Hovering Kingfisher

 A series of photographs showing how well a Belted Kingfisher can hover in place. They do this when hunting for fish. Notice the trees in the background which show just how motionless the bird was (other than the wing beats of course).

National exposure

 

Well, after the interviews on CTV and Global, I was contacted by CBC for a digital article, a radio interview and a TV interview on The National.

The digital article is here.

The short radio interview (at the 25:40 mark) is here.

The TV interview (2 minute story) is here.

I am so glad that the issue of bird collisions is getting a lot of attention both here in Canada and in the United States.

Lots of Baby Birds!

After a disappointing spring in terms of warbler sightings (something I look forward to every year), it became a remarkable time for baby bird sightings!

In my neighborhood there are three main places where I go to photograph wildlife.  They are all in a row:  an English college; a cemetery; and a French college.

In a tall conifer on the front lawn of the first college, a pair of Merlins raised a family of four chicks; in a large maple tree in the cemetery, a pair of Red-shouldered Hawks raised three chicks; and on the beautiful façade of the second college's main building, five Raven chicks were raised.

These created wonderful opportunities to photograph and watch the development of these beautiful (and vocal!) young birds.

MERLINS

Mother on the nest with her chicks

Three of the chicks still sporting some of their downy feathers

Out of the nest for a short foray to another branch

A young Merlin trying out his wings

RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS

Mother

Father

Two of the young hawks

RAVENS

The mother is in the middle

The five chicks waiting for food

Enraptured by Raptors

 

Turkey Vulture

Bald Eagle

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-shouldered Hawk

Cooper's Hawks

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Merlin

Kestrel

All these birds were photographed within or passing over college campuses a few minutes walk from my home. I am amazed every day by the variety of birds in this small green space – one of very few that has so far escaped development.

 

 

Thrush

 

A thrush steps through the fallen leaves

With gracefulness and care,

Then stops to cast a dreamy glance

And shyly lingers there.

Her breast's adorned with misty spots

That fade from taupe to buff –

She flies up to an aspen's branch

To call her "chuff", "chuff", "chuff"...

November 2020

(from the book Longing For The Light by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Return of the Red-winged Blackbirds

 

With only remnants left of snow,

And cold and frost now letting go,

There comes my truest sign of spring

With scarlet epauletted wing.

His flash of red is nature's beacon

To say that winter's grip will weaken.

And when the air fills with his song

Of cheering notes so rich and strong,

I know that spring will not be long.

2019

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Nighthawk

And when the sky turns dusky gray

Before the night has fallen

I come to watch your flight display

I come when you are calling.

You call to me when day's at end

I long to see you in my sky.

My sleep will come – but only when

I've heard your nightly lullaby.

2018

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Feeding Chickadees

 

A whirr of wings –

a gentle touch

of delicate feet

on my outstretched hand.

I am filled with wonder

by the intimacy and privilege

these tiny, winged beings

bestow.

2018

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

The Veery's Song

 

The Veery's 

      enchanted

           spiral call

Like musical

       notes in a

            waterfall.

Downward

      and downward

           until it's all

Lost in the soft,

       green echoes.

December 2016

(from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

 

Wild Bird

Wild bird – you thrash and throw

yourself against my walls.

What led you here, off course

and lost and finding no escape?

There ... held fast between my palms,

I turn and walk towards the light.

With open hands and heart ...

I give you back the sky.

1995 (from the book Discoveries In The Dark by Doris Potter)

© Doris Potter

Another Nest!

 

The Cooper's Hawk couple has returned to the cemetery to start a new family!  This is the third year now that I have been privileged to witness their domestic activities.

Here are some photographs (with captions beneath each one).

Such a handsome bird!

The nest is well developed.

Here's the male flying with a twig for the nest.

You can see the nest at the top left and the female hawk at the bottom right.  Unlike the earlier nesting sites, I think that once the leaves come out, I may not get much of a view of the nestlings.

The famous hawk stare!

The Hawks Are Safe And Flying!

One of the parents enjoying a puddle bath

As you may recall, in April I reported that the Cooper’s Hawks were nesting again this year in the Saint-Laurent Cemetery. See post here.

Since then, however, a number of things happened that caused me to fear for the safety of the baby hawks.  In early June I noticed red ribbons on each of two trees flanking the “hawk tree”.  This meant that those trees were slated for felling. This became an urgent issue because the trees could be cut down at any time and there were nestlings at this point.  These adjacent trees were so close that their branches over-lapped with those of the hawk’s tree, and therefore the felling of them (with the big trucks, commotion and loud noises) could make the parents abandon the nest. 

I immediately wrote a letter to the cemetery administration explaining the location of the nest and my concerns.  I received no reply for several days so I sent a follow up letter with photos of the occupied nest and asked a good friend, Georges Dupras, to write as well.  Georges went one step further and copied the mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa.  With neither my letters nor Georges’ getting a reply from the cemetery, the mayor assigned the issue to a city planning advisor, Jacinthe Daprato, for action.

In the meantime, I discovered that there were five nestlings!  This information and more details were passed on to Ms Daprato and I was very pleased to learn on July 5th that the cemetery had been instructed by the city to leave all trees standing until mid-August in order to protect these birds.

Her reply to me (translated from the French) stated in part: “After discussions with the Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, and under the law on the conservation and development of wildlife, the nest must be protected until the young are able to fly and leave the nest.”

I am happy to report that all five young hawks are now adult size and flying well.  They still rely on their parents for food however, and come back to the nest for feeding.

I hope you will enjoy these photos (click to enlarge) and will be as pleased as I am for the happy ending to this saga thanks to all those involved.

A nestling on June 19th

A parent and young hawk on June 24th

One of the young hawks on June 27th

The youngsters are now "branching" 

(going onto branches and exercising their wings)

July 3rd

Three of the fledglings on July 14th

A portrait of a young hawk

July 14th

More stretching of wings!

July 14th

Sitting majestically!

July 16th

 

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet

 

This tiny bird was a great delight for me this spring.  I saw them everyday for at least three weeks and although they are very fast and flighty, I was able to capture them better than any other time in the past.

Here is some information from Cornell University: 

"A tiny bird seemingly overflowing with energy, the Ruby-crowned Kinglet forages almost frantically through lower branches of shrubs and trees. Its habit of constantly flicking its wings is a key identification clue. Smaller than a warbler or chickadee, this plain green-gray bird has a white eye-ring and a white bar on the wing. Alas, the male’s brilliant ruby crown patch usually stays hidden—your best chance to see it is to find an excited male singing in spring or summer."

Here are some of the photos I managed to get between the end of April and the end of May: