)

Strix nebulosa

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

📍 Map

Date taken: Feb 13 2023

Details: female, adult, outside normal range

Ottawa- There have been a few owls reported this winter but they have been extremely difficult to observe. They only become active after sunset and during the day they roost in evergreens like spruce, making them difficult to detect. This shot was taken once it had moved from its roost when the light was failing rapidly. The shots were at a very high ISO at a very low shutter speed on tripod. Even then I barely managed to keep it in focus. The bird was in a wooded area within the suburbs. I made multiple attempts for owls before finally locating this one.

Date uploaded: Feb 14 2023

Comments (2):
Chris: This story sounds like many a time when I went looking in and around Montreal. Sometimes very hard to detect, let alone photograph. Exceptional result given what you mentioned. I just got back from shooting in low-light wooded areas of Colombia, and the high ISO helped but is tricky to work with afterwards.
BrianMorin: It is a common issue with owls that only show after sunset. We appreciate working with Northern Hawk Owls when they are around.

American Three-toed Woodpecker (2)

Picoides dorsalis

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

📍 Map

Details: female, adult, outside normal range

Ottawa - There have been a few northern woodpeckers showing up in the region this winter.

Date uploaded: Feb 13 2023

Comments (2):
Chris: What a great sight. Terrific result.
BrianMorin: This was a treat, especially not needing to travel far north for a chance to see one.

Merlin (59)

Falco columbarius

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

📍 Map

Date taken: Feb 8 2023

Details: immature

Kingston (Wolfe Island)

Date uploaded: Feb 11 2023

Comments (2):
Chris: It's always exciting to see them - and to have a photo result like this - great memory.
BrianMorin: She cooperated nicely.

Snowy Owl (218)

Nyctea scandiaca

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

📍 Map

Date taken: Feb 8 2023

Details: male, adult

Kingston - Wolfe Island - I had 7 owls of a probable 8-10 birds there this winter. Most did not present very well and adult males are notoriously skittish making shots like this a challenge. Their caution is for good reason because females always chase them away and wouldn't hesitate to have one for dinner. This is a very poor year for Snowy Owls, with most remaining in the Arctic. The area had the North American high for Christmas bird counts this year (8 birds). To show the potential, I think the all-time record was 80+ birds some years ago. I had 53 in 2014. When there is a bumper crop of voles in the area coinciding with plenty of owls heading south we can get results like that. This is the third consecutive year with low numbers in all of Southern Canada.

Date uploaded: Feb 9 2023

Comments (2):
Chris: Terrific to see and hear the background. Looks like an old male 😊
BrianMorin: Old indeed. Surprisingly there were three withing a few kilometres. That's a high percentage of birds in the area compared with the ratio I usually see in Eastern Ontario when males represent one in 10 females at best and sometime one in 20.

Bohemian Waxwing (21)

Bombycilla garrulus

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

📍 Map

Details: adult

Ingleside - I didn't have far to go for these birds which was nice for a change. This was my first good opportunity to work with the waxwings this winter.

Date uploaded: Jan 31 2023

Comments (5):
Chris: Such a great winter sight.
BrianMorin: They sure make winter easier to take.

Boreal Owl (10)

Aegolius funereus

Brian Morin

Canada (Québec)

📍 Map

Date taken: Jan 28 2023

Details: adult, outside normal range

Gatineau - This bird had been around for a week but hadn't been seen since Monday. I got word this morning that it had been found again so I headed up and was rewarded for my effort along with others. Shooting conditions were tough. The light was poor and finding a hole to shoot through to avoid branches was very challenging. The bird rarely had its eyes open and when it did they were heavily shaded. It wasn't interested in people, passing dogs or Chickadees. That's what it's like when you've recently downed a meadow vole.

Date uploaded: Jan 29 2023

Comments (8):
Chris: Fabulous to see and such a good result. They can be so difficult to find, and as you say even once found, the conditions are usually very tricky.
BrianMorin: Correct on all points. That's why we seldom see one.

Barred Owl (26)

Strix varia

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

📍 Map

Details: adult

Ottawa - I got lucky with timing. I arrived while it was still cloudy so the owl kept its eyes open most of the time. As soon as the sun came out they were closed.

Date uploaded: Jan 15 2023

Comments (10):
Sue Bishop: Fantastic closeup,Brian!
BrianMorin: Thanks Sue. This worked well because the bird was perched in the top of a snag very much like you'd see a Screech Owl. This was midday so I was very lucky to have it look alert.