October had some very nice weather so there were many visits to various natural, and other, areas.
Having heard about a storm water pond (Monihan Drain) in the city's west end that was visited by many birds we decided to check it out. On first view it was underwhelming, but after an hour's visit, we had a lengthy list of different birds.
Including two egrets, both of whom should be flying south shortly. Also several female and one male cormorants. Cormorants have to take a run at taking off.
A second visit to Monihan Drain later in the month produced a myriad of Canada Geese (and an egret feeling overwhelmed).
While visiting a small town west of the city, yellow-rumped warblers were sitting behind leaves in trees and zipping out to catch flying insects over a small river.
The warbler is a small, very fast, zig-zagging flyer. I was using a 600mm lens (but pulled back to 160mm so I could find the bird😊) The shutter was on burst mode and auto-focus was on Bird Detect AI.
I wasn’t really expecting to get much. The original image is on the left, the one on the right was processed through four different softwares to obtain the closer in look at a snack being caught.
It isn’t technically perfect, but I was pleased with what I ended up with after all the processing.
The warbler is a small, very fast, zig-zagging flyer. I was using a 600mm lens (but pulled back to 160mm so I could find the bird😊) The shutter was on burst mode and auto-focus was on Bird Detect AI.
I wasn’t really expecting to get much. The original image is on the left, the one on the right was processed through four different softwares to obtain the closer in look at a snack being caught.
It isn’t technically perfect, but I was pleased with what I ended up with after all the processing.
Each year Mud Lake hosts a few American widgeon ducks, as they stopover on their migration.
While I didn't get the full reflection, the reflection of the landing male mallard certainly caught my eye.
With the leaves falling off the trees it can be easier to spot the birds, the blue jay was on a spruce tree, wide open to view.
MAle cardinal
Chickadee
Blue jay
The young male turkeys were practicing strutting their stuff, while the nuthatches and chickadees vied for the hand that feeds them.
The chipmunk had to stretch to obtain some food in a stump.
Fungus, mushrooms and fall berries were around if you kept your eye open.
Highbush cranberries
With Hallowe'en approaching, Pumpkin Inferno was back for another year.
The fall colours this year were not up to par in some areas, but Gatineau Park did not disappoint.
The Dunlop Picnic Ground in Gatineau Park, has a small stream running through it.
The nearby Mer Bleue Bog area's tamarack trees (and a few maple trees) were changing to the beautiful gold colour mid-month.
It was rutting time at Parc Omega, the bull elks were bellowing. Two young bulls had a momentary light joust.
Meanwhile mum and fawn white-tailed deer checked out the offerings at the take-out.
The cinnamon bears (top two pictures) and black bears were enjoying the unusually warm weather in late October.
The light coloured tufts of hair on the cinnamon bear in the second picture are the final molts from last year's fur.
Even the dragonflies were still flitting about.
The low angle of the sun made for nice backlighting.
What caught me ear, as much as my eye was ravens up on a neighbours roof squawking as only a raven can squawk.
And now for something different.....
A visit to a sheep dairy farm.
