I love how my Tamron 150-600 MM zoom lens enables me to capture close-ups of my subjects without me having to get too close. Today I photographed my first 'Nova Scotian' little blue heron. I have seen them in Florida and knew they on occasion migrated as far north as Nova Scotia, but actually observing one here, in my home province had eluded me. That changed today, not only did I get to observe one, I was able to photograph him for quite some time. At first, he wasn't very active and as the sun began to [...]

The Birth of a Painting   ... Further down in this entry, I will detail the process of creating a painting from this encounter.  Last year in late August, I went to one of our beaches where the Piping Plovers like to feed and store up reserves for their long flight down south.  I shortened the legs on my tripod as short as I could, and plunked myself down in the sand, to do some photography. These little birds are so cute and animated that I kept finding myself grinning from ear to ear [...]

A Beautiful Red Fox Early on Sunday morning a special visitor appeared in our front yard, a beautiful red fox. An uncommon and wonderful site. She had a well shaped usual fox head and that distinctively furry tail with the patch of white on the end. Definitely a welcome yet unusual site for a Sunday morning. She was very timid as she crept out of the wooded edge of our property. Even though she was very shy she headed towards the center of our front yard with a sense of purpose that seems very natural to an intelligent [...]

Lawrencetown and the Piping Plover I live close to Lawrencetown Beach, just outside of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. For someone who loves wildlife and enjoys nature, this place is paradise. There is a little bird who inhabits our nearby shores, that is very close to my heart, the piping plover. These tiny birds migrate over 2000 kilometers from the Caribbean to Atlantic coastal beaches from Newfoundland to Nova Scotia and southward to North Carolina. Wildlife Preservation Canada Nova Scotia Conservation Program These tiny little birds, only 4 inches or 5 inches in [...]

With wings nearly brushing the snow beneath these majestic raptors cross the snow covered field in seconds. Each winter, when the weathers at it's coldest, the waterways freeze over closing off a primary food source for eagles. It is at this time that Bald Eagles come to Nova Scotia's valley area seeking out a much needed alternative source of food, chicken farms. Because the ground is frozen hard, farmers would dispose of their flocks losses in the open fields. This attracts many opportunistic Bald Eagles during this time of food shortage. Driving down a country road an observant person may pick out [...]

Photographing the owls of Nova Scotia, takes Jacqueline to forests, fields and coastlines. Dusk is often the best time for photographing owls and her time is limited when the owls are out and there's still enough light to capture a good image. Watching as one glides effortlessly silently past, you realize these elegant raptors are worth the effort. Barred, Great horned, Snowy, Short eared, Saw-whet owls can be photographed and observed here in Nova Scotia but these elusive birds will have you trekking through underbrush, through swamps and along beaches. Snowy owl photographed at Hartlen Point Nova Scotia. This male was part [...]