This area houses tremendous locations that contain target species that were of interest to us, namely Northern Gannet, Snowy Owl and Northern Hawk Owl. All are either difficult or down right impossible to view and photograph locally. Unfortunately, they all don’t show up at the same time.

Northern Gannet Colony, Bonaventure Island

Northern Gannet migrate to Bonaventure Island in the picturesque Gaspe Peninsula to nest and reproduce during the summer months. The best time is late July and early August when the colony is alive with nesting, mating and feeding routines. Access is by ferry from Perce and requires a walk of approximately forty five minutes across the center of the island to reach the nesting site. Park attendants are on site to answer your questions and ensure the viewing rules are enforced. As this is a cliff nesting site, the opportunities for flight and behaviour photography abound, all with superb backdrops. Try and isolate birds as they point skyward, signalling to their mate that they are about to take off and feed. The colony is noisy and very active. The pace is simply frenetic with limitless opportunities to capture flight images. It’s a location we highly recommend.

The Snowy Owl prefers the cold climate of Canada’s northern tundra where it resides and feeds on Lemming and other small rodents during most of the year. Some will move south as the winter becomes harsh and food is harder to find. The outskirts of Ottawa and Montreal are a favourite destination as the corn fields are ideal for hunting voles. Winters here are not always kind and many birds die each year from malnutrition. Over the years, photographers have found that some birds can be approached and are receptive to feeding on live mice. This is an attraction technique known as “baiting” and can be a great venue for flight photography. There are several good workshops offered in both locations by individuals well versed in how to safely conduct a session with both Snowy Owl and Northern Hawk Owl subjects. The best time is late January to early February if the birds are present in numbers. Both the Snowy Owl and the Northern Hawk Owl are opportunists. The former will feed if hungry and the latter will always hunt as it “stashes” surplus prey in various hiding places for later consumption. Unfortunately, the practise of baiting is widespread and not always carried out with either respect for the subject or private property. We encountered unstructured groups of as many as forty photographers, surprisingly from all over the world, concentrating on one bird and rarely agreeing on how best to cooperate. We’d often find locations where trash was thoughtlessly left. It’s best to avoid these situations and photograph with an experienced guide who knows the area and understands the bird’s behaviour. The ethics of baiting can be endlessly debated but we feel it is an acceptable practise if executed in a safe and well structured manner.

The results of our two visits to Quebec can be seen in Galleries 16 and 52.