Barred OwlI glanced out our kitchen window near dusk and there was a Barred Owl sitting in a tree. This is the first Barred Owl I have photographed looking down towards it. Photos were hand held at very low shutter speeds through two panes of glass. Barred Owl
A Very Late American BitternA Very Late American Bittern in Sambro Salt Marsh ………..suffering and dying of starvation and hypothermia.
First Snowfall of the WinterI toured my local area to photograph the first snowfall of the season. With a cloudy sky images are starkly black and white. Ketch Harbour Road Pond
Fishing Shack at Sambro Salt Marsh
Grand Lake Home
Indian Harbour
Sambro Island Sunrise December 2018I visited Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park twice this month to photograph the sun rising behind Sambro Island and Sambro Island Light. Timing the sunrise and the location to photograph from is tricky. I misjudged this year and the sun was too far south, on the right of the light but all this should correct itself in early January but alas I'm not sure I can wear any more layers to hoof it out here in the cold of the morning. Sambro Island Sunrise and Light
Turkey VulturesWhen I came to Nova Scotia in 2000 Turkey Vultures were rare to uncommon in the Halifax Area. About 2010 they began to move in and stay and now they are winter regulars in the area. I found a pair along Sandy Cove Road(where else?......... :) These are my last photographs with my transitional photographic gear. It's been a six month process, not yet finished, converting from old to new but I'm readying myself for some expedition photography next year. Turkey Vulture
A Very Late Greater YellowlegsI visited Sandy Cove which is the best single birding location I've encountered in Nova Scotia and I've been to a lot of them. There is a combination of factors that contribute to the making of this hot spot. The coastal migration corridor leads the parade of birds past Sandy Cove. The storm surge piles the kelp and the direct exposure to the heat of the southern sun heats the kelp to reveal kelp flies, maggots and marine fauna. Adding to the mix is the influx of fresh water from the drainage alongside Sandy Cove Road. My rarest sighting here was the Loggerhead Shrike. I also heard its chattering song. Late Greater Yellowlegs in company with Sanderlings and White-rumped Sandpipers
Snow Buntings enjoy the offerings of the kelp heaps too.
And then the rains came........and then then the rains came. It was a major rainstorm so I visited a few of my usual spots to photograph the deluge. West Pennant River
Butcher's Falls-the highest I've seen it!
Fall Scenery Around Nova ScotiaI photographed a diverse mix of Nova Scotia images in my travels during the fall. The leaves are changing and falling during the gales of October. Long Lake The harbours of St. Margaret's Bay
Rocky Coastline by Peggy's Cove
Fresh Water Lakes Near Peggy's Cove
Rocky Coastline Near Peggy's Cove
Fall Colours
Coastal Surf Pounding the Rocks Near Duncan Reef
Inland Lakes
Smiley's Provincial Park
Long Pond With Turkey Vulture
Calms Seas Toward Western Head
Angry Sea in Black and WhiteI've captured a few images of surf breaking on the rocks of Duncan Reef. These examples are presented in black and white.
Late Migrating Birds in Nova ScotiaI've captured a few of the late migrants of our Nova Scotia nesting species of birds. The transient birds from the west will continue to arrive into November and mostly die in December from hypothermia and starvation. Some tougher species can survive the winter with our help. Last winter we helped an Orange-crowned Warbler survive the winter and most winters we have Grey Catbirds that successfully overwinter with help from multi-flora rose berries and suet. Black-and-White Warbler
Common Yellowthroat(young male)
Double-crested Cormorants on Parliament Rock near Shoal Point(Chebucto Head Light)
Great Blue Heron
Least Sandpiper at Duncan Reef
Sanderling, a hardy shorebird that over winters on our beaches
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper and Semipalmated Plover
White-crowned Sparrow
Cruise Ships and One Ocean LinerCruise ships are commonly seen from our home in Portuguese Cove and although I can photograph them from home it is always best to go to Shoal Point/Chebucto Head for the best vantage. The only ocean liner in the world is Queen Mary II, heavier, stronger and much faster than the any of the cruise ships. Unfortunately, this year it only visited once and I had to photograph it arriving in the early morning with poor light. Aida Diva
Aida Diva and Rotterdam
Anthem of the Seas
Blackwatch
Celebrity Summit
Crystal Symphony
Disney Magic
Here she is folks!! Queen Mary II
Rotterdam
Royal Princess
Silver Spirit
Sunrise at Sambro Island, Nova ScotiaThe most spectacular sunrises I've ever witnessed have been over Sambro Island in early December when the sun rises directly behind the Sambro Island Light, the oldest lighthouse in North America. Sunrises over and around polluted skies such as Windsor/Detroit/Point Pelee National Park cannot be recorded as natural events although they are colourful. I haven't been out here before sunrise for many years but I am motivated by this experience to return again in early December. It is best to time one's arrival for at least one half hour before sunrise. These photographs have not been dressed up in Photoshop. The Sun is Rising Between Inner Sambro Island and Sambro Island
Evangeline Beach ShorebirdsI visit Evangeline Beach every year to see the shorebirds; mostly Semipalmated Plovers and Semipalmated Sandpipers with a sprinkling of Least Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, White-rumped Sandpipers and Baird's Sandpipers. I usually try to arrive about an hour before high tide at The Guzzle at the eastern end of the beach. Evangeline Beach and the beaches on the opposite side of the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick are the world's largest staging area for Semipalmated Sandpipers as they fuel up for their major flight, non stop, to South and Central America. Evangeline Beach Shorebirds
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