The slight tilt of her head, makes me think the female mallard has heard it all before đ. These ducks can be quite vocal, I wish I spoke duck!
Tag Archives: Bird Photography
EASTERN PHOEBE
This was the only Phoebe I saw this year and I was at a fair distance from it, so I wasnât sure I would get it. A handsome little bird, itâs a member of the flycatcher family.
FEMALE WOOD DUCK
I took this in late October 2019. Except for a quick drive to the lake this summer, I havenât returned. I did see wood ducks on that visit though. Despite the year weâve had the birds arrived as usual and will migrate back in the spring. This constant is encouraging. With some luck the coming year will have us all headed in the right direction.
CHICKADEE

I usually see chickadees out in the open flitting from branch to branch. I caught this bird in a quiet moment well off the path in challenging light. I liked the photo but hesitated before posting it because of the flare at the bottom of the image. Still worth featuring though.
On another note, a few of you let me know that you were unable to see the image that accompanied my last post. Mike Bizeau of naturehasnoboss.com had the same problem and suggested I set my image as a featured image. Like Mike, this has altered the appearance of my website (a change I donât like) but until this glitch has been fixed I will continue to post in this way and hope you will all see my images.
GOLDFINCH IN FALL
I took this photo in October of last year. Iâm not sure if this is a female goldfinch or a male in non breeding colours. Either way, an attractive bird in a thoughtful pose.

OCTOBER WOOD DUCKS

I took this photo last October. I havenât been back to this reserve since then but imagine the wood ducks are about to head south once again. Their travel has not been affected this year. Lucky ducks đ.
WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH

The nuthatch was creeping along the tree trunk, struck a typical pose and then was off. These birds are constantly on the move so I was pleased to get this photo before it flew away.
SOUTHWARD BOUND

I saw this white-throated sparrow last October. Although many remain in North America during the winter, given our cold climate, I believe this one was just passing through on its way south. There was plenty for it to eat on this warm fall day.
GREEN HERON

I watched as the green heron carefully scanned the water looking for a passing fish. It watched, it patrolled, and waited some more. All the herons Iâve photographed are the most patient of fishermen, more patient than this photographer. I took some photos and left the bird as I continued my walk.
PILEATED WOODPECKER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)

I usually see pileated woodpeckers high up in the trees, rarely on the ground. As we were walking along we came across this bird excavating the bark of a fallen tree. It must have been full of insects because he continued on long after we had taken our fill of photographs and moved on.

MALE YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER

Although quite common, Iâve only seen a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker once, a few years ago. They are fairly small and beautifully patterned woodpeckers. We heard the bird hammering away at a tree and followed the sound. It was busy feeding and wasnât at all bothered by our presence.
FALL DUCK

This is another photo taken late last fall. The water has a flat murky look and the only real colour is the mallard which also looks a bit muted in tone and expression.
MOURNING DOVE
It was nice to catch the mourning dove tilting its head. I thought it made for a more interesting photo. I learned that they exist in large numbers and are prolific breeders which is a good thing, as theyâre heavily hunted in North America. Their name is derived from their rather plaintive call.
RAILWAY OSPREYS (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
There are quite a few abandoned railway bridges in the countryside. With the closure of many Mills, railroads were no longer needed to move goods. Some of the bridges have been reclaimed by Ospreys who build their nests and raise their young on them. When we noticed the nest on the first bridge, we stopped the car and waited to see what would happen. We didn’t have to wait long as an adult flew in to feed the young bird.
OWL AND THE CHICKADEE
The woods were quiet, no squirrels about. This usually means thereâs an owl or hawk nearby. Sure enough we saw this Screech Owl comfortably perched in the cavity of a tree. What did surprise me was the agitated chickadee flying close to the dozing owl. Brave or reckless, I couldnât decide.
GEESE, LOST AND FOUND (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I found this image on a memory card that was in a camera I hadnât picked up in months. It was like finding something you had forgotten about in a coat pocket. The cooler days arenât here yet but scenes like these are fast approaching.
FEMALE MALLARD (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took these photos from a floating bridge. I was using a long lens, the duck was close by and I couldnât put much distance between me and the duck. I would have liked more but you canât really go wrong with a subject like this.
CANADA GOOSE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Canada Geese can be elegant in the water and a different bird on land where you have to approach them with care. They can be territorial during breeding season, with their young and after theyâve been feeding, you have to watch your step. On the water they can be quite different, languid and graceful.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE
I feature chickadees quite often. Theyâre seen frequently and are always up for a photograph. You have to be quick though because they donât sit still very long.
HAIRY WOODPECKER
It was a cloudy day and the woodpecker was well off the path. I chose to do little to edit the photo as I liked the mood created by the overcast day and the tree branches in the background.
BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The chickadee, about to tuck into his snack, was at quite a distance from me but still in range. Itâs nice to photograph birds and other animals when theyâre engaged in some activity, or as in this case, about to be.
MALLARD DUCKLING (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
This duckling was curious about its surroundings, while the rest of the brood were more interested in eating. Not the best of backgrounds but the duckling made up for it.
CARDINALS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took the top photo last fall when the leaves were beginning to fade, I couldnât miss the cardinal though he was at quite a distance. The photo below of the female cardinal was taken earlier in the summer.
ANOTHER FEMALE WOOD DUCK (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
Wood Ducks arrive every spring like clockwork and last year was no exception. The reserve we go to has a good number of these ducks and the lake has many coves to catch a quiet moment đ.
FEMALE WOOD DUCKS
Female Wood Ducks are less colourful than the male, but equally good looking. I took this photo last fall when the autumn colours were at their height. The birds swam into the reflection and I took the shot.
DOWNY WOODPECKER
Iâm glad the old tree wasnât any higher! Sometimes birds find their way right to the top of a tree making for tricky photography. Wonderful bird, wonderful tree, whatâs a bit of a sore neck after all. đ
RING-NECKED DUCKS (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
These ducks arrive in late October and never swim close to shore. They bob around in the middle of the lake, just a bit too far out. Yet I thought the scene was still worth taking as it captured the mood of a late fall day.
HOUSE FINCH
House Finches are native to western North America but were introduced in the east. Their colour, particularly the red plumage of the male varies according to diet. Theyâre attractive little birds, although quite common I rarely seem them.
FEMALE WOOD DUCK
This wood duck was taken last fall, before they all flew south for the winter. Iâve noticed that unlike most ducks that tend to stick together, the female wood duck is often on her own above the fray.
HAIRY WOODPECKER
The hairy woodpecker is larger than the downy with a longer bill but their colouring is very similar. This fellow was working his way up and down the tree trunk, in and out of sight. I caught him as he came back into view.
CLOSE FORMATION
Mallard Mom and her young ducks, still juveniles. Not sure if theyâre male or female at this stage. The adult keeps a bit of a distance but the juveniles seem more comfortable with little space between themselves.
FEMALE RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD
I caught sight of the red-winged blackbird in the half light of the woods. The female seems to prefer to remain in the background or on her own unlike the more flamboyant male who sings his tune for all to hear. đ
UNDERSTATED (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
The Canada Goose might not be Canadaâs favourite export. Theyâre noisy, messy birds, and can be aggressive to both people and other geese when they feel threatened. However, they are quite elegant when you catch them in a pose like this.
LOOKOUT
The heron was across the lake from me, having a look around. It remained in place for longer than I did. These birds can remain motionless for long periods of time particularly when stalking their prey. They are singleminded and ignore everything else around them.
CENTRE OF ATTENTION
The egret was the bright spot on the water and stood out among the canada geese. We see the occasional egret, heron or cormorant along with huge numbers of geese in this body of water but theyâre always at a fair distance. Scenes like this stretch the limits of my lens but make for a pleasant perspective.
WOOD DUCKS
I took this photograph last May. The wood ducks had arrived a few weeks earlier and were sporting their fine breeding colours. I imagine they are back at the lake this year. I do hope we get to enjoy them again at one point this summer.
BLUE JAY
Blue Jays are common birds here but we only see them occasionally in the woods. This one was eating something when I took the photo. Males and females are similar in size and plumage, not sure what I have here.
BALTIMORE ORIOLE (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I havenât seen too many Baltimore Orioles so it was a pleasure to photograph this bird, feeding on the nectar of these flowers. They are among the many migrants to our area each spring.
DUCK OUT OF WATER (TWO PHOTOGRAPHS)
I took a break from aiming at warblers high in the pine trees when I saw the wood duck. I donât often see these birds on land and thought the background made for an interesting photo. (I donât think anyone with me noticed the wood duck, as they had their eyes trained on the quick darting warblers.)
NORTHERN CARDINALS (THREE PHOTOGRAPHS)
A bit of cheer brought to you by this handsome pair. This bridge is a nice place to stop and look around to see where the locals are. Cardinals are usually pretty skittish but these two werenât. Lucky for me.