Tagged: spring

Signs of spring: Tundra Swans

With reports of early migration of tundra swans, I went back to process some of my photos of them. They are a species we typically only see in early spring, as they pass through. Present year round in Southern Ontario are Mute Swans, a non-native bird which is the most common swan. Less common, but still present in large numbers in winter are the trumpeter swans, the largest of the native swans. They can still be found throughout the summer, but mostly in marshes (such as Wye Marsh) in central Ontario where they breed.

I hope to add some more photos this year!

Tundra Swan portrait

Tundra Swan Portrait - notice the distinctive yellow mark - Canon 1DIV - 800/5.6IS

Tundra Swan (foreground) and Trumpeter Swan (click to enlarge)

Tundra Swan (foreground) and Trumpeter Swan (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIV - 800/5.6IS

Bull moose eating vegetation

Tundra Swan on calm water (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIV - 800/5.6IS

View more, or order a print at my gallery!

Bull Moose

Algonquin Provincial Park, in Ontario, Canada is a fantastic destination for moose viewing. This is especially true during the spring, when moose are attracted to the slightly salty water near the highways, caused by runoff from the winter’s salting operations. I was able to photograph this large adult bull last spring, as he munched away beside the highway, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding crowd. So far this is the largest moose I’ve found, and it would be wonderful to meet him again (at a safe distance!) in the fall when he has shed the velvet.

Bull moose eating vegetation

Bull moose chomping down on vegetation (click to enlarge) - Canon 5DII - 800/5.6IS

Bull moose in a beaver pond

Side profile view of a bull moose in a beaver pond (click to enlarge) - Canon 1DIV - 300/2.8IS

See more moose photos at my website (more photos to come)