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Birds, Photography, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography, Wildlife Photography

Birds in Flight – Wildlife Photography Tips #17

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In the realm of really great bird photographs – the National Geographic cover shots and international contest winners – the subjects are almost always shown in flight. And it makes sense: action shots are more engaging than static images, and the action of flight is the one thing that most expresses what it is to be a bird. So not surprisingly, within the world of wildlife photographers, Birds in Flight – or “BIF” – is a particular specialty with its own unique skill set.

Birds in Flight - Short-billed Dowitcher
Short-billed Dowitcher. 500mm,  f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, ISO 800.

Capturing great images of a birds in flight requires patience, skill, and judgement. I don’t claim to be anywhere close to having mastered this particular aspect of photography, but I have learned a few things along the way. Consider this a beginners’ guide to BIF.

Birds in Flight – What makes a Great Image?

Technical qualities. Needless to say, as with any great image, a BIF photo should show crisp focus, proper exposure, and enough depth of field so that the whole bird is in focus

Activity. An image of a bird in its element is good enough, but it will be more engaging if the bird is doing something recognizable – carrying prey or nesting material, taking off or coming in for a landing, feeding, engaging with other birds, etc.

Composition. As a general rule the bird should be:

  • Flying towards the photographer or seen from a side view. The rear end view of a bird flying away is rarely interesting.
  • Looking towards the viewer. For the best results the focus point should be on the nearest eye.
  • Captured with its wings and legs held in an attractive manner.

And be sure you leave some space in front of a flying bird. The image will look a bit claustrophobic if the bird does not have room to fly.

Background. A bird against a featureless white or blue sky is not as engaging as it would be with a more visually interesting background – glimpses of its habitat, for example a Northern Harrier over grassland or a Red-shouldered Hawk flying amongst the trees, or failing that at least some interesting clouds.

Books, social media posts, and blogs on photography tend to slavishly favour the convention that the background should be out of focus lest it detract attention from the subject. This is actually a stylistic choice not a rule, and you should feel free to ignore it in favour of your own personal vision.

Birds in Flight - Blue-footed Booby
Blue-footed Booby. 300mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 sec, ISO 400
Birds in Flight - Feral Pigeons
Feral Pigeons at Dough Fluhrer Park. 200mm, f/7.1, 1/1600 sec, ISO 160.

Approach

The really great photographs of birds in flight that you have seen in exhibitions and magazines are almost certainly products of a deliberate approach to photography. What I mean by that is that the photographer set out that day aiming to get a particular image. They planned the shoot, considering the light conditions they were looking for, the best background, and where the birds could most advantageously be seen.  Thus preparation put them in the best position to get what they were looking for.

That approach does not fit in well with the normal activities of birding, which usually comprise walking around and seeing the birds as they make themselves available. However there can be good opportunities on a bird walk, particularly in open country, if you adjust your camera up in advance with the settings you would need for a BIF opportunity. Almost all of the images in this article were captured while out birding.

And sometimes you can just get lucky. I am quite pleased with the Red-rumped Bush Tyrant image which came about because on a really bright day I had dialed in a fast shutter speed just to avoid overexposure.

Birds in Flight - Red-rumped Bush Tyrant
:Red-rumped Bush Tyrant. 500mm,  f/5.6, 1/1000 sec, ISO 900.
Birds in Flight - Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk. 500mm, f/7.1, 1/1600 sec, ISO 400.

Settings

The most important setting you will need to adopt for shooting birds in flight is a much faster shutter speed than you normally use. Even birds like swans or herons that appear to be slow and ponderous are actually moving quite quickly. For example, as a Mute Swan flies by, its slow cruise speed of 30kph equates to almost nine metres per second –  for a bird that is about a 1.5 metres long. Combined with the imperfect movement of your lens as you try to track the bird, at a normal shutter speed the resulting shot will be tend to be blurry, or at least not as sharp as you would want. So if you want to freeze the action and get a crisp shot you need a high shutter speed.

How high? There are two answers:

  • It depends on the bird – what it is doing, how close it is, whether it is heading towards you or across your field of vision. Experience will be your best guide in judging how fast the shutter needs to be.
  • But if in doubt, faster is always better.

Shutter Speed Guidelines for Birds in Flight

I reviewed a lot of my own BIF images when researching this article and one thing I noticed is that most of the ones I like were taken at a shutter speed of 1/1600 or higher.

For large, slow-flying or soaring birds (Canada Goose, Red-tailed Hawk) you might get away with a lower speed, particularly if the bird is in a slower phase of movement. The White-faced Ibis below is gliding in for a landing. In this case 1/800 was fast enough to catch the bird and even the water droplets falling off of it but it’s the exception rather than the rule. 1/1600 is better as a baseline – it will improve the number of “keepers” in a shooting session.

Birds in Flight - White-faced Ibis
White-faced Ibis at Erieau ON. 500mm, f/6.3, 1/800 sec, ISO 250.
Birds in Flight - American White Pelican
American White Pelican. 500mm, f/5.6, 1/2000 sec, ISO 1000.

Note that the closer you are to the bird the faster it will cross through your field of vision, so an even higher speed may be needed.

For smaller and/or faster-moving birds the need for speed increases. Each situation is different but as a starting point I would suggest the following minimum speeds:

  • Gulls and other medium-sized birds – 1/2000
  • Swallows, martins and small passerines (e.g. flycatchers, chickadees etc) – start at 1/3200 and be prepared to go up from there, especially if the bird is flying towards you.
  • Hummingbirds – these are a special case. When they are hovering, the best images often show a fair amount of blur of the wings while the body remains stationary (and thus in sharp focus). The blur gives the impression of how fast their wingbeat really is – up to 80 beats per second.
Birds in Flight - Bank Swallow
Bank Swallow. 500mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 sec, ISO 500.
Birds in Flight - Sapphire-spangled Emerald
Sapphire-spangled Emerald. 500mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec, ISO 4000.

Technique

Even the fastest shutter speed won’t guarantee a good image. You also need to be able to track the bird closely enough that your autofocus can achieve a lock. Modern cameras have fairly advanced abilities to achieve and maintain focus lock on a moving target, but you can help things out by developing and practicing good habits.

  • Tracking. When you are photographing a series of birds flying across your field of vision, the natural tendency is to aim at a bird as it approaches and then try to twist your body to track it along its line of flight. More experienced BIF photographers decide where they want the bird to be when they take the shot, considering background and proximity, and set there feet so that when the bird hits that point it is straight in front of them. This gives them the greatest control at the critical moment. They then wind their torso left or right to the point where the bird will first appear. It’s a simple trick but it works. The image at the top of the page was shot using this method. A series of Short-billed Dowitchers were flying across a lagoon so it was possible to predict their movement and be set up for the side-on flight shot.

  • Burst Mode. Even the best autofocus system will struggle to keep a moving target constantly in sharp focus. There will always be moments when the focus wanders a bit before the system corrects itself. You can help ensure you come away with some sharp images by firing bursts rather than single frames. To do this, set your shutter release mode to Continuous Low or Continuous High and hold the shutter release down when the bird enters your target zone.

A side benefit of firing bursts is that it also gives you a better chance of acquiring an image where the bird is doing what you want it to do – looking towards you, holding its wings in a graceful manner, etc. Note the series of unprocessed images of an Andean Gull below. This short burst took less than one second but you can see the variety of shapes and wing positions during that span. Longer bursts increase the chances of getting the shot you really want.

Andean Gulls
  • Environment. You can also use the wind to your advantage. All else being equal a bird flying into a headwind will be moving more slowly relative to the ground observer and thus easier to track.

Light

The use of fast shutter speeds significantly reduces the amount of light that reaches the camera’s sensor. In practice this means that BIF photography in low-light conditions will necessitate high ISO values with the attendant problem of excessive noise. The best results tend to come when there is full daylight but without the harsh glare of the midday sun. Days that are brightly-lit but overcast can provide excellent conditions as overly-bright highlights will be less of a problem, but in this case you will want to have something in the background other than a pale grey sky.

And if you are shooting upwards on a bright day, for example at a soaring raptor, remember that exposure compensation is your friend. Increasing your exposure by a stop or two will avoid the dreaded underwing shadow and help you bring out the colour and detail of the bird’s undersides.

Equipment

In most situations all you need to start experimenting with birds in flight photography is the camera you already have (DSLR or mirrorless) and a telephoto lens. For close range work, for example chickadees at Lemoine Point, a shorter telephoto in the 200mm range will work, otherwise you should look for a lens of at least 300mm. My article on the September Blue Bill identified some good choices at various price levels.

The only caveat is that if you start to shoot in long bursts you may need to upgrade to a faster memory card.

If you become really enthusiastic about BIF then you may eventually want to look at a tripod with a gimbal mount. I may eventually head in this direction, but at the moment I almost exclusively hand-hold my cameras so I am not in a position to recommend specific options. 

Practice

Like any other photography skill your ability to photograph birds in flight will improve with practice. Fortunately you don’t have to go far afield to work on your skills – nature has provided us with an ample supply of gulls, feral pigeons and Mallards that are abundant, easily found, and not too afraid of people. They are great subjects to work with as you start out on your BIF journey. Good shooting!

…and if you find all of this too easy, and you really want to drive yourself mad, there’s always IIF – insects in flight. 😊

Birds in Flight - Forster's Tern
Forster’s Tern. 500mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 400.
Birds in Flight - Grey-headed Albatross
Grey-headed Albatross. 500mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 200.
Birds, Travel, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography

South Atlantic Odyssey

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South Atlantic Odyssey

An Expedition Cruise to Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and (almost) Antarctica

After years of planning, three latter-day explorers – Andrew Harrison, Geoffrey McMullan, and your humble author – banded together for the adventure of a lifetime: A cruise through the southern Atlantic from Tierra del Fuego to the Falklands, South Georgia, Antarctica and back. The trip contained moments of transcendent beauty and some truly grim events, but it was never boring. And yes, there were a few birds along the way!

I will spare you a blow-by-blow account of a trip that, with travel time, lasted most of a month. But here are a few highlights.

Ushuaia and Tierra del Fuego

South Atlantic Odyssey - Magellanic Woodpecker
Magellanic Woodpecker

The company assembled in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. We were travelling with British touring company Birdquest so there was no quiet settling-in period. On the first morning we had a rather strenuous hike up Garibaldi Pass, but successfully achieved the aim of nabbing the highly-desirable White-bellied Seedsnipe. In the following days we roamed through beautiful parks, shoreline, and the municipal dump, along the way getting cracking close-up views of Tierra del Fuego’s star bird – the Magellanic Woodpecker – along with most of the other endemic and local species. The final pre-boarding day saw us hop aboard a small boat for a cruise of the outer islands. A three-hour cruise.

South Atlantic Odyssey - Thorn-tailed Rayadito
Thorn-tailed Rayadito
South Atlantic Odyssey - Upland Goose
Upland Goose
Yellow-bridled Finch
South Atlantic Odyssey - White-bellied Seedsnipe
White-bellied Seedsnipe

We also caught our first glimpse of our home for the next two weeks – the MV Plancius. Formerly a research vessel for the Royal Netherlands Navy, Plancius had been converted to expedition duties. It was amusing and mildly alarming to see this small 105-pax vessel, hidden as it was amongst much larger cruise ships, but we had been assured that its diminutive size allowed it to get into smaller anchorages than the big boys. This proved to be true, though there were other implications of its size that would become clear in time.

South Atlantic Odyssey - Ushuaia
Plancius is the dark blue one to the right of the big boys.

Falklands Part 1

Finally we set sail through the Beagle Channel headed for the Falkland Islands. For me this was terra incognita. My compañeros had both visited the place at the behest of her Majesty, but I got the distinct impression that work had significantly interfered with these birding holidays.

South Atlantic Odyssey - passengers on a Zodiac ride
Zodiacs were used to transport us to the landings. Inger Vandyke and Andrew Harrison compare notes.

After a pleasant day on the back deck getting acquainted with seabirds we made landfall, visiting Grave Cove and West Point Island in West Falkland. Gentoo and Southern Rockhopper Penguins were on their nests, as were masses of Black-browed Albatrosses, and a handful of Magellanic Penguins emerged from their burrows to inspect us.

South Atlantic Odyssey - Gentoo Penguin with chick
Gentoo Penguin
Black-browed Albatross
South Atlantic Odyssey - Striated Caracara
Striated Caracara, a.k.a. Johnny Rook
Magellanic Penguin

It was an excellent day, though the increasingly stiff wind should have been a clue that all might not be well. And sure enough, as we transited the islands headed for Port Stanley those winds increased to seven on the Beaufort Scale and it emerged that we would be unable to dock at Stanley as the port was closed. Somewhat disappointed, we pushed on through high seas and strong winds on our way to South Georgia.

Sailing, sailing, over the bounding main

Three full days of seawatching ensued. Along the way we crossed over the Antarctic Convergence and the air temperature dropped significantly, but the hardcore birders still kept watch from the deck while more timid passengers huddled in the lounge.

Northern Royal Albatross

As we sailed through the Roaring Forties and on into the Furious Fifties another aspect of the Plancius’s size manifested itself. She definitely was bounced around by the wind and seas, and displayed a strong tendency to roll. With our bunks oriented at 90 degrees to the ship’s axis this introduced the novel experience of falling asleep whilst continuously sliding from one end of the bed to the other! But one adapts.

Birders at the office.

South Georgia

Prince Olav Harbour whaling station.

Finally we arrived, but the wind that had plagued us was not prepared to relent. Gusts of 40-50 knots  meant that our first planned landing in Prince Olav Harbour was converted into a zodiac cruise. We were next due to visit the King Penguin colony on Salisbury Plain. Conditions remained unfavourable so we did some scenic cruising along the coast, but finally the wind relented and we were deposited on a long sand beach with no one to keep us company but a couple of hundred seals and around 200,000 King Penguins.

South Atlantic Odyssey - Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain

We had been warned not to approach within 5 metres of the penguins, but the penguins evidently did not get that memo. They were extremely interested in these novel creatures that had entered their domain, and despite evident disappointment on discovering that we were not edible, they continued to observe us closely.

Let’s go meet the new neighbours!

This became the pattern for the next few days: sail around a bit, boat into shore, commune with penguins and seals, and move on again. King, Gentoo, Chinstrap, and Macaroni Penguins each had their turn in the starring role, with a strong supporting cast of skuas, petrels, shags, terns and the perky South Georgia Pipit.

Elephant Seals! The little black 50kg items are the babies.
Gold Harbour.
Me and my new friend. Photo by Inger Vandyke.
Macaroni Penguins

We did make the obligatory stop at Grytviken to view the rusting remains of a massive whale-processing facility that was the final resting place of 175,000 whales and countless seals. And needless to say a fine dram was hoisted at the grave of the master mariner Sir Ernest Shackleton.

M/V Plancius and friend, Grytviken Harbour.
A small section of the abandoned whale oil processing facility.

South towards Antarctica…

Too soon our time among the spectacular wildlife of South Georgia came to an end and in high spirits we turned south for the three-day run down to the South Orkney Islands and the Weddell Sea.

South Atlantic Odyssey - into the gale

We were now crossing into the Screaming Sixties, and learning that the seas there truly earned their name. In the teeth of a proper gale – Force 9 and 30-metre swells – the mighty Plancius crawled southwards at a true speed of about seven knots. Sadly, seawatching was curtailed as the decks were made off limits to passengers.

On the first night outbound tragedy struck. A fellow passenger had a fall and badly injured his head. Suddenly plans had to change. Antarctica was no longer on the programme as we turned around and headed back to the nearest medical facilities at Port Stanley – three long days away. The ship’s doctor and medical professionals amongst the passengers did their best for the casualty, but after about 24 hours he succumbed to his injuries. We later learned that he was one of three passengers killed on Antarctic cruises that season.

Falklands Part 2

Being obliged to continue on to Stanley so the Coroner could conduct an investigation, we were able to see the birds of the East Falklands that we had missed on the first go-around. After a morale-building round of fish and chips at the Victory Bar. A thorough search was conducted.

South Atlantic Odyssey - Southern Rockhopper Penguin
Southern Rockhopper Penguin, KIdney Cove.
White-tufted Grebes, East Falkland.
Blackish Oystercatcher, New Island.
South Atlantic Odyssey - Magellanic Penguins
Magellanic Penguins, Saunders Island.

We were also able to fit in a few more birdy islands in West Falkland on the way home, inter alia bagging the endemic Cobb’s Wren.

Cobb’s Wren, Carcass Island.

And just to show that the weather gods have a sense of humour, we had calm seas and warm winds all the way back to Ushuaia.

South Atlantic Odyssey - the AOS crew.
Anthony, Andrew, and Geoffrey.

Ezeiza

The story would not be complete without a shout-out to this leafy suburb of Buenos Aires close by the airport. Or more properly to the birds therein. I found a handful of new life birds while overnighting on the way down and back, including the remarkably odd Guira Cuckoo.

Guira Cuckoo
Picazuro Pigeon
Chalk-browed Mockingbird

Epilogue

This was, quite possibly, the trip of a lifetime. The wildlife spectacle of South Georgia is equalled only by the great migration on the Serengeti plains. Add in the remoteness, the arduous conditions, and the limited number of people willing and able to make the trip and it becomes something truly special. Are we sad to have missed standing on the Antarctic continent? Definitely. Are we likely to take another month of our lives and another big pile of cash to do a regain? Flat no to that. Would we recommend it to others? Yes, strongly. But with a quiet talk about the actual risks and the physical requirements to navigate one’s way around a rolling ship a long way from help.

South Atlantic Odyssey - Southern Giant Petrel and Antarctic Prion
Southern Giant Petrel and Antarctic Prion.

More photos from the trip can be found on my Flickr page.

Birds, Wildlife Photography

1000 Birds

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I remember well the first time I saw 100 bird species in a day. Obviously it was a good day in its own rights, but there was something very satisfying about that nice round milestone number. As there was when I saw my 500th bird species, my thousandth, and so on. So when 2022 started to look like the year of the great pushback after endless lockdowns, I began to wonder whether it might be possible to hit another milestone: to see 1000 birds in a year.

In global birding terms this is not exactly a stretch goal: people have seen as many as 6833 species in a year, but they were younger, and either richer, intending to get richer by self-promotion, heavily sponsored, or all of the above.[i]

But for an ordinary bloke of ordinary means, and with 65 years on the odometer, 1000 seemed like a tough but not totally implausible goal.

And if it could be done, 2022 looked like the year to do it. The combination of trips long-planned and trips cancelled and rescheduled multiple times due to the pesky virus might just put the number 1000 in play.

Rufous-crested Coquette, Waqanki Lodge, Peru, 20 July. - 1000 Birds
Can I be one of the immortal 1000? Rufous-crested Coquette, Waqanki Lodge, Peru, 20 July.

1000 birds – the theory

So I checked my records and some trip reports.

  • A decent year in Ontario, allowing for time spent out of the country but no rarity-chasing, should be about 230.
  • Santa Marta Ecuador and La Guajira in Colombia should be good for 250 or so, though with a certain amount of overlap (boreal migrants seen in their wintering grounds and then seen again in Ontario).
  • Ecuador was bound to be good, but how many of those species would be overlaps with Colombia?
  • Birdquest was regularly reporting 600+ species in northern Peru. But with trip reports by bird tour companies, you always have to ask whether that was 600 seen/heard by the guide or a realistic 600? And again, how many of those would be overlaps with Ecuador?
  • The South Atlantic would be epic but there were only about 60-80 species to be had. (Albeit great ones such as my first penguins outside of a zoo).

But when I added up the conservative estimates it looked like 1000 was do-able. If all went well…

1000 birds – the execution

Which of course it didn’t. Omicron put paid to the January expedition to Colombia, and severely restricted my efforts to get the desired winter birds in Ontario. So no Lapland Longspurs, no Northern Saw-whet Owls, and no Northern Shrikes were seen, though fortunately we were able to get to Algonquin Park in February and notch all the finch specialties as well as the wily and elusive Black-backed Woodpecker.

White-winged Crossbill absconds with a prize. Algonquin Provincial Park, 18 Feb 22. - 1000 Birds
White-winged Crossbill absconds with a prize. Algonquin Provincial Park, 18 Feb 22.

Ecuador

In March I was off to terra incognita, in the form of Southwest Ecuador. Ecuador is, of course, on my to-do list, but the timing of this particular voyage allowed me to avoid losing a deposit from a cancelled trip. We certainly saw some spectacular bird species including the star of the show, the Jocotoco Antpitta, but the sub-optimal aspect from a 1000-in-a-year perspective is that the Tumbes dry forest ecosystem which is the big attraction of Southwest Ecuador would also feature largely in the Northern Peru trip (about which more later).

Jocotoco Antpitta. Reserva Tapichalaca, Zamora-Chinchipe Province, Ecuador, 8 March 2. - 1000 Bords
Jocotoco Antpitta. Reserva Tapichalaca, Zamora-Chinchipe Province, Ecuador, 8 March 22.

Travel was possible in March but it was still in the era of heavy Covid protocols, so I had to stay two extra days in Quito to ensure I had a negative PCR test. On the plus side this allowed me to book two day trips. At the Antisana volcano on the first day I managed to see the final one of my three essential South American birds: the iconic and incomparable Andean Condor. It’s just the largest bird of prey in the world, the largest flying bird in the world by combined measurement of weight (15kg) and wingspan (3.3metres), able to soar for hours without a single flap of its mighty wings (five hours and over 100 miles without a wing flap in one recent study), roosts and breed at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 m, … I could go on, but you get the picture. One was pleased.

Andean Condor. Reserva Antisana, Ecuador, 12 March 22. - 1000 Birds
Andean Condor. Reserva Antisana, Ecuador, 12 March 22.
Reserva Antisana, with Gabriel Bucheli. Masks were still required on the public footpaths.

Back to Ontario

A week in Pelee in May helped to tick off most of the usual suspects for Ontario, and even added a couple of life birds (Worm-eating Warbler and White-faced Ibis). The fact that the week turned into a week and a half due to a painfully expensive car repair shall go unmentioned.

Acadian Flycatcher, Point Pelee National Park, 11 May 22.
White-faced Ibis, Erieau Ontario, 4 May 22.

The rest of May and most of June were devoted to working on the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, so June added a whopping total of four birds to my year list.

Peru

And then it was July and Northern Peru. My plan had been to work my way down to Peru at some future date, but here again I needed to use up a deposit and by that time we knew enough about the Covid pest to guess that July and August were the months least likely to be feature an outbreak.

Birding in the high Andes.

Peru was a bit of a slog. An extended trip coupled with the fact that it takes a long time to get there and back meant that I was away from 9 July to 2 August. And there was a lot of marching up and down the hill involved. But it was eminently worth the pain – epic birds in epic numbers in epic scenery. I will save the details for a future post.

Cinnamon Screech Owl, Abra Patricia, 17 July 22. - 1000 Birds
Cinnamon Screech Owl, Abra Patricia, 17 July 22.
Gilded Barbet, ACR Cordillera Escalera, San Martín Province, Peru, 25 Jul 22.

August was essentially a non-birding month as I tried to wade through 3000 images from Peru. The only additions to the list were a Loggerhead Shrike on the Napanee Alvar (on the fourth attempt!), plus Grasshopper Sparrow and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo with the North Leeds Birders on Amherst Island.

Moosonee

September brought along another trip cancelled and rescheduled multiple time: Moosonee and Moose Factory with the Ontario Field Ornithologists. This trip was more about riding the Polar Bear Express and seeing the far north of Ontario than it was about year listing, but to my surprise I did get some very nice additions including LeConte’s Sparrow and Red-necked Phalarope, nabbed a Canvasback to make up for the ones I missed in March by being out of the country, and had a close encounter with my nemesis bird, the Fox Sparrow.

Rusty Blackbird in its element. Moosonee Sewage Lagoons, 13 September 22.
The Polar Bear Express.

Then list went quiet for October. The time at home with Lynn balance needed some reinvestment and I had committed to spending two weeks working for the man. I also needed time to plan for and obsess about the biggest trip of all: Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica.

The South Atlantic Odyssey

This scheme had been cooked up with old muckers Geoffrey McMullan and Andrew Harrison of the Army Ornithological Society. The extended timeline between booking a place and going on the trip neatly bookended the Covid interlude, and it came to pass that we went, we saw penguins, we returned. It was an amazing wildlife experience which I will eventually write up as a blog post, and it also effectively ended the year of the 1000 bird goal. The only addition before ENDEX was a Tundra Swan seen with Rick Lott and Grant Kaduck on the Kingston Christmas Bird Count.

Magellanic Woodpecker. Tierra del Fuego National Park, 21 Nov 22.
Magellanic Penguins on the march. Falkland Islands, 8 December 22. - 1000 Birds
Magellanic Penguins on the march. Falkland Islands, 8 December 22.

So, you might observe, Kaduck has been avoiding the elephant in the room. Did I actually get to 1000 bird species in 2022?

1000 birds? – the results please

Well yes. 1121 to be precise, and that’s on the restrictive ebird/Clements taxonomy. So yay for me. 😊

The circumstances of 2022 were unique, so the likelihood of hitting 1000 again seems small. But I’m chalking it up as once of those things, like running a marathon or jumping out of an airplane, that I have experienced and don’t need to aim for again. Granted, a major lottery win might change that perspective, but since I don’t buy lottery tickets the contingency, as Jeeves would say, is remote.

White-tailed Shrike Tyrant, 29 July 22. - 1000 Birds
Bird #1000 – White-tailed Shrike Tyrant, 29 July 22. There seems to be a rule that milestone birds don’t cooperate with the photographer.

2022 by the Numbers:

  • Year bird #1: American Goldfinch, Home, 1 January
  • Year Bird #1000: White-tailed Shrike-Tyrant, Cruz Conga, Cajamaraca Province, Peru, 29 July
  • Year bird #1121: Tundra Swan, Wolfe Island, 18 December

    Numbers by country/region:

    • Ontario – 241. A surprisingly good number given that I spent about three months out of the country
    • Ecuador (Field Guides)  – 411. Did I mention Andean Condor was one of them?
    • Peru (Birdquest) – 633. No, they did not exaggerate.
    • Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica (Birdquest and Oceanwide Expeditions):
    • Argentina – 77 . Including Tierra del Fuego (Birdquest) and the hotel grounds in Buenos Aires
    • Falkland Islands – 60.
    • South Georgia –  32. Including my new favourite bird – King Penguin
    • High Seas – 10
    • Antarctica – 0. It’s a long and sad story for another time.

      The more mathematically inclined among you will have sussed out that those numbers add up to 1464, not 1121. That’s the impact of overlap between different locations. FYI the longest overlap was White-rumped Sandpiper – Snake Island, Frontenac County and Gypsy Cove, Falkland Islands.

      King Penguin rookery, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, 28 November 22. - 1000 Birds
      King Penguin rookery, Salisbury Plain, South Georgia, 28 November 22.

      Credit where credit is due

      I didn’t do this all on my own. Much credit goes to my main birding accomplices, particularly Richard Lott, Geoffrey McMullan, Andrew Harrison, John Licharson, Janis Grant, Barb O’Neill,  Erwin Batalla, Christine Hough, James Thompson, Peter Blancher, and other members of the Kingston Field Naturalists and the North Leeds Birders.

      OFO Trip Leaders also get a shout out: David Milsom (Peterborough) , and Martin Parker (Moosonee)

      I relied heavily on the eyes, ears and outstanding local knowledge of some great guides and bird gurus, including  Willy Perez and Gabriel Bucheli (Ecuador), Leo Garrigues and Carlos Altamarino (Peru), and Pete Morris (Argentina and the South Atlantic).

      And finally, thanks to the birds. Just for being there and doing what they do.

      [i] The current record holder is Arjan Dwarshuis at 6833. If you google this the first half a dozen results will be for Noah Stryker, who ended up at 6042. This either means that Google prioritizes US results, or it favours results closer to your IP address’s location. The next time I am in the Netherlands I will test this.

      Birds, Wildlife, Wildlife Photography

      Ecuador – Tumbes Endemics and other Southwest Specialties

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      I’m way behind on posting reports from my birding trips, and with more trips to come I’m going to have to take a more compressed approach. So instead of long and detailed stories, these will be mostly pictures with a little bit of context. Let’s start with Southwest Ecuador in March 2022.

      Ecuador - Tumbes endemics
      Scarlet-backed Woodpecker

      Ecuador is one of the bird-rich countries – number five in total species, behind only Colombia, Peru, Brazil, and Indonesia. But a quick glance at a map will tell you that the countries ahead of it are much larger, meaning the density of birds is high. So Ecuador is a must-visit destination on the world bird circuit.

      Broadly speaking Ecuador has three main birding regions: the Northwest, running from Quito up to the Colombian border, the eastern slope of the Andes leading down to the Amazon basin, and the southwest corner bordering Peru. The latter option was the one I visited in March, though I did do a few days of bonus birding in the Quito area at the end of the trip.

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      Birds, Photography

      Algonquin Provincial Park – The hunt for winter finches

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      This site has been lying fallow for a few months while I have been out chasing birds. I’m going to attempt to catch up, starting with a KFN field trip to Algonquin. Algonquin Provincial Park does not quite make it into my Top Ten Birding Sites, but if there were a category for winter birding sites it would be at or near the top.

      And why would one head into the frozen North in the depths of winter? To see birds, of course – it’s the primary reason for ever leaving the house. But the special winter birds don’t often show up in balmy Kingston so an annual expedition is mounted to catch up with these critters in their lairs.

      Large finches

      Starting with one of the true stunners of the bird world – the Evening Grosbeak. These large, intensely yellow finches would look right at home in the cloud forests of South America. They are a standard fixture in Algonquin Park in winter, best seen from the deck of the Visitor Centre where they congregate to feast at the well-stocked feeders.

      Algonquin Park - Pine Grosbeak
      Male Evening Grosbeak in the snow.
      Female Evening Grosbeak has her eye on a seed.

      Purple Finches are another Algonquin Park regular. These are on the larger and bulkier side of the finch family, and are regularly seen in ones and twos on migration. Algonquin Park attracts large flocks in the winter, also best seen at the Visitor Centre.

      Algonquin Park - Purple Finch
      Male Purple Finch

      Crossbills are another winter target species. There are two species to be seen in Canada and they are not always easy to find. Their bills with the overlapping tips are adapted to opening the cones of evergreen trees to extract the seeds. This specialized diet means that they roam over very wide distances in search of good cone crops. Rather than having a standard breeding period like most birds, they breed when they find a good supply of cones. So crossbills are never guaranteed, but Algonquin is a good place to try and find them. As it happened we found a few small flocks of White-winged Crossbills but alas no Red Crossbills were forthcoming.

      Algonquin Park - White-winged Crossbill
      Male White-winged Crossbill decides to abscond with the whole cone.
      His mate looks bemused.

      Not very finchy finches

      A hoped-for check in the box for a winter trip is the Pine Grosbeak. This is technically a finch species, though it lacks the pointy triangular bill of most finches. But it’s quite a smart-looking bird all the same. These birds can’t be counted upon in any given winter as Algonquin is at the south end of their range. We had consulted the Winter Finch Forecast and conditions looked good, but it was still great to catch sight of these chunky birds doing their thing.

      Male Pine Grosbeak
      And his special friend.

      Smaller finches

      Next in line on the sightings list are Pine Siskins. These tiny, agile finches are quite nomadic, but Algonquin Park is as close to a guaranteed site as you can find. This image shows them basking in the pale sunlight between bouts of seed-eating. As usual they were present in a large chattering flock – up to 40 at a time according to my eBird checklist.

      Pine Siskins.

      Redpolls are always on the winter birds must-see list, and this trip did not disappoint. Like the Pine Siskin these are small finches mostly seen in packs, but they adopt a somewhat more lively colour palette.

      Common Redpoll puffed up to conserve heat.

      Non-finches

      It’s not all about finches. Two other winter specialty species were in our sights. The first would be easy. Canada Jays are regular breeding birds in Algonquin Park, and though they don’t frequent the Visitor Centre feeders, there are several accessible locations where they tend to hang out. And being jays, they are naturally inquisitive and will come in to investigate any invasive bipeds in their territories.

      Algonquin Park - Canada Jay
      Canada Jay. Note radio tracking antenna.

      One bird that we always hope to see in Algonquin and rarely do is the elusive Black-backed Woodpecker. These birds are thinly-spread, quiet and reclusive in habits, and so black that light seems to bend around them and make them near-invisible in the deep forests where they abide.

      But once in a while…

      Algonquin Park - Black-backed Woodpecker
      Female Black-backed Woodpecker, spotted by the eagle-eyed Christine H.

      …and the usual Algonquin suspects

      No winter visit would be complete without the ubiquitous Black-capped Chickadee and the Blue Jay – a bird so common we sometimes don’t notice how stunning it is.

      Black-capped Chickadee
      Blue Jay

      Equipment notes

      This was the first trip where I relied exclusively on my Nikon D850 and the new AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens. This outstanding combination is now the default set-up for birding trips. The only problem is that I now have no excuses – going forward any flaw in an image will either be down to poor camera handling or operator error. 😊

      Birds, Photography, Wildlife Photography

      Autofocus Modes – Wildlife Photography Tips #10

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      AUTOFOCUS MODES - WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS #10

      All cameras manufactured in the last 30 years, with the exception of a few highly-specialized models, are capable of automatic focusing or “autofocus”.[1] Many camera models now include a range of options that can be used to optimize the autofocus effect for specific situations. This article will describe autofocus servo modes and area modes, and recommend the best choices for wildlife photographers.

      Note: Different camera manufacturers use different terms to describe what are essentially the same capabilities. Because I am a Nikon user I will use Nikon terminology throughout.

      On basic cameras like those in mobile phones, autofocus is always enabled. For bridge cameras, DSLRs and mirrorless cameras there is usually a switch so that users can choose whether to use automated or manual focus. Your lens or camera body should have a switch labelled AF-M or M/A-M. AF stands for autofocus and M for manual focus. Ensure that the AF-M switch is set to AF or M/A.

      AF switch on Nikon 24-70mm lens.

      M/A, by the way, means that the autofocus is activated but you can override it manually. This is a useful option to have when your subject is obscured, for example by foliage. The autofocus system may have a hard time finding the desired point of focus. (Remember that modern autofocus systems are “smart” to a degree, but not smart enough to understand that you want to photograph the bird and not some random twig or leaf). If you have the option to do so I recommend setting the camera to M/A so you can override the autofocus when necessary.

      Once autofocus is enabled, you activate the focus system by depressing the shutter release halfway or, if you are using back-button focus, depressing the AF-On “back-button.”

      There are two key sets of choices that you can make to optimize autofocus. Somewhat confusingly Nikon calls them Autofocus modes and Autofocus area modes. For the sake of clarity I will refer to them as Autofocus servo modes and Autofocus area modes.

      Autofocus servo modes

      There are two basic choices here. You can either lock focus on a single point, or use a tracking capability that automatically refocuses as the subject moves.

      AF-S: Single servo AF

      … or “One-Shot AF” for Canon cameras: This system is primarily used for stationary or slow-moving subjects. It uses a single point at the centre of the frame. When the focus system is activated – by half-pressing the shutter release or pressing the back-button – the camera will achieve and lock focus on that point.

      Key point. If the camera and/or the subject moves, even if you hold the shutter release halfway down, the camera will not refocus. So small movements can lead to out-of-focus or not optimally focused images.

      Note that you can customize this function using the camera menu system. There are two main options:  (a) the camera will record an image when you press the shutter release (whether it is in focus or not), or (b) the shutter will not release if the image is not in focus.

      Cunning photographers (I’m looking at you Phil) have learned that you can use option b to your advantage when photographing small, fast-moving birds. If you track the bird while holding the shutter release down, an image will be recorded at the fleeting moment when the camera has the bird in focus.

      AF-C: Continuous servo AF

      … or AI Servo in Canon-speak: This mode is optimized for moving subjects, and is the optimal choice for moving targets. While the focus system is activated the camera will continuously refocus until the shutter is released.

      Key point. With AF-C activated, when you press the shutter release the camera will attempt to record an image whether it is in focus or not. So you do need to wait a moment for autofocus to find a solution. This wait time ranges from very short (less than a second) with high-end lenses at wide aperture, to several seconds with basic telephoto lenses.

      One drawback of AF-C mode is that sometimes it is not as precise as AF-S, so you have to watch carefully to ensure you don’t end up with slightly out-of-focus shots.

      AF-A: Hybrid mode

      This is a third option often seen on lower-end DSLRs. In this mode the camera switches between AF-S and AF-C depending on whether it thinks the subject is moving or not. AF-A is intended to give a beginner the best chance of getting a good photo. The mode is not present on higher-end camera bodies because the manufacturer assumes that users will not want to cede control of such an important decision to the camera.

      So to summarize, AF-S is best for stationary targets, and AF-C for moving targets.

      To choose the autofocus servo mode you should consult the manual for your camera. Nikon DSLRs are controlled by depressing the AF button on the front of the camera and then moving a control wheel until the right symbol appears in the viewfinder.

      AUTOFOCUS MODES - WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS #10
      AF mode button on Nikon D850.

      Autofocus area modes

      These options allow you to choose how the focus point is selected. In the Nikon world there are up to ten options depending on your camera body. But don’t despair: only  a few of these are really useful for wildlife photography.

      • Pinpoint
      • Single point
      • Dynamic area modes (x4)
      • 3D tracking
      • Face detection
      • Group
      • Auto-area

      Pinpoint

      This is a unique-to-Nikon mode that allows precise focus on a very specific point of the target. At the moment only the D850 DSLR and the Z6 and Z7 mirrorless cameras have this feature. It is not likely to be useful for wildlife photography in general, particularly since it is relatively slow to achieve focus. But it is worth considering for specific outdoor applications, e.g.  macro photography of flowers, mosses and stationary (i.e. dead) insects. Note that it is only available with AF-S mode.

      Single point

      This is one of the most important modes for wildlife. The camera focuses on a single point at the middle of the frame. This is the fastest and most accurate of AF modes, and is particularly good for the following situations:

      • when you have time to compose a shot (and are using back-button focus activation). This mode allows you to zero in on the most important feature – usually the eye of the subject, and then recompose the shot knowing that the focus will remain on the chosen point. This is ideal for large mammals and birds, frogs, turtles etc that are close to the observer.
      • when the lighting is poor (explanation later in this article)
      • when your target is distant and there is a chance that using an area mode (described below) will lead to inadvertently focusing on a nearby twig or stalk of grass instead of the target

      9-point Dynamic area

      25-point Dynamic area

      72-point Dynamic area

      153-point Dynamic area

      The idea of these dynamic area modes is that you can choose your focus point, and then as the subject moves the camera will “dynamically” keep the subject in focus. This is a very useful capability for photographing birds in flight, as long as you are aware of one limitation. If you wish to choose a specific initial focus point you do so by cycling between available points using a joystick or a rocker wheel on the back of the camera body. Professional photographers apparently perform this juggling act but mere mortals such as myself have enough issues to deal with in tracking a fast-moving bird without trying to manually move the focus point at the same time. Perhaps the professionals are photographing slower birds… 😊

      On top of that, in order to use the joystick or rocker switch with my thumb I would have to re-route focus control from the back-button back to the shutter release, and I am unwilling to give up on the advantages of the back-button.

      Camera controls – Nikon D850. Note that the rocker switch is in the locked position.

      However if you are happy with a random focus point these modes work well. The Sandhill Crane below was taken using 25-point dynamic area mode. These birds were landing in waves at the Lost Mountain wildlife reserve in Saskatchewan and each group passed over very quickly. At my skill level there was no scope for picking a specific focus point but the autofocus mode did a good job selecting a usable one. (FYI I believe it is the left wingtip of the second bird). There is sufficient depth of field at f/8.0 that I’m not sure the image would have been improved if I had chosen a specific focus point.

      AUTOFOCUS MODES - WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS #10

      Caveat

      One thing to note is that the dynamic modes with larger numbers of focus points take slightly longer to achieve focus, and have an increased chance of focusing on something other than your desired subject.

      But overall the dynamic modes are useful tools that are worth familiarizing yourself with. In order to use them the autofocus mode needs to be set to AF-C.

      BTW the equivalent Canon term for Nikon’s dynamic modes is AF Point Expansion.

      3D-tracking

      This mode is a clever bit of technology. Once you have picked a focus point it analyzes colour differences to determine which object you want to focus on, and then uses as many focus points as necessary to keep that moving object in focus. I have not experimented much with this mode but sources I trust suggest that for birds in flight it works well against a clear background such as the sky, and less well when the background is busy. For large mammals, which are generally slower moving, this mode probably works very well. And another source reports that in a large mass of fast moving birds this mode is very good at picking out one bird and tracking it. 3D tracking mode is also only available in AF-C.

      Face detection

      This mode is self-explanatory. It is very useful for people photography but not really geared towards wildlife.

      Group

      This mode is one that I use frequently. When aimed at a group – e.g. a small flock of birds – it will focus on and track the closest member of the group. It uses only the centre point and the four others that are close to centre so it achieves focus quickly and holds it well.

      Auto-area

      This mode takes control of the focusing process and guesses what you wish to focus on. It seems to be intended for neophyte users who want to automate the whole photography process, so that their only responsibility is to point the camera in the general direction and hope for the best. I have not tried this mode but I understand that it is fairly good at finding faces. Otherwise it tends to focus on the nearest object. This mode is not really relevant to the wildlife photographer.

      Recommendations

      My first recommendation is that if you want to take full advantage of the capabilities of your camera you should learn how to change AF modes and AF area modes quickly and efficiently.

      In my view the most useful AF combinations for wildlife are:

      For stationary targets , especially if they are distant and/or the light is poor, use AF-S/single servo mode and a single (centre) focus point. Focus on the key feature (usually the closest eye). If you are using back-button focus you can then recompose without refocusing.

      For all moving targets, use AF-C mode and one of the autofocus area modes.

      Of these, I would experiment with 3D tracking for slow-moving targets (large mammals, e.g.).

      For faster-moving targets, use either Group or one of the dynamic area modes. Of these I would stick to 9 or 25 point for most situations.

      When I am out birding I will normally have the camera set at AF-C and 25-point area mode as this gives me the best chance of getting onto a fast-moving bird.

      AUTOFOCUS MODES - WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS #10
      AF-C, 25-point dynamic area. Ring-billed Gull.

      A note on low-light photography

      Autofocus systems use areas of contrast to judge focus. If there is not enough detail (clearly defined edges) in the subject then the autofocus system will “hunt” – that is, cycle back and forth trying to establish a focus point. This explains why autofocus doesn’t work well in low light conditions – there is not enough contrast to achieve focus. So though your high-end DSLR can capture an image at astonishing ISO values, you will probably have to focus manually or accept blurry images. Or check your manual to see if your camera has an AF-Assist function that can help out.

      The Blue Bill

      This article originally appeared in the Blue Bill, the journal of the Kingston Field Naturalists, Volume 68, Number 4, December 2021.

      [1] The term is a bit of a misnomer because it’s not really automatic – you still have to activate the autofocus system, or at least ensure that it is focusing on what you want it to. 

      Birds, Travel

      Vancouver – British Columbia Birding Part 2

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      Day 4 – North Vancouver

      The next point of call in the BC adventure was the Maplewood Flats Conservation Area in North Vancouver. By reputation this is a great place to see birds but it was rather quiet while I was there. The usual suspects – which in BC means Black-capped Chickadees, Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Juncos and Red-shafted Northern Flickers – were active but there were no visible shorebirds on the mud flats and not much in the way of warbler action. I did manage to dig up a Black-throated Grey Warbler though – a very smart-looking bird that I had seen once before in Arizona – and also an aberrant Short-billed Gull. Aside from that the main interest was observing the BC subspecies of Song Sparrow (morphna) , which is much darker than the melodia subspecies we see in Ontario.

      Vancouver Birding - Song Sparrow
      Song Sparrow, Vancouver-style
      Vancouver Birding - Short-billed Gull
      A key ID feature of Short-billed Gulls is the dark iris on their eye. This one didn’t get the memo.

      I then took a jaunt up to Mount Seymour Provincial park but that turned out to be rather uneventful. It was cloudy and foggy and rather bird-free up at the top of the road, and a short walk down one of the trails revealed that I was seriously underdressed for the weather. So a tactical withdrawal to a coffee shop was in order.

      Being somewhat at loose ends I decided to chase an American Avocet that had been hanging around a small parkette near Granville Island. My navigator, Mrs Google, took the opportunity to show me some of the seedier parts of Vancouver but the bird was eventually found and photographed.

      Vancouver Birding - American Avocet
      American Avocet in non-breeding plumage.

      … and an unforeseen excursion

      At that point, lacking a better plan, I decided to head down to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in hopes of catching up with the mega-rarity Short-tailed Shearwater that had been seen that morning. A Vancouver native would probably have balked at a cross-town journey on a Saturday afternoon but fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

      I arrived at the terminal without a clear idea of where the bird was likely to be, other than the fact that some people had seen it from the ferry to someplace called Duke Point. In the mad rush to find a parking spot, purchase a ticket, get to the gate, find out that a ticket back might be hard to get, rush back to the ticket office to find out that they don’t sell return tickets, and dash back to the gate I had not time to work out two key factoids: that the bird had been seen by looking backwards just after the ferry left the dock; and that Duke Point was in fact (as “everyone” knows) the codeword for a dock about 10km away from Nanaimo – two and a half hours sailing time from Tsawwassen.

      So there I was, up on the foredeck in a stiff. cold breeze, staring off into a bird-free channel with a shearwater laughing in my wake. It was only after an hour of fruitless searching that I came in to warm up (note earlier remarks about underdressed for the cold), checked the rare bird reports and realized my error.

      This could have ended very badly, with me searching on foot for a motel in Nanaimo, but fortunately it emerged that foot passengers can buy return tickets on the ferry, and even more fortunately I was in the right place to get a brief glance of a Short-tailed Shearwater as we pulled in and darkness settled around us.

      Vancouver Birding - Pelagic Cormorant
      Pelagic Cormorant, as seen through the windows on the ferry dock. Note the gigantic feet!

      Day total: 2 life birds (Short-tailed Shearwater and Pelagic Cormorant), 1 new-to-Canada bird

      Day 5 – Retrenchment

      By now the fatigue from many miles of driving, many early mornings and a rather harrowing experience was becoming a factor. I decided to recharge with a lie-in and a proper breakfast before continuing the chase. My original plan was to head over to Stanley Park, which by rights was a 13 minute drive away. Except that this was Vancouver and a bridge was involved, and when I got into position 13 minutes had turned into 47. I decided that Stanley Park would have to wait. Good thing as it turns out – I later learned that a coyote cull was being conducted and the park was closed for the week. So lacking a better alternative I went back to Maplewood Flats where I knew that I would at least have a nice walk in the woods.

      Vancouver Birding - Spotted Towhee
      Spotted Towhee, Maplewood Flats

      Day total: no life birds, 1 new-to-Canada bird (Anna’s Hummingbird)

      Day 6 – Boundary Bay

      The next day held greater promise. I met Melissa at 0800 in Delta and the plan was to hit all the key hotspots in the area. The first stop was Brunswick Point, which turned out to be a sparrow-fest. In short order we had seen two of my most-wanted targets, Golden-crowned Sparrow and Sooty Fox Sparrow, and got my best-ever shot of a Lincoln’s Sparrow.

      • Golden-crowned Sparrow
      • Lincoln’s Sparrow
      • Sooty Fox Sparrow

      Then it was back to the scene of the crime – the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal – for a feast of waterfowl and shorebirds. Two more key targets went down as we spotted Black Oystercatchers close in and Black Turnstones on a far away island (within scope range but not camera distance). Lots of other good birds were present – Harlequin Ducks, all three scoter species, Horned and Western Grebes and Brandt’s Cormorant. All in all a highly successful stop that justified a proper morning coffee break.

      • Black Oystercatcher
      • Horned Grebe (winter plumage)

      Next on the programme was the mudflats of Boundary Bay. The high tide that day wasn’t very high so again it was telescope time but we were able to identify no less than 12 species of shorebirds, ranging from a pair of Marbled Godwits to 2000 Western Sandpipers. 44 species of bird at that stop and the day was still young!

      As a break from all the shore action we dipped into Paulik Park in Richmond, looking fruitlessly for two of my targets: Bushtit and Hutton’s Vireo. The on to the last stop of the day, the near-legendary Iona Island. This is a fancy name for a set of sewage lagoons, but like many such installations there were birds galore, including shorebirds that were somewhat more camera-friendly. We worked the place over thoroughly before I left for the tedious drive back across town to North Vancouver.

      Day total: 5 life birds

      Day 7 – Vancouver Peregrinations

      Melissa was determined that I would not leave without Bushtits and Hutton’s Vireos, so we met the next morning at Queen Elizabeth Park and had both in short order.

      • Bushtit
      • Hutton’s Vireo

      By this time I had seen most of my sea and shore targets, but it would not have done to miss out on the Reifel Bird Sanctuary so off we went. An hour’s visit netted 50 species including Black-necked Stilt, a welcome addition to my Canada list. Then, acting on a hot tip, we returned to the ferry terminal and ticked a Brown Pelican – another new Canada bird.

      Now in full twitching mode, we headed into suburban Delta to see if a rumoured California Scrub Jay was still lurking around. These jays are not normally in the area but individual wanderers show up fairly regularly to hang out with the Steller’s Jays. Luck was on our side and a rather damp example was added to the day’s tally.

      Vancouver Birding - California Scrub Jay
      California Scrub Jay

      The final port of call was Cypress Provincial Park, where we went looking for some of the higher-altitude forest birds. It went as these things go – half an hour of bird-free hiking and then the Chestnut-backed Chickadees arrived just as we were ogling a Red-breasted Sapsucker. Victory was declared and we went our separate ways, but not before Melissa filled me in on where to look for some of my last remaining targets.

      • Red-breasted Sapsucker
      • Chestnut-backed Chickadee

      With an hour or so of daylight remaining I decided to try a rocky outcrop near Horseshoe Bay where Surfbirds were rumoured to congregate. No Surfbirds presented themselves, but I got the scope on a large, long-winged shorebird winging its way across the bay. Based on shape, size, bill length and markings I was able to ID it as a Wandering Tattler – a very scarce bird in the Vancouver area. So score one for persistence!

      Day total: 4 life birds, 4 new-to-Canada birds

      Day 8 – A road trip East

      Having booked an evening flight home, the dilemma I faced was: stay local and try to get better pictures of birds seen in the previous days?, or get up at 0315, pack up and drive three hours east so as to be at E.C. Manning park by sunrise, where one might see a Sooty Grouse?  The obvious answer is (b), and despite the perfidiousness of the local Tim’s for not opening until 0400 I made it to the “right” place in time to see the desired bird.

      Sooty Grouse

      There were two other potential targets on the way back. I was able to connect with Lewis’s Woodpecker at the Hope Airport for decent views and horrible photos, but despite a valiant effort the Black Phoebe near Chilliwack eluded me.

      So it was off to the airport and homewards.

      Day total: 2 life birds

      Trip summary

      Trip Total: 35 life birds, 15 new-to-Canada birds

      One might observe that 35 life birds equals a good day out in Colombia, Peru or Ecuador, but those places were not open to me and it’s 35 more than I would have had by haunting my local spots in Kingston. Plus it has whetted my appetite to see more of the native birds that Canada has to offer.

      So all in all I was most pleased with this trip. And a shout out once again to Chris Charlesworth and Melissa Hafting for helping me to see so many great birds!

      Birds, Travel, Wildlife

      British Columbia Birding – Part 1

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      After a range-restricted spring migration season and the second cancellation of a birding trip to Argentina I was beginning to feel somewhat disenchanted with this whole Covid business. Yes, it’s true that not having died from a nasty virus is an agreeable outcome, but these lockdowns and travel restrictions were seriously cutting into my birding time. Action was required! I needed to see some new birds in a country that has good public health care, one that I could get to without risking being trapped by a sudden change to border regulations. Someplace with a whole different range of birds available. Someplace like… British Columbia.

      A quick scan on the interweb revealed that ridiculously low airfares were available, and so, N95 mask at hand, I set off in early September for YVR.

      The airport experience was suboptimal – if you are travelling these days you should expect the same rude and suspicious treatment as usual with an extra measure of Covid-related bullying and bureaucracy. But par contre once onboard I experienced the unusual feeling that the Air Canada cabin crew wanted to make my trip a pleasant one. Perhaps their normal hostility towards their passengers had been dulled by months of layoffs? Hard to say, but not wanting to look a gift horse in the eye I simply enjoyed the flight.

      British Columbia birds - California Quail
      California Quail – a yard bird in the Okanagan Valley!

      British Columbia – the plan of attack

      The plan was to spend three days in the Okanagan Valley, then return to Vancouver and bird the lower mainland for a few days. At first I thought I would go self-guided, using the great site guides that are available. But upon further thought I decided that the logic was no different from travelling to South America – if you want to maximize the value of the overhead investment in airfare, accommodation and a rental car, hiring a guide just makes sense.

      Working my contacts led me to Melissa Hafting, a.k.a. BCBirderGirl, and we agreed to link up for a few days in the greater Vancouver area. She suggested I contact Chris Charlesworth of Avocet Tours for the Okanagan portion and this turned out to be great advice. But enough intro – on to the birds!

      Day 1 – Okanagan Valley

      The trip was based out of Kelowna, so on the first morning we hit a couple of local parks to pick up a few of the British Columbia versions of standard, everyday birds: Western Tanager, Pygmy Nuthatch, California Quail and Western Wood Pewee for example (all lifers for me).

      We then headed up for a long walk/drive up Beaver Lake Road, adding such goodies as Mountain Chickadee, Cassin’s Finch, Townsend’s Solitaire and Dusky Grouse. I was also able to reacquaint myself (and get better photos of) Steller’s Jay and the Red-naped Sapsucker. Side trips from the main road led us to Pacific Wren and Hammond’s Flycatcher.

      • Mountain Chickadee
      • Townsend’s Solitaire
      • Cassin’s Finch
      • Hammond’s Flycatcher
      • Red-naped Sapsucker, looking scruffy as sapsuckers often do.

      Further peregrinations in the afternoon allowed us to nab a Western Screech Owl and a Northern Pygmy Owl, and get some killer shots of the elusive Black-backed Woodpecker. A final diversion on the way home ticked a Short-billed Gull, a bird that was just split this year from the Common Gull I had seen many times in the UK.

      British Columbia birds - Steller's Jay
      Steller’s Jay
      British Columbia birds - Dusky Grouse
      Dusky Grouse
      British Columbia birds - Black-backed Woodpecker
      Black-backed Woodpecker
      British Columbia birds - Northern Pygmy Owl
      Northern Pygmy Owl

      Day total: 15 life birds, 4 new-to-Canada birds

      Day 2 – South to Osoyoos

      An early morning visit to the Kelowna waterfront proved worthwhile, as I was able to see two more birds from my wish list – California and Glaucous-winged Gulls, as well as some good shorebirds. Then we headed south, diverting briefly into Peachland for amazing views of an American Dipper and its chick.

      • Glaucous-winged Gull
      • California Gull
      British Columbia birds - American Dipper
      American Dipper in its element.

      An hour or so on Twin Lakes Road, southeast of Penticton, netted us only 19 species, but they included brief views of the very scarce Sage Thrasher and my first sighting of Burrowing Owls in Canada. Violet-green Swallow also moved from the Needs list to the Need a Better Photo list (where is sits with just about every other bird I have seen!).

      • Violet-green Swallow
      • American Dipper (juvenile)

       Further explorations in the area of Oliver and Vaseaux Lake yielded a very confiding Canyon Wren, a skulking and non-confiding Bewick’s Wren, Grey Flycatcher and Western Bluebird, as well as good looks at Say’s Phoebe and other western specialties. After a long hot day a proper coffee break was required before we headed North to dinner and my temporary home.

      British Columbia birds - Canyon Wren
      Canyon Wren
      Say’s Phoebe

      Day total: 5 life birds, 5 new-to-Canada birds

      Day 3 – Salmon Arm

      It was a good morning in Salmon Arm.

      Having gotten almost all of the target birds in the area, we had time to make a long excursion to Salmon Arm in hopes of finding the Western Grebe (high probability) and Clark’s Grebe (low probability). There was a profusion of waterfowl to be seen, mostly fairly far out, but sure enough, among them were 100 or so Western Grebes. Even better, Chris’s eagle eyes, knowledge and persistence revealed a lone Clark’s Grebe in the pack, a bird I would not have found on my own. We also had stunning views of a small pack of Long-billed Dowitchers, a normally wary species that seemed unaware that it could be spotted from the pier above.

      British Columbia birds - Long-billed Dowitcher
      Long-billed Dowitcher
      American White Pelican

      We tried a few stops on the way back to Kelowna. Though we had just about tapped out the new British Columbia species to be seen, I did get a number of excellent year birds. There were also some good photographic opportunities, including my best by far image of a Belted Kingfisher. Then, sadly, it was time to say goodbye to the valley and make the long drive to North Vancouver.

      • Brewer’s Blackbird
      • Pectoral Sandpiper
      Belted Kingfisher

      Day total: 2 life birds

      Last thoughts:

      The takeaways from this portion of the trip, in no particular order, are:

      • Yes, bird guides are just as valuable in Canada as they are in foreign lands!
      • British Columbia is unfairly hoarding chickadee species that the ROC doesn’t get to see
      • I need to get back to the Okanagan in the springtime to pick up some really great birds that can be seen then (Rufous, Calliope and Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Common Poorwill, Vaux’s Swift and Flammulated Owl, to name just a few)
      • When I next go to the Okanagan I will be planning to work with Chris Charlesworth. And I recommend you do the same!

      British Colombia – Part 2

      I will cover the rest of the British Columbia trip in a separate post – stay tuned to see the goodies I found on the coastline!

      Birds

      Wikipedia – Lockdown Bird Highlights #3

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      or How I beat the blues by sharing bird information on Wikipedia.

      I made the claim some time ago that I was going to post about some of the good birding things that happened in a bad birding year – 2020. Little did I know when I wrote those words that we what we were experiencing was not the end of the road but a brief lull before another wave and another lockdown. The April to June third wave of 2021 – in Canada at least – was not the worst in terms of mortality rates and overstretched hospital capacity. But for many of us it was the most challenging of all. It was becoming harder to maintain morale – we were languishing.

      Now here we are again climbing out of the pit and hoping that we are on an upward trajectory. For the first time in almost a year I stopped by my local for a socially-distanced pint at an outdoor patio. It felt like a bit of a victory.

      So to pick up the thread of good things in a lockdown year… I spent a couple of hours this morning on my new working-from-home pastime: adding bird content to Wikipedia.

      Wikipedia

      I admit to being a major fan of Wikipedia. It’s what we early net enthusiasts thought cyberspace would be: people all over the world sharing information, with no paywalls or ads. Most of the worldwide web went, as they say, in a different direction, but Wikipedia has stayed true to its purpose.

      And despite the cries of the Cassandras, it is a very useful tool indeed. It’s a living encyclopedia, replacing the biases of an expert author with the collected wisdom of the world, all carefully annotated so you can check the source documents yourself. Yes, it is true that you can replace a carefully-written page with stories about your cat, but virtually every page has someone watching it who will rapidly correct your vandalism.

      The true beauty of the tool, and one that may not have been foreseen by its creators, is that it gave enthusiasts (nerds, if you must) a place to share and refine their enthusiasms. Star Trek is a prime example. Prior to web 2.0 there were lots of Trekker fan newsletters but each one only reached a small audience. Wikipedia gave them a forum to share and contribute on a global scale. So if you want to know anything about any episode from the Star Trek universe there is a page for it – and the same is true for any significant TV series, book, or movie, not to mention highly detailed pages on every aspect of hundreds of other interests.

      And that finally leads us to birds.

      When I get back from a birding trip I have a workflow for identifying photos and adding the new birds to my list that involves checking field guides, eBird, Avibase and Wikipedia so that I am sure of the identification, ideally down to subspecies level. It’s a somewhat baroque process but I’m not aiming for efficiency – I’m trying to consolidate the new birds in my memory.

      When I started seeing birds in the neotropics I ran into an information vacuum. A large number of the South American bird species have only a line or two of text on their Wikipedia pages – information which I later learned was generated by a clever bot that a Wiki contributor had invented.

      Editing Wikipedia bird pages
      Rusty Flowerpiercer
      Editing Wikipedia bird pages
      And its basic bot-generated species page.

      So with time on my hands I set about learning how to flesh out these entries. The obvious place to begin – for me anyway – was with the endemic birds of Colombia.

      It was a bit of an adventure getting started but there is a full set of tutorials under Learn to Edit, and an online forum where you can ask for advice from fellow editors. A bit of browsing around took me to the WikiProject_Birds page , which includes ideas for information on sources, a set of guidelines for editing articles and links to highly-rated bird pages.

      Coding for non-coders

      The process of editing is relatively straightforward. I won’t try to give a precis of the tutorials – if you want to try your hand that is the place to start. But it’s worth highlighting one key feature: you do not have to learn hypertext markup language (html). Wikipedia uses behind-the-scenes coding to make it easier for the average punter to make their edits without blowing up the system. For example, this phrase from Alice in Wonderland:

      “Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.

      In html you would need to enter the following code:

      <p>”Take some more <a href=”/wiki/Tea” title=”Tea”>tea</a>,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.</p>

      Whereas in Wikipedia you simply write:

       “Take some more [[tea]],” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.

      Wikipedia and research

      The challenge is finding sources. Wikipedia wants information referenced to sources that other people can check, so the preference is for books, journal articles and websites that have permanent URLs (permalinks). A certain amount can be gleaned from field guides and websites, but to achieve the goal of a good quality article I needed to sharpen up the research skills I used to get my MA.

      After some prospecting and some good tips from Wikiproject Birds I was able to build a list of reliable sources. The best ones are listed at the end of this article… in case you might be interested. 😊

      Referencing is straightforward – it looks complicated on the screen but the actual input of data is relatively simple (though it is a bit tedious).

      Alas even the best references can’t totally fix the issue that a lot of South American birds are under-studied. Sometimes there is just not enough information available to fill out a species page. If reincarnation is a thing I wish to come back as a field researcher.

      And of course if the page lacks photos you can add your own through Wikimedia Commons.

      Moustached Brushfinch, added to my current project.

      So what’s the point?, you ask…

      This was an idea for an activity that would occupy my mind during the lockdown(s), the alternative being endless doomscrolling. And I think this one has stuck – I intend to keep editing pages until all my beloved neotropical birds are properly described. This may require more years than I have left but it’s a worthy pursuit.

      If you seek internet fame and fortune this is not the way to go. Even if someone wanted to see what I was working on they would have to know my username, which is purposefully opaque. (It’s not a good idea to use a recognizable name).

      But I find it very satisfying to complete a project and increase the bird information available to everyone. So it’s definitely a good birding thing that came out of a bad birding year.

      In case you’re interested in what one of my “finished” pages looks like, check out this one: the Gold-ringed Tanager.

      Sources

      The University of New Mexico’s Searchable Ornithological Research Archive – SORA – applies your search term to a large collection of publications. https://sora.unm.edu/

      Google Scholar – often turns up good journal articles, and they are generally available as free downloads. (Search by the scientific name of the species).

      Avibase – for general information, but particularly for the Synonyms section, which provides good clues on who first identified and named the species.

      The Biodoversity Heritage Library – an online archive of historical journals. If you have a date and the name of the publication you can usually find the original journal here.

      The publication archives of the American Ornithological Society. You need to be a member to access these publications, and it’s a bit pricy. But one of the add-ins is a subscription to the Birds of the World website, which contains much of the content of the very expensive Handbook of the Birds of the World (17 volumes at €140 each!!!).

      Searches by these methods typically lead to English-language sources, which leaves out a wealth of information in Spanish-language ornithological journals. I started to pay attention to the bibliographical references in the papers and journal articles I unearthed, and these led to good sources like Conservación Colombiana and Caldasia, as well as regional journals. I usually run the key paragraphs through Google Translate, which has become very good, though you still need enough Spanish to work out what is going on when the magic doesn’t work.

      The two volumes of the Colombian Libro rojo de aves de Colombia are invaluable, as they provide full information on all species of concern.

      And in the course of my research I discovered some rather abstruse books that really deserve a place on anyone’s coffee table, including the Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names, the Eponym Dictionary of Birds, and the trusty IOC World Bird List.

      Birds

      January – 2020 Bird Highlights #1

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      In January I like to put together a post about the birding highlights of the previous year. This time around it has been a bit slow in coming. Somehow it’s hard to get excited about a year spent mostly at home under the spectre of a pandemic.

      With trips lined up to Colombia and Argentina, and with a cottage booked for two weeks next to Point Pelee, I had been harbouring wild thoughts that if all went well I might see 1000 species of birds in 2020. And it started out so well…

      However, the point of this blog is to focus on the positive, and when I thought about it in those terms I started to see that there had been a few good things amidst the bad. (Spoiler alert – I had to set the bar fairly low. Not everything here would make the cut in a normal year 😊). Here’s the first installment.

      January 13th 2020 - Ross's Goose at Bath ON
      Ross’s Goose – an unusual winter visitor in our area.

      January 77

      A new year means a new year list. For birders, that is the incentive that gets us out on the land when the days are short and the weather is less than optimal. If you have been in this game for a while you probably keep lists, and the advantage of a year list is that it starts at zero. So while new birds for my Ontario life list are very hard to come by, starting another year list means that even the humble Starling and House Sparrow become new sightings.

      In a normal year I would expect to see about 50 or 60 bird species in January – 50 or so in the local area and another 6-8 from the annual winter pilgrimage to Algonquin Park. However in 2020 a combination of good luck, persistence and a few extended twitches bumped that number upwards.

      Road Trips

      Early in the month I heard some intriguing reports on the grapevine of a covey of Grey Partridge near Ottawa. I had seen this species a few times in the UK but it would make a nice addition to my Ontario list. So the first twitch of the year was a round trip through Nepean, Carleton Place and Ault Island near Morrisburg. This pleasant drive in the country netted the partridges as well as a Northern Hawk Owl and a Harris’s Sparrow. So far, so good.

      January 7th 2020 - Northern Hawk Owl near Carleton Place
      Northern Hawk-Owl – always a tricky bird to find.

      Twitch #2 followed rapidly, as Erwin and I hunted down a Mountain Bluebird near Pickering and a Purple Sandpiper at Presqu’ile, with an incidental find of Iceland Gull enroute.

      January 10th 2020 - Mountain Bluebird (female) near Pickering
      Mountain Bluebird (female). Apparently took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.

      I had agreed to lead a KFN field trip to Algonquin Park in mid-January and that worked out very well. We nabbed all the winter finches including both species of crossbill, plus the obligatory Canada Jays, and by virtue of a slight detour picked up the long-staying Varied Thrush at Bark Lake – a lifer for most of the party.

      Varied Thrush – another Western bird going walkabout.

      2020 Part 1

      So the upshot is that by the time I left for Colombia on the 25th I had already set a personal best for January in Ontario with 77 species. That 1000 species goal was well on its way. Or so it seemed…