BIF (indoors)

[Duke]

Saturday we loaded up the kids and went down to see this traveling reptile/bird/dinosaur exhibit at our local holiday inn, it was fun and i got some photos of the birds in flight (not that many decent ones tho) and some of them just hanging out with their trainers afterwards, i was really hoping they would do the bird show outdoors since it was a nice bright day and i could have used a lower iso and a much quicker shutter speed but it was still fun, it makes me want to go and try my hand at some actual nature photography outdoors.

 

[jroovers]

Very nice, the GHO and Baldy are especially nice! 

There are lots of opportunities to get out birding around Ontario.  This season has been especially a good one for snowies due to the large irruption. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get out much!  Point Pelee is considered world class for birds, mostly migrating songbirds and water fowl species, and hawk cliff near Port Stanley has interpretive programs two weekends each fall, which gives you close up looks at wild birds caught for banding before they are re-released.  If you time it right, you can see thousands of migrating raptors in a day at hawk cliff. Closer to home, I'm sure Sarnia has some pretty good wildfowl birding along the waterfront, and in the next few weeks, there will be plenty of movement of spring migrants.  Really, the next two months or so are the best of the year for birding in terms of variety and volume.  Without much effort, I'm sure you could find some good local online resources to get the ball rolling. 

 

[Duke]

thanks, yes there's been many snowy owl sightings this winter locally and actually we have over 50 Bald Eagles visiting us along a very short stretch of the river, apparently since its so cold this year there is no open water up north so they all came down here, i drive along the river when i goto work and its about a 80% chance i see a bald eagle and its been that way for 3 months now, some days i've seen 5 or 6 together interacting( its pretty neat to see two adults fighting for a fish mid air let me tell u) they say theres about 30 juvis who could take up residence again in Sarnia Lambton but the adults use their same nest for life apparently. i just haven't had the time to get out there with the camera(or maybe its just too darn cold out). u should come down for a visit and go birding, i can take to you to the eagles.. lol

 

[jroovers]

That is crazy about that number of eagles, they have made quite the comeback.  20 years ago you would be lucky to see an eagle.  Now, you can see them at Wonderland and Riverside pretty much in downtown London.  There are something like 6 or 7 nesting pairs in and around London on the Thames, and it isn't unusual to see 7 or 8 juveniles in the winter out on the west end.  50 or so though in one concentrated area, that is crazy!  If I had more time, I'd come check it out, but I'm guessing many will be on the move soon when things thaw and by the time I would have a chance to get out there.  Birding/bird photography is one of those things I wish I had more time for, if/when my reef tank is not in the cards, I could see myself trying to get a bigger lens (i.e. 500 or 600 mm).  Too many hobbies though lol, and not enough time! 

 

[Big_Als_London]

That is crazy about that number of eagles, they have made quite the comeback.  20 years ago you would be lucky to see an eagle.  Now, you can see them at Wonderland and Riverside pretty much in downtown London.  There are something like 6 or 7 nesting pairs in and around London on the Thames, and it isn't unusual to see 7 or 8 juveniles in the winter out on the west end.  50 or so though in one concentrated area, that is crazy!  If I had more time, I'd come check it out, but I'm guessing many will be on the move soon when things thaw and by the time I would have a chance to get out there.  Birding/bird photography is one of those things I wish I had more time for, if/when my reef tank is not in the cards, I could see myself trying to get a bigger lens (i.e. 500 or 600 mm).  Too many hobbies though lol, and not enough time! 

I got out "birding last Monday but didn't see too much. I posted a couple of pictures on here last week.  I did have my 4 year old with me so it was a bit of a challenge keeping him quiet long enough for me to get a picture of any birds. I loved getting out there and am quite interested in doing more of it but its hard to dedicate a day to it when you have a family.

 

[Duke]

yes, its actually a good 20KM stretch where they are frequenting, our refineries use river water for process cooling, so where they return the water to the river is a hot spot for fish, and ultimately birds because of it. if you google Bald Eagles St Clair River, you will find many people who have gotten out to the spot im talking about and actually got some amazing shots. Another reason i dont get out birding is i dont have a lens with enough reach to make it worth while but i just stepped out the back door to hopefully catch a squirrel or a robin or something and sure enough 2 big hawk looking birds fly over my house, what are the chances... Can i get an ID anyone? lol


** edit these are turkey vultures and not hawks so it seems

[img=1400x933]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/101187577/birds/IMG_1266.JPG[/img]

[img=1400x933]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/101187577/birds/IMG_1268.JPG[/img]

 

[unibob]

I will have to dig up some photos I took while in college. I at one point was rocking a Nikon 1.4x teleconverter with sigma 120-400mm. So was getting a fairly clean shot at 500mm. I still have the sigma 120-400  on a Nikon mount, and a 80-200mm 2.8 Nikon and a spare d200 body ; I would love to go birding sometime with someone I have a cabin outside port Stanley with plenty of birds to photograph at the right time of year also there is a lagoon with bird watching perches built very close by that people use to photograph birds. I'm not sure if its nigh hawk but maybe... Lol never read the sign, but have seen many people there at certain times of the year.

 

[unibob]

Sweet pics by the way duke!

 

[Big_Als_London]

The bald eagle is such a mean looking bird but yet so regal. Its one of my favorites.

 

[Duke]

Especially when your like 1 ft away from it.. It was pretty neat. The guy flapped the owl up and down for me to get a picture too.. LOL  the eagle was a male(so the smaller one, females are 15% bigger they said) and it was still huge.

 

[Poseidon]

my personal fav has always been the peregrine falcon, would love to go 'falcon-ing' one day in the future

 

[sunnykita]

great photos everyone, and these people are a great group, they were set up at our Wood Show in the fall in the building I had my ENJO set up in, got to chat quite a bit with the husband and wife team that were there. 

 

[jroovers]

my personal fav has always been the peregrine falcon, would love to go 'falcon-ing' one day in the future

You don't have to go far to see those... just saw one at Wellington and King in London at lunch, they nest most years up near the top of the TD tower.  I'm guessing they make a healthy living off of pigeons. 

 

[jroovers]

Swans are back according to the Sarnia Observer, Police College north of Aylmer is a great spot to see them as well:

http://www.theobserver.ca/2014/03/19/swans-have-arrived-at-the-lambton-heritage-museum

 

[Duke]

Yes we have had Swans down river towards sombra area for a while now, last year a few took up residence in sarnia Bay and I see many many at the same spot as the Eagles.. I'm going out on Sunday weather pending to shoot some birds.

 

[Duke]

Ahh different Swans. The ones in that article we call snow geese.. They come yearly and stop in lambton for a while.

 

[jroovers]

Ahh different Swans. The ones in that article we call snow geese.. They come yearly and stop in lambton for a while.

Yes, the migrating ones are tundra swans.  Some of the year round ones you see might be mute swans?  I believe they are not indigenous to Ontario, but are introduced from Asia. 

 

[Salty Cracker]

I hate swans.  Man they're nasty.  Geese are just messy, but don't mess with a swan, the killer one in springbank park has taken on my 2 shepherds before, and all three of us run when we see him (her?).

There was a huge owl on my back fence last night.  Freaked me right out just sitting there with it's swivel head.  I thought they all took off for the winter, evidently not.

We have a mangy pack of turkey vultures that hang around here every year.  I didn't think they were all that impressive until one landed on my back porch.  Looke dlike it had been chewed up and spit out, but HUUUUGE. 

Hawks and falcons are my fav.  I wish we got eagles around here but I don't think I've ever seen one.

As for all the smaller birds, I hate em I hate em I hate em I hate em. 

 

[jroovers]

I hate swans.  Man they're nasty.  Geese are just messy, but don't mess with a swan, the killer one in springbank park has taken on my 2 shepherds before, and all three of us run when we see him (her?).

There was a huge owl on my back fence last night.  Freaked me right out just sitting there with it's swivel head.  I thought they all took off for the winter, evidently not.

We have a mangy pack of turkey vultures that hang around here every year.  I didn't think they were all that impressive until one landed on my back porch.  Looke dlike it had been chewed up and spit out, but HUUUUGE. 

Hawks and falcons are my fav.  I wish we got eagles around here but I don't think I've ever seen one.

As for all the smaller birds, I hate em I hate em I hate em I hate em. 

Probably a mute swan in the park.  They are huge.  You had an owl in your backyard, and it was big, probably a great horned? That is cool! They are around all year, and actually would be nesting by now.  The other most common owls you would see in winter around here would be screech owls and barred owls, with screech being the smaller of the two.

There are plenty of bald eagles in London.  In winter a couple hang out by the greenway outflow on the opposite side of the river from greenway park.  Rarely do I go down to that area of springbank and not see an eagle perched across from the outflow, or flying down the river.  Juveniles are all dark, and could be mistaken for a large hawk.  There are lots of eagles out komoka way, if you pull over near the large pond across from the plaza with the little beaver, it is not unusual to see seven or eight juveniles out on the ice.  Walking in Komoka provincial park also it is pretty common to see adult and/or juvenile eagles flying overhead. 

 

[Salty Cracker]

I'm out in komoka park fairly often in summer, but canopy probably hides everything.  I had no idea we had eagles and that they liked poo.


It was a freaky big owl.  Just stared at me.  So I said "go away", but he didn't.  I think he was messing with me.