An image from 20 years ago that I just reprocessed for publication. A baby Yellow Warbler photographed just seconds after a Mayfly was delivered by its father for breakfast. Flashback 20 years, and you will find me with my first professional digital camera, the Nikon 1DX, paired with a Nikon 300mm f/2.8 doubler with a flash and a Better Beamer flash extender to add a little catchlight and fill the shadows. There have been so many advances in the digital photography world ……. Yellow warbler baby eating a Mayfly (Setophaga petechia, Pauline jaune, YEWA) From long ago on June 18, 2004. ©Christop ..read more

In his play Love's Labour's Lost, William Shakespeare wrote, "Then nightly sings the staring owl." These words certainly apply to any of these big-eyed, big-headed birds, for owls do indeed stare. And in that staring face, we can see some of the owl's adaptations for life in the dark. Unlike the eyes of other birds, an owl's eyes face straight ahead, like our own, giving the bird binocular vision. Unlike human eyes, however, they do not move in their sockets, so the bird must swivel its head to follow moving objects. Although owls see well in dim light, most depend on supersensitive hearing wh ..read more

This is a fun portrait of a Bald Eagle from the second day (March 6, 2024) of my first Bald Eagles Galore and so much more Workshop in Alaska. Once the fishing action stops, the Eagles sit pretty and allow close approaches—smile. Bald Eagles Look Back Portrait (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) March 6, 2024 near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X Tele-extender @1,200mm ISO 800, f/16 @ 1/200s. Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Eagles Galore workshop next March. T ..read more

Here is a Blackburnian Warbler from a magical morning at Point Pelee during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop on May 9, 2019. The birding started slowly, but we soon realized it would be an epic morning when warblers began to appear in increasing numbers. There was no legendary “wave” of Warblers, but it did become difficult to isolate just one bird in an image. I just relived that morning as I prepared this image for publication. All of the images before and after this frame include a Bay-Breasted or a Magnolia Warbler - One of those mornings that makes Point Pelee so legendary for spring migrat ..read more

This Yellow-throated Vireo was photographed during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop at Point Pelee National Park of Canada. I used my Sony 600mm f/4 G Master lens with my Sony 1.4X teleconverter. Due to a medical emergency that resulted in a cancellation, there is still room for you to join my May 7-11 Songbirds of Pelee workshop at Point Pelee National Park. Come and experience the magic of spring migration at one of the top 10 birding destinations in the world! Learn more about my Songbirds of Pelee spring migration workshop HERE. These little insect-eating birds resemble the warblers with who ..read more

Here is a beautiful Black-Throated Blue Warbler from an incredible afternoon during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop last May 8, 2023. Due to a medical emergency, I suddenly have space available for my May 7-11 Songbirds of Pelee Workshop (Get well soon, Dave) that sold out last July. Join me for this epic experience at the peak of the spring songbird migration at one of the top 10 birding destinations in the world! I am a fully licenced operator in the park. Point Pelee National Park is one of the best inland locations to observe bird migration. Its location on major migratory flyways and the n ..read more

After an early breakfast, we drive to Lake Blue Cypress and board the pontoon boat for what is always a magical ride through the Osprey-filled Blue Cypress trees that grow in the water as the sun begins to cast its magical first drops of light. On the last morning of the first Ospreys Galore Workshop (April 7), I heard the celebratory calling of this Osprey showing off its fresh catch to its mate, and Captain Don quickly did his part and got us in position to make a series of images before leaving the bird in peace. Join me next April for this magical adventure: Ospreys Galore and so much more ..read more

An Osprey with a freshly caught fish from my recently concluded Ospreys Galore workshop in Florida. Brown and white, with nearly six-foot wingspans, ospreys are formidable birds of prey that feed exclusively on fish. Also known as fish hawks, they hover over rivers, lakes, and seacoasts as they search for prey. Once they spot a tantalizing flash, ospreys plunge feet-first into the water, often with a great splash, and seize their slippery catch in sharp talons. On the flight home, they usually hold the fish facing forward, reducing wind resistance. OSPREY in flight with fresh catch (Pandion h ..read more

A Roseate Spoonbill lands directly in front of me during my recent Ospreys Galore Workshop (and so much more) in Florida. One of the most spectacularly beautiful large wading birds is the roseate spoonbill, a resident of the Gulf Coast from east Texas to southern Florida. Named for its bright pink plumage and long, flat, spoon-shaped bill, the bird feeds in a manner all its own. It swings its extremely sensitive bill from side to side in shallow water, snapping it shut on small fish, shrimp, and insects that it detects by touch. Like other members of the ibis family, roseate spoonbills are usu ..read more

Who would have thought that a Boat-tailed Grackle would be one of my favourite images from our Stick Marsh excursion to the Roseate Spoonbills in Fellsmere, Florida? High winds and heavy rain were predicted for the morning of April 10 at Lake Blue Cypress during my Ospreys Galore Workshop, so Captain Don and I decided it best to keep everyone safe and skip the boat. We all headed to the Roseate Spoonbill colony for an epic shoot; this Boat-tailed Grackle decided to fly in and land directly in front of me. Choosing my favourite from the nearly 250 images made with the new Sony a9 III at 120 fra ..read more