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.

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.

Good Morning Presqu’ile!   Oh how I love you!

There are so many reasons to love Presqu’ile Park, no matter when you visit.You can show up early on a hazy fall morning, and observe as Presqu’ile’s beaches and offshore islands start to come alive with sound and activity.

Migrating shorebirds start to wake up, and begin their daily search for food.

If you sit or lie down very still, the shorebirds will walk right past you as they are feeding.   It is endlessly entertaining to watch them.

A fall drive around the park may reveal a Ruffed Grouse, foraging at the side of the road for breakfast.  Look at those gorgeous feather patterns!

As seasons change and the weather turns colder, the park becomes very quiet.    I think winter is when Presqu’ile really shows its magic.

Little by little the lake freezes over.   Depending on the wind and the waves, the lakeshore looks different every time I visit in the winter, and each time is spectacular.Presqu’ile is famous for its ice volcanoes.   When the wind is just right, water from the waves will spray up through these holes in the ice.  I like them best at sunset, when they are lit up like some alien landscape.   Snowy owls love to use the offshore islands to hunt. Even in the dead of winter there is so much beauty to be found at Presqu’ile.Spring comes to Presqu’ile, and with it, the busiest time of year.A walk along the boardwalk in Jobes Woods reveals little sprouts of green, and some unexpected company.Look who’s watching you now!Early spring also brings the arrival of waterfowl, who are great show-offs for their potential mates.   What characters. As the ice moves out of Presqu’ile Bay, huge “rafts” of waterfowl can be seen feeding along the ice edge.Spring also brings bugs- lots of them!   But isn’t that perfect timing? The migratory birds are on their way back north.

Lots and lots and lots of them!.   How exciting to be at the park when the trees and bushes are just full of colourful birds singing and eating and flying about.  I am very grateful to have met some very experienced and knowledgeable birders at the park, who can help me learn about all these birds, their names, and their habits.     The diversity of species at Presqu’ile is amazing!

One day I got stuck out in a thunderstorm down by the lighthouse so went into the duck viewing shelter to get out of the rain.   In the tree next to me were so many different kinds of little birds I could barely keep track of them.   Above is a little Yellow Warbler shaking off the rain.Oh, and “fallouts!”   A fallout is when weather or wind conditions cause many thousands of birds to come to the same area all at once.   I will never forget being at Owen Point early on a May morning this year, and experiencing a fallout of shorebirds.   They were everywhere the eye could see, in flocks in the hundreds, soaring around, and feeding on the beaches.

I think I took over 1000 photographs that day!    It was so great because the Ontario Field Ornithologists Young Birders were at Owen Point that morning too, and this enthusiastic group of young people got to experience this spectacle as well. I don’t think any of us will ever forget it.

Did I mention you could see a fox at Presqu’ile?   And if that’s not enough for you…How about watching a fox walk down the road and then having a deer cross right in front of it, say “Good Morning” and carry on.   Is this the Bambi movie? I don’t know.    Presqu’ile is so cool.On the first hot hazy days of the year, the momma snapping turtles will come out of the mud and start to lay their eggs at the side of the roads.     A couple of years I have been down there on just the right day and seen 4 or 5 of these beauties all in the same trip.  I love their long sharp claws!Of course, Presqu’ile is for recreation too!   Walter loves to swim and run on the rocky beach.    The sandy beach is for the shorebirds, and of course all the campers and day trippers that flock to Presqu’ile in the summer.No matter when I visit, Presqu’ile always has something beautiful to offer.    I’m never disappointed.

Presqu’ile Provincial Park is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, just south of Brighton.   Check it out!

The post Why I Love Presqu’ile! appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

You made it!

Located on Lake Ontario, just southeast of Kingston, this little island is a haven for wildlife.

The Frontenac Two. Don’t know where Frontenac One is.

Every trip to Amherst Island begins and ends with a ferry ride.   It’s only 20 minutes, but there’s always lots to see.

Ferry channel in early March

This time of year, the ferry has to break through big chunks of ice to make the crossing.

Ducks making way for the ferry

Waterfowl live in the channels of open water.  Sometimes you can see a Snowy Owl sitting out on the ice too.   They will dine on the waterfowl if that is on their menu for the evening.

Wooly

The island is completely rural, full of sheep farms and horses.  It is also a paradise for raptors, due to its high vole population. Many birds of prey overwinter here because the hunting is good.  A drive around Amherst Island on a winter day is sure to be interesting. You never know what you are going to see.

Public School Snowy Owl

Snowy Owls pretty much own the island.   The one above likes to perch over the playground at the public school.

Sentinel

This one likes the main intersection.

Fire hall Snowy

The most reliable Snowy Owl is this young one, who likes its vantage point from an old twisted tree behind the fire hall.

What a sight

It’s not hard to find these beauties.  They stand out in stark contrast to the sky.

Relaxing

This snowy looks pretty content.   That’s because it had just finished a skirmish for territory with another owl, and found a nice place to perch.

Hunting

This owl was off to go hunting.

Bald Eagle

A drive around the island can also yield many other spectacular raptors, like this young Bald Eagle.

Short-Eared Owl at dusk

I saw my second Short-Eared Owl ever, just before sunset one night.    I had to decide whether to photograph it, or get on the next ferry back to the mainland.   Well, I managed to do both, but it was tight!

Rough Legged hawk

There are numerous Rough-Legged Hawks on the island as well.  They are remarkably large birds of prey. So far, I have only photographed them from a great distance, but some day I will get lucky. They are gorgeous birds. Red-Tailed Hawks are also numerous on the island, but I do not have a single photo of one.  Someday.

White Tailed Deer

Amherst Island is also a great place to see White Tailed Deer.  We saw this lovely little one just at sunset. Note the grass showing in this photo.   Amazing! Haven’t seen that in a while.

???

Check out this bird.    It was hard to figure out what in the world it was, and what the people were doing out on the ice  on Lake Ontario, south of the island.    After intensive spying with binoculars and zoom lenses, we finally figured out it was a little helicopter, and the people were out ice fishing!   Pretty posh.

Goodbye for now

As the sun goes down, it’s time to catch the ferry and head back to the mainland.  Looking back on Amherst Island from the back of the ferry, it’s so amazing to think that this tiny, flat little island out on Lake Ontario can be such a haven for wildlife.  That’s what keeps me going back!

The post Welcome to Amherst Island appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

But you know we always see you first!

A few days ago I went owling with a friend who had never done it before.   The weather forecast said a high of -6C for the day, but it was way colder than that in the morning.   More like -16 C.  This is what the lake looked like that morning.

brrrr

We were dressed properly (read: 3 pairs of pants, etc) and had a bit of a hike to warm up, so it was fine.   I must say it was so cold that every time I put my camera up to my face to take a photo, the viewfinder in the camera fogged up- even if I held my breath.   It was really challenging to tell if anything was in focus or even there.

We searched row after row of trees in the forest, one person on one side, one on the other, trying to be as quiet as we could despite the snow crunching underneath our feet.  We were looking for some little shape or lump or colour that didn’t look like part of a tree.   As we trudged along I was thinking it might be getting boring, or cold, or whatever, for my friend, when all of a sudden I heard her whisper- “Leslie- look!” and then saw the hand signal, meaning “it’s tiny!”

Carry on, people…

Oh boy!   A Northern Saw Whet Owl.  What a find!   Cold?   What cold?

One of the cutest creatures on the planet!   Just tucked away roosting in a pine tree, about 7 feet up.  You can see a couple of little branches sticking up through the feathers on the owl’s stomach.   Sometimes Saw Whet Owls will save part of a mouse on a little stick like that, to eat another day.

Saw Whet Owls hunt at night and roost in the day.   Their defence mechanism if found is to stay still, and count on their camouflage to keep them safe.  You do not want to flush a tiny Saw Whet Owl, as they are a favourite meal of many larger raptors in the forest.   They need to hide to survive.

Awwww

We only stayed for a couple of minutes, got a few shots on our fogged up cameras, and moved on to let the little owl go back to sleep.

Goodnight

Not believing our good luck, we headed into the deeper woods to have a look around.

What a surprise

Deep in the forest, sitting out on the end of a branch was this amazing Long Eared Owl, looking right back at us.  I was so startled when I saw it.  What a face.   Like a cat?   Angry?  Surprised?  It was almost surreal to see one for the first time.  These owls stretch themselves out tall and thin to try to hide.  They are the most interesting looking creatures.    Long Eared Owls are strictly nocturnal, and very secretive.   What a treat it was to actually see one!

A great day owling, for sure!

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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.

Project Snowstorm.

It’s not a plan to make our winters more challenging. It’s a fascinating research project that monitors the year-round movements of Snowy Owls.

Snowy Owl in flight, Prince Edward County, Ontario

Project Snowstorm was started last winter, in response to the historic southward irruption of Snowy Owls.  More Snowy Owls moved south from the arctic than had been seen in 40 years.

Immature snowy owl at Presqu’ile. Note the dark colouring.

Because Snowy Owls live and breed in the arctic, they remain mysterious to humans in many ways.   Some years, like the winter of 2013-2014, large numbers of Snowy Owls move south for the winter months.

Snowy Owl near Wellington, Ontario hunting in a cornfield

Project Snowstorm tries to answer some of the questions we have about these beautiful  and mysterious visitors, such as “Why do they come south?”  “Where did they come from?”  “How far do they travel, how fast, how high, and what paths do they take?”

“Freedom,” a female Snowy Owl with her GPS transmitter. Photo courtesy of Project Snowstorm, Mike Lanzone

Last winter 20 snowy owls were fitted with little GPS transmitters with solar batteries, that  transmitted the owl’s locations to researchers using the cellular network.

“Century” being released back into the wild. Photo credit: Raymond Macdonald, Project Snowstorm

Many of the owls were caught and removed from airports. They were then  banded, fitted with transmitters, and released back into the wild in safer locations.    Once the data began to pour in, fascinating stories emerged about the secret lives and movements of these owls in remote locations.

Millcreek’s movements through Oct. 11. Although his southbound data aren’t expected until Friday, we know he was still in the Ungava Oct. 29 — and is in southeastern Ontario now. (©Project SNOWstorm and Google Earth)

This is an example of the map created by the movements of Millcreek, a Snowy Owl originally captured at the Erie, Pennsylvania airport.   It shows how he spent much of the summer and early fall in the Ungava Peninsula, then started his journey south in late October.

Millcreek’s movements through December 1

This map shows Millcreek’s movements through December 1.   I love how it shows how he followed the north shore of Lake Ontario, right past us.   There was a day in late November where up to 12 Snowy Owls were reported at Presqu’ile Park.  Perhaps Millcreek was one of them.  Yes, this year is another great year for Snowy Owls- many of them have moved south for the winter!   Though the irruption is not as big as last year, it is still quite significant- so keep your eyes open for these beautiful arctic visitors!

Snowy Owl on a hay bale, Wolfe Island, Ontario

I would highly recommend you read more about Project Snowstorm. Many more maps and stories about the owls are there.  Here are a couple of places to read current updates:

Project Snowstorm Blog

Project Snowstorm Facebook Page

Embrace winter!

The post Project Snowstorm appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Hey – It’s lunch time!

Bird feeding does not have to be complicated.  If you were going to choose just one type of seed to put out, a good choice is black oil sunflower seed.   This seed is attractive to a wide variety of birds such as the American Goldfinches (above), as well as Cardinals, Blue Jays, Sparrows, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Woodpeckers, and many more.

My feet are cold!

Black-Capped Chickadees are probably the most common and reliable visitors at my backyard feeders.   They are so curious and active- and always the first ones to find a new feeder or pile of seeds I have put out.  The photo above was taken on day 3 of the ice storm we had last December.   I remember crunching out into the back garden to fill the feeders, and the little chickadees all flocking around me and calling out, so hungry for food that was not coated in a thick layer of ice.

Common Redpoll

Birds like Common Redpolls only come this far south some winters, but when they do they appreciate having a consistent source of food.   They are such a beautiful raspberry red colour.   I love it when they decide to visit.   That’s the great thing about bird feeding- you never know who might arrive.

Fat and Happy Baby Woodpecker

Woodpeckers like sunflower seeds too, but their favourites are suet and peanuts.    Once you start feeding the birds, it is fun to try different foods to see who you can attract.

Pine Siskins are here this year!

My favourite place to find feeders, seed, and advice is The Bird House Nature Store  in Wooler.   Connie can answer all kinds of questions, give you advice,  and get you started on a lifetime of setting the table for wildlife in your backyard. Then all you have to do is wait, and see who shows up!

Very Handsome Fellow

You never know what you will see when you look out the window.   Last winter we had a thick layer of snow and ice for an extended period of time, and a beautiful male Ring-Necked Pheasant fed on the ground under our feeders for a few weeks.  Later in the spring, he found a mate and they raised a family.   If our feeders had anything to do with his winter survival, I am glad of that.

Oooh my I’m full!

Of course, it’s not just birds that your feeder will attract!   Chipmunks and squirrels love to come stock up at my feeders too.

Ready for Action – Red Squirrel

Some people try to wage battle with the squirrels and chipmunks, buying rodent- proof bird feeders, baffles, and using all kinds of other deterrence techniques.    I have always just put out more than one feeder (OK, I have 12) and let everyone share.   Buying feeders with metal feeding ports will save your feeders from being chewed and ruined by critters looking to make bigger holes.  You can also just get feeders like platform or silo feeders that the squirrels can eat from easily without wrecking.

Roosting Great Gray Owl

I’m really not sure, but having all the squirrels and chipmunks around may have  had something to do with the fact that a Great Gray Owl roosted in our garden more than once last winter.    What I do know is that the activity around our feeders attracts all kinds of action of one kind or another throughout the year.

If you invite wildlife onto your property, it will come, and you will have the chance to observe your own surprises out the window, even in the middle of winter.

The post Winter Bird Feeding (and who might show up!) appeared first on Leslie Abram Photography.

Welcome to Gull Island.

Gull Island in November

This windy, treeless little island in Lake Ontario sits just off the south shore of Presqu’ile Provincial Park, in Brighton, Ontario.  It is a haven for wildlife.   Discovering who is there during  different seasons of the year is what makes Gull Island fascinating.

Gull Island, March 2014

In March, thousands of gulls and terns return to Gull Island to breed and nest.   Gull Island is closed to human visitors from March through September to protect these massive  colonies of breeding birds.  Last March there was still a significant snow cover on the island, and the lake was still frozen,  but the gulls returned and noisily staked out their territories nonetheless.

Caspian Terns in Love

Caspian Terns, the largest terns in the world,  nest on Gull Island.   Gazing out towards Gull Island, I found the tern’s courtship activities so fascinating I didn’t realize two of them were dive bombing me from above until it was too late.   I bid a hasty retreat!  When I looked up information about these terns when I got home I learned that they have gouged people’s faces by diving at them. Oops…

Hudsonian Godwit

Sanderling

In spring and fall, shorebirds feed on the algae beds around Gull Island.  They are often so intent on eating that close up views are easily possible. This fall, I saw my first Hudsonian Godwit, as well as some beautiful Sanderlings, and many more.  The rare and elusive Purple Sandpiper shows up on Gull Island in the late fall most years.   No photo here, as I have yet to see one.   For more on shorebirds, see my previous post: Spectacular Shorebirds 

My One and Only Ever Short Eared Owl

In early November, Short-Eared Owls may stop by to feed on the voles that live on the island.  This is the only sighting of a Short-Eared Owl I have ever made.   It was in November, three years ago, on my first crossing to Gull Island.   I thought wearing rubber boots would be sufficient to wade out there, but was dead wrong, as the wind and the waves filled my boots up with water within seconds.   Not to worry, I just dumped out my boots, saw this beautiful owl, then went to the tea room at the annual “Christmas at Presqu’ile” craft show and devoured warm rum cake and coffee.

Unidentified Wading Bird

Getting to Gull Island is part of the fun!   In the early autumn you can just roll up your pants and wade across.   Bringing a change of shoes is always a good idea.

January

In the winter when the lake freezes, the crossing to Gull Island looks more like Antarctica.  Wading?  Unwise.

Ice Volcanoes

Ice “volcanoes” form on Lake Ontario, caused by wave action and heaving ice.   On windy days, the water sprays right up through these volcanoes and into the air.  I have seen foxes and coyotes running around near these ice volcanoes as I cross over to the island.  So far they have given me a wide berth.

New Year’s Day, 2014

Spectacular scenery, but wear your ice cleats!

Queen of the Island

So now let me introduce you to the real stars of Gull Island, as far as I am concerned, the Snowy Owls!

Off to Go Hunting

These beautiful hunters consistently show up each year to spend the winter around the offshore islands at Presqu’ile.   There are voles to hunt, as well as abundant waterfowl.

Long Tailed Ducks Ride the Waves

Long-Tailed Ducks are common in the open waters near Gull Island.   I have seen Snowy Owls dive down to the water to try to catch them.

Snowy Owl with Prey

Last winter I saw Snowy Owls with Common Mergansers they had captured on 3 separate occasions.

Really?

Sometimes, when I am standing warm and dry on the mainland, I look out at Gull Island and ponder “Should I, or shouldn’t I?”   The answer is always  “YES-GO!”

Gull Island is full of surprises.  It would be terrible to miss out!

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