Green-Winged Teal
November 11th, 2011
Duck migration is in full swing. I went down to Andrew Haydon Park recently to enjoy the sight of teal, scaup, and other (relatively) exotic waterfowl, joining the ubiquitous mallards and canada geese in the western pond.
Every year, it seems, more and more Green-Winged Teal show up in Ottawa in migration. I never tire of their beauty.
Teal are dabbling as opposed to diving ducks. They obtain their food primarily by swimming in very shallow water and picking at the surface, or even while walking on mud flats. So I was surprised to find a group of three actively diving! I'd seen mallards diversify that way before, and it was less of a surprise, since mallards are generalists in a lot of ways. I didn't expect it from teal.
It was quite a different sight from, say, a diving scaup, which slips gracefully underwater with scarcely a ripple. These guys went in with tails spread, wings akimbo, and a loud *sploosh*.
"Local celebrity" would be an understatement this time
October 23rd, 2011
Ottawa has just seen its first Razorbill in recorded history. Razorbill is a seabird--an auk, to be specific--that, under all normal circumstances, breeds, winters and migrates in salt water habitat. Only extreme weather during its migration can cause this bird to be blown off course and end up inland. Which is presumably what happened, with the storm of a few days ago. (An interesting blog post here explores the possibilities.)
I've seen these birds in their usual locale off the Gaspé peninsula, and photographed one who swam close to the dock. No such luck today: the Razorbill on the Ottawa River was staying far out from shore, viewable only with spotting scope. He was preening and fishing and seemed to be doing quite well for himself, unaccustomed freshwater habitat notwithstanding.
White Admiral
October 19th, 2011
One from the backlog.
Highlights At Andrew Haydon Park
October 12th, 2011
Most sandpipers breed on the tundra and winter on the coast. But in autumn, about 20 species worth move through Ottawa in migration, showing up on muddy river shores and shallow ponds. Andrew Haydon Park is one of the classic places to find them. I went sandpiper-watching there on Saturday morning, and found many other points of interest besides.
Greater Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Great Blue Heron executing a perfect landing.
Red Squirrel in the morning light (available as wallpaper)
White-Rumped Sandpiper--life bird #294! (Yes, I'm celebrating when I hit 300 :-)
White-Rumped Sandpiper betraying its identity
Great Egret (wider-angle than my usual, but I liked the perspective of the Sailing Club behind it.) This graceful species was historically rare in our area, but in recent years, has become a regular sight along the Ottawa River in fall.
Eastern Chipmunk (with snack)
A Local Celebrity
September 18th, 2011
Three different super-rare birds have been spotted at Andrew Haydon Park of late. I went there yesterday morning hoping to run into at least one of them, and was not disappointed. Lifer #292!
The petite, graceful Sabine's Gull breeds in the arctic and winters in the tropics, off the pacific coast of South America and the southwest coast of Africa. It is typically quite pelagic (ocean-loving) outside of the breeding season. Ottawa is, to say the least, not on its usual migration route. Perhaps this juvenile got a little disoriented?
Size comparison with Ring-Billed Gull (behind):
Montreal Biodome (4/4)
August 19th, 2011
The last of the (good) Biodome photos, all taken in the tropical ecosystem:
Roseate Spoonbill. This species' range actually extends up into the gulf region of the United States.
The Sunbittern seems a plain and unassuming fellow...
...until he spreads his wings, that is! The flamboyant "eyespots" are used in courtship and to startle potential predators. We got to see that second use in action when a caiman (alligator-like reptile) got a little too close for the sunbittern's liking.
Montreal Biodome (3/4)
August 18th, 2011
If you've ever been to the Biodome, you've probably seen a Grey-Winged Trumpeter, an extremely tame species found in the tropical ecosystem. They frequently come out on the path and run around underfoot.
I'm not sure what these Hyacinth Macaws were up to, but it looked rather amorous!
Montreal Biodome (2/4)
August 17th, 2011
The big birds and animals are what most people notice at the Biodome, but it's actually teeming with small songbirds too--especially in the tropical exhibit. Most of them stay in the canopy and are hard to see. But this Green Honeycreeper was the star of the day. He perched in plain view very close to me.
1680x1050 wallpaper
Goeldi's Marmoset
Montreal Biodome (1/4)
August 16th, 2011
I took a trip to the Biodome last week and got some photos.
Great Horned Owl. Yes, he's real :-) This species is common in Ottawa, but I seldom get the opportunity to see one so close, or in such good lighting!
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I've seen, in the wild, most of the ducks that breed in Canada. But the magnificent Harlequin Duck is one I'm still missing. Harlequins breed on fast-flowing mountain streams (primarily in the west) and winter on the coast--their mastery of rough water is second to none. A male/female pair is shown above.
Matching Colors
August 5th, 2011
I'm not usually a fly enthusiast, but this one enchanted me: metallic green and gold, with eyes as red as the meadowhawk perched next to it! If my research led me aright it's a Green Bottle Fly.
My telephoto really struggled with getting a focus on this. I keep pressing the poor thing into service as a macro lens, and in this case, I'm impressed with how well it did.
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