The sea ducks, although common, are new to me (the birding community call those “lifers”) and an easy place to start identifying, and trying to learn how to photograph birds. Down the road there will be plenty of time to learn some photography skills and work on taking better photos of the birds, but for now I want to figure out when to snap the shots by observing bird behavior. Much can be figured out by listening as well.

My little community of Eastern Passage is a pretty hot spot for birds as it is on a migratory path, and I’m also not a long drive from Rainbow Haven beach (also a great swimming spot in the summer) and can get to Conrad’s Beach in less than a half hour on days when I have errands up in Cole Harbour.

I don’t actually like to drive out of my way too far to go birding so incorporate excursions into business errands or trips for the most part, or just wander around in my own community. My dog is 13 now so he doesn’t have the stamina for long nature walks, but there are some great trails close by that are part of the Trans Canada Trail, such as the Salt Marsh Trail in Cowbay.

So without having gone too far from home, in a relatively short period of time I’ve been able to capture many of the sea ducks. The Nova Scotia Bird Society and their Facebook group have been a wealth of information to know where and when to look for specific birds.