American Wigeon - Canard d’Amérique
There was a lot going on in October of last year as the new school year had started amidst a lot of Covid anxiety and restrictions. Many people, especially those with young children, discovered the trails around a Lake (read: very big pond) in the west end of Ottawa that was previously the playground of birders and photographers. This influx caused some tension between the groups, but the fact was that being outside on the trails and looking at the natural world was a great way to engage children in a stressful time.
And, well, children didn’t seem to get up super early, so the trails and swampy shorelines were empty at sunrise. And the fall migration had brought a lot of reasons to get out early. One of my favourites was a visit by a small flock of Wigeon in October, a group of birds transitioning out of eclipse plumage and into breeding colours - evident on the male in front but also visible on the female behind him.
Their visit overlapped the celebrity appearance of a pair of Pied-billed Grebes. Once the two species separated to different corners and backwaters to pursue their respective food choices, I was mostly alone with the Wigeons. I find them to be stunning birds, and the transitional plumage was quite lovely. That said, their fondness for having pieces of food hanging out of their mouths may put some people off. Wigeons have shorter bills that enable them to rip out vegetation other birds cannot, and they seem to like to show that off.
This was one of the first times I really fully utilized the lens, as the ducks drifted out across the corner of the Lake, and then suddenly circled back, requiring me to dial down the focal length and the frame.
American Wigeon - Canard d’Amérique
There was a lot going on in October of last year as the new school year had started amidst a lot of Covid anxiety and restrictions. Many people, especially those with young children, discovered the trails around a Lake (read: very big pond) in the west end of Ottawa that was previously the playground of birders and photographers. This influx caused some tension between the groups, but the fact was that being outside on the trails and looking at the natural world was a great way to engage children in a stressful time.
And, well, children didn’t seem to get up super early, so the trails and swampy shorelines were empty at sunrise. And the fall migration had brought a lot of reasons to get out early. One of my favourites was a visit by a small flock of Wigeon in October, a group of birds transitioning out of eclipse plumage and into breeding colours - evident on the male in front but also visible on the female behind him.
Their visit overlapped the celebrity appearance of a pair of Pied-billed Grebes. Once the two species separated to different corners and backwaters to pursue their respective food choices, I was mostly alone with the Wigeons. I find them to be stunning birds, and the transitional plumage was quite lovely. That said, their fondness for having pieces of food hanging out of their mouths may put some people off. Wigeons have shorter bills that enable them to rip out vegetation other birds cannot, and they seem to like to show that off.
This was one of the first times I really fully utilized the lens, as the ducks drifted out across the corner of the Lake, and then suddenly circled back, requiring me to dial down the focal length and the frame.