Tree Swallows, Tachycineta bicolor
One of the sign that summer is ending is when the swallow join in flocks, ready to migrate. Tree Swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, often find a bug rich area to stoke up for the journey and often remain there for a few weeks. Here in Ontario, sewage lagoons are a favored spot as is true for sandpipers and plovers. It is not unusual to see thousands along hydro lines, trees and fences.
Tree Swallows, Tachycineta bicolor
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Young Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena
For many years Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena, have nested in the midst of a busy marina at Bronte Harbor in Oakville, Ontario. They nest on old tires that have been anchored for their use. They are unconcerned with the many nearby people and boat traffic.
These images show the adult on the nest with a tiger striped chick, as well as an individual chick swimming. They were taken in late summer a few years ago.
 Young Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena |
 Young Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena |
 Young Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena |
 Young Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps grisegena |
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The Commons Chamber, Ottawa
Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa is the legislative body of the country and is made up of the Canadian Monarch, represented by the Governor General, the Commons and the Senate. You can take a free tour of the Parliament Buildings and visit the chambers they use which are located in the Center Block of the Parliament Buildings. It is sometimes called the Green Chamber as opposed to the Senate’s Red Chamber.
 The Commons Chamber, Ottawa |
 The Commons Chamber, Ottawa |
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Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida
Like the Grasshopper Sparrow of a past post, the Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida, is a species that prefers to breed in open areas, generally shrubby. It breed in the northern U.S. and Canada, east of the Rocky mountains and winters in Texas and Mexico.
 Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida |
 Clay-colored Sparrow, Spizella pallida |
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Nelson's Sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni
For a short time Nelson’s Sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni, was known as Nelson’s Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Before that it was considered a subspecies of the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow,Ammodramus caudacutus, which is now known as the Saltmarsh Sparrow. That seems clear enough 
.
Nelson's Sparrow, Ammodramus nelsoni
Anyway the Nelson’s Sparrow breeds in the saltmarsh of Maine and parts of Atlantic Canada and winters in the south coast of the eastern U.S. States. It usually appears annually here in Ontario but is difficult to find. If you want to see one in southern Ontario, look in Cootes Paradise in the Hamilton-Dundas area in the middle of September. It seems to favor that area in its travels south and the few times I have seen it have all been there.
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Rideau Falls, Ottawa
Rideau Falls can be found where the Rideau River joins the Ottawa River in Ottawa, Ontario. Get onto Sussex Drive heading east, as it parallels the Ottawa River. When you cross over a bridge spanning the Rideau River, look for a parking lot on your left. A short trail brings you to the falls. Although there is much man made items which mar the natural look, it presents a fine view above the Ottawa River in the background.
GPS Location: N:45.44083 W:77.69688
Warning: It can be dangerous to view and photograph waterfalls. The footing can be wet and slippery, and an accidental fall can result in serious injury or death. Note also that many sections of waterfalls are on private property. Please respect these rights.
Go to the Index to Ontario Waterfalls
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Ottawa Panorama
While visiting Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, we had a most amazing day of weather with very deep blue skies and streams of light cloud. I took a series of shots to make this panorama. It is 5 sets of 3 shots with each set given an HDR treatment to bring out the range of the original scene. The resulting 5 images were joined in Photoshop under the Photomerge process.
The resulting image has a natural print dimension of 77 inches by 13 inches (195 cm. X 33 cm.). It shows the Parliament buildings on the left, followed by the National Archives building, the Ottawa River, the Museum of Civilization with the Canadian flag in front and the Alexandra Bridge on the right side.
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Double-crested Cormorants,Phalacrocorax auritus
I have had getting some flight shots of Double-crested Cormorants,Phalacrocorax auritus on my To do list for a while. Since there is a large supply of targets in Hamilton harbor here in Ontario, Canada, it seems like it should be easy to accomplish. The problem is that a very dark bird against a light sky is easier to photograph under the right conditions and our recent weeks of bright cloud free sky are not ideal. This morning, an overcast day held more promise.
I had previously scouted a shoreline location not far from one of their favorite roosting trees, and this allowed for a lot of targets, and more importantly, they tended to fly by the spot at lower levels. I didn’t want to be shooting upwards toward them.
 Double-crested Cormorants,Phalacrocorax auritus |
 Double-crested Cormorants,Phalacrocorax auritus |
 Double-crested Cormorants,Phalacrocorax auritus |
 Double-crested Cormorants,Phalacrocorax auritus |
I set my camera exposure at +1-2/3 and made sure my shutter speed was at 1/1000 second or faster.
Even with that exposure, I needed to do some Photoshop work to bring out the details of the dark plumage, usually a bit of Curves Adjustment did the trick.
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The Rogers Center (Skydome)
Open in 1989 as the Skydome, it has been home to Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays as well as Canadian Football’s Toronto Argonauts. It was the first stadium with a full retractable motorized roof as well as including a 348 room hotel. After purchase by Rogers Communication, it was renamed the Rogers Center, an unfortunate change in my opinion.
Adjacent to the stadium is the CN Tower, the bird’s eye view below was taken from it.
View from the CN Tower
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Wild Turkey with chicks
At one time Wild Turkey, Meleagris gallopavo, were very uncommon in Ontario, as they had problems withstanding the cold winters. As our winters have gotten milder in the last few years, there numbers are increasing and I often see them now, including large flocks in the winter. This adult with five chicks is the first time I have seen young birds and they were not far from my residence. So even if the bright sun was not the best for photography, I had to stop the car for a few shots.
Wild Turkey with chicks
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