The gig is up - I confess to the unpardonable sin of bird "baiting". Ho hum, oh well! I had hoped that this Oriole would use the Fuchia branch to reach down while feeding on that orange (yes that is a native orange, legitimately growing in this northern climate from a dead stick). Said Oriole figured I was stupid or something!

Some of the keepers:
www.flickr.com/photos/earl_reinink/5778628729/in/photostr...
www.flickr.com/photos/earl_reinink/5778628717/in/photostr...

Tags:   Northern Oriole oriole orange baiting feeding birds baiting birds Earl Reinink

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I know I am going to get in trouble for this rant, but bearing in mind that the festive season is fast approaching, indulge me in a little rant cleansing. While all you folks in the south are lounging in the late evening sunlight, sipping your pina coladas and trying to decide if it is golf, lawn bowling or pedicure day tomorrow, us hardy northern folk are being cursed with short days, cold weather, and an inordinate amount of rain. Barring the lack of light, the frigid arctic cold and the onslaught of another downpour, I set off this morning with camera in hand, still trying to fulfill my quest for the ultimate image.


Arriving at the Niagara Parkway, clad in my new camo thermal hip-waders (on special last week at Canadian Tire for $79.95 plus H.S.T - forgive me, H.S.T. stand for “horrendously stupid tax”), but I digress, I hunkered down in the frigid waters of Niagara River determined to up my tally of Bonaparte Gulls from 30,000 to 40,000 images. At the point that I could no longer feel anything from the waist down (I think I should have bought the upgraded thermal hip waders, but they were $139.00), the gulls arrived enforce for their feeding session. At an amazing 11 frames per second (bless that Nikon D3S – Cannon sucks), I whacked off a few hundred images, when to my consternation the gulls booked it for Boonsville. Guess their must have been a Bin Laden sighting since a couple of dickweeds in their border patrol boats (American) ripped by at about 200 knots. Miffed turned to pissed when the boat’s massive 4’ wake swamped my new camo thermal hip-waders (on special last week at Canadian Tire for $79.95).


Since all extremities below the waist were numb anyways, and being of sound northern stock, I bravely chose to await the return of the gulls (those fortunate enough not to have been plastered to front of the rapidly receding border patrol boat). Thirty minutes later, a few brave gulls ventured back to feast on the remains of the minnows, chewed and spewed from the patrol boats propellers. Another rapid burst from my trusty Nikon D3S, a few hard earned images, and the gulls once again performed the Houdini act. This time I could thank the local Niagara chapter of the Tree Huggers Birder Club.


So let me get this straight – 40 miles of Niagara River as their personal playground and they pick my 15 meters of water for their outing. “Scuse me sir, are you taking pictures”??? No dickweed, I’m playing checkers! “Have you seen any gulls”. No dickweed, they booked town when you showed up.
I looked shoreward and observed 15 tree hugging birders with their little bird guides, trusty chewed up pencils, spindly tripods and K Mart special scopes. So indulge me bird people for one moment. When you see a photographer ass deep in frigid waters (should be easy with those birding scopes), find another place to look for your one-legged purple bummed sea gulls. This spot is already taken. Please don’t storm up en-mass, scare my birds off, ask stupid questions, or make judgmental observations about us “stupid photographers”!@!!

Tags:   Bird Birds Birders “Niagara River” gull gulls “Bonaparte Gulls” Earl “Earl Reinink” Art “fine art photography” Nikon “Nikon D3” “Nikon D3S” “Nikon lenses” Canada Canadian Ontario “nature in Ontario” “Birds in Ontario” nature “nature photography” bird birds photography “bir

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