Category Archives: birds

Ducks of that ilk

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Alistair

  Sometimes a picture is taken merely so as to delight in a whimsical, but obscure, title. It may be that only a canny Scots botanist will get this one.

Posted in birds, commentary, wildflowers | Comments Off on Ducks of that ilk

Hello mommy

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Alistair

 

Posted in birds | 2 Comments

Kestrel upbringing

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Alistair

  Life in the nest is good. Or at least it is, if judged by the reluctance of the young of some bird species to leave it. And why would they ever want to leave? They are comfortable, fed, cleaned, … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary | 3 Comments

Vulture

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Alistair

  Various behaviours have been seen with most local birds: flying, perching or swimming. However, I have only ever seen vultures in the air — never roosting or feeding. This is odd. This is one of five Turkey Vultures circling … Continue reading →

Posted in birds | 6 Comments

And the cutest is…

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Alistair

  The sight of freshly hatched chicks often evokes the word, cute. For me, the cutest is the fuzzy-feathered, gangly-legged, chick of the Spotted Sandpiper.

Posted in birds, commentary | 3 Comments

Inflight capture

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Alistair

  When a Song Sparrow chases a Mayfly, the match is uneven — the bird will win. A tenth of a second later, the bug had been captured and swallowed. 

Posted in birds, bugs | 2 Comments

Like a bird on a wire

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Alistair

  There is something unsettling about seeing a bird on a wire — possibly this arises from the juxtaposition of wild and processed. The memorable line, like a bird on a wire, came from Lenard Cohen. In the 1960s, he … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary | 2 Comments

Portraits of loons

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Alistair

  It is difficult to take any good picture of a loon on this lake, let alone a frontal portrait: • Loons need clear water to spot prey, so they avoid humans, who typically befoul waterways. • Loons seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, commentary | 4 Comments

Canadian life

Posted on July 1, 2017 by Alistair

  Today — July 1st, 2017 — marks the sesquicentenary of the creation of Canada as a nation. My two-dozen mute portraits offer peeks into the charm and beauty of life in Canada.

Posted in birds, commentary, fish, mammals | 15 Comments

Feeding flicker chick

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Alistair

  Each year, I try to watch flicker parents flying in to feed their chicks. This year, a Merlin has intimidated our local flickers, so I had to go along the shore to find some other pilings in which flickers … Continue reading →

Posted in birds | 2 Comments