I have been the property steward for the past two years for the Lone Pine Marsh, which means I visit there once a month and monitor the wildlife.   There is a huge beaver dam on the property which has served as a wildlife highway for the past few months.   Even more fun than looking at footprints is seeing the animals themselves.   Enter the trail camera.   I went back there to retrieve the photos today and found out who has been hanging around.

I came home with hundreds of photos of otters! So adorable! They have been very busy the last few weeks, both day and night. I love how they play with each other in the snow and slide on their bellies.

Of course, other creatures have been traversing the marsh at the beaver dam as well. But so far, they all seem to be getting along just fine.

I think I need to reset the date and time on the remote camera, but other than that I am excited by how it can capture this active spot for wildlife without me even being there. I love these little otters so much and hopefully I can get to see them in person on one of my visits to the marsh.

Even though the snow was still deep today, the sun feels warmer and the birds are starting to sing. There is a bit of spring in the air! All the best! Leslie

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Pine Grosbeaks are infrequent visitors to our area – they only come down from the north when food supplies there are low. I think the last time I have seen one was 7 or 8 years ago. For me, it is always a treat to see a different bird species than the ones I am used to always seeing around.

These birds are very inconspicuous as they are mostly grey with some rusty or greenish markings. They are a little bigger than a robin. They seem obsessed with the crabapples and completely unfazed by the constant activity in the parking lot.

Nice to have a little surprise now and then.

After I grocery shop I always take a solo drive around the loop at Presqu’ile Park before I head home. My dog Winnie likes going for car rides and sticking her head out the open window to sniff out what’s around.

Recently there have been otters out on the ice on Brighton bay fishing. I watched this one dive under the ice 4 times, and come up with 4 fish. 100 percent accuracy. Pretty impressive.

Also on the Presqu’ile loop was this Barred Owl, hunting by the side of the road. Every once in awhile I get lucky.  Actually, I think I included a Barred Owl that I saw just west of Brighton in my last post.   It’s been a good owl month.

Even though winter is cold and it seems as if everything has gone to sleep or left for warmer climates, it can be the best time of year to find wildlife.

I hope wherever you are, you have a little window out on nature – whether it’s your kitchen window looking out on a bird feeder, or the window of your car as you drive your favourite roads close to home.

What animals and birds have you seen lately?

The post Grocery Store Birds, Otters, and an Owl appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Mallards at Cobourg Harbour

Cobourg Harbour January 2021

Reports of a Greater White Fronted Goose led me to Cobourg Harbour. This is a bird I have never seen before, and I thought I’d go try to find it. Turns out this is like finding a needle in a haystack.

A lot of Canada Geese and a couple of Mallards

There are literally thousands of Canada Geese in Cobourg Harbour, and the special goose hangs out with them most of the time. I have not found it, though I have visited the harbour more than once.   Despite missing the Greater White Fronted Goose, I got to see great numbers of other waterfowl.

Canada Geese resting on thin ice

I think this is a Greater Scaup with the geese. It might be a Lesser Scaup. Hmmm. Anyway, it’s a Scaup.

Common Goldeneye – gorgeous little guy!

On my way home from Cobourg Harbour (one of the times) I drove some backroads by the lakeshore and found my first Barred Owl in months. I just parked my car and watched it hunt.

Barred Owl hunting by the lakeshore

Who are you

Hunting in the ash forest

I have tried to get out to Gull Island at Presqu’ile recently but my attempts have been in vain. Once I turned around because I realized I needed ice cleats. The next time I tried I wore my ice cleats but there was a man over on the island letting his dog run all over the place (!!!). Finally yesterday afternoon I was able to get over to Gull Island. It was a really dark day with a light rain/snow mix coming down. A perfect time to sneak out on my own and see what I could see.

January 11 view out to Gull Island, Presqu’ile Park

The lake is still pretty much open on the way out to Gull Island but there are big ice chunks floating around that I had to kick out of the way. The waves did splash up inside my rubber boots but I figured I had gone all that way I might as well continue. Wet feet from soakers warm up eventually.

Common Redpolls

Common Redpolls

I heard a very faint chirping and found the source – a huge flock of Common Redpolls. There must have been 250 of them in the tall weeds. The flock moved around – popping up and then settling down.  I became very absorbed in watching them in their little world on this dark, wet island.

Off to my right, a white form flew out of nowhere and dove down towards the water. For a split second I got to see a Snowy Owl try to snatch a Long Tailed Duck from the water. It was so close to me and so sudden I didn’t get photos until after the fact.

Post hunting Snowy Owl

The owl soared out over the water, then came to land on the shore of the island.

The duck was ok. For now.

Long Tailed Duck

One of the reasons Snowy Owls hang around the shores of Lake Ontario in the winter is access to the abundant waterfowl. The owls will stick around by the shore and offshore islands until the lake freezes up, and then they will move further out onto the lake and ride around on the ice floes, hunting waterfowl in the cracks and channels between the ice.

Snowy Owl checking out the waterfowl

For now, this Snowy Owl is spending most of its time on the offshore islands by Presqu’ile Park, where it has access to the rodents as well as abundant waterfowl.

One of my favourite scenes

I left the owl perched on a very scenic piece of driftwood and headed back to shore through the ice chunks and waves. A few Herring Gulls circled in the air overhead and called out, but otherwise the beach was quiet.

Sometimes people ask me how I find all this awesome wildlife, and the answer is – I go out looking for it. Lots of times I don’t find what I set out to look for – like in the case of the elusive Greater White Fronted Goose. Sometimes I don’t see anything at all. But what makes it all worthwhile are the moments when I am surprised by something I did not even anticipate – like the Barred Owl at the side of the road by the lakeshore, or the Snowy Owl hunting over the lake so close I couldn’t even take a photo.

Next blog I will tell you about some otters I have found! All the best. Leslie

The post The Wilds of Winter appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Eastern coyote

Actually, it’s one of my neighbours!

Hello there and Happy 2021! Bring on the new year! I have to say that being out in nature and finding neat stuff was one of the things that kept me sane during 2020. But – I can’t be out all the time (especially at night) so I have a remote camera that has provided me with hours of entertainment. I set up my “spy camera” in the field across from my house. It is unbelievable to see all the action that goes on over there when I am not around.

Beautiful buck

Red Fox

Remote cameras are cheap and easy fun. They cost about $125. They are motion activated, even at night, so I just set it up and leave it. Almost every day I walk my dogs in the field and switch up the data cards – then come home, open up my computer, put the card in, and see all the action from the night before. Sure, the photos are not super good quality, but I love spying on the activity in my neighbourhood.

Most of the time there is a pattern of night photos like so: bunny, bunny, bunny, fox, fox, bunny, bunny, bunny, fox, fox, and then a morning photo of my dogs running past the camera and setting it off.

But some nights: the motherlode!!!
Here is the best day/ night ever: the night of November 18/19 In the order they showed up!

Ruffed Grouse

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit (“Lucky”)

Red Fox

Red Fox

Black Bear

Black Bear

Eastern Coyote

White Tailed Deer

Can you believe all those critters live right across the street? (!)

So not every night is as exciting as that one, for sure. I did decide to name that bunny “Lucky” awhile ago. But recently I got this photo:

So maybe that bunny is not so lucky after all – and there are multiples.

To finish off this post I will include the photo my spy camera got last night:

That’s a Coyote

And then this morning:

That’s my dog Walter

Sending an honourable mention out now to some other individuals that my spy camera has captured in that field in the last couple of months:
Red Squirrel
Grey Squirrel
Black Squirrel
Our neighbour’s cat
Our neighbours walking their dogs
Raccoons
Mice
Blue Jays
me – over and over again

All the best as we launch into 2021! Next blog will be about a parliament of Short Eared Owls I found on Amherst Island.

Thanks for visiting! Leslie

The post Fun with a Spy Camera appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Mute Swan family

Red breasted nuthatch baby begging for food

anemone in my garden

Ambush bug on a black eyed Susan

Hummingbird moth on a butterfly bush in my garden

Great Blue Heron taking off! Kawartha Highlands Provincial Park

And the landing!

The last two photos are from a canoe trip we took- the heron was more cooperative than most of the ones I have come across, and I was able to capture its beautiful feather patterns as it flew around the marsh.

Thanks for following along in my 2020 wanderings! More to come. Leslie

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These first 5 photos are from the beaver dam across the street. May is when all the different types of herons and egrets return. They are so shy! I saw them almost every day but it is really hard to get a picture of them.

Highlights from the beaver pond also included lots of blackbirds setting up territories, and the Canada Geese and beavers getting along splendidly!

Green Heron

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Female Red Winged Blackbird

Canada Goose swimming right by a beaver

With most parks still closed in early May this year, I spent quite a bit of time right in my own neighbourhood. One other place I could visit was Lone Pine Marsh, a beautiful marsh about 20 minutes southwest of my house. Lone Pine Marsh is fun in the spring! Here’s some of the action:

Muskrat

Tree swallow getting material for its nest

All tucked in and waiting

Welcoming committee

Otter

I also had a lot of fun looking for birds at the Brighton Constructed Wetlands, which did not have any restrictions on entry. It seemed weird to go down to Brighton in May and not go to Presqu’ile Park, but I got to see some real characters at the wetland, regardless.

Greater Yellowlegs

The ever elusive Virginia Rail

I usually do my big birding marathon the second week of May, and this year was no exception! I went out for a whole day and tried to find as many different species of birds as I could.

I really wondered how it would go this year, since  I could not go to Presqu’ile Park due to the pandemic.   Interestingly, I was able to find almost as many species by going out in my local area, to Lone Pine Marsh, and to the Brighton Constructed Wetlands as I do on a normal year.  The average number of species I usually find on my annual birding marathons is about 98, and this year I found 89.   Regardless, it’s all about the challenge, and I always find something very cool each year.   Of course I do – spending an entire day outside.

Thanks for walking along with me, we will continue through the year until I catch up to the present.

All the best!  Leslie

The post 2020 Wanderings – Early May appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

I went back to the first den with my camera and sat way up on the hill above it for a little bit one afternoon. Soon enough, I had four little sets of eyes peeking out at me. All the photos of the first den are from that one afternoon.  I had really nice light for the photos, so am thankful for that.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Eventually just one fox kit decided to stay outside, and I got to watch it as it settled in.

Pretty relaxing except for the flies.

As I left I set up a remote video camera and went back a few days later to retrieve it. I got some fun videos of the foxes running, playing with a Wild Turkey wing left over from dinner the parents had brought in. I did not know foxes could catch a Wild Turkey! Apparently they can! After that I left them alone to grow up. I keep hoping I will see one dart across a path when I am walking, but nothing so far.

This second set of fox kits I ran into when I was out looking for owls. I had heard and seen a pair of Barred Owls on the hill right above where this fox den is located.

I have discovered a lot about myself through my photography- and one thing for sure is that I like to go out quietly by myself.   Every once in a while in the nature photography world some bird or animal will be discovered, and before you know it there is a huge crowd of photographers lined up taking photos.   I witnessed this in Ottawa a few years ago when the Great Grey Owls showed up in Rockcliffe Park.  I also saw it on Amherst Island this winter when 20+ Snowy Owls decided to congregate all in one spot for a few days, and cars were parked all over the sides of the roads.

I know that anytime I am out taking photos of birds or animals I am impacting their behaviour somewhat, no matter how quiet or hidden I try to be.   But I think that going back to the same place over and over and getting really close just to get a great shot is not necessary.   I saved my money for a big lens, and it helps me keep my distance.   I can crop my photos quite a bit without affecting the quality as well. And as far as lining up with a big group of photographers- forget it.  I am so grateful that I was able to spend some quiet time observing these little foxes, all by myself.

There were at least four kits in this second den as well. They seemed happy and healthy. I loved watching them snuggle into logs to have a sleep.

I set up a remote camera at the second den too. I love these “spy cams” since I can see what is going on without bugging the animals. This camera captured video of the kits playing, one of the parents, and a BLACK BEAR sniffing around the den! If you are interested in seeing a couple of the videos I will share my dropbox folder with you, just ask for them in the comments below.

I will be keeping my eyes open in my neighbourhood for a glimpse of these little ones as they grow, learn, and expand their territories.

Thanks for visiting my blog, and for your interest in nature.

Leslie

The post Foxes in the Forest appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Each year I devote one entire day to birdwatching – I line it up with the Global Big Day – where people all over the world go out one day in early May and locate as many  birds as they can in a 24 hour period.    The birds are recorded in the eBird database, run by the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology.   This year, that day in early May just served to get my birding obsession all fired up again for the spring.

Mute Swan resting in her nest.

May 4 this year was cold, cloudy, and windy and I spent most of the day bundled up in my fleecy. I started out my day before sunrise, and was able to hear some night singers such as Whip-poor-wills, Woodcocks, and Turkeys. I spent an early breakfast watching my feeders, then headed out to my usual haunts- Presqu’ile Park and Brighton Constructed Wetlands.

Yellow Rumped Warbler

Many typical spring birds such as Grey Catbirds, Baltimore Orioles, and Hummingbirds, were not back yet, but a few warblers were starting to trickle in.

Yellow Warbler

These little jewels are a highlight of migration for me. When I am doing a birding Big Day, the morning always moves along quite well, and I can rack up quite a few species in a short amount of time. For example, I heard and saw almost 50 different species of birds before I even left my house on that Saturday morning. Typically, the afternoon birds come much more slowly. I drove around looking for an American Kestrel that always sits on a certain telephone wire. Found it. I was thinking- Ospreys are back- where can I go to find one?

Osprey on my road

And as day turned into evening and I headed home to look for Ruffed Grouse, there was an Osprey sitting up in a tree at the side of my road. Never seen one on my road in all the time I have lived here, but there it was.

Bathing on the beach

I finished up my day with the gulls and terns down at the beach at Presqu’ile, where the sun peeked out for a bit before going down. All told, I found 95 species of birds on May 4. This is right around my average for the past 4 years- the bird count always hovers around 100.

Least Flycatcher

Guess what!? The next morning I got up really early, drove down to Prince Edward County, picked up a friend and her dad, and went birding at Prince Edward Point Bird observatory. This IBA (Important Birding Area) is a peninsula on the southeast side of Prince Edward County, and since it is an hour south of here, they are a bit ahead of us as far as seeing newly arrived species. There were quite a few flycatchers, like the one above.

Grey Catbird

They also had Grey Catbirds – who really say “meow” at the end of their calls. This is a common spring bird here who was conspicuously missing from my “Big Day” list. Despite their plain appearance, catbirds are feisty songsters, who mimic other birds calls and can produce a symphony of slightly buzzy imitations to impress their potential mates. Love them.

Cliff Swallows gathering mud for their nests

Home sweet home! So cute!

We were treated to the sight of dozens of Cliff Swallows building their nests, squeaking and congregating around a large mud puddle.

Eastern Towhee

The constant call of “drink your teeeeeee” told us that there were Eastern Towhees in the undergrowth. Towhees are members of the sparrow family, with round bodies and lovely rusty red, white, and black colouring.  Prince Edward Point did not disappoint, and it was fun to share my day with friends.

Cutleaf toothwort

I finished off the week with a Mother’s Day weekend in Dundas with my daughter and her boyfriend. When we weren’t at the Hamilton Buttertart Festival or eating tacos, we spent time on the Royal Botanical Garden trails, where the wildflowers were in bloom, and the birds were singing their hearts out.

Tree Swallows making a home

The RBG had some open fields with nest boxes, being used by Swallows, Bluebirds, and Wrens.

Downy Woodpecker

There were also magical wooded areas where the leaves were just beginning to emerge. On one little path we discovered a woman feeding a Downy Woodpecker peanuts from her hand! I have heard of feeding chickadees before, but never woodpeckers! A little boy and his mom were walking by and he got to feed the woodpecker from his hand too. He was thrilled.

At the same time, two beautiful deer grazed peacefully in the woods just in front of us.

“Bald Eagle” Sure. It is!

Once out of the woods we were treated to the view over a beautiful marshland at the far western end of Lake Ontario. There was a Bald Eagle near its nest and flying around. Sooo cool! Eagle was far away and backlit so it just looks like a blob haha. But if you look at the exact centre of this photo you can see the eagle’s nest- an impressively huge structure anchored in a pine tree.

Cormorant Island

Much easier to photograph were the Double Crested Cormorants inhabiting a tiny island out in the lake. Their poop kills all vegetation, as you can see.

Red Bellied Woodpecker

Back in the woods, we were treated to the sight of a Red Bellied Woodpecker working on a nest in a tree hole.

Magnolias

To cap off a lovely day, we entered a fairy tale meadow full of magnolia trees in full bloom.

Birding is so much more than birding, really.  It’s being outside, discovering what’s there, and spending time with family and friends, or some quiet time to myself.

May is not over yet.  I’m still birding!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Enjoy the spring!

Leslie

The post Birding Marathon 2019 appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Sleepy Barred Owl.

Take a late afternoon walk or a drive around the loop or near the beach, and you stand a good chance of seeing something great!

Taking a break from hunting

Barred owls hunt in the open fields, and usually sit about 5 to 8 feet up trees. You don’t have to look high up to see them.

White tailed deer at Calf Pasture

White tailed deer seem to be more numerous this year. I have nearly walked right into them as they stood still on Jobes Woods trail. I’ve also seen them on roadsides and in the woods, mostly at dusk. Driving slowly is a must to see all these critters.

Wild turkeys

More than one flock of wild turkeys roams the park and you can see them anytime of day. I often see them by the outhouses in the day use area, or near Calf Pasture fields.

Hello

Digging for bird seed

One afternoon just as it was getting dark I was watching a Barred Owl hunt right by the camp office bird feeders, and two racoons emerged from the bushes, noisily growling at each other.. They walked right past the owl as it was mantling over a vole it had caught on the ground, and they headed over to the bird feeders, to scrape around for what they could find. After that, they clambered up a tree and went to sleep up there nestled in a little ball.

Tree study

I have been loving walking on the beach in the golden light at the end of the day and looking at all the twisted trees by the lakeshore. The crystal ball I carry with me adds another cool level of distortion to these trees, as the refraction bends and inverts the image.

Beach 1 at sunset

The ice volcanoes are starting to form at the beach, and every sunset offers a different view.

Ice volcanoes and my crystal ball

Enjoy!

Leslie

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Great Egret

Early in May I headed out for my birding marathon- a highlight for me every spring!   I spend from early morning until evening trying to find as many species of birds as I can in one day.   I spent the morning around my house and the rest of the day down in Brighton, mostly at Presqu’ile Park.    There are a lot of Great Egrets nesting on the lake this year, so it was lovely to see them.

Red winged Blackbird

I saw more Red Winged Blackbirds than any other bird- they are very obvious and loud in the spring!   By the end of the day I had found 96 species of birds- which is very close to the total I get most years.   Very fun!

Barred Owl and Owlet

A few trips to the woods behind the gravel pit near my house yielded a very vocal pair of Barred Owls, and eventually, a baby!   I waited in the woods for hours one buggy May morning and was rewarded with seeing the mother owl hunt a chipmunk and then feed it to her baby.   I love how the baby is snuggled up to the mom in this photo.

Ellie

I took a late May trip out to BC to see my son and his wife, and spent lots of time exploring beautiful BC with my grand puppy Ellie.

Oh my

We even found Sasquatch!

Spring fling

When I got home, life in my neighbourhood was running at full speed!  The highlight is the pair of Eastern Bluebirds who have decided to raise their family in one of the nest boxes we put up in the field across the street.

Mama building a home

One morning I got to watch the female Bluebird carrying nest material to the box.   The male sat up on the telephone wire singing to her the whole time, and catching up to her and mating when he could.

She only took an hour or so to build the nest like she liked it.

Baby bluebirds

This morning I tried to sit still as long as I could, and finally captured the shy baby bluebirds as they surveyed the field near their nest box. The mom and dad are already working on another brood, and don’t seem to pay much attention to them anymore, but they seem just fine and are hunting bugs on their own, especially in the early morning.

I am really looking forward to getting to know these little birds more this summer!

Take care and thanks for visiting!

Leslie

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