In this pandemic year, with non-essential travel discouraged, I decided to focus on the wildlife preserves and scenic attractions near my home.
One of the anomalies that has emerged during this most unusual year is that several species of rare birds have found their way to Quebec – providing avid nature photographers with a unique opportunity to encounter these creatures in our local environment.
A Mandarin in Laval…
In April 2021, a mandarin duck appeared in the Laval area of Quebec. This was a very rare thrill for the local ornithologists and photographers. One of the most beautiful species of ducks, the Mandarin is rarely seen in Quebec, and speculation on how it arrived in Laval is buzzing through the bird-watching community. Rumour has it that he escaped from a farm in the Newmarket, Ontario area.
No matter where it appears, a Mandarin duck attracts crowds. Michka Bélaïeff, a hardworking photographer and good friend of mine, had the pleasure of photographing this Mandarin drake during his visit to Laval. Here are some pictures of this brightly coloured wonder. Visit his website: www.michkabelaieff.com
A Pelican in Quebec City!
Just 10 minutes from my home, at the Léon Provancher Marsh in Neuville, I encountered another unusual, feathered visitor. I usually arrive at the parking lot around 07:00 in the morning, when there are a few avid photographers on-site. Recently, on this very special day, my friend Luc Simard (whose portfolio was featured in PHOTONews – Spring 2020, Volume 29 – No.1) and I pulled into the lot, and we were surprised to see that it was already full. As I was thinking that this is not normal at this time of the morning, even during the summer, when many photo enthusiasts visit to photograph the wildlife in the marsh, the mystery was solved when a lady asked us if we were there, to photograph the pelican. We looked at each other – surprised. Surely this was mistake – it is very, very rare to see pelican in Quebec City!
As there was nothing interesting in the part of the marsh where we were, we decided to venture deeper into the trail system. As we hiked trough the fields, we saw several photographers with heavy artillery (powerful lenses). We immediately decided to follow these wildlife paparazzi and soon discovered that indeed, there was a pelican in the marsh! We could barely believe our eyes – how did this American pelican find its way to Quebec? Good question – and one of the ornithologists on-site had an explanation for us…
We know that the American pelican nests in colonies, on isolated islands… Most breeding colonies are located within a vast territory that extends from the Prairie provinces to southern California, and from the Texas coast of the Gulf of Mexico to Florida. During the warmer months, many pelicans nest in Canada. During the winter, they migrate to nesting grounds ranging from the southern United States to Guatemala. The adult pelican is an impressive bird, with a body measuring 125 to 165 cm (50 to 64 inches) long and a wingspan of nearly 3m (10 ft.). I had the pleasure of photographing this beautiful bird several times over the days that followed. Here are the results.
By Jacques Dumont
Subject superlative , and the photography is in a state of its own by both
Photographers. The subjects deserved the best and they got it.
La Belle Province is that over and over.
Quite stunning and how lucky!
Merci infiniemwnt.