This was the first time I was able to see a Merlin Falcon up close and personal! I was too busy watching him to take too many photos, so here are my two favourite shots! It is pretty awesome that for such a small bird of prey they still fully live up to their name as a raptor. They hunt songbirds and small shorebirds. Next time I get the chance to photograph one I will make sure to take more pictures too.
Oliver was the first raptor I got to work with that day. It was a damp, wet morning and what a challenge it is to photograph in the rain! Adds some cool texture though. It was difficult to capture his wings with such low light so I tried something a little more artistic to get the wings blurred a bit. I like the effect, but I still prefer the detail of the wings. Some day I would love to see a Great Horned Owl in the wild.
First off, harris hawks are so cool! They are the only birds of prey to hunt in packs. The one I got to meet is especially neat because he is the Toronto FC’s mascot! This was also one of the first times I ever used a rain cover on my camera. Worked well keeping out the water, but so annoying to use!
Back in May I got a wonderful opportunity to photograph some awesome raptors. I got to get up close and work on capturing in flight shots! Here are some photos of Sam the Bald Eagle. It was quite something getting to photograph him flying over water (got his wing tips dragging in the water in a couple of shots) and though it was super windy I think the added texture is cool. A few of the photos with Sam were done over Lake Erie. I will be posting more raptor photos in the coming days!
One of my favorite things about the Iron Horse trail is that there are always birds around. I was lucky to happen across this Blue Heron while it was getting ready to eat. It is crazy that they can swallow the fish whole, I mean that really isn’t a tiny fish!
The last bird I shot at Mountsberg was this amazing peregrine falcon. This bird was illegally bred in captivity and later rescued from an abusive individual. Luckily, Mountsberg runs a raptor rescue centre that makes sure that birds like this peregrine live a decent life after facing abuse.
If you’re interested in any prints of any of my wildlife or nature shots, don’t hesitate to contact me!
This beautiful barn owl is still fairly young and was quite the show off. Absolutely gorgeous colouring! My favorite little detail on this one is the triangular bits along the head/neck/chest.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of photographing this lovely family. If you are looking to have some family portraits done, email me at silvarasexpressions@gmail.com.
The next owl I had the pleasure of photographing was a 27 year old great horned owl! To think that in captivity they can live so long. This one definitely demonstrates the wise old owl look.
This week I got a wonderful opportunity to photograph some owls. Here is the eastern screech owl! It was so amazing to get up close with this little guy. The colours in the feathers is something else, no wonder they are hard to find in their natural setting.
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