Here is an amusing moment from the world of competitive sports that has finally made its way from the small screen to the internet.Back at the turn of the century before he became really famous, Steve Carell was a correspondent for Jon Stewart on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show. Little did we know that he…

We all have a bird that sparked our interest in the hobby we love. That one bird that made you realize that it was something special, exciting and wonderful. That one bird that got you hooked on birding. It may have been when you were younger or maybe later on in life, either way we…

Species Comparison: Common and Hoary Redpoll At the Hilda Road feeders in Shirleys Bay a handful of Common Redpolls were joined on occasion by one of two lighter colored redpolls. Notice on the Common Redpoll below that it is overall dark with heavy streaks on the flank. The bill is elongated and though we can…

We had the opportunity on this trip to study several species that were very similar and pose identification problems. Species Comparison: Common and Barrow’s Goldeneye There was a large open patch of water along an otherwise frozen Rideau River in Ottawa. From the adjacent river walk we watched these two male goldeneyes follow each other…

If you look carefully at the picture above of a female White-winged Crossbill you will notice that her bill is in the snow. She is busy picking up snow to eat. In the harsh winters of the northern hemisphere, most easily accessible water sources are frozen. Birds rely upon water to not only keep their…

I found it interesting watching the way the elongated tufts of feathers on some of the birds that we saw change shape. Crest plumes enhance the outline of a bird and are raised as a visual display to either attract the opposite sex or as a threat display. Bohemian Waxwings (above) spend most of the…

I have just returned from having led a DVOC field trip with 10 members to Eastern Ontario. It was my second such Canadian jaunt in as many months where the northern owls and winter passerines continue to put on a wonderful show. For a change we had 3 gorgeous days of bright sunshine which made…

You will notice a lack of photos in the blog today. I don’t always find it necessary to carry my camera when I go out, and often joke that we see the best things when I leave it behind. Yesterday my girlfriend, Lisa, and I went for a walk at the Mill Grove Audubon Sanctuary.…

On the days that I head into the office, better known as Kevin’s basement, I drive a sizable length of a major highway and without fail I see at least two or three Red-tailed Hawks. If it is a few hours after sunrise on a cold but sunny day there may be a dozen or…

Swallow-tailed Gulls are one of nearly 30 endemic bird species found in the Galapagos Islands. These gulls were not shy as I photographed them with an 18mm wide-angle lens! The same lens was used for the Land Iguana below. Today we are celebrating my Uncle Bob’s 90th birthday! Though he was born on the same…

This Chestnut-sided Warbler was photographed in western Panama. Most of our tour participants are from North America, so when we are in the tropics in winter, it is not unusual to hear someone exclaim, “that’s one of our birds.” On this recent trip to Belize, however, we had a couple from, “across the Pond.” England…