Local Waterfowl

Fall in Newfoundland is a beautiful time of the year with the leaves changing and the crisp mornings. However the birds seem to be few and far between and so we shoot what we can, like local waterfowl! Some of the species we commonly see are:

American Black Duck
Mallard
Green Wing Teal
Both Eurasian and American Wigeon
Tufted Duck
Greater & Lesser Scaup
A Wood Duck every now and then
Hooded Mergansers are not that unusual and I've herd from local hunters they are much more common then in years past
Common & Red breasted Mergansers
Common & King Eider
Scooters
Long tailed Duck

(Not all species are seen in fall, winter is the better time to see the sea ducks)

 

Over the next few weeks we are planning on doing some set ups at our feeders and also going and trying to photograph some moose!

Cape Spear

At The Edge Of The Western World There Is A Place Where Day Dawns FirstCape Spear is a location both me and Brad go to quite often. The rugged coastline and big waves never seem to get old. Cape spear being the most easterly point in Canada is also a great spot for birds. Between Brad and I we have seen numerous species at cape spear. From Purple sandpipers to Northern wheatear, cape spear always has something to offer. Right now we are anticipating photographing some purple sandpipers with in the next couple of months. Until then we constantly await rare bird sightings from that area during the fall.

Cape spear offers some great viewing of sea birds depending on what direction the wind is blowing and it can be easy to see species there such as:

Dovekie
WW Scoter
Surf Scoter
Common & King eider
Long-tailed duck
Jeagers
Sukas
Guillemonts

During the winter months it is very common to see huge rafts of eiders out feeding on muscles and other sea life. During the fall, vagrant warblers and other songbirds can easily be seen in the small community of blackhead and along the road to the cape. It takes a very skilled birder to find these vagrants amidst the tangled alders and other common species. Me and brad have seen a few different species of birds on cape spear road but every time we go its a learning experience and we always see something new and interesting.

Along the road to cape spear you can see signal hill off in the distance at a very different point of view. We have tried some landscape photography in the area but only brad has had any real success in that. We hope to try again sometime in the future as cape spear has so much potential.

              Brad trying to capture the freshly fallen snow last winter on the way to the cape



The best thing about Cape Spear is that you never know what to expect any time of the year. Many tourists visit the cape to go whale watching in summer and also people just like to be able to say that they went as far east as one can go on land. I believe that some people consider it one of the corners of the world.

Cape spear also offers some cool backgrounds and perches for birds. The rocks from what is left over from a part of the  African plate many millions of years ago has a different color then most rocks in Newfoundland and make for some interesting images.

Cape Spear also makes for some amazing sunrise images. Open seas, lighthouses and the warm tones of the rising sun what more could you ask for.