Brian Morin

1736 uploads

Total photos: 1736
Total videos: 0
Species photographed: 343
Most photographed species: Snowy Owl (See all)
Countries visited: 2
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
adult
Ingleside - There have been numerous sightings of these local breeders this winter.
The bird was hunting the roadside, enabling me to stay in the car to photograph it.
Feb 23
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
male, adult, outside normal range
Cobourg - Eurasian visitor. The water colour was a great addition for my shots.
Feb 19
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
male, adult, outside normal range
Montreal - I returned to see this European vagrant and had a far better experience than I did a month ago. There was no crowd (myself and a couple from Pennsylvania) and the bird's habits were well understood since a feeder had been set up with meal worms, berries and safflower seeds. Instead of seconds I had it sunning itself for a few minutes before flying off into an adjacent lot.
Feb 15
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
immature
Eastern Ontario - I'm not fond of taking pictures of birds on wires but this rare winter visitor changed my mind. It was hunting in mid-morning which means it was hungry. This photo is cropped and I'm shooting at 800mm so I'm not nearly as close as it looks.
Feb 14
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
King Eider (64)
Jan 1 2026
male, adult
Toronto - It was a cold New Year's Day in Toronto, a 4.5 km walk to the end of this park in Lake Ontario overlooking Toronto Harbour and the CN Tower. One or two females or juvenile male King Eiders overwinter somewhere along the shore of western Lake Ontario but seeing an adult male is rare. I have been after an adult male within a reasonable distance since I began birding. It was not as close as I'd hoped but it still worked out and was worth the 9 km round trip.
Feb 11
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Jan 21 2026
adult, outside normal range
Champneuf (Abitibi County) - I have been tracking the movement of this species since mid-December. Last winter there was a major irruption south so we should not have expected anything noteworthy for several years at least. However, the birds had other plans and have staged a minor irruption into familiar territory again. That worked for me. On this trip I saw 64 (my personal record) with 44 in one location. These birds are a lot of fun to watch and are a real treat for someone from southern Canada, a driveable distance to Arctic birds.
Jan 22
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
Jan 20 2026
male, adult
Champneuf (Abitibi County) - One of my favourite winter finches.
Jan 22
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
male, adult, outside normal range
Montreal - A Canadian first, at least as far as we know. Discovered a few days ago, it is anyone's guess how long it has been in Canada but at least part of its journey might have been as a hitchhiker on a ship. It is a short distance from the shipyards and such shipboard assists have occurred for a variety of birds in the past.
The bird was actively feeding on sumac berries and a few wild grapes. I had a few seconds to grab shots under very difficult conditions – beside a sea of observers and shooting through a chain link fence. I called it a male based on the bright rather than muted colour of the face and breast. It was heard singing several times, confirming it is a male.
Jan 10

Chris: Amazing shot. I’m curious to know more about the experience. I’m assuming there were dozens, if not more people? Was the bird generally staying in one yard, or moving up and down the street? Somebody posted there are a lot of cats in the area…hopefully this bird is not feeding on the ground. As you mentioned, it’s interesting that the location is generally close to the Port of Montreal. I wonder what events lead to this location and if a storm and/or ship was involved.
Brian Morin: I don't think weather was a factor at the end of the trip, earlier on perhaps and I wouldn't suggest that this all happened recently for the passage. The proximity of the shipping port, almost down the street, suggests a possible link for part of the trip. There were about 80 people spread out along the street with people coming and going. The weekend total for observers was at least 200-250 and possibly closer to 300. Parking was becoming an issue and we waved and smiled to the officer when the car drove slowly by. She smiled back. It is not ground feeding, only in trees and bushes which is good. It spent most of its time in a scrubby area across the street and behind a fence so not much time near the houses. In recent days this was the hottest game in Eastern Canada.
Copyright Brian Morin
Birdviewing.com
female, immature
Judged to be a female by large size and age by tail features, notably pointed rather than worn, rounded ends.
Jan 9