My desktop PC crashed on me, stopping my photography for a week or so. I have a small laptop, but didn't want to use the inferior screen for any sort of photo editing. So I just stopped shooting. Luckily I managed to diagnose the problem and fix it myself - without reloading the OS or wiping any data. Amazing how important these digital devices have become in our everyday lives.
I like shooting in the rain. During a heavy rainfall I walked through Campbell Valley Park. There was an amazing number of Black-headed Grosbeaks present. On one occasion, while listening to a chorus of them overhead I rounded a turn in the trail and encountered 6 of them on the path in front of me. Took some atypical photos of the males so soaked that their heads looked like they had hair gel with various feathers standing straight up at random places.
Previously I thought I had seen a Virginia Rail sitting on a nest in Serpentine Fen. Someone had shown me a photo of a Rail chick taken last June 1. So I thought I'd go to the location and see if I could encounter any myself. However, in the short period of my absence the grass had grown about 10 inches and the area was totally covered. No sounds. No motion. But I did hear a Sora some distance away.
I was surprised to see a Mourning Warbler in the Fen. I've been seeing them at many locations this Spring. First one I've seen there.
Also, while I was standing on the path watching for Rails, a Marsh Wren went into his tough-guy act. What was noticeable about this male was how far up he could bend his tail. The Wrens often have their tails straight up in the air, but this little male was like a rhythmic gymnast, placing his tail over his head like an umbrella or parasol.
[img]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7333168410_da19a6b097_z.jpg/img]
Then, at Burnaby Lake the woods were alive with the calls of Swainson's Thrushes. Like a flock had just arrived. I managed a few shots of them hurtling around, seeking mates or defining their territories. This shot I like because I had never seen the buffy colour of the neck before. Makes it look a little more colourful than they normally appear.
I also noticed at many locations that berries had ripened. Not surprisingly, I also encountered several flocks of Cedar Waxwings. Took some nice photos of these elegant birds that often have a look of intense suspicion. (More on the Flickr page.)
Another bird that suddenly appeared in abundance at Burnaby Lake was the Orange-crowned Warbler. Whereas a week or ten days ago, they seemed absent, now they are very visible. (I also caught my first glimpse of a Yellow Warbler flying with the Chickadees while foraging.)
Ever hopeful I went to Elgin Heritage Park with the aspiration of encountering an Evening Grosbeak. Someone is stocking several feeders, but I only saw RW Blackbirds using them (and Chickadees, of course - and one noisy BH Grosbeak). However, I did stumble upon a Mourning Dove on the path there. In fact this was a close encounter - perhaps because the bird was a juvenile. Usually they are wary and fly off immediately.
More on the Flickr page.
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