Avian keratin disorder

Yesterday I went to the Montreal Botanical Gardens and photographed various birds and only when I got home and checked out this photo on the computer did I notice the strange beak on this crow.

Since then I have done a fair bit of reading on "avian keratin disorder" which has been seen mainly in Alaska and British Columbia in alarming numbers of North-western Crows and Black-capped Chickadees.  Other species are being affected as well and sometimes both the upper and lower parts of the beak are deformed and this can interfere with the bird's ability to eat.

I found a website where I could report this bird and send the photo.  It is a U.S. site which is gathering information to see how widespread this is in North America. 

There are theories that contaminants are responsible for this disorder but there is still more research to do to reach conclusive findings.

Here is a link for more information:

http://www.care2.com/causes/study-suggests-cause-of-beak-deformities-in-alaskan-birds-is-environmental.html

Back to blogging

Well, it has been awhile...  Finally I think the amazing summer (er, spring) weather and the return of the geese has inspired me to post some photos.  About a week ago I went to Mount Royal on a very foggy morning.  Just as I reached the Mount Royal cemetery summit, the fog lifted, the sky turned blue and hundreds upon hundreds of geese appeared overhead.

At first they were Canadas and I was enthralled but then while I watched, the sky became full of undulating necklaces of white Snow Geese.  They made some of the most magnificent patterns.  Not just Vs but long fishbone-like designs in the sky. 

And sometimes the flocks were mixtures of Snows and Canadas (as shown in the last photo below).

Interestingly, the dark Canada Geese were picked up by my camera's auto-focus feature quite well but the white Snow Geese threw it off and I had to try to focus manually (always a disaster for me), but I thought I would post these photos anyway.

How I love to see and hear the geese in the spring!

Pesky photographer!

Two days ago I went up to Mount Royal to see what might be out and about and came across this young Raccoon as it was descending a tree.  Here is what transpired and I felt like I could read his thoughts.

Oh, oh!  What is she doing there?!

Maybe if I climb back up a bit and hide my face she will go away.

Hmm ... she's still there.  Ok, I'll hide more of my face.

Oh well, I might as well pose and get this over with ...

I took a few more shots and then he clambered back up the tree and into a cosy cavity where he waited for the intrusive human to leave.

The snail

It seems that a snail was mugged by a tortoise.

When he was being interviewed by the police and asked whether he thought he could identify his assailant,

he replied ...

"I'm afraid not. It all happened so fast!".

Winning entry

Well it has been quite awhile since my last blog posting and here I am now to blow my own horn!

I just won a photo contest put on by CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society).

I nearly missed the deadline and quickly submitted the photograph above at the last minute and it won in the "Forest Dwellers" category.

I am invited to a Soirée to receive my prizes (one of which is my photograph framed) this Thursday evening but it is in Calgary! They will mail it to me instead.

You can see the other entries here: http://www.thecamerastore.com/photocontest/entries/11802

You can see the winners here:
http://www.thecamerastore.com/photocontest/contest/cpaws-capture-wild-photo-contest-2011

I'm so glad my sweet foxes won and hope it will bring in some money for the organization.

Interesting insects and others

Finding that mammals and birds are not always available or cooperative, I have lowered my sights (so to speak) to peer into the insect world.  I must add that I have included spiders and their kin as well.  Here is a selection of some of the more interesting subjects.

Crane Fly

Plume Moth

Jumping Spider (cute little guy!)

Phantom Crane Fly

Green Darner Dragonfly

Giant Ichneumon Wasp laying eggs

Daddy Longlegs

I am still waiting for a good photo of a Praying Mantis and my all time favourite - a Luna Moth!

The Magic Of Lanterns - Montreal Botanical Gardens

I recently visited the Botanical Gardens and stayed at night to see the show entitled "The Magic Of Lanterns".  It was very beautiful and I hope these pictures do it justice.

An added bonus was the full moon which, positioned beside the Olympic Stadium tower, added to the magic.  I was trying to get the reflections of the tower, moon and lanterns in the still waters when a duck very noisily landed with a loud splash and sent the water rippling in all directions.  Talk about a grand entrance for an audience!