Patrick J. Blake's Photos

Your Bio

My wife and I live in Ottawa, Ontario. My photography is an offshoot of my greater passion - birding. All of the photos presented here were taken in the field and are all wild birds, unless otherwise noted. New photos are placed at the beginning of each gallery.

Life List: 301
Most Recent Addition(s): Thayer's Gull (Larus thayeri) - 9 November 2009

See my full Life List.

Recent Updates: 17 November 2009 - Added three new photos to the "Sandpipers & Plovers" gallery.

Slideshow

Most Popular Photos

American Crow / Corneille d'Amérique
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Earl Armstrong Road, Gloucester, Ontario
23 April 2008

I think this is the quintessential crow shot: the perch, the barbed wire fence, the golden backdrop...it all comes together so perfectly. I took this just after sunrise, and was quite surprised that the crow didn't take off as soon as I was within a close distance, especially since I was in my car at the time. Moments after I shot this, though, it did take off to forage in the fields nearby.

Wilson's Snipe / Bécassine de Wilson
Gallinago delicata
Earl Armstrong Road, Gloucester, Ontario
11 May 2008

Wilson's snipes have an interesting courtship display, where the male flies in circles through the sky, making a "winnowing" sound periodically. The winnowing is caused by air passing over the tail feathers in flight, and sounds very similar to the 1950s sound effect for UFOs, such as in The Day The Earth Stood Still.

Red-winged Blackbird (male) / Carouge à épaulettes
"Red-winged" group, phoeniceus subspecies
Agelaius phoeniceus phoeniceus
Chapman Mills Conservation Area, Nepean, Ontario
23 May 2008

The "typical" subspecies is the primary or nominate subspecies in North America. There is also a "bicoloured" subspecies (A. p. californicus) which is only found in southern California.

Pileated Woodpecker (female) / Grand pic (femelle)
Dryocopus pileatus
Britannia Conservation Area, Ottawa, Ontario
29 March 2008

I had never seen a woodpecker preen itself before. I guess that beak is good for more than just boring through tree trunks.

Pileated Woodpecker (male) / Grand pic (mâle)
Dryocopus pileatus
Stony Swamp Conservation Area (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa, Ontario
21 February 2008

This handsome bird was kind enough to pose for me, taking a brief moment from burrowing for tasty morsels for this portrait.

Grey Jay / Mésangeai du Canada
"Taiga" subspecies
Perisoreus canadensis canadensis
Spruce Bog, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
3 January 2009

"Do you think if we sit real still and ignore him, he'll go away?"
"I don't know - it's worth a shot."
"Don't look now, he pulled out that black thing again."

House Sparrow (male) / Moineau domestique
Passer domesticus
Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ottawa, Ontario
16 March 2008

Smile for the camera.

Red-breasted Nuthatch (male) / Sittelle à poitrine rousse (mâle)
Sitta canadensis
Stony Swamp Conservation Area (Jack Pine Trail), Ottawa, Ontario
10 April 2008

Barred Owl / Chouette rayée
Strix varia
Owl Woods, Amherst Island, Ontario
1 November 2008

Barred owls are not uncommon in the Ottawa area, though they can be very difficult to find sometimes. During the winter of '07/'08, a barred owl took up residence on a stretch of rural road near a Canadian Forces firing range, much to the delight of area birders and photographers. Try as I might, however, I was unsuccessful at locating that particular owl, even though I was told that "I couldn't miss it."

So when I came across this barred owl, a lifer for me (#229), I was thrilled to finally meet my highly sought-after quarry face to face.

Eastern Bluebird (male) / Merlebleu de l'Est (mâle)
Sialia sialis
Earl Armstrong Road, Gloucester, Ontario
23 April 2008

Cedar Waxwing / Jaseur d'Amérique
Bombycilla cedrorum
Stony Swamp Conservation Area (Old Quarry Trail), Ottawa, Ontario
24 February 2008

Berries are the primary diet of waxwings. Cedar waxwings have been seen to pass berries from one individual to another, as though along an assembly line. Sometimes waxwings have even shown signs of being drunk from eating too many berries.

Spruce Grouse (male) / Tétras du Canada (mâle)
"Hudsonian" subspecies
Dendragapus canadensis canadensis
Spruce Bog, Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario
12 October 2008

The spruce grouse is a species only found in the northern boreal forests of North America. Algonquin Provincial Park is a well-known location in Ontario to find this species. This male was located at the Spruce Bog boardwalk near the East Gate entrance to the Park, which is the traditional site to find this species.

EDIT (19 Nov. 2008): Sometime in 2006 the spruce grouse was reclassified due to emerging DNA analysis. The genus Falcipennis, to which the spruce grouse formerly belonged, was lumped in with the genus Dendragapus. It's great that new advances in DNA technology have allowed us to better understand the relationships between species. However, it means that, on a more personal level, I have to continually scribble in my field guides to keep them up to date.

Wood Duck (male & female) / Canard blanchu (mâle et femelle)
Adults in breeding plumage
Aix sponsa
Britannia Conservation Area (Mud Lake), Ottawa, Ontario
19 April 2007

Snowy Owl (juvenile) / Harfang des neiges
Bubo scandiacus
St-Rose, Ontario
27 January 2008

Virginia Rail / Râle de Virginie
Rallus limicola
Cooper Marsh Conservation Area, South Lancaster, Ontario
28 June 2008

Rails are generally very secretive and are rarely actually seen for any great length of time. However, some species can be quite bold at times and offer very clear views of themselves.

Common Yellowthroat / Paruline masquée
Male in breeding plumage
Geothlypis trichas
Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
18 May 2008

Galleries

Sandpipers & Plovers : Sandpipers and plovers are the ubiquitous birds of the shore. They can also be found inland around lakes, rivers, and mudflats. Sandpipers are members of the family Scolopacidae, along with snipes and woodcocks, while plovers are members of the family Charadriidae.

Sandpipers & Plovers

Sandpipers and plovers are the ubiquitous birds of the shore. They c ...

Updated: Nov 17, 2009 5:54pm PST

Gulls & Terns : Families:
Laridae - gulls
Sternidae - terns

Families: Laridae - gulls Sternidae - terns

Updated: Nov 12, 2009 3:10pm PST

Waterfowl : Family: Anatidae

Family: Anatidae

Updated: Nov 12, 2009 2:48pm PST

Finches & Allies : Family: Fringillidae

Finches & Allies

Family: Fringillidae

Updated: Nov 12, 2009 2:33pm PST

Sparrows & Allies : Commonly referred to as "LBJs" (little brown jobs), sparrows are one of my favourite families of birds. There are so many different species, and they are endlessly fun to identify.

Family:
Emberizidae (New World sparrows)
Calcariidae (snow buntings and longspurs)
Passeridae (Old World sparrows - i.e. house sparrow)

Sparrows & Allies

Commonly referred to as "LBJs" (little brown jobs), sparrows are one o ...

Updated: Nov 09, 2009 5:09pm PST

Owls : Family: Strigidae

Family: Strigidae

Updated: Nov 04, 2009 3:28pm PST

Wrens : Family: Troglodytidae

Family: Troglodytidae

Updated: Oct 25, 2009 6:02pm PST

Crows, Ravens, & Jays : Family: Corvidae

Crows, Ravens, & Jays

Family: Corvidae

Updated: Oct 14, 2009 5:26pm PST

Woodpeckers, Nuthatches & Creepers : Family:

Picidae (woodpeckers)
Sittidae (nuthatches)
Certhiidae (treecreepers)

Woodpeckers, Nuthatches & Creepers

Family: Picidae (woodpeckers) Sittidae (nuthatches) Certhiidae (t ...

Updated: Oct 14, 2009 5:02pm PST

Grouse & Turkey : Family: Phasianidae

Grouse & Turkey

Family: Phasianidae

Updated: Oct 11, 2009 1:54pm PST

Miscellaneous & Unsorted : I categorize my galleries by bird families. Sometimes I don't have enough photos of birds in a certain family to justify creating a new album. Thus the Miscellaneous & Unsorted gallery.

As I continue to add to my growing collection of photos, images in this gallery may be moved to a different one as need be.

Families represented:

Sturnidae (starlings)
Columbidae (doves & pigeons)
Podicipedidae (grebes)
Laniidae (shrikes)
Pelecanidae (pelicans)
Gaviidae (loons)
Threskiornithidae (ibises & spoonbills)
Trochilidae (hummingbirds)
Motacillidae (pipits & wagtails)

Miscellaneous & Unsorted

I categorize my galleries by bird families. Sometimes I don't have e ...

Updated: Oct 09, 2009 9:05am PST

Herons & Allies : Family: Ardeidae

Herons & Allies

Family: Ardeidae

Updated: Oct 01, 2009 1:17pm PST

Dragonflies & Damselflies : In an attempt to try my hand at something different, I've compiled a gallery of dragonflies and damselflies that I have happened across during my usual bird outings. I am novice at dragonfly identification, so please feel free to let me know if I make a misidentification on any of these photos.

These photos are best viewed in large or extra large format.

Dragonflies & Damselflies

In an attempt to try my hand at something different, I've compiled a g ...

Updated: Aug 31, 2009 7:12pm PST

Vireos : Family: Vireonidae

Family: Vireonidae

Updated: Aug 28, 2009 3:37pm PST

Warblers : Summer is the season of warblers. You can't go anywhere without hearing their lyrical, complex songs echoing from every nook and cranny. By far my favourite time for birding is near the end of the spring migration, when the warblers arrive en masse. There are so many species of warbler, and so many shapes and colours for them to come in.

Family Parulidae

Summer is the season of warblers. You can't go anywhere without heari ...

Updated: Aug 28, 2009 3:21pm PST

Cormorants : Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Family: Phalacrocoracidae

Updated: Aug 24, 2009 3:26pm PST

Rails : A gallery dedicated to the elusive waders of the marshes.

Family Rallidae

A gallery dedicated to the elusive waders of the marshes. Family Ra ...

Updated: Aug 23, 2009 2:58pm PST

Tyrant Flycatchers : Members of the family Tyrannidae, these flycatchers are notoriously difficult to visually identify in the field. Many genera have several species that are practically identical in plumage, and can only be distinguished from one another by their songs and calls. Two examples are the Empidonax and the Myiarchus genera.
I will be working to link to Cornell University's Macaulay Library, which hosts a massive database of bird calls. These calls are instrumental to correctly identifying some of the tyrant flycatcher species.

Tyrant Flycatchers

Members of the family Tyrannidae, these flycatchers are notoriously di ...

Updated: Aug 23, 2009 2:43pm PST

Thrushes : Family: Turdidae

Family: Turdidae

Updated: Aug 20, 2009 5:28pm PST

Eagles, Hawks & Falcons : Families:
Eagles & hawks: Accipitridae
Osprey: Pandionidae
Falcons: Falconidae

Eagles, Hawks & Falcons

Families: Eagles & hawks: Accipitridae Osprey: Pandionidae Falcons: ...

Updated: Aug 16, 2009 8:51am PST

Blackbirds, Cowbirds, & Orioles : Family: Icteridae

Blackbirds, Cowbirds, & Orioles

Family: Icteridae

Updated: Jun 29, 2009 2:41pm PST

Swallows & Martins

Family: Hirundinidae

Updated: Jun 23, 2009 3:16pm PST

Innis Point Bird Observatory : I volunteered for the Spring Migration Monitoring Program at the Innis Point Bird Observatory here in Ottawa. The program runs from April 24 to June 7. This gallery is a collection of the interesting birds that were banded and released during the program. I try to volunteer once a week, schedule and weather permitting, so I will update this gallery as often as possible.

For more information on the Innis Point Bird Observatory and the variety of programs it runs, please visit the IPBO homepage.

Innis Point Bird Observatory

I volunteered for the Spring Migration Monitoring Program at the Innis ...

Updated: Jun 19, 2009 3:45pm PST

Waxwings : Family: Bombycillidae

Family: Bombycillidae

Updated: Apr 17, 2009 1:47pm PST

Mockingbirds, Thrashers & Mimics : Family: Mimidae

Mockingbirds, Thrashers & Mimics

Family: Mimidae

Updated: Mar 12, 2009 5:34pm PST

Chickadees & Titmice : Family: Paridae

Chickadees & Titmice

Family: Paridae

Updated: Mar 10, 2009 2:41pm PST

Cardinals & Allies : Family: Cardinalidae

Cardinals & Allies

Family: Cardinalidae

Updated: Oct 30, 2008 7:02pm PST

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