Always a wonderful surprise!


 This morning was a cold, windy very overcast morning in Sarnia.  I was torn on where to go on my before work expedition.  The light was poor for photography and I didn't fancy a long trek with this NW wind.  Blackwell Trails (or Twin Lake Park) was where my trusty Honda pointed to.  I was hoping to see a Common Loon Gavia immer as I ran into a lovely couple one day and they said that a pair always show up here in April.  No Loon, but as I was walking this fairly short trail my Merlin app picked up Yellow Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata.  I noticed some movement in the brush and thought that I would never be able to see let alone photograph this pretty bird.  The YRWA gave me some good views and I was able to get some half decent photographs!  I was over the moon.  These early migrants have been back in town for a couple of weeks now, and I have heard them, but this was the first time I was able to get a good honest look and some photos.  Most had twigs in front, but some were clear of vegetation.  

Another pleasant surprise which I didn't realize until I got home just now and looked at my photos, an early Hermit Thrush Catharus guttatus . I thought I was photographing a Chipping Sparrow Spizella passerina. but lo and behold it was a bird that I had never had a clear look at before!  This was a double win for me.  

The photographs are not calendar worthy, but to me, they mean the world.  I have always enjoyed the natural world, but it has been only since late last May that I really started looking at them closely and monitoring them daily by doing daily checklists on Ebird.  I got myself a half decent camera (Canon R100 with a Sigma 150 mm to 600 mm lense) and it has been a steep learning curve with this camera compared with my Canon 35 mm then a Canon Powershot.  I still struggle with focus, but it is difficult with these tiny fast moving birds (though I must admit the HETH didn't move very fast!)

What I learned today, no matter the weather, always bring your camera, you never know what you may capture, even if it is something you didn't realize you saw!


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