Seen through the scope

Publié lejuillet 21, 2026parJane Wood|La pie-grièche migratrice de l'Est, Rétablissement de la pie-grièche migratrice de l'Est, Actualités et événements

Qu'est-ce que le Programme de rétablissement de la pie-grièche migratrice de l'Est? Après une chute précipitée de la population sauvage de pie-grièche migratrice de l'Est dans les années 1990, Environnement Canada a invité Conservation de la faune au Canada à se joindre à l'effort de rétablissement multi-partenaires en 2001. Depuis, la taille de la population sauvage a fluctué. Des études ont montré que bien que l'effort de rétablissement ait empêché l'espèce de disparaître du Canada, plus de travail est nécessaire pour identifier et aborder les causes du déclin de l'espèce. CFC travaille pour empêcher la pie-grièche migratrice de l'Est de disparaître en renforçant la population sauvage en Ontario, et en étudiant l'espèce pour en apprendre davantage sur les menaces qu'elle fait face.

Hi everyone! My name is Jane, I am the Napanee Shrike Field Intern. I have been out in the field for a little over a month now, and have seen a lot of cool things in my time outside. Most of the species I have observed have been birds (no surprise there) but I have also seen a coyote and had a couple of deer encounters. Having grown up in a home with a photographer mother and birder father, I was very interested in attempting to capture photos of the wildlife I was seeing. I don’t have one of those super long lenses that all of the top birders have, so I decided to use what tools I had available: my iPhone 13, and the scope provided to me by WPC for field surveys and monitoring. Through the scope, I have seen exciting behaviours, colorful plumage, and new lifers. Some of my favourites are attached below, I hope you enjoy the little glimpse into common (and uncommon!) grassland bird species seen while out in the field.

SeenThroughTheScope_EasternMeadowlark_JaneWood

Eastern meadowlark: This bird was so exciting to me as a new lifer! Now that I have spent a month in the field, they are about as common to see as robins, but still always special to catch a glimpse of their bright yellow breast, and hear their shrike-like call (a great source of confusion early in the season!).

SeenThroughTheScope_BrownThrasher_JaneWood

Brown thrasher: Another new lifer! I love hearing them out in the field, with their double repetitive calls. While out monitoring, we accidentally flushed a female thrasher, which gave us the chance to see one of their nests, all tucked in the bushes on the ground, with three little eggs!

A brown and white bird sits on a horizontal, wooden fence post. The bird is seen through a scope.

Upland sandpiper: My favourites to see in the field! They are a very funny and out of place looking bird in grassland habitats. Count yourself very lucky if you get to see one perched on a wire or fence post, or if you get to hear their wolf-whistle-like call.

A grey and brown bird with red head walks through tall grasses. The bird is pictured through the scope.

Sandhill crane: You can tell how excited I was to see this bird by how blurry the photo is. I accidentally scared them while out on a shrike monitoring session. There was a whole little family, two adults with their chick. I hope to see them again to get a clearer photo!

A dark brown bird with red face and head sits in an evergreen tree. The bird is pictured through the scope.

Turkey vulture: My favourite photo that I have taken so far (with a very photogenic subject!). Turkey vultures are a very familiar presence out in the field, although it is pretty uncommon for us to see them perched, they are typically soaring high above us. This individual was perched alongside another vulture, perhaps taking a rest, or guarding an out of sight nest.

SeenThroughTheScope_AmericanKestrel_JaneWood

American kestrel: Also known as the sparrowhawk, I secretly love seeing these guys out in the field, even though they are a predator to our loggerhead shrikes. I always think I am looking at a mourning dove before using the binoculars or scope, but am pleasantly surprised when it’s a kestrel. Having seen one only once before, they are now a daily occurrence.

A black bird squawks in a tree. Behind are hydro lines. The bird is pictured through a scope.

American crow: We love to hate them. Crows are also predators to shrikes, particularly eggs and nestlings. They are so common, and can often limit the activities that we can do, not wanting to draw them to the shrikes nearby. Despite this, I get a kick out of them and their loud personalities, always yelling and fighting amongst each other.

SeenThroughTheScope_ShrikeFledgling_JaneWood

Two grey, black and white birds sit amongst the foliage of a dense shrub or tree. They are young, and pictured through a scope.

Four shrikes pictured through a scope, perched at the top of a shrub or tree.

Loggerhead shrikes: Our favourite bird! Getting to watch them and their behaviour has been my favourite part of this job. The first photo was the first fledgling I ever saw, now long gone from its nest site. The second is a pair of fledglings still being fed by their mother. They are very needy, constantly begging and yelling at their mom to feed them more. The last photo is the most shrikes I have ever caught in one picture. It shows a father shrike and three of his fledglings. He is still feeding them despite how large they are. Within a couple of days, they should be hunting and feeding themselves.

I am still hoping to capture a couple other common but exciting species such as a Northern Harrier, Killdeer, and Wilson’s Snipe. Stay tuned!

Jane Wood

Shrike Recovery Field Intern

Jane est ravie de travailler avec CFC cet été dans le cadre de son stage de maîtrise en biologie faunique à l'Université de Guelph. Elle a de l'expérience en conservation des reptiles et des poissons et est enthousiaste de se lancer dans les oiseaux! Entre le baccalauréat et la maîtrise, elle a travaillé dans des cliniques vétérinaires pour animaux exotiques et de compagnie, ce qui a approfondi son intérêt pour la santé et le bien-être des animaux. Elle a hâte de passer l'été dehors, à en apprendre davantage sur les oiseaux des prairies et leur conservation.