ETHAN MELEG VISIT REVIEW

We just had Ethan Meleg stay with us for a few days whilst visiting Algonquin Park, Ethan is not only an excellent photographer but also an outstanding birder.
Ethan has stayed with us many times and has help us to better set up our birding stations so as to get the best backgrounds and perches for photography but also for attracting the most species into to our yards,from this all visitors can benefit.
Ethan has posted to his blogg his visit to the Algonquin inn and Algonquin Park,which is re posted here.......
FROM HIS BLOG which by the way is a great one to follow the link is http://ethanmeleg.blogspot.com/

I'm back from a week on the road including a few days of shooting in the Algonquin Provincial Park area. It was a productive trip with some fantastic photo opportunities! Hope these look ok, I'm processing them in a weary-eyed state.

A highlight of the trip was an unusually tame moose, which walked right up to me within a meter (I was safely tucked in behind my van). At one point, I was able to lie down on the ground to shoot low level perspectives with a group of people standing behind it. What amazed me the most, however, was how foolish some people were - walking right up to it with their point & shoot cameras. The moose wasn't acting aggressively, but passing cars could easily have spooked it causing it to plough into (through? over?) the tourists. Getting run over by a moose can't be good for you. Rest assured that I would have captured the exclusive photos of 'natural selection' in progress!

Photo 1 (above): Young moose and onlookers along Highway 60 in Algonquin Park.
EOS 1Ds mark III; EF 70-200/4 lens; handheld

Photo 2 (above): Highway 60 through Algonquin Provincial Park
EOS 5D mark II; EF 70-200/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 3 (above): Sunset clouds over Lake of Two Rivers with Oxeye Dasies in foreground.
EOS 5D mark II; EF 17-40mm lens; Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer & 3 stop hard edge ND grad

Photo 4 (above): Common Loon portrait (photographed from a canoe).
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4 IS lens & 1.4x TC; Gitzo tripod & Wimberly head sitting on canoe bottom.

For my travels in the Algonquin Park front country, I base out of the Algonquin Lakeside Inn motel just west of the park along Highway 60 at Oxtongue Lake. It's the most convenient place to stay with comfortable amenities and great access to the park. Over the years I've gotten to know the owner Gary Schultz, who is a budding (and pretty damn good) nature photography. The Inn's property is a magnet for birds, so last fall I suggested that Gary put up a photo blind and some strategically located feeders with perches. He's done a fantastic job setting up the yard for bird photography and attracting various bird species throughout the seasons. I shot Purple Finches this week - it's the best shooting I've ever had for them... unfortunately I accidentally erased my best shots because of lack-of-sleep induced stupidity. I'll be back soon to reshoot them!

Here's the best part... stay at the Inn and you have free use of the photo blind. Gary is very obliging and you can fine-tune the perches to your needs. Don't miss out on this - it's a great bird setup with tons of activity!

Photo 5 (above): Male Purple Finch at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn feeders.
EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4IS lens & 1.4x TC

Photo 6 (above): The blind and one of the feeder setups at the Algonquin Lakeside Inn.
Shot with a Canon G11, which I keep handy to capture the behind-the-scenes photos.

a great post thanks Ethan

http://www.algonquininn.com/

E-MAIL STAY@ALGONQUININN.COM

BACKYARD SETUP FOR ALGONQUIN INN

We get a lot of comments here at Algonquin Inn regarding the abundance of Birds on the property, what helps is
- that we are located on the shores of Oxtongue Lake which is right at the West entrance to Algonquin Park.
- On the grounds we also have a small swamp area in the back as well as a large old growth tree area, and then the large lawns.
- and what really helps is the 30+ and varied types of Bird feeders dotted around.

We have now placed a hide near the main feeders for guests to use.

We have also added a small water feature which helps to draw in the Birds
the a large lawn area leading to the wooded area.

http://www.algonquininn.com/
E-MAIL STAY@ALGONQUININN.COM

at last out and about

after a busy summer and fall here at the Algonquin Inn i have finally been able to get all of my jobs done for Winter,(well most) which means i can now get out and about.
this is also the time of year when we can start to expect to see the Winter arrivals...and top of my list are raptors, this last week i have been able to obtain some fair shots of

Northern Saw-Whet Owl,



Barred Owl


Eastern Screech-Owl,


www.algonquininn.com e-mail stay@algonquininn.com

Brant Goose

the Brant Goose is still at the Algonquin Inn on Oxtongue Lake,

at last i was able to get a picture of it on water,the records show that there have been

only three sightings of the Brant in this area over the last 20 years.

www.algonquininn.com

e-mail stay@algonquininn.com

Raccoons at Algonquin Inn

It's rainy,damp and I'm hungry,i know lets go over to the Algonquin Inn there Gary has set up some great bird feeders just by the restaurant window......... and we can watch all the guests.

www.algonquininn.com
e-mail stay@algonquininn.com

FALL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP @ ALGONQUIN INN

This weekend we just had a photography Fall workshop conducted by Ethan Meleg here at the Algonquin Inn , the perfect location at the edge of Algonquin Park. The workshop host Outdoor Photography Canada magazine
The Fall colours could not have been better ..............

group photo at the Algonquin Inn


Ethan took this great shot of a Bull Moose along Opeongo rd using an EOS 1Ds mark III; 500/4 IS lens; Exposure: ISO 400; 1/40 second at f/4


here is another shot taken by Ethan along the same stretch of rd EOS 5D mark II; 17-40/4 lens; Singh-Ray LB warming polarizer & 2 stop hard edge ND grad (4x6" size, handheld in front of lens). Exposure: ISO 200; 0.8 seconds at F/20. Mirror lock-up & cable release.

www.algonquininn.com

e-mail stay@algonquininn.com

Loon guided tour on Lake of Bays Muskoka

I had the opportunity to ride along with two of our guests from the (the guests told me that they had a ton of "keepers"and in fact will be back for the Moose tours in the Fall) from the Algonquin inn on a guided tour with tour guide Michael Bertelson, on a Loons and chicks tour.

Up early so as to be out on the lake when the first light came out,we went out on Lake of Bays Muskoka in Michael's boat which is perfectly fitted out, it's a flat very stable john boat, with four fishing chairs that allow you to turn in a full circle without obstruction. And for the first half hour enjoyed the sun rise with the mist on the lake . (more pictures on that in another post)

It did not take Michael long to locate two Loons with it's chick, once Michael See's the Loons he shuts off the motor and let's them get use to us after a while he is able to creep in a little closer on the electric motor without disturbing them, Michael is very much aware of the Loons in respect of keeping his distance so as not to disturb or stress them in any way, and this allows us to see the natural interaction of the Loon family.

early morning mist and that first stretch of the day..... these are just a few of the shot's taken but i have so many to process i just wanted to share these,when things quieten down i will have plenty of time to work on them more in processing , i have some great one's of the adults feeding the youngster small fish and dragoon fly roe.

a fly by with a Blue Heron, as we were returning back to shore in the bright light..

http://www.algonquininn.com/
e-mail stay@algonquininn.com

Later on in the afternoon and evening Michael took the guests and boat up to
Opeongo Lake for Moose and Loons and again they were not disapointed.

WILD TURKEY@ ALGONQUIN INN

I just could not figure what had been happening to the flower beds,especially right under the bird feeders,i thought it was the chipmunks or the raccoons that kept digging them up and scattering the wood chips everywhere.
and then today i noticed some guests in the restaurant pointing and taking photos mystery solved a female wild Turkey.......


female wild Turkey

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E-MAIL STAY@ALGONQUININN.COM

scarlet tanager @algonquin inn

wow , this was great to see,we located it in the back yard of the restaurant of the Algonquin inn,

it has been here now for two days, i also saw one at the west gate of Algonquin park,but was not quick enough to get the picture , but this time i was ready it was in a high tree so it's well cropped.
i can only hope it stays around for a while,some members of a birding group currently staying with us were also very pleased to see this one, i have been going over their check list with the tour leader from eagle eye tours,so i should be able to post shortly a comprehensive list for sightings currently available for here and in the park.and the hot spots.

restaurant window today @ algonquin inn

had a busy day at the feeders today,the majority of feeders are located outside the restaurant windows,of the Algonquin inn,so our dinners today had a great display of colour,


American goldfinch



downy woodpecker
house finch (M)

evening grosbeak (f)

evening grosbeak (m)

rose breasted grosbeak (M)


www.algonquininn.com

busy day in the area from Algonquin Inn

busy day on all of our feeders,as the last snow storm has left little choice for all the birds in the area,word must be out !! that we have 27 feeders at the Algonquin inn pine siskins,common redpoll,and hoary red poll,American Goldfinches, 50 + Dark-eyed Juncos, 1 Purple finch, all working the niger seed silo's. also around the yard are the regulars - Hairy, Downy Woodpeckers, White-breasted and Red-breasted Nuthatches, Black-capped Chickadees, Blue Jays and Crows,ravens,red wing blackbirds,starlings,American robins,grackle, and two resident mallards have also returned..

www.algonquininn.com

moose there back !!! in Algonquin Park and Muskoka

today Sunday was a great Sunny day went for a drive in the park,knowing tomorrow will be snow flurries again,on the way back to Algonquin inn looking south on hwy 60 spotted two moose,just up from the mizzy lake trail a cow and a calf...first moose this year .

new bird arrivals today

the above picture is of an American Robin......

the above is a Killdeer. this was new in the back yard of the algonquin inn today along with a Northern Flicker i was not able to get a picture of it but i will post one when i can.

osprey .....

will driving south on hwy 35 just below algonquin park yesterday,i noted a large bird flying towards some trees, i was in luck that i took a small country side rd
which put me real close to an opsprey that was eating it's lunch......which was a good size fish that i would have been happy to catch ...

new spring arrivals

was in the park yeaterday a wonderful sunny day had the chance to see the new bird arrivals,
great blue heron, up on costello lake , as well an american robin we should be seeing a lot more of these as the ground cover clears,
crowds of common crackle and red wing blackbirds, and the first song sparrows !!!!
other New arrivals this week included: Sharp-shinned Hawk,
and Killdeer.

the beavers are out

with the ice starting to brake up, the beavers have found an open spot, the first chance this spring to sit out in the sun, i know how it feels....

FISH IN OXTONGUE LAKE

we get asked a lot at the algonquin inn are there any fish in the lake ?, which is called oxtongue lake,well the fact is YES here is a picture of the first prize catch of the day,this was from the annual ice fishing derby held on the lake this past weekend, the winner was a 9lbs 6oz lake trout cought by Darrell Lupton,