Hudsonian Godwit

 I didn't make it to Matthew's Lake very often this past summer but whenever I did this bird was the one I was most anxious to photograph. They're one of the largest of all the shorebirds that frequent the lake and they only occur in small numbers, usually  6 or 7 individuals. These shots were taken on August 7.

Flocks on Rocks

When shorebirds like these aren't able to feed they are often roosting somewhere waiting for the tide to recede. In this case they have chosen the rocky western shore of Matthew's Lake. Here are three images, one of Semipalmated Sandpipers and two of mostly Short-billed Dowitchers with a lone Willet. These were taken August 5.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

As in past years I had several hummingbirds coming to feeders this summer.  While I always hope to be able to photograph males because of their bright "ruby" throat I usually end up settling for females or in this case an immature male. Pictured here with my favourite flower - crocosmia

Juvenile Male Belted Kingfisher

I believe this bird was one of the offspring of the kingfisher with fish from an earlier post. The limb he is perched on seems particularly attractive to kingfishers since at high tide they are able to dive directly into the river below. The site is a kilometer or more from their nesting location so it's interesting that they often choose this particular spot.  I have taken photos in previous years at the same location.

Common Loon

I tried for some time in late June/early July to find Common Loons on several lakes in the area. I had hoped to find evidence of breeding pairs and although I did find loons on a few occasions there was never any indication that they were nesting in the any of the lakes I paddled on.

Tree Swallows - Fledglings

These young Tree Swallows had probably just vacated their nest box back in late June when I took these images. The parents were trying hard to keep them fed and there seemed to be one particular fledgling that was determined to be the first one to receive the food being offered.

Fish Time Again - Osprey

I've spent hours in the past waiting for an osprey to dive within camera range without any success. On this day in June it was mere minutes before it happened on a day when I had no intention of photographing them. Although the bird was a little far away when it hit the water it turned to fly towards my location and happily for me it was carrying one of the two fish it initially caught.

I believe the fish in question is a herring although I'm no expert on fish ID. 

Great Blue Heron - Kingfisher Tree

This juvenile Great Blue Heron was roosting in a tree where I often see kingfishers. I don't often get a chance to photograph them roosting since they generally see me before I see them. This was late June and as luck would have it I also photographed kingfishers here at a later date.

Spotted Sandpiper - Hatchlings, Juveniles and Adults

I thought there was likely a nest in the area but wasn't entirely sure until I found this hatchling. 

There was more than one in the area at the time of the first photo and on the following day I found another bird. They are probably only a couple of days out of the egg at this stage.

About a week and a half later they have grown considerably and lost much of their down.

The parents are never far away especially during the early weeks. They seem to like being at a high vantage point to look out for their young. It's unusual to see them above the ground most of the time. At another location and with young in the area I found one well up in a maple tree.

At about two and one half weeks they are almost fully fledged although not flying yet.

Big Fish - Belted Kingfisher

This male Belted Kingfisher was bringing food to its mate that was likely incubating eggs at the time. Although at least three of the young they were raising survived to be fully fledged and leave the nest, one bird was likely preyed upon by a fox. I was able to photograph a juvenile male from this brood at a later date.

I believe the fish in these photos is a Gaspereau or as they're called in these parts, a Kiack.

                                      

Brier Island Warblers

This year's May trip to Brier Island turned into a bit of a warbler bonanza in comparison to recent past trips. Although the total number of species was fairly high there were few rarities but the variety and numbers of warblers was exceptional. Here are a few of the highlights. May 20-22, 2018

Black and White Warbler - male

Common Yellowthroat - male

Black-throated Green Warbler - male

Blackburnian Warbler - male

Chestnut-sided Warbler - male

Wilson's Warbler - male

Canada Warbler -male

American Redstart - male

Northern Parula - female

Blackpoll Warbler - female

Magnolia Warbler - male

Just a Couple More Images - Yellow Warbler and Swamp Sparrow

These are the final two images from my old laptop, I'm trying to streamline my process to make posting easier. Time will tell if it helps me post things in a more timely fashion.

The Yellow Warbler was one of the first I saw in May of this year, he was singing his heart out in hopes of finding a mate. The Swamp Sparrow was photographed the same day, May 14.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

This bird was harassing the birds at my feeder one day. It was an unexpected encounter, I happened to be set up for shots of feeder birds and was able to capture this before it realized I was there.

Boreal Chickadee

Another shot from back in the Spring. Since it's not a bird I see often it's worth posting this picture as a reminder of my good fortune on that day.

Great Horned Owl - Adult and Owlet

I discovered an Owl nest back in the Spring that I kept an eye on for several weeks. The woods are pretty dense at that location so getting a shot of the adult on the nest was a bit of a challenge.

I'm not sure how many eggs the bird was incubating but it's been my experience that the birds in this area in past years have only raised a single chick. This year was no exception. Once the young bird left the nest I was only lucky enough to find it on a couple of occasions. The following shots are from the first encounter.

The adult birds were never far away.  Whenever I was in the area they were almost always aware of my presence before I was aware of theirs. It's not uncommon to hear them hooting back and forth, one bird having a lower pitched hoot than the other - one way to distinguish the sexes. I can't say which one is pictured here.