325 results found

Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Oct 28 2022
winter plummage
Merrickville - An invasion of Cattle Egrets has brought well over 100 into southern Quebec and Ontario. One Quebec location briefly had over 50 birds. This is my second sighting in October with this bird being far more photogenic than the previously shown individual. As is usually the case, the egret was hanging around farm animals, on this occasion a pair of horses, and wandered as close as 10 metres from me at times.
Nov 1 2022
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Oct 16 2022
outside normal range
Windsor - The bird has been cooperative, showing for at least 10 days.
Oct 20 2022
Copyright Krish
Birdviewing.com
May 29 2022
adult
Lesser Flamingo, Mumbai suburbs.
Every year, more than 100,000 Lesser flamingos (along with a few greater flamingos) migrate to Mumbai from November to May. They inhabit alkaline water bodies and some coastal areas until the onset of the rains.
In the picture is a (small) part of a large group doing a courtship dance where they move together in groups, raise their necks and swing their heads from side to side.
May 30 2022
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
male, adult
Ottawa - This is a known bird, quite used to people, although this was my first visit in a few years. It roosts a short distance from the nest site which the female is currently occupying. When I shot the photo, the bird was cautiously watching a mother raccoon and two kits high in a tree 8 metres away. They had just emerged for a night ramble. After a couple of minutes it launched towards the raccoons and flew right at the mother's head with wings open, likely dragging his claws on her fur as he flew by, it was that close. After a couple of minutes he repeated the attack and five minutes later did it again, each time engaging her head. It was pretty dark at that point so I didn't see the final outcome but the issue is that raccoons are one of the prime predators for Screech Owl nests.

The shots were taken as darkness was setting in so this was at only 1/10 second on tripod using a remote and ISO was up to 3200 (I don't have a mirrorless camera so ISO is an issue). Many of the shots incredibly were in focus and looked not bad. I got lucky.
Apr 24 2022
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
adult, outside normal range
Ottawa - A new bird for the region. This little guy gave me a hard time. It was first spotted while I was watching the Red Phalarope a couple of days ago. I I dashed about 10 km to a waiting throng of birders but despite a lengthy search it wasn't seen while I was there. This morning I had the bird all to myself for 90 minutes. It was still very elusive but I had a number of good shooting opportunities.
Nov 19 2021
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Jan 31 2021
male, adult
Ottawa - If you check the photo I posted the other day, you will notice that this red morph is in the same hole. Apparently this morning the gray was in the hole and the red came by and the gray flew out, surrendering the hole to this bird. Could they be a pair? Yes that's possible. This is not nesting season but they could be paired up. Only 10% of the population is red and in the Eastern part of the province they are fairly rare. I just did a comparison with the other photo and aside from the gray bird being fluffed up to keep warm, it is standing a bit taller on what is presumably the same perch as the red morph. Female raptors are larger than males. The colour has nothing to do with the bird's sex.
Feb 1 2021
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Dec 17 2020
multiple species
Wolfe Island (Kingston) - The uncommon Hoary in comparison with a Common Redpoll on the right. The hoary is paler overall with dull side streaks, unstreaked under the tail and a small bill, giving the face a pushed in look. Thousands of Common Redpolls have descended from the North and are appearing mainly in flocks of 25-100 in rural areas. Weedy fields or roadsides are preferred. When the snow is deep they should appear at feeders. There are a small number of Hoary Redpolls with them.
Redpolls are annoyingly skittish, often remaining only moments for observation. When they are at feeders they are far easier to observe.
Dec 18 2020
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Oct 30 2020
juvenile
St. Isidore - I found a flock of 110 in a freshly tilled field. It is late for this species and very late for a large flock. Note the absense of black in the 'armpit' distinguishing it from the Black-bellied Plover.
Nov 3 2020
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Sep 1 2020
immature
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.
Sep 8 2020