Warblers, Warblers Everywhere

I’ve just returned from a few days away. Where? To the heart of songbird migration in my province of Ontario, Canada – Point Pelee National Park, situated at the most southern land tip of our great country. Four days away, immersed in nature, woodlands, lakeshore walks and the cacophony of songbirds returning to start families. It was absolutely amazing. See the images at the end of this post.

Timing is everything for these trips and yet you often have to plan months in advance to ensure you can find accommodation at your chosen time. The annual Point Pelee Bird Festival is an incredible event, where bird lovers from all over the world gather to look up through binoculars or camera lenses or both to welcome the returning hoards of songbirds and to experience those amazing songs.

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One-Handed Photography

I’m still recovering from major surgery this past September. But I’m mobile enough now to get out of the house for some photography, so I decided I would go out to a local area known as the migration pathway for Sandhill Cranes. These are large birds, similar to other species of cranes, with huge wingspans and beautiful graceful flightlines. Many photographers in our area “flock” to the farmers’ fields where these birds stop on their journey, to fuel up on the remnants of corn fields.

Sandhill Cranes on the Wing

I had one particular challenge this year in getting out to photograph them. They are notoriously shy and make it a point to stay as far away from the roadways as possible. My challenge: because of my surgery, I am still walking with a cane, so trekking around the countryside to get the best vantage point for photographing these birds would be no easy task. Here’s how I did it.

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