I’m a spy, an outsider
Armed with telephoto capability
Uninvited I stare
Insulated, from my car

A nine dollar ferry crossing- cash only
Brings me to you
Your all-you-can-eat buffet
And a taste of your wildness

Your golden eyes enchant

Haunt. Stare. Hunt.
Like ghosts you appear out of nowhere
When the sun sinks low in the sky

In the last 90 minutes of daylight
Suddenly your round white forms are everywhere
I lose count
And try not to slide off the road and into the water

Just for now you’re resting here
On this tiny island in the ocean-lake
By the dozens- look at you all!
How can this be?

How do you know to come here
After flying over parking lots, shopping malls, forests
Who whispers of this rural feast
Dinner squeaking and rustling under the grass

How do you know
Do you hear? Do you smell?
Is it passed down from your parents
Or told through screams and flight

You’re on your way home to a place
No human has ever seen
Mysterious, barren, cold
Ellesmere, Ungava, the eternal summer sun

So today I’ll sit with you
Slow my breath
Maybe you’ll habituate to my presence
In other words, forget about me

Maybe I can watch you in your world
For a few moments
Capture it without your permission
And keep it

Hold your image
Captive
In a box of wires and light
Keep you with me forever

The post Wild things appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Where did these mitts and I travel this month and what did we find?

Well, we spent a lot of time down by the north shore of Lake Ontario.   The ice formations there are spectacular!

Paper thin leaves of ice form on calm days.   Over time the ice piles up and the wind and waves build surreal sculptures.

Miraculously, this chilling landscape is home to some very resilient wildlife.

Snow buntings fly overhead in large flocks, chittering softly.   I managed to catch this one by itself for a little photo shoot.

Mute swans feed at the ice edges all winter long.   When it gets really cold, they tuck into a little ball and snuggle into their downy feathers.

I’ve had a couple of encounters with this young female Snowy Owl out on Gull Island.   She is perfectly at home floating around on the chunks of ice on the lake, watching the ducks float by.

Here she is surveying the breakfast menu at Presqu’ile Park.

Foxes can be seen running out on the ice searching for food.   This beauty was seen on Amherst Island, after it came to shore.

I also found this very hungry turkey feeding on sumach berries by the lakeshore.

I spent quite a few afternoons this January chasing sunsets.   I think winter skies are the moodiest and most fascinating skies we get all year.

I have a little glass ball (best $20 I have ever spent) that I have been playing around with to capture the sunsets in a different way.   If you look in the ball upside down, you will see the whole scene captured inside.  A little bit of fun with refraction.

Different day, different sunset.   Softer, cooler colours.   And speaking of cooler- I know my hands would have frozen without my snowy owl mittens this month.

Goodbye January!

Can’t wait to see what miracles February will bring.   Thanks for the mittens, Maria.

The post January Adventures With My Snowy Owl Mittens appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Here’s the ferry.   You can see my little Honda Civic on the left side.   The Frontenac 2 is the only ferry I know where you drive in forward, and have to back up and swing around to drive off.

I had heard reports of numerous Short Eared Owls over on Amherst Island.  As I began to drive the island roads, I looked for any movements or shapes up in trees.   There were 2 Wild Turkeys on the road, 2 Snowy Owls very far away sitting on hydro poles above sheep farms, and this hawk sitting in a tree with some other kind of birds dive bombing it.   I got out of the car, cold forgotten, and watched these birds, hoping they were “shorties.”  I could hear them calling to each other as well.  Here’s what it sounded like.(barking sounds)

I heard a call over to my right, and all of a sudden a shortie flew right over the road past where I was standing, with prey in its talons.

A quick look around with its piercing yellow eyes, and it flew across to eat in a big tree.

Mealtime.   As I was watching this spectacle, a couple of guys came along who told me that they had seen a short eared owl on the north side of the island.   I left this one to have its meal, and carried on.

As I was driving I saw this one flying around a field and then landing on a post.

As fluffed up as it was, this owl did not seem to mind the cold at all.   Did you know that Short Eared Owls live on every continent except Antarctica?   They must be very adaptable!

I have heard a lot about how these owls fly, but had never had a chance to watch until now.    Their small bodies and long wings make them buoyant and beautiful as they fly.

Here’s one of the last views I had of the owl, just as the sun was setting.    And just for a reality check…

Here’s where I fell into the ditch!  The snow was pretty deep.   Nice shot.

On my way back out to the ferry Snowy Owls started popping up where I had never seen them before.   As the sun goes down, these white ghostly owls come out to hunt.    Overall I believe I saw 6 Snowy Owls and 6 Short Eared Owls on my little safari to Amherst Island.

I made it to the 5:00 pm ferry, just as most of the light was going out of the sky.

As I looked back on Amherst Island I could see the shapes of silos, surrounded by the cranes they are using to build a new ferry dock facility.    A couple of dozen wind turbines are being constructed on Amherst over the next few years, and there is construction all over the island.  But that’s another story.

Amherst Island is only a 60 minute drive and a 20 minute boat cruise away from my house.   I sometimes wonder why I don’t go there more often.   It’s amazing.

The post Polar Vortex Car Safari to Amherst Island appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

It’s been a pretty sleepy winter around here for finding owls, and even my feeder birds have been few and far between.  So when news of visiting Great Gray Owls in my local area came to light in late February, I headed out with great excitement to try to find one of these rare and beautiful birds from the north.   Great Gray Owls make their home in the vast boreal forest, and have very little “street sense” as they are not used to people or traffic.  When they head south looking for food, they tend to set up in areas where there is good hunting, often at roadsides. This makes them pretty easy to find, and particularly vulnerable.

Here is an early morning shot of one of the owls, the first morning I saw one.   The feather patterns make for remarkable camouflage, and it would be easy to drive past.    But word spreads fast, and soon enough groups of people were gathering to watch the owls, as they were often sitting right out in the open.

Great Grays seem to be pretty aware of crows, despite their lack of knowledge about people.  Notice how this owl is all pulled in skinny in this photo because it was being harassed by crows from above.

This owl was keenly focused on movement in the ditch at the roadside.

These fields must have been rich in rodents, as I also found a Barred Owl there on the last afternoon I visited.

This owl was only a couple of steps away from the road.   I feel so privileged to have been able to see these beautiful owls and watch their fascinating behaviour, but I also began to question the human impact on these birds with so many people around.

On the third and last afternoon I visited I found out that one of the owls had been struck and killed by a car.   A man had it in the back of his car in a cooler and planned on getting it stuffed.   I heard later that a group of photographers were chasing one of the owls, trespassing on private property, and baiting the owl with live mice to get hunting and flight shots.

I haven’t been back.   If these owls are now associating humans or cars with food, they are even more vulnerable and my presence there will only further endanger them.

This situation has really caused me to ask myself a lot of ethical questions about observing and photographing birds.    The truth is, any time a human is in proximity to a wild bird, it will affect its behaviour.   But there are a couple of simple questions we need to ask ourselves as we head out birding or taking photos.

-Could my behaviour put this bird in harm’s way?  Getting closer, chasing the bird, causing it to fly, or feeding it near a roadway can all have devastating consequences, like it did here.

-What is my motivation for what I am doing right now?  Be honest with yourself and think about whether disturbing the bird is really worth it.

We all have moral and ethical “lines” that can change and evolve over time in many areas of our lives.    Why not pledge to do as little harm as possible?

I have learned that if you sit back, give the bird space, wait, and are patient,  you will be privileged to observe some fascinating natural behaviour from the bird.

That’s a win/win.

The post Great Gray Owls and Ethical Questions appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

As I arrived on the beach, stylishly outfitted with ice cleats and 2 pairs of pants, wrapped up from head to toe, I was immediately rewarded with spectacular sunrise light on the ice formations that are starting to form at the shore.

Two mute swans quietly fed in the shallow water.   Swans live just off the ice edge each winter, and I wonder how they can manage such a harsh existence and still look so calm and graceful.

At this point the ice volcanoes that Presqu’ile are famous for are just beginning to form.   It will take successive days of wind and waves to gradually build them up to the spectacular heights they have achieved in previous years.

Looking south from Owen Point, Gull Island lies across an area of rough ice, frozen absolutely solid and pretty easy to cross with the ice cleats.   Often this time of year one can see thick lake effect clouds hanging to the south as well even though it remains sunny in Brighton.

Here’s what some of the ice formations looked like on my crossing to Gull Island.

Same rock, different light.   There was steam coming off the water as it was still much warmer than the air.

Small flocks of waterfowl feed in the shallow waters around the island and fly away instantly when I approach.  Lots of waterfowl means good eating for Snowy Owls.   And of course you know that is why I was really walking out there in the first place.

As I rounded the bend on the island there was the unmistakeable form of a snowy owl, sitting up on a wooden frame of an old duck blind.   This is the first Snowy Owl I have seen this winter.   This year has not been a big year for snowies coming south from the arctic, but some usually do.  I just had to wait a little bit longer than usual this winter.

What a beauty!  This is a young one, based on all the dark barring.   This photo is cropped heavily, as I gave the owl lots of space as not to disturb it.   When I am photographing owls I usually sit down on the ground a distance away from them and stay as still as possible.   Then I get to watch them behave naturally.   This owl barely even looked my way, even when the log I was sitting on started to slip down the little hill I was sitting on, causing me to tumble towards the shore.

Eventually the owl preened its feet a bit, pooped, and then flew off to spend some time on the ice.   Once the lake freezes over more it will be increasingly hard to spot the owls.

Can you believe it, just sitting out on the ice like that?   Well that is where I left this beauty, and I was back in my car by 9:00 AM.   Great start to the morning.

Happy winter!

Thanks for visiting.

The post Good Morning Gull Island appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

All proceeds go to the animal rescue group in our area called “Fixed Fur Life.”    This group does wonderful work by saving unwanted and stray pets, spaying or neutering them, then finding them good homes.   Amazingly, they have spayed and neutered over 20,000 cats and dogs in the Quinte region.   This is a cause I am passionate about, and I hope to give Fixed Fur Life a huge donation this year.

Calendars are $15.00 each, or $20.00 if you would like them mailed to you.

For those of you in the local area, I will be holding a Photo Exhibition on Saturday, December 10 from 1:00-5:00 PM at the Studio Above the Grind, 45 Front Street, Trenton. Calendars and prints will be for sale there. Please let me know ahead of time what you would like, as calendars always sell out fast.

Contact me at [email protected] before December 10, and I will set calendars aside for you, or get them mailed out to you.

Here’s a preview of the 2 calendars I am offering for preorder.   Enjoy!

 Calendar 1: The Magic of Water and Ice

For this calendar I tried to look at nature in a different way, exploring the fascinating properties of water and ice.

Cold out? Blow a bubble and watch it freeze!

January

Ice Claws on Lake Ontario

February

Long Tailed Duck at Freeze Up

March

Refraction

April

Prince of Flowers

May

Sun Drops

June

Wild Things

July

Oil and Water

August

Lily Worlds

September

First Frost

October

Frozen Gems

November

Ice Forest

December

Calendar 2:    Ontario Wildlife

A year in the wild, Eastern Ontario.

Snowy Owl

January

Evening Grosbeak

February

American Robin

March

Gray Tree Frog

April

Baltimore Oriole

May

Bee on Coneflower

June

Piping Plover Chick

July

Ruby Throated Hummingbird

August

Giant Swallowtail

September

Philadelphia Vireo

October

Barred Owlet

November

Snowy Owl

December

Thanks for taking a look!   Please email me to order: [email protected]

The post Calendars to Benefit Fixed Fur Life Animal Rescue appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

It’s the dead of winter.   Pretty much all living creatures are hiding.   What to do?   Let’s make some ice bubbles!

The coldest winter days are perfect for making ice bubbles.

The crystals begin to form in a few seconds and then grow up the outside of the bubble, creating fascinating patterns.

Want to try this? Here’s what you need:

1.   A cold, calm winter day.   Specifically, below – 7 degrees C.   No wind.  Bubbles blow in the wind and you don’t want to be chasing them all over the place.

2.   Lots of layers of clothing!  Of course.

3.  Patience!  Most of the bubbles pop right when you blow them.   Also, you have to blow them, catch them, then place them on a snowy surface like your deck railing or a table.   This is only successful a small percentage of the time.

4.  Sunrise or sunset is a bonus.   The golden light makes the crystals glow.   I love it.

5.  A bubble blower ( I just bought a little kids bubble kit at the dollar store) and some homemade bubble mix:

10 parts water
2 parts Ivory Dish Soap
1 part corn syrup
1 part white sugar.

The next cold day, give this a try!  Nothing to lose (except a few fingers).

Have fun!

The post How to Make an Ice Bubble appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Wellers Bay Freeze Up

Canadian Kids

Tree Rubies

Presqu’ile Ice Volcanoes

Ice Sculpture- Lake Ontario

Long Tailed Duck Takes Off

Frozen Bubbles

Bubble Sculpture

Success

There’s lots to love about winter!

The post Fire and Ice appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.