Book Review - Bird Photographer of the Year - Princeton University Press

     It is remarkable that I now have in my hands the 10th-anniversary edition of the Bird Photographer of the Year, a publication eagerly anticipated each year by nature lovers around the world. It is a source of both joy and wonderment that birds can be presented in such phenomenal variety, with both technical skill and interpretive superiority on display from page to  page. One is truly left in awe at the results that are achieved. 

      Many of the photographs are taken by professionals with highly sophisticated equipment and years of field experience, yet there is room for the dedicated amateur too. Age, gender, status in life, finances and physical ability are no barrier to a world-class photograph.

     Different categories are available, in order to encompass the full scope of technical proficiency and artistic interpretation. The categories are, Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Bird Behaviour, Birds in Flight, Black-and-white, Urban Birds, Creative Perspectives, Conservation, and the Young Bird Photographer of the Year.

    To select around 250 best entries from 33,000-plus photographs received must be a daunting task for the judges. I do not envy them their responsibility and commitment to fairness and lack of bias. Nor do I underestimate the countless hours spent sifting through all these pictures and selecting the most outstanding in each category, comparing one with another, revising a ranking upon seeing new images.

     One of the pleasures of poring over Bird Photographer of the Year is that you are free to assign your own judgement to the pictures on display. It's quite alright to disagree with the selections made by the judges. They of course make their selection through the prism of their lens and you are perfectly entitled to do the same. I suspect they laboured long and hard to finally declare a winner and the margin of superiority of one picture over another was very small indeed.

     A portion of the profits of the Bird Photographer of the Year goes to Birds on the Brink, a well-known charity, impeccable in its reputation, magnificent in its action to support bird conservation around the world.

     May I take a moment to exercise a little healthy national pride and point out that this year's Bird Photographer of the Year is the Canadian, Liron Gertsman. Well done, Liron. You have made us all proud.

     Birds around the world are threatened in myriad ways and anything that can be done to raise their profile and safeguard their habitat is more urgent now than at any time in history.

     In the touching comments by Birds on the Brink, perhaps the following words highlight most forcefully the enormity of the problem, "Increasingly, those who see the natural world as a resource to be plundered and exploited hold economic sway over those who regard it as a treasure to be protected."

     I urge everyone to buy a copy of this scintillating work, both for the visual delight that will enrich your life, and to aid in bird conservation - because it's the right thing to do.

     It's easy - and understandable - to become defeatist, but together perhaps we can make a difference. To cite a former well-loved American President, "Yes, we can!"

     May the birds be with you!

Bird Photographer of the Year: Collection 10 - Princeton University Press

Edited by Bird Photographer of the Year Limited

Foreword by Nigel Marven

Hardcover - US$39.95 - ISBN: 9780691278674

256 pages - 11.25 x 9.245 inches (28.125 x 23.11 cm)

245 colour photographs

Publication date: 30 September, 2025

Dancing Bees.........and more.

 

     It is probably true to say that most biologists and naturalists, and indeed all entomologists, are familiar with the legendary Nobel laureate, Karl von Frisch, and his discovery of the dance language of honeybees, generally referred to in popular parlance as the "waggle dance", (https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/1973/frisch/facts/), a technique by which a bee communicates to others in the hive the location of a food source. For so many years this discovery has been the very essence of orthodoxy, passed on by professors and teachers, taught in institutions wherever entomology is offered. It goes to the very nature of science, however, that orthodoxy must be constantly challenged with a view to cementing its acceptance, or revealing cracks in the armour of certainty, or offering new facts to contradict, modify or enhance established dogma. 

     It must be intimidating for a researcher to mount a challenge to the work of a Nobel laureate, ("...after all von Frisch's central idea has been regarded as one of the premier scientific hypotheses of the 20th century") and I commend Professor Jürgen Tautz for his research that adds to the original innovative studies of von Frisch. Tautz approaches this entire scientific exploration with reverence and respect for what has gone before, with a singular devotion to adding new information to an already 'miraculous' aspect of insect intelligence. 

     There is indeed a waggle dance. Yet there is more! Various auxiliary hypotheses have been formulated, none supported by conclusive evidence, however. Until Tautz, that is.

     I first encountered the work of Jürgen Tautz several years ago and was struck by the originality of his approach and the convincing results of his study.

     More recently I came across a feature in the journal Elsevier where Tautz presented a synopsis of his theory (https://www.elsevier.com/connect/the-language-of-honeybees-a-revision) and was drawn anew to this fascinating topic of bee intelligence. More than that, however, I was once again struck by the acceptance and understanding of Tautz's conclusion, its universality and its widespread embrace.

      Essentially, the bee dance is the foundation of a three-phase sequence, founded in von Frisch’s work; in fact it is in many respects an homage to the great man.  The first phase may rightly be called the "von Frisch phase."

      Permit me to quote directly from Dr. Tautz.

Phase 1: Sent - The recruit flies out of the hive in the approximate direction and distance indicated by the dance: headed toward the general search area. 

Phase 2: Search - The bee reaches the search area, where the exact location, shape, and extent of the search zone are influenced by external factors (such as weather) and internal factors (such as motivation).

Phase 3: Attraction - If the recruit encounters floral scent or signals from the dancer in the field, it can orient toward and arrive at the target.

     Clearly the dance is only one of the ingredients promoting success;  a foundational step but not the only one, and communication after the dance is the key to success.

     It has been a maxim throughout the long history of scientific research that nature often acts as a perfect model for human innovation. In the words of Dr. Tautz, "It is fascinating that this three-phase strategy for reaching distant goals appears in other contexts, such as long distance migration in birds, or space missions like the recent DART project targeting the 16-metre-diameter asteroid eleven million kilometres away."

      We are fortunate to live in age of intensive research, aided by computer algorithms and sophisticated (and ever-improving technology). In addition to Jürgen Tautz we may revel in the work of Lars Chittka, Thomas D. Seeley, Laurence Packer and others. I am sure that Karl von Frisch would be pleased, and perhaps even a little envious at not being here to enjoy it! 

WRN Outing to the North Shore of Lake Ontario

Birds suddenly became a daily excitement for me, a passion, and contact with birds in one way or another, became as necessary to me as food. 

Maurice Broun

27 September, 2025

Leader:  David M. Gascoigne

Participants: Miriam Bauman, Jim Bowman, Martin Clemens, Dave Collins, Mary Collins, Lisa Den Besten, Heather DeYoe, Nas DeYoe, Helen Fowler, Victoria Ho, Sonja Klisch, Christina Koenig, Kuldip Malhotra, John Markvart, Melinda Metzger, Pam Sadler, Selwyn Tomkun, Marcus Wu.

     It was a foggy morning and visibility was a challenge when we set off.

     Fortunately, as the sun came up the fog burned off and by the time we gathered for a group picture we had great visibility.

     

DesJardins Canal, Dundas, ON

     Dave and Mary had arrived early and Dave had already done yeoman work with his camera, capturing the following excellent shots of Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), both adult and juvenile.

     It was fortuitous that Dave had been able to get a shot of the juvenile. As we rounded the corner at the canal I spotted both birds on a snag, but by the time we had corralled everyone from the parking area and made our way back, the juvenile was nowhere to be seen.

     Melinda got a couple good shots of the adults, too.

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     A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was also in the vicinity, working the intake of the culvert and hoping for breakfast.

Photo: Dave Collins

     A couple of female Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) disported and preened, dove and surfaced, nibbled on a small fish or two and generally seemed to be enjoying life.

Photo: Dave Collins

     Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis) is our most common gull. They seem to know how splendid they are and never seem reluctant to pose for a picture.

     The weather is still exceptionally warm in southern Ontario (by mid afternoon it reached 26 degrees) and Double-crested Cormorants (Nannopterum auritus) were present.

Photo: Dave Collins

     As long as there is open water a few even remain through the winter.

     Hairy White Oldfield Aster (Symphotrichum pilosum) enlivens dull areas of waste ground at this time of year.

     Here I am pointing out something of interest; I can't remember what.

     This site was formerly a disused and much abused industrial wasteland and it has been converted into a wonderful little nature preserve.

     The chimney was left standing for Chimney Swifts (Chaetura pelagica) and has been occupied by these endangered birds for at least the past couple of years.

     Many nest boxes have been installed and it is not surprising that House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) have moved in to claim their share.

Photo: Dave Collins

     Heather is always keen to score the heron trifecta so, having already seen Great Blue and Black-crowned she was very happy when Victoria spotted a Green Heron (Butorides virescens).

Photo: Dave Collins

     The observation deck is a fine, robust structure - a great addition and a significant vantage point for wildlife viewing.

     Floating islands provide resting spaces for many species, including this pair of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos).

     Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) is the hardiest of all flycatchers, arriving early and leaving late.

Photo: Dave Collins

 

    Brown-lipped Snails (Cepaea nemoratis) were everywhere one looked; at times it was difficult to avoid stepping on them.

     Hickory Tussock Moth (Lephocampa caryae) caterpillars were ubiquitous.

     They will pass the winter as a pupa in a loose cocoon spun in leaf litter. The settae are actually woven into the cocoon. 

     We were all overjoyed to see a Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) still inhabiting the canal.

Photo: Dave Collins

     The Urquhart Butterfly Garden is at the end of the canal, and while there is not an abundance of butteflies in late September, it is a beautiful spot, and always worth checking.

     A Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) seems anxious to establish a close relationship with a nearby tree.

     The floral display, even beyond the effulgence of summer, still evokes great pleasure.

     Dust off a rock and sit a while.

     American Goldfinches (Spinus tristis) have already moulted into drab winter garb.

     As we made our way back to our cars we noted a Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) who had paid a high price for straying onto the road.

Grindstone Creek, Hamilton, ON

     Amur Honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) is yet another example of our folly in introducing alien species into our native flora.

     It is native to temperate Asia and has escaped from cultivation to become a significant invasive species.

     The water level in Grindstone Marsh was quite low and several Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) were seen feeding on the mud and in shallow water.

Photo: Dave Collins

     We also encountered our first Trumpeter Swans (Cygnus buccinator) here.

Photo: Dave Collins

     As though in homage to its name a lone Solitary Sandpiper (Tringa solitaria) probed for tasty morsels.

     I wondered if the people going by on the train were longing to be out enjoying nature like us.

     Many Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) were present.

     A female Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) sifted for food, behind a Ring-billed Gull.

     I find this description of Green-winged Teal by F.H. Kortright exceptionally charming, "A wealth of delicate loveliness is blended on the tiny person of this, the smallest of our wild fowl."
     An American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus) was determined to find a way to eat this fish.

Photo: Dave Collins

     A bevy of Ring-billed Gulls seemed content to not do much of anything.

     A Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) is truly a remarkable bird. One can only wonder at the selective pressures of female choice in developing this extravagant plumage.

 Photo: Dave Collins

Photo: Dave Collins

     For those cognoscenti of beautiful ducks, here is a book to set your heart aflutter.

     A classic Ring-billed Gull pose.

Photo: Dave Collins

     A Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) entertained us all.

Photo: Dave Collins

     Many Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) have already left, perhaps most, but a few still remain along the watercourses of southern Ontario.

Photo: Dave Collins

     Not so many years ago, Great Egret (Ardea alba) was quite a rarity in our wetlands, but in recent times it has multiplied and prospered and is no longer an uncommon sight.

Photo: Dave Collins

     A Great Blue Heron was patiently waiting for suitable prey to come within striking distance.

     I have seen You Tube videos where a heron will capture and swallow a duck so those teal and wood ducks had better not stray too close!

     A Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) with full pollen baskets, here on New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), had obviously enjoyed a productive morning and soon will be returning to the hive.

     Looks like the authorities are getting serious about not feeding wildfowl - better let all the grandmothers know!

LaSalle Park and Marina, Burlington, ON

     Sonja was determined to make friends with a Trumpeter Swan, and given their association with humans at this location there is a good chance of doing so.

     Waterbirds have a tendency to gather together in quiet sheltered coves and in the following picture, if you look carefully you will see Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, American Coot (Fulica americana), a male Hooded Merganser and a female Common Merganser.

     Miriam and Victoria were enjoying each other's company on a pleasant walk through the woodland, with many birds.

Photo: Selwyn Tomkun

     

     As might be expected, Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) was very common, soliciting food from friendly humans.

     White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) was almost as common and equally persistent.

     A Brown Creeper (Certhia americana) was partially hidden most of the time, revealing tantalizing glimpses, only to disappear around the trunk as cameras were raised.

     Melinda obtained this very acceptable shot.

     She also did well with a Northern Parula (Setophaga americana). 

     This male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) was drying off after a feather-cleaning bath.

     Dave also captured this young male, no doubt admiring the plumage he will one day acquire. 

     Canvasbacks (Aytha valsineria) have already occupied Lake Ontario, fresh from their breeding haunts in the north.

Photo: Dave Collins

     There were many Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) present, most basking in the sun.

     This individual was searching for food, no doubt.

Photo: Dave Collins

     A Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) is a beautiful sight. In the water.....

     ..... or in the air.

Photo: Dave Collins

     LaSalle Park is generally a reliable location for American Coot.

Photo: Dave Collins

      A male Hooded Merganser is proof that male waterfowl are, in general, stunning birds, blessed with charm and charisma.

     Pam was eager to get some practice using a telescope.

     A Downy Woodpecker rapped on a tree behind her and obligingly moved into position for a portrait.

Photo: Dave Collins

     Wooly Bear caterpillars, the larvae of Isabella Tiger Moth (Pyrrharctia isabella) are searching for secluded, well-protected locations to pass the winter.

     Lisa could not resist one last chance to interact with a Trumpeter Swan - and who can blame her?

Paletta Park, Burlington, ON

     It was a hot day and Miriam decided to take a break at this location, so I am grateful to Dave and Melinda for pictures.

     There were little pockets of warblers moving through, but frustratingly difficult to see well, let alone photograph.

     Dave did manage this shot of a Myrtle Warbler (Setophaga coronata).

     Melinda meanwhile trained her camera on a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius) working assiduously on the bark of a tree.

     We came across a fine specimen of Lepiota acutaesquamosa and Dave obligingly photographed it for me.

Bronte Harbour, Oakville, ON

     We had not known that there was a community festival being held at Bronte Harbour, with all manner of booths, vendors and festivities, music and throngs of people. We had to drive round and round even to find a parking spot, and some gave up and headed for home.

     As you might imagine, the birding activity was minimal, but we did manage a few shots.

     A Pied-billed Grebe seemed unconcerned by the  frenetic activity and spent its time in the inner harbour.

     It was joined by a Canada Goose (Branta canadensis).

     This macaw was indifferent to the clamour going on around it.

     The salmon are running at this time of year, and it appeared that someone had been using roe as bait and left it to spoil in the sun.

     It is quite clear that this cormorant had been happy to see us and was waving goodbye with a vigorous clap of its wings.

     It was a great day with a splendid group of people. Many thanks to Dave and Melinda for contributing their pictures and consenting to their use on my blog. All other pictures were taken by Miriam, of course.

     À la prochaine, mes amis. 

One of the greatest ethologists and humanists of all time

The Valley of the Giants is impoverished today

Jane Morris Goodall

3 April, 1934 - 1 October, 2025