NORTHERN RIVER Images

I'm going back a few months... in April, Ospreys are returning to Ontario, and a pair on an old nest can look surprisingly busy even before there are eggs. For the female, this is the beginning of the serious nesting routine. She spends time inspecting the nest, rearranging sticks, and adding fresh material. A nest that survived the winter may need considerable repair. She may tug at a branch, settle into the nest cup, and call to her mate as he arrives with another piece of nesting material. The male has a different job, and one of his most important contributions is food. Ospreys are specialist fish-eaters, and during the pre-breeding period the male may spend much of his time hunting. He leaves the nest, searches the water from above, then plunges feet-first toward a fish. When successful, he returns carrying the catch in his talons. What happens next can be fascinating to watch. The male may deliver the fish to the nest, where the female takes it and begins feeding. Sometimes she eats immediately; at other times, the pair's interactions around the food are more complicated. These deliveries help establish the male's ability to provide and strengthen the pair bond before egg-laying. Meanwhile, both birds defend the nest and its surroundings. Ospreys can be surprisingly vocal, especially when another osprey approaches. Courtship displays, aerial chases, nest repairs, and fish deliveries can make an April nest seem constantly active. Watching two ospreys together at this time of year is therefore about more than simply seeing a pair of birds. It is the opening chapter of another breeding season: one bird investing heavily in the nest, the other bringing in fish, and both preparing for the demanding weeks ahead. In Ontario, April offers a wonderful chance to watch this partnership take shape> One stick and one fish at a time.🙂

The Eastern Phoebe is a small, charming songbird that is a familiar sight across Ontario, especially around farms, gardens, woodlands, and open areas. With its simple brown-and-white colouring and constantly bobbing tail, this bird may not look flashy, but its behaviour and distinctive call make it easy to recognize. Eastern Phoebes are territorial birds. A breeding pair will defend an area around their nesting site from other Phoebes and potential competitors. They often choose nesting locations on ledges, buildings, cliffs, and, quite famously, under bridges. Bridges provide sheltered surfaces that protect their nests from rain and predators while remaining close to open feeding areas. The Eastern Phoebe's diet consists mainly of insects. It frequently waits from a perch, then flies out to catch insects in mid-air before returning to the same or another nearby perch. It also eats spiders and other small invertebrates. During colder months or when insects are scarce, Phoebes may supplement their diet with small fruits and berries. The bird's name comes from its distinctive call. Its repeated, raspy “fee-bee” or “fee-bee” song is one of the easiest ways to identify it, even when the bird is hidden among trees or vegetation. The call also explains the common name “Phoebe,” which has been used for this group of flycatchers for centuries.🙂

The September blog post has arrived.

Chasing Light and Life — Northern River Images There are mornings when I step outside with my camera and instantly know the seasons are changing. It isn't because the calendar tells me so, but because the air feels different. There's a freshness that wasn't there just a few weeks ago. Summer hasn't quite left us, but it's beginning to whisper it