Hi there,
I am a new member having found my way here via various photography forums and following the images I have seen from various photographers from our region.
I have been a hobbyist photographer now for a little over a year and I have always had an interest in birding fostered by my old grade school teacher in grades 5 and 6 who thought that instilling a love of nature in his students was the best way to stimulate our minds about the environment. Still an inspiration to me 25 years later.
I haven't travelled much around southern Ontario with my camera however due to the demands of life and kids but as the weather has been so nice so far this winter I have taken the opportunity to get a few days out whenever possible.
My most recent excursion was on New Years day down to Taylor Creek park to make an attempt at catching one of the many resident hawks (I believe they are Red Tailed Hawks) as they soared and played in their hunting grounds.
Here's a few of my shots from the day:
A Downy Woodpecker who came to visit me while I was shooting.
A few form the summer at my wife's uncle's cottage:
I shoot with an Olympus E-500 DSLR and since this is a fairly new style of lens mount to the market my lens selection has been limited but due to recent advances more manufacturers are coming on board. My "long lens" is a Sigma 50 - 500 APO f4 - 6.3 with my next one down being the kit lens of 40 - 150 f3.5 - 4.5 (made by Zuiko for Olympus)
I know I have tons to learn and I am most interested in finding new places and new subject so shoot as I grow as a birder and am able to identify more species as well as capture them for my phtographic collection. I am hoping my time spent reading these forums will assist me in both of those goals.
Jay
