I have had the pleasure of travelling all over this huge province, and spending quite a great deal of time "up north".  I have always been fascinated by the landscape and the wildlife, but only recently have I really noticed and taken an interest in the vast wild that live in the skies. 

My dad used to point out the Blue Heron from the fishing boat all the time, as it is an elusive bird ( and I don't have a picture of it here).  It is the most prehistoric looking bird that I have seen and the wingspans are massive ( sometimes reaching 8 ft. wide ).

However, with the new zoom lens that I recently purchased ( Nikkor 4-5.6 80-400 Telephoto ), I have been able to really capture some of these birds, both in flight and in the trees, a lot more effectively.

I am shooting a lot but I am spending more time looking up, as there is an entire world above us.

My next mission is to shoot the Osprey nest that is near the cottage.  They are truly amazing predators and in the Eagle family, which I have a fascination with as well.

I hope you enjoy these few photos, and the hardest part of this wasn't the pics themselves, but choosing which shots to use.

-Fitzy

The ever elusive Blue Jay ( taken at Kashwakamak )

A common Mallard taking off at Grenadier Pond

The Majestic Swan in High Park Toronto

The Wood Duck with its arrangement of colours ( taken at Grenadier Pond , Toronto )

The Oriole with its bold, bright chest amongst the May Japanese Cherry Blossoms in High Park, Toronto

The common and often annoying pigeons, are actually quite spectacular in the sunlight ( taken at the Humber River near James Gardens, Toronto )

Maybe a shot that I am most proud of.  The elusive Loon is a national symbol, but very difficult to get close to because of their ability to dive under water for up to 3 minutes, and pop up hundreds of yards away.  I wasn't aware of the red eye colour until I examined these pictures long after the fact.  They generally look like a black silhouette on the water. ( taken at Kashwakamak )

Although Bald Eagles are the Kings of the Skies, they are both scavengers and hunters.  You will know that they are near, not necessarily because you can see their massive wingspan ( sometimes as much as 7 feet in Ontario ), but the other birds in the area all disappear.  ( taken at Little Missinaibi in the Chaplea Game Preserve near Lake Superior )