This morning I got up early and headed down to Presqu’ile Park for a hike out to Gull Island.

Right now, Gull Island looks like this.  Required footwear for the hike varies, but today it consisted of tall rubber boots with ice cleats strapped on to them.    A very fashionable ensemble.

Hiking out the the island I am never alone, as the lake is teeming with waterfowl such as these little Long Tailed Ducks.

And mallards….woah, look out behind you!!!!

Each year, a female Snowy makes Gull Island her home.   I don’t really know if it is always the same one.    But I do know that many Snowy Owls enjoy winter territories around the Great Lakes each year.    It’s the easy access to waterfowl that keeps them coming back.

Today I initially found the Queen sitting on a duck blind.   Isn’t it nice of the park staff to set these up for her?    She checked me out, then fell back to sleep.

Snowy Owls are wild, and do not tolerate people if we get too close.   I have learned to stay far back, stay still, and then the owl will just go about its business instead of flying away.    My long lens helps, as does heavily cropping photos when I get home.

I always take a plastic garbage bag in my backpack so I can sit down on it and wait, and watch, without soaking my pants.   Eventually the owl took off right over me to go hunt over the lake.

She flew back to the island and landed on the “Access Prohibited” sign, then gave me a little wink.   OK, I am anthropomorphizing here.   Again.

After swooping down over the island looking for rodents she landed back up on a post.  I love how her feathers were blowing in the wind, and how I can see the fuzz on her face when she turns sideways.  Once again, I waited to see what would happen.

Off she flew, right over me! What a beauty! New Year’s Eve is always kind of like Thanksgiving for me.   I look back on the year, and think about all the things I am thankful for.

I am so fortunate that I live in such a beautiful part of the world, where I can visit wild creatures like the Snowy Owl who fill me with such awe.   I can’t think of a better way to spend the last day of 2015.

Thank you for sharing my journey with me, and Happy New Year!

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The post Queen of the Island: My Favourite Snowy Owl appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

It’s always a good idea to get up early if you want to see wildlife.   That doesn’t mean I always do it.    But Monday, I took off for the Frink Centre.

Great Blue Heron greets me as I arrive at the boardwalk.

The HR Frink Centre is an outdoor education centre about 10 minutes north of Belleville, Ontario.   It boasts woodland trails, and an extensive boardwalk through a marsh absolutely brimming with life.

I have been to the Frink Centre countless times with classes of children, age 5-14.   It was always one of the highlights of the school year, and we were never disappointed. But going there early in the morning is a completely different experience.   Early in the morning, the Frink Centre reveals its secrets.

Marsh wren skulking around the cattails

All kinds of creatures are hiding in the cattails.

Who are you?

If you stop, and wait, life will eventually show itself.

The boardwalk

As my note read, my real target for the morning was Virginia Rails.   I had heard through Terry Sprague’s Quinte Area Bird Report that family groups of these elusive birds were frequently being spotted.   Baby Virginia Rails?   Oh my.

Gordie

As I walked down the boardwalk I noticed my friend Kenzo and his little dog Gordie were already there.   Kenzo goes to the Frink Centre a lot, with Gordie by his side.   He knows where all the creatures hang out.    So we waited together.

Painted turtle

We watched a turtle.

Looking good

Lots of frogs around too.

Woah there

Even this black water snake.

Baby Virginia Rail

Finally, from the edge of the marsh, we spotted some movement.   A little black juvenile Virginia Rail!   We remained very still as it made its way among the weeds, having its breakfast. They eat insects, insect larvae, fish, frogs, and small snakes.

Growing up

You can see it is starting to grow in some of the rusty coloured feathers of an adult.

Adult Virginia Rail

Speaking of whom, look who ran out onto the boardwalk!   I was so thrilled to see her, as my only glimpse of Virginia Rails in the past have been them peeking out of dense reeds.   They are notoriously secretive.

Pretty lady

Virginia Rails have many adaptations that help them be so secretive.   First of all, their feather patterns help them camouflage brilliantly.   When nesting, they build “dummy nests” to throw off potential predators.

Roll call

They are perfectly suited to live in their marsh habitat, with long toes, strong leg muscles, a laterally compressed body (they are skinny when viewed head-on) and extra-durable feathers on their foreheads to protect their heads when pushing through dense vegetation.

What a beauty

It was a really treat seeing Virginia Rails out in the open for the first time.  Although Virginia Rails are fairly common, they are rarely seen.   Worth getting up early for.

If you want a great morning walk, with guaranteed wildlife sightings, the Frink Centre boardwalk is a marvellous outing.  Here’s a link to their site, with directions:

Directions to HR Frink Centre  

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I’m pretty fluffy and cute, but look at my talons!

Yes, it’s that time of year again- time for the Barred Owlets to leave the nest and venture out on their own.

I see you.

When owlets come down from their nest, and climb up into the nearby trees they are called “branchers.”   They just crawl around the branches with their talons and beaks, flapping their wings.   They will learn to fly little by little, first by flapping and hopping from one branch to another one nearby, and then flying and gliding short distances on their own.

Tired

Mama owl seems pretty glad to be off her nest, and spends a lot of time sleeping high up in the treetops. Papa owl does a lot of the hunting so he is out and about.   He often brings his prey to the female, and she goes and feeds the babies. The female calls to the male with high rising call, telling him where she is so he can bring her food.   To hear this call, click this link to Barred Owl calls, then choose “female solicitation call.”   The Adult Barred Owls make a wide variety of sounds, which can be listened to on this page from Cornell Lab of Ornithology.    It gives me a thrill every time I hear them vocalizing near me in the woods.

What a perch

The little owlets crawl surprisingly high up into the tops of the trees!  I can only find them by listening for their sound, a high pitched hoarse little screech, then pinpointing where it is coming from.  To hear what their screech sounds like, follow the link and choose “fledgling begging calls.”

Hot up here

The owlets tend to find an exposed branch from where they can screech for food and watch for their parents.    It gets pretty hot up there, so I often see them panting.   When their parents come, it is often accompanied by a great deal of hooting and screeching from all members of the family.

Chipmunk dinner

Here’s Papa Owl, high above in the treetops, coming with dinner for one of the owlets.      Even at this small size, the owlets can swallow a chipmunk whole.

After eating, time for a nap!

I can’t believe how funny this little owlet is with its leg dangling off the branch.   Talk about relaxed!

And then there were three.

One night I was out in the woods and found a third owlet, still sitting on top of the nest tree.   It flapped its wings and teetered a bit on the edge of the tree, then went back down into the nest.  Eventually this little owl found its way down and climbed up into the forest canopy.

Mama and Owlet

One of the last times I saw the little owls, the mother owl was sitting on a branch nearby.   She then flew over to one of the owlets.    I thought she was bringing food, but she actually went over and started preening the little one’s feathers.   It leaned into her, and preened her too. Oh my goodness.   I can’t believe I got to see that!

I’ll preen you too, Mama

The owlets can often be found close together, with the mother nearby.    As time goes on, it becomes harder and harder for me to find them, as they learn to fly and can cover larger distances every day.

Getting Bigger

Here is a photo from one of the last times I saw the owlets.   By now they should be doing some hunting on their own, and have moved further away from the vicinity on their nest tree.

This is the second year in a row I have been fortunate enough to observe a family of Barred Owls growing up.    Sometimes, when I was out in the woods covered up from head to toe, doused in insect repellant, and not seeing or hearing a thing,  something amazing would happen and my patience would be rewarded.   That’s what it was like when I found the third owlet, and also when I got to see the mother and baby owl preening each other.    Both times, I had been just about ready to go home because I had been sitting still for so long.

It’s worth it

Back in the woods, it’s like I am in a secret world, and if I sit long enough that world will just carry on despite my being there.

It’s worth the wait, for sure.

The post Barred Owlets 1,2,3! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Seriously…

Having a Great Gray Owl around is like having a big secret that you want to tell everyone about but you can’t.   You see, Great Gray Owls are rare down here in Southern Ontario.   And they are exquisitely beautiful.  When they do show up the odd time from the north, they create quite a stir.   People drive from all over to see them.  This can be quite disruptive for the owl and for the neighbours.  So I kept it to myself, mostly.

Look at that Wingspan

The first time I saw the owl it just flew across the road above my car when I was driving home from work at dusk.   It’s wingspan was enormous!  Great Gray Owls are North America’s largest owl with a wingspan up to 60 inches (2 metres) , but they are mostly fluff, weighing only 2-3 pounds, about half the weight of a snowy owl.  I actually can’t believe they only weigh 2-3 pounds…they are huge!!!

Grey morning

They have soft, thick patterned grey and white feathers that allow them to blend right in with their surroundings.    In the photo above, the owl was sitting in a grove of trees on a grey, foggy morning last February.    I drove right past it without realizing it was there until the last second.

Hunting

Why do these beautiful owls leave their northern forest homes and come south?  Probably, food.  Last year we had a big three day ice storm here in Ontario, the ice then got covered in a thick layer of snow that stayed all winter.   Conditions were tough for many wild animals and birds.  Most likely this owl came south in search of better hunting grounds.    The fields on my road are full of rodents.

Dusk

Once I knew the owl was hanging around it was so exciting because each day had potential.    Every morning when I would drive to work, I would look for the owl.   In the evening when I walked my dog, I would look again.   Sure, most of the time it wasn’t there (or I missed it!)  but every once in a while I had a sighting.

Well, hello

I had some real treats, too.  One morning I was in my housecoat drinking coffee and I heard the crows going crazy outside in my driveway.   The crows hate owls and often mob them, so I knew I had to get out and see what was going on as fast as I could.   I threw on my winter coat and boots and went out the front door, just in time to see the Great Gray Owl swoop across my driveway, pursued by about 6 angry crows.   It landed on a nearby fencepost, so I sat myself down in a snowbank and hung out and watched it. It watched me a bit too!

Morning routine

But mostly it just preened its feathers and slept.  Great Gray Owls don’t view humans as a threat, and generally don’t fly away if they see you.   Most of my neighbours had stories about the owl sitting calmly watching them do some human activity, like unloading their pickup trucks or shovelling their driveways.

Roosting

Another treat came a couple of weeks later, when I went out into my back garden to fill the bird feeders, like I do every morning.   The owl was roosting in a pine tree at the back of my garden.   Unbelievable !  It stayed in my garden all day.

Look out squirrels!

Later in the afternoon it flew to a branch  on the fence at the side of my garden and did some squirrel watching !  I am glad I’m not a squirrel.

Evening walk

Walking my dog in the evening, there was always the chance that I would see the owl.   And I did- many times.

April sunset

Sunset was the best time.

Bye for now

This winter, the Great Gray Owl has not returned.   This most likely means it has been able to find food enough in its home territory to sustain it through the winter.   And that’s the way it should be.

The post Great Gray Owl Winter appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Curious little Barred Owl, Late October, 2014

I first came across this young Barred Owl at the end of October deep in the woods at Presqu’ile Park.

Young Barred Owl on its own, November 2014

Even after young Barred Owls leave their nest, their parents continue to feed them for many weeks.    The challenge comes late in the fall, when the young owls are left on their own to hunt, and to find a new territory for themselves.

Over the last few months I have seen the little owl a couple of times sitting on its own in a tree at the edge of the forest.   Though I often came across the adult owls in the park, I rarely saw the little one, so I always wondered how it was doing.

Today.  Hunting.   Look at that concentration!

Well, today I found out the young owl is doing just fine surviving its first winter.   I spotted it hunting in a field full of small trees and wet swampy ground, perfect for finding voles, its main prey.

Gotcha! Caught a vole for breakfast.

The young owl’s hunting skills are incredible.   It focussed intently on a spot in front of it on the ground, then silently flew down and grabbed a vole through the snow with its talons.   Sticks and weeds precluded photos, but I got to watch it!  I was down and sitting  on the ground to take these photos.  I guess it doesn’t matter that I went to my doctor’s appointment with wet jeans.

Taking off to another perch

After fiddling a bit with the vole, the owl flew to another perch, the vole hanging out of its mouth.

Down the hatch!

It then proceeded to swallow it whole.   That’s how owls eat their prey- whole.   My friend has seen them eat snakes whole.   That would be quite the sight!

Well fed indeed.

There is no doubt that my little friend is doing very well its first winter on its own.   What a great day it was today!

The post Baby Barred Owl’s First Winter appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Today was the best.   It started when I found this Barred Owl hunting at the side of a field.

It moved through the wet field, swooping from tree to tree. The fields are full of voles, the owl’s favourite snack.

Owls are surprisingly difficult to see in this type of setting.   In the photo above I did not know the owl was in front of me until I was eye to eye with it.  I moved back, as it kept a close eye on me but did not fly away.

It blends right into the tree it is sitting on because of its feather patterns. I never get over this.  What an amazing adaptation.  Maybe that is why it is so much fun to find owls.  It is challenging for sure.

I left this owl alone to continue its hunting.   When I got back to the car I realized my feet and pants were soaked and muddy and covered with burrs.  Typical.

Next I decided to walk in the woods and see if I could find any owls there.   I couldn’t believe it – about 10 minutes into the walk I found another owl.   Or should I say, it found me.  Look how cute it is peeking down through the branches at me.

Judging by how this owl was poking its head out, curiously watching me and climbing around in the trees, I am pretty sure it was a young one.   I could see that it has been eating well by the blood on its beak, so that’s a good thing.

It actually flew out to a more open location to have a good stare at me.  Well hello there!

As hard as it was, I left this curious little owl alone, resting all fluffed up in a tree.   It will need all its energy come night time.

I headed home, got cleaned up, and then received a very pleasant surprise.  A birding friend called me to say he had located an Eastern Screech Owl and asked if I would like to come see it.   Well YES!

Apparently the blue jays had alerted him to its presence.

Tucked away deep in a bush was this funny little Screech Owl.   Look at that face.  They always look kind of irritated, I think.   But adorable all the same.  Eastern Screech Owls are by no means rare, but the thing is, they are really good at hiding.  And as far as I know,  they are strictly nocturnal.   You would never see one out hunting in the afternoon like the Barred Owls.  Therefore, we hardly ever see them.

If you are lucky, you might hear a Screech Owl calling at night.   Here is its ghostly call:

Screech Owl Call

This was the very first Screech Owl I have seen in the wild.   A magnificent day, for sure.

The post Look Who’s in the Woods Today! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Well hello there…

Move Over

Humph!

Oh my…

Let me introduce you to one of our more photogenic baby birds in the area – Great Blue Herons.

We are lucky to have a nesting colony of Great Blue Herons (more specifically, a “heronry”) north of us on the Trent River system.   There are about 15 nests up in trees on a very small island.  The herons like to build there so they can avoid land based predators like racoons.  The nests are mainly made of sticks, and are reused and added to each year.   The male does most of the gathering of nesting material,  and can also be seen presenting the female with sticks during a fancy courtship display. The female does the most of the nest building,

Apartment Style Living: 3  Nests in a Great Blue Heron Colony

Heronry

These photos were all taken from our canoe.

Pair of Great Blue Herons Embrace in Nest

Ah love!  In late April and early May the Herons return to our area, pair up, and begin to build their stick nests.  They exhibit amazing pair-bonding displays such as this happy couple, who intertwined their necks in various ways upon returning to their nest. A pair of herons will remain fairly faithful to each other during the breeding season, but will pair up with someone else the following year.

Nesting Pair in Great Blue Heron Colony

Herons lay between 2 – 6 eggs, and incubate them for about a month.

Great Blue Heron watches over baby

In our area, the chicks appear in mid to late May. They grow extremely quickly.  Because the eggs are laid a few days apart, the older chick in the nest tends to be much larger, and begs for food quite aggressively.

Waiting to be fedFeeding Time

Herons eat pretty much anything they can strike with their long sharp bill.  They will stand motionless and then snap their S-shaped neck out quickly to spear fish, amphibians, rodents, insects, and other birds.

3 mouths to feed

Both parents will feed the chicks at the nest by regurgitating down into their throats.  Mmmmm.

Juvenile Great Blue Heron

By the time the juveniles are about 2 months old, they are ready to take their first flight, but will follow their parents around for another few weeks, and return to the nest site to be fed.   They are looking more like their stately and graceful parents, and a bit less like something out of a Dr.Seuss book.

We have been watching this heronry for 3 years now.  It is one of my absolute favourite spring activities to take the canoe out and see what’s happening there.   The herons fly in and out with their huge wingspans and slow wingbeats, hunting and feeding their babies, greeting their mates, and performing bonding behaviours I can’t even begin to understand.

Here’s a link to the Cornell University “All About Birds” website.   I use it all the time to help identify birds, and learn about them.

Cornell University All About Birds

The post Life in a Great Blue Heron Colony: Check out these Babies! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

My first blog post is about something I have been fascinated with since I was a little kid: camouflage!  Animals have two reasons to try to avoid detection- either they want to avoid being eaten, or they want to sneak up on something and eat it. Or both!  They have developed feather and skin patterns, body shapes, and behaviours that allow them to hide so effectively, we most often pass them by.  That’s why it’s so fun to find them!

American bittern 

Heads up!   This American Bittern is hiding in the spring marsh at Presqu’ile Provincial Park.   He puts his head straight up when he senses danger (me).   Notice how the stripes on his neck match the vertical pattern of grasses and cattails where he’s hiding.   How did I know he was there?   Bitterns make an incredibly loud pumping sound in the spring to announce territory.

Ambush bug waiting for prey

Ah, the Ambush bug.   A couple of years ago I didn’t even know these creatures existed.   Looking like a mini-Triceratops, these tiny insects wait motionlessly on flowers for unsuspecting insects to land.  They are only the length of a grain of rice, but are incredibly strong.   I have seen them capture bumblebees. If you want to find one, look closely on wildflowers in July and August.    They especially like daisies and yarrow.

Snowy Owl resting on Lake Ontario Ice Volcanoes

These two photos are of snowy owls on the ice and snow out on Lake Ontario.   I walked right past this first owl without seeing it.    All tucked in sleeping, it looks just like a mirror image of the ice chunk next to it.

Little white bump in the distance, Presqui’le Provincial Park snowy owl

Grey Tree Frogs can change colours

I have heard grey tree frogs singing their mating calls lots of times,  but rarely see them, due to their nocturnal habits, changing skin colour, and the fact that they live high up in trees.   One day I was walking the dog and came home to find my husband on the roof in his housecoat.  Thinking I lived in the loony bin, I asked him what he was doing!   Turns out, he saw a grackle fly over our house with a tree frog in its mouth, then drop the frog on our roof.   It was a rescue mission.    Once he handed the frog down to me, I put it down on a log to get a couple of photos before it hopped away into the grass.

Barred Owl in fork of tree

I wonder how many times I have walked right past an owl without seeing it?   Look at how this barred owl’s feather patterns resemble the tree bark, and how the shape of its body just blends in with the crook of the tree.

Mama Owl on Nest

Look very closely and you can see a mother barred owl peeking out of her nest in a tree snag.   Her tail looks like a piece of shelf fungus.  The curve of her head and her eye look just like the bark of the tree.   I put this photo last, because it is the most exciting discovery of a hidden creature I have ever made.    Not only did I find the mom and her nest, I got to see two owlets being raised.   Incredible!

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