I attempted to see the Gyrfalcon twice today and on my second attempt, I got lucky! A lovely adult gray morph bird. Continue reading Gyrfalcon near Carleton Place →

Learning birdsong can be quite a challenge. For some, mnemonics work quite well, for example, the commonly-heard sweet-sweet-shredded wheat of a Yellow Warbler as it sings from a roadside thicket. For others (myself included) visualization is perhaps the essential element to learning each song and getting them glued to the memory bank. Continue reading “Looking” at Similar Songs →

In response to warmer weather and changes to the photoperiod (amount of daylight in a day; we’re nearing 11 hours now), birds have really been signing of late! I’ve cracked a window here at my house in Ottawa and can hear three Northern Cardinals, a House Finch, a few American Robins, and a Black-capped Chickadee Continue reading Sounds of Spring →

When I first started birding, I wondered if I would become a good birder and I can happily say that after 6 years of trials and tribulations, I did in fact become a good birder. But, now I wonder…can I achieve “crack” status? Continue reading Good birder –> Crack birder –> Special Operative →

To keep myself sharp and field-ready during the two busiest birding seasons of the year, spring and fall, I visit a trail network in the west end of Ottawa called Shirleys Bay Waterfront Trail: NCC Greenbelt Trail 10. Continue reading On sharpening one’s skill set →

Sparrowhawk is handed a photo and told that both birds were photographed in eastern Ontario. “Both are on our wanted list, Inspector; we need to know approximately when these photographs were taken.” Continue reading Tales of Inspector Sparrowhawk: by the state of the leaves… →