In my lower than 4 years of birding and chook pictures, I’ve had the privilege of touring to 6 international locations for birding, every providing distinctive alternatives to look at and {photograph} unimaginable avian life. My newest journey took me to Ontario, Canada, house of 10000birds’ very personal author Leslie Kinrys, and the most effective birding places I’ve been to when it comes to ease of discovering birds.
Upon studying that I’d be birding in Ontario, Leslie graciously invited my spouse and I to hitch her and her husband, Mike, for a day of birding. And what a beautiful day it was!
After arriving at our lodge round 2:30 a.m. from an in a single day flight, we had been up and prepared by 10 a.m. on “day 1”, to satisfy Leslie and Mike. Regardless of the shortage of sleep, the joy for birding took over. Leslie’s enthusiasm was contagious, and shortly we discovered ourselves in one in every of Ontario’s various chook habitats. I noticed a number of lifers together with the colorful WoodDuck, Kinglets and waterfowls. Please you’ll want to learn Leslie’s submit on our day of birding HERE!
On this submit, I’ll spotlight a number of different places and lifers from the rest of my Ontario journey.
The next day began early once more, up at 5:30am and on the street by 6:15am with a neighborhood fellow photographer who has a ardour for photographing shorebirds. Vacation spot McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve, Oshawa Ontario. McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve is a 108-acre pure space devoted to preserving native wildlife habitats. Guests can get pleasure from varied actions equivalent to mountain climbing, birdwatching, kayaking, and fishing. The reserve has a number of well-maintained trails that take guests via various landscapes, together with forested areas, wetlands, and open meadows.
The reserve is understood for its tranquil ambiance and number of wildlife, making it a preferred vacation spot for nature lovers and photographers.
By 6:30 we had parked the automotive and was making our approach alongside a grass path to the lake shore. The dew coated grass rapidly permeated my supposedly waterproof mountain climbing boots and left me with soggy chilly socks and sneakers. However the pleasure of what awaited forward took my thoughts away from the uncomfortably moist boots.
We quickly arrived on the lake shore, a coyote or what we thought was a coyote made a hasty retreat into the bushes, a bit too shut for my consolation. As soon as my nerves had been calmed, we took a number of moments to “soak in” the fantastic thing about the early morning.
Returning our consideration to the duty at hand, we started scouring the shore with our telephoto lenses for indicators of birdlife and positive sufficient, regardless of the low mild, we noticed a few shorebirds wading within the shallow waters of the shoreline. We recognized these as Dunlins. I had solely seen a Dunlin as soon as earlier than and you may examine that encounter HERE.
We moved a bit nearer to the Dunlins, cautiously in order to not disturb them. As soon as we had been shut sufficient we quietly crouched down to look at their habits earlier than taking over positions to start the photoshoot.
Eager to get as little as attainable I used to be mendacity flat on my abdomen on the pebble coated shoreline for the most effective angle to seize the birds with the rising solar. The water was inches from my foot, however since my boots had been already soaked, I had no concern of dunking them once more.
The Dunlins went about their enterprise feeding because the solar rose over the lake catching the highlights on the moist rocks.
Quickly the Dunlins started to take little discover of us as they approached nearer and nearer, actually, at one level I used to be unable to focus my digicam as a result of proximity of those stunning little birds, a blessing in disguise, as all I might do was to relaxation there on my abdomen making an attempt my finest to not shift and to only get pleasure from this magical second with this stunning creature comfortably feeding simply over a meter away.
We spent the higher a part of an pleasant hour photographing and observing the antics of those two Dunlins, however alas… it was time to go away.
We quietly moved away from our place on the lake shore and made our approach in direction of the McLaughlin Marsh to see what awaited there.
Approaching the Marsh an aged early morning birder with scope and pocket book greeted us and talked about a lone Wilsons Snipe feeding on the sting of the Marsh a brief distance forward of us. I had not seen this chook earlier than so one other one for my lifers checklist. Although not unusual in North America their well-camouflaged plumage, could make them troublesome to identify.
The Marsh additionally revealed to us the dainty and alert Lesser Yellowlegs foraging for its meal. In French, they’re referred to as Petit chevalier, that means “little knight,” doubtless referring to their sleek and slim look, in addition to their dignified method, paying homage to the the Aristocracy related to knights.
As we targeted on capturing the elegant Lesser Yellowlegs foraging within the marsh, a Northern Harrier immediately glided low over the wetlands. The smooth, long-tailed raptor, was a placing sight. Northern Harriers are recognized for his or her open-country searching, typically skimming low over grasslands and marshes looking for prey. Right now of 12 months, McLaughlin Bay’s mixture of marshland and grasslands gives an excellent habitat for them, as they migrate southward to flee the colder months of Canada, stopping in locations like this to hunt for small mammals and birds within the dense vegetation under
A bit additional contained in the Marsh was a few Sandhill Cranes. Through the fall, Sandhill Cranes journey via locations like McLaughlin Bay as they migrate southward to hotter climates. The marsh serves as a necessary stopover level on their lengthy journey, providing a spot to relaxation and replenish their vitality.
As we left the world and made our approach again to the automotive, simply off the path we noticed the elegant trying Darkish-eyed-Junco, a member of the Sparrow household, with its darkish hood and contrasting pale stomach, calmly resting on a leafless department.
Birds weren’t the one creatures round, we additionally noticed a few Deers simply off the path at Lynde Shores Conservation space.
Squirrels, Chipmunks and Rabbits had been throughout competing with the birds for feed left on the varied feed stations across the reserves.
In case you’ve learn this far and nonetheless questioning why the title of this submit is “Treasures of Ontario: Birding Made Easy…,” let me clarify. Throughout this brief Ontario go to, we encountered a powerful number of birds together with Wild Turkeys (…from private expertise I can let you know that these have to be approached VERY cautiously), vibrant Cardinals, Black-capped Chickadees, Kinglets, Blue Jays, Crimson-winged Blackbirds, Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, Mallards, Canada Geese, Gulls, Woodpeckers, Sparrows and so many extra. It was a birdwatcher’s dream, with a minimum of 15 lifers for me! What made it even higher had been the gorgeous, accessible city wildlife reserves positioned lower than an hour from downtown in some circumstances, locations equivalent to Samuel Smith Park, Excessive Park, Tommy Thompson Park, McLaughlin Wildlife Reserve and Lynde Shores conservation space each in Oshawa, to call a number of.
All the location so purposely designed for households and nature lovers, offering quick access to trails and unimaginable abundance of wildlife. The time spent at every location was enjoyable and rewarding however approach too brief, positively deserves a return go to.
For Nature Lovers and Birders alike these are just some of the Treasures of Ontario, locations the place you don’t must search for birds, they’re seen throughout you and with a handful of birdseed they may actually eat out of your fingers.