Caught this Swamp sparrow skulking around a frozen pond. Swamp sparrows tend to be an uncommon winter bird, but a few stick around in Ontario every year. 🌿📷🪶

If I had to pick a favourite bird group it would probably be gulls. And if I had to pick a favourite gull, it would be hard not to choose the Glaucous gull. I was lucky to run into this 1st year bird this morning 🪶🌿📷

Really excited to get my lifer Townsend's Solitaire in Ontario today. Usually the farthest east they'll come is Saskatchewan. 🌿📷🪶

It's been a pretty good bird year so far. Found this Rusty blackbird hiding amongst leaf litter 📷🪶🌿

My first Ross's Goose, an uncommon Ontario species that sometimes flocks with Canada Geese. 🪶🌿📷

Caught this beaver working his way through some branches 🪶🌿📷

With the year coming to an end, here are my top movies of the year. 📽️🎥🎬 For album of the year I have 🎶🎵: 1. Lonely people with power by Deafheaven 2. Let God sort them out by Clipse 3. Private Music by Deftones

A Long-eared owl I spotted while on my finch hunt. I find Long-eared owls tend to rest too close to trails, so when I see them I try to leave the area so as not to disturb them. This owl was being mobbed by smaller birds which explains why he was awake and alert during the day. 🌿🪶📷

I was hunting for finches when I noticed something else was watching me, a Barred Owl. 🪶📷🌿

Ran into a Redpoll hiding among a group of American Tree Sparrows 🌿🪶📷

Another Horned lark 🪶🌿📷

I was sitting around in a field waiting for raptors when a group of Horned Larks wandered close to me 🌿🪶📷

Not every day you run into a King Eider. This male is about a year out from his full adult plumage. Next year his bill will protrude to give a square headed look and he'll start to get green coloration around the eye. 🌿🪶📷

Northern Harrier in flight 🪶🌿📷

One of the worst parts of winter is not having a lot of daylight, this means I sometimes have to do my nature watching in my office. Last week I found this Western conifer seed bug with Tachinid fly eggs (likely from the genus Phasiinae). #insects 🌿🪰

Cooper's Hawk from this morning 🪶🌿📷

One of my favourite underrated Ontario birds is the Swamp Sparrow. They can be difficult to pick out until you learn to recognize their call. I was happy to spot a late one yesterday morning attempting to overwinter. 🌿🪶📷

I've been doing some seining as part of a new research project looking at the biodiversity of a local river. Some of our fish finds so far. 🐟 #fish 1. greenside Darter

It's easy to test out new camera settings when a Red Squirrel decides to pose for you. 🦊🌿📷

Went back to see the Razorbill again today and found it surprisingly close to shore! Was very excited to get a few pictures 🪶🌿📷

Lifer Razorbill in Toronto today! 🌿🪶📷

Cedar Waxwing eating a berry in 4 parts 🌿🪶📷

Stilt Sandpipers take flight 🪶🌿📷

Black-throated blue warbler from a quick morning bird today 🌿🪶📷

A Black-bellied Plover takes flight 🪶🌿📷

Contemplative Lesser Yellowlegs I ran into while hunting for Shorebirds 🪶🌿📷

Excited to run into an American Golden Plover resting during the migration 🌿📷🪶

Night heron looking for an early morning fish 🪶🌿📷

Swamp Sparrow investigating me while I waited for migratory shorebirds at a pond. 🌿🪶📷

I was noticing suspiciously few shorebirds when I saw a Peregrine Falcon perched over the shoreline. 🌿🪶📷

I was hunting for shorebirds when I saw a small bird moving in the grass. I decided to sit down and wait him out and was pleasantly surprised to see a rare Yellow-headed Blackbird. A west coast bird that rarely makes it to Ontario. 🌿🪶📷

Common Merganser I ran into this morning 🪶🌿📷

Very long unsuccessful Spruce Grouse hunt. Luckily I had this Yellow-rumped warbler hanging out to keep me company 🌿🪶📷

Some spectacular moths out tonight 1. Larch Tolype Moth 2. Boldly-marked Archips Moth 3. Maple Spanworm 4. Sweetfern Underwing Moth 🌿🦋 #inverts #insects

Very excited to see a Spotted Redshank in Ontario. The first confirmed on eBird in Canada since 1990. 🌿🪶📷

Ran into this Yellow-throated Vireo just outside my field site in June 🌿🪶📷

Purple finches caught in the field in June 🌿🪶📷

Ran into this Black Swallowtail investigating a thistle 🦋🌿📷 #butterflies #insects

Barn Swallow stretching early morning 🪶🌿📷

Ran into this Red-headed Woodpecker today. An uncommon sighting in Southern Ontario. 🪶🌿📷

Not too many birds to see this time of year so I'm looking back at some of my shots from May like this Wilson's Warbler 🌿🪶📷

Few moths are as cool as this Promethea silkmoth 🌿🦋📷 #invert #insect #moth #bugsky

I ran into this fledgling yellow-throated vireo 2 weeks ago. This fledgling may look young but it's old enough to have left the nest. Often people try to "rescue" fledglings but at this age they're safe to hop along the ground while still being fed by parents. 🌿🪶📷

Quick shot of a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher 🪶🌿📷

I've found myself increasingly interested in moths. I think because they're basically just small birds. Here are a few interesting micro moths from my moth sheet yesterday. #Invert 🌿 Pic 1. Orange-headed Callima Moth Pic 2. Cherry Shoot Borer Moth Pic 3. Clemens' Bark Moth

Stumbled into a large number of nesting Cliff Swallows. 🪶📷🌿

Offspring and mother Mink out foraging today 🌿📷🦊

Ran into this group of Dunlins on a sand bar 🪶🌿📷

Very excited to run into a Four-spotted Mantidfly on my moth sheet last night. Mantidflies are not closely related to Praying Mantises and are actually in the Lacewing order Neuroptera. 🌿📷 #insect #invert

Found this Pine Warbler loudly calling by our research site 🌿🪶📷