The Cutest Marsh Wren

The Cutest Marsh Wren

Mar 1, 2022 | Birds, Ponds & Wetlands

This little bird was singing his (or her?) heart out amongst the cattails, but for the life of me, I could not spot him from to the side of the pond! I was determined to find the owner of the pretty song of this little bird, so I walked back to the truck to grab my rubber boots. 

Carefully, I walked in amongst the reeds and cattails, careful not to make too much noise to startle any birds that called that riparian area home. Often I stopped to listen and watch for any movement, my camera at the ready to snap a quick picture.

And then I saw him, flitting about the cattails, singing away to his heart’s desire! I snapped as many pictures as I could, hoping at least one would turn out to be able to share. But I had to stay to watch him and saw him pecking at the cattails, either to eat the seeds or collect the fuzz for a nest nearby; I couldn’t tell. 

But goll darn it, that little marsh wren was sure cute.

Taken at the Mattheis Research Ranch (University of Alberta’s Rangeland Research Institute) near Brooks, AB, Canada on June 5, 2014, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR camera with a Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens.

I Thought It Was a Fence Post

I Thought It Was a Fence Post

Apr 22, 2021 | Birds, Ponds & Wetlands, Wildlife

I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was more focused on all the other waterfowl that were in their full glory of the spring mating seasonal rush, focusing my camera on any movement and flash of colour that gave away an American Coot or a Ruddy Duck or even a Lesser Scaup, that I nearly missed this beautiful bird!

Standing so perfectly still and with such patience of any stealthy avian predator, this Black-Crowned Night Heron almost had me convinced that he was nothing more than a silly fence-post sticking out from the water; a weathered-greyish fence post that nearly struck the light well enough that it appeared to be just another dead, unimportant part of the scene. Just like the platform it leant on and the dead willow branches laying on the water surface.

That is until I noticed the beak and red eye.

Then I got excited and started snapping down on the shutter of the camera. The whole time that bird barely even moved a muscle. Of course, he knew I was there, me sitting in the truck parked on the side of the road, but if I didn’t look close enough, I would’ve just moved on and found other birds to capture in my lens.

Captured near Stettler, Alberta, Canada on May 27, 2018, with my old Canon Rebel XS DSLR, Canon EF 70-300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens attached.

Geese Over Water

Geese Over Water

Apr 19, 2021 | Birds, Ponds & Wetlands

It was springtime, out bird-watching at an undisclosed location, and then we had these Canada geese deciding to come in and land. Location near Stettler, AB, Canada, taken on May 26, 2018, with a Canon XS Rebel DSLR with a Canon EF 70=300 mm f/4-5.6 IS USM telephoto lens.