Winter Wren (10)

Troglodytes troglodytes

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

Date taken: Apr 21 2023

Ottawa - The lively extended song of this tiny mite is remarkable, a welcome sound on a spring day.

Date uploaded: Apr 23 2023

Views: 32

Comments (4):
Ahmad Shah: Marvelous capture Brian !
BrianMorin: He was being very vocal with his bubbly song. It was worth the effort to try for some shots.

Eastern Meadowlark (75)

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Details: adult

Ingleside - These birds returned about a week ago and are a welcome sight in the fields. As expected, it was a very difficult subject to work with.

Date uploaded: Apr 13 2023

Views: 19

Comments (6):
Sue Bishop: Wonderful find and capture,Brian!!
BrianMorin: I went looking for them and found a pair where there was a pair last year. This time I had one bird closer than before.

Ring-necked Duck (29)

Aythya collaris

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Details: male, adult

Long Sault - There are still a few hundred diving ducks in the river, with Ring-necked being the most numerous.

Date uploaded: Apr 13 2023

Views: 24

Comments (6):
Sue Bishop: A beauty!
BrianMorin: He sure is and in good light.

Western Grebe (75)

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Details: adult, outside normal range

Port Credit - This bird has put in an annual appearance for four years. It usually sticks around for a few weeks then moves about Lake Ontario and eventually heads to the Prairies. I went to see it last year but it was 150 metres out in the lake. Needless to say the speck in the middle of the shot was not very convincing. I spent the entire morning hoping for a close approach and had success a couple of times as it moved from far out to shore. It was always on the move and usually that was underwater. It can easily swim beneath the waves for several minutes and cover a great distance. It prefers underwater to flight or even swimming. It never flew.

Date uploaded: Mar 30 2023

Views: 20

Comments (4):
Sue Bishop: Wonderful find and capture Brian!!
BrianMorin: It was worth the trip and the delay of a year to have it at less than 8 metres.

Evening Grosbeak (21)

Hesperiphona vespertina

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Details: male, adult

Limoges - A flock was coming to a feeder. The birds were very skittish despite me being covered in camo mesh. It took two hours before they dropped down and I wasn't too close.

Date uploaded: Mar 24 2023

Views: 23

Comments (2):
Ahmad Shah: Gorgeous bird, superb work to get it. Well done Brian !
BrianMorin: He was a real beauty and for a couple of seconds was in the right place at the right time. I made an observation about the difference between males and females in my last two occasions with these birds. It is the females that will come in first, not the males but both are nervous. Pine Grosbeaks, on the other hand, are very obliging and are not only less skittish, they will allow closer approach. Unfortunately I haven't come across them this winter.

Boreal Owl (11)

Aegolius funereus

Brian Morin

Canada (Québec)

  📍 Map

Details: adult, outside normal range

Gatineau - This was my second trip to see this northern species and it turned out better than my previous visit. The bird showed better this time.

Date uploaded: Mar 10 2023

Views: 25

Comments (4):
Chris: A real treat to see knowing it is one of the most difficult species in North America to find.
BrianMorin: Absolutely. It is even a real challenge on its breeding territory. We got lucky with this one.

Lewis's Woodpecker (3)

Melanerpes lewis

Brian Morin

Canada (Ontario)

  📍 Map

Date taken: Mar 2 2023

Details: outside normal range

Manitoulin Island - This was a very long trip but since the last time this species was reported in Ontario was 2011 and earlier reports were way back, I decided to make the extended journey. It was worth the effort

Date uploaded: Mar 4 2023

Views: 27

Comments (4):
Chris: Great that it all worked out…I’ve not had luck getting them down low yet. Looks like a pretty wild area.
BrianMorin: Actually, it is in someone's yard in a rural area but with the crop, the lawn drops out. As for height issues, absolutely. The bird spent five hours at a perch 80 feet up a deciduous tree. It finally came down for a couple of minutes before ascending once again. It was feeding solely on cracked corn but I never saw it eat anything. I think it is only feeding early.

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

Views: 31

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 (55)

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

Views: 26

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

Views: 31

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.