Atlantic Puffin banking in golden light with fish

This is, by far, my favourite from last summer’s Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Adventure Workshops. The sun came up quickly as the Puffins were swirling around trying to align their trajectory, the wind with the entry to their burrows; I have watched them circle as many as 23 times while trying to get everything right before landing. Sunrise was 04:59 on August 11, 2023, and this image was made just a few moments later, against the glowing out-of-focus cliffs.

Join me in Quebec for my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins (and so much more) Lighthouse Island Workshop. I just added another date to accommodate the high demand at the best time to be there to ensure there are Puffins bringing fish home for their babies.

Atlantic Puffin banking with fish at first light (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm. ISO 6,400, f/8 @ 1/3,200s Manual exposure. Full frame image (shot an ounce too tight, so I added a sliver of canvas to the left and bottom).

Razorbill Last Call in Golden Light

Everyone joins my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins (and so much more) workshops for the Puffins, but the Razorbills are so beautiful and elegant. Often called the Penguins of the North, Razorbills are only found in the Atlantic Ocean.

Razorbill Last Call in Golden Light (Alca torda, Petit Pingouin, RAZO) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 1.4X teleconverter (@840mm) ISO 1,600, f/5.6 @ 1/4,000s Manual exposure. Full Frame Image.

Atlantic Puffin landing with fish at first light

On the first morning of the first Deluxe Atlantic Puffins and so much more Workshops last July 29, 2023, we were all on the beach well before the 04:43 sunrise. The Puffins were already streaming into their burrows with loads of fish for their growing Pufflings directly in front of us. It was dark, and a layer of fog threatened our golden light. The fog lifted by about 05:05, and this is one of a sequence of images made at 05:11 - our morning was a good one :)

Atlantic Puffin landing with fish at first light (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 5,000, f/5.6 @ 1/3,200s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Atlantic Puffin Headshot

Here's another Atlantic Puffin portrait from my recent PUFFINS GALORE (and so much more) DELUXE WORKSHOP. We woke to fog several mornings, and Puffins were perched everywhere. We used the park information signs as blinds and were able to spend hours making portraits at just about point-blank range. After making the standard tight headshots, I always explore more interesting poses while working at the minimum focusing distance of our lenses with an extremely limited depth of field.

Atlantic Puffin Headshot in the fog (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/400s Manual exposure. Full Frame image.

KUDOS:

Chris: Just a quick note to express my appreciation for the fine workshop (PUFFINS GALORE DELUXE WORKSHOP) hosting provided by you and Julie, along with Louise and Marie-Josée and the charming Auberge facilities.  We were fortunate to have such good weather and abundant puffin activity, and your guidance and tips were very helpful, even for a long-time Sony mirrorless shooter.  I found the other clients quite interesting and enjoyed sharing the experience with all of them.  Despite some travel challenges to and from the Mingan Archipelago, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and look forward to the prospect of joining you in another workshop in the future.
 
Again, thank you for your excellent leadership and engaging fellowship on Iles aux Parroquets – now to plough through the 30,000+ images I brought back to find the “exceptional” few!
 
Best regards,

Gordon Norman California USA

Magical Atlantic Puffin flying with fish against Golden Cliffs

Almost at the end of the road along the upper North Shore of the Saint Lawrence River in The Gulf of The Saint Lawrence and almost in Labrador is a little island with a newly restored lighthouse. I charter the entire island every year for the first two weeks of August and host the most magical, fairytale-like “Puffins Galore and so much more workshops” to photograph Atlantic Puffins, Razorbills and more. The magic of the location, the quality of light, the varied backgrounds and the proximity to the birds make it the best place in the world to photograph Atlantic Puffins! We sleep in the fully restored lighthouse keepers’ quarters and eat gourmet food, and our biggest commute to the Puffins once on the island is only 200 meters (200 yards).

Due to popular demand, I have just added one extra workshop from August 10 to 13, and the spots are filling quickly. Learn more about my “Puffins Galore and so much more workshops” HERE.

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 5,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure.

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish

An Atlantic Puffin returns to its nest with a beak full of fish during my Deluxe Atlantic Puffins Galore Workshop in Quebec, Canada.

Join me for a fairytale adventure. We will live in a restored lighthouse, eat gourmet food, and photograph Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills (and more) that bring fish to feed their babies only 200 meters (200 yards) away. This is the best location in the world to photograph both species and is perfectly timed for them, bringing the most fish back to their babies.

The tiny island, only 1km (.6 Miles) in circumference, means no long pre-dawn drives or long hikes to access the best locations; it is right outside the door! Since we live on the island, there is no rough boat commute to endure either.

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 8,000, f/5.6 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Razorbill Flying with Fish

A Razorbill brings a couple of fish to its nest during my Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more Lighthouse Island Workshop in Quebec, Canada.

Mixed into the swarms of Atlantic Puffins Galore returning to their nests with mouths full of fish are Razorbills bringing Capeline to feed their babies. Razorbills are one of the 22 species of Auks found only in the northern oceans. All family members are expert divers that use their short wings for flying and as flippers for swimming in pursuit of fish, shrimp, and other prey.

Razorbill in flight with Fish (Alca torda, Petit Pingouin, RAZO) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 5,000, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Deluxe Puffins Galore Workshop Update

I have just added another workshop from August 10-13 due to the overwhelming popularity of my Deluxe Puffins Galore and so much more workshops.

This is a dream deluxe photography tour: Dreamlike accommodations in a newly restored lighthouse just feet away from nesting Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills on a small island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Quebec, Canada, with gourmet food.

• It is timed to coincide with the very best time to be at the colony when the Puffins return with fish to feed their young.

• The group size is limited to 5-8 photographers (the price is per person in single or double occupancy, as desired, with only six rooms available).

• Exclusive use of the lighthouse and accommodations means we will be the island’s only inhabitants.

• The small group size means more assistance, one-on-one guidance, and coaching for every participant.

• Long lenses are not mandatory for this tour; 200-400mm reach is adequate for an impressive portfolio.

• Photographers of all levels are welcome; the tour pace will suit everyone’s needs and skill level. Participants should be able to comfortably walk 200 meters (200 yards) at a slow pace while carrying their equipment.

• Owners of all camera brands are welcome. My 40 years of professional photography include the last six years as a Sony ambassador, 16 years using Canon as a Canon Northern Explorer of Light, and 16 years using Nikon before that. I can help anyone with any brand improve their photography.

• Christopher Dodds has 40 years of experience with the Puffins in the great Canadian outdoors.

Atlantic Puffin in flight with fish (Fratercula arctica, Macareux moine, ATPU) from my Deluxe Puffins Galore Lighthouse Island Workshop Adventure. Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve, Quebec, Canada. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 10,000, f/6.3 @ 1/5,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Yellow-throated Warbler

On the morning of May 10, 2019, during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop at Point Pelee National Park, a Yellow-throated warbler was the star visitor. We had an amazing morning watching it creep over the branches of the trunk of a few trees, much like a Black-and-white Warbler, before it jumped onto this perch in front of the out-of-focus marsh background.

Why Point Pelee? Location! Location! Location!

Point Pelee is part of a peninsula at the crossroads of two major migration routes, extending into the western basin of Lake Erie. It is one of the first points of land spring migrants reach in the pre-dawn hours when crossing Lake Erie at night. Point Pelee’s diverse habitats provide shelter for more than 390 recorded species of birds.

On rare occasions, you may witness a fallout of migrants in the park.  Fallouts or groundings of songbirds occur when a warm weather front advancing from the south or southeast meets a cold weather front moving in from the north or northwest.  Birds will descend when the two fronts meet at ground level or when the birds flying on a warm front override a cold front.

Yellow-throated Warbler (Setophaga dominica, Paruline à gorge jaune, YTWA) Photographer May 10, 2019, during my SONGBIRDS OF PELEE WORKSHOP at Point Pelee National Park of Canada in Leamington, Ontario, Canada ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm. ISO 5,000, f/5.6 @ 1/2,000s Manual exposure.

Wood Thrush

This was a heart-stopping moment during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop several years ago as this Wood thrush jumped onto the moss-covered rotting log and stopped in the open on camera angle, posing pretty.

Outstanding songsters, the thrushes produce clear, flutelike notes that carry long distances through the woodlands, their favoured habitat. Mainly brown with spotted or speckled breasts, thrushes are insect eaters that spend much of their time searching for food in the leaf litter on the forest floor, making them hard to photograph - smile.

Wood Thrush (Hylocichla mustelina, Grive des bois, WOTH) from my SONGBIRDS OF PELEE WORKSHOP at Point Pelee National Park of Canada in Leamington, Ontario, Canada ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm. ISO 2,000, f/13 @ 1/400s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Northern Parula with insect snack

A Northern Parula extracts an insect from its leaf cocoon during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop at Point Pelee National Park of Canada.

I made this image in the harsh light on the afternoon of May 11, 2023, using my Sony a1, Sony 600mm f/4 and 2X extender (doubler). The Northern Parula must have been a fresh arrival that morning because it was “low & slow,” stopping for minutes between foraging for insects to refuel.

Due to a last-minute medical emergency, there is still space for you to join one of my favourite workshops at one of the top ten birding hotspots in the world. Learn more about my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop at Point Pelee National Park of Canada HERE.

Northern Parula (male) with insect snack (Setophaga americana, Paruline à collier, NOPA) from my SONGBIRDS OF PELEE WORKSHOP at Point Pelee National Park of Canada in Leamington, Ontario, Canada ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm. ISO 2,000, f/8 @ 1/500s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Blue-headed Vireo

A Blue-headed Vireo emerges from the Carolinian forest of Point Pelee National Park to bask in the first drops of golden light during spring migration. It is no coincidence that the insects hiding in leaf litter and tree buds overnight to keep warm also start to warm and stir when the sun casts its warmth - smile.

There is still an opening available for my May 7-11 Songbirds of Pelee Workshop at Point Pelee National Park in Leamington, Ontario, due to a last-minute medical emergency. Learn more HERE.

Blue-headed Vireo (Vireo solitarius, Vireo solitarius, BHVI) from my SONGBIRDS OF PELEE GALORE WORKSHOP Point Pelee National Park of Canada ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm. ISO 1,600, f/8 @ 1/1,000s Manual exposure. Full-frame image.

Yellow Warbler Baby eating a Mayfly

An image from 20 years ago that I just reprocessed for publication. A baby Yellow Warbler photographed just seconds after a Mayfly was delivered by its father for breakfast. Flashback 20 years, and you will find me with my first professional digital camera, the Nikon 1DX, paired with a Nikon 300mm f/2.8 doubler with a flash and a Better Beamer flash extender to add a little catchlight and fill the shadows. There have been so many advances in the digital photography world …….

Yellow warbler baby eating a Mayfly (Setophaga petechia, Pauline jaune, YEWA) From long ago on June 18, 2004. ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Nikon 1DX & Nikon 300mm f/2.8 Lens with Nikon 2X Teleconverter @600mm. ISO 400, f/7.6 @ 1/2,50s Manual exposure with fill flash and Better Beamer flash extender.

Long-eared Owl.

In his play Love's Labour's Lost, William Shakespeare wrote, "Then nightly sings the staring owl." These words certainly apply to any of these big-eyed, big-headed birds, for owls do indeed stare. And in that staring face, we can see some of the owl's adaptations for life in the dark.

Unlike the eyes of other birds, an owl's eyes face straight ahead, like our own, giving the bird binocular vision. Unlike human eyes, however, they do not move in their sockets, so the bird must swivel its head to follow moving objects.

Although owls see well in dim light, most depend on supersensitive hearing when searching for prey. Long-eared Owls have hearing so acute that they can snatch prey in complete darkness.

Long-eared Owl (Asio otus, Hibou moyen-duc, LEOW) Ontario, Canada. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds. All rights reserved. Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless camera and Sony 200-600mm Lens (@600mm). ISO 400, f/8 @ 1/125s Manual exposure. Full-frame image. Join me for my annual Owls Galore Workshops in January.

Bald Eagle Look Back Portrait

This is a fun portrait of a Bald Eagle from the second day (March 6, 2024) of my first Bald Eagles Galore and so much more Workshop in Alaska. Once the fishing action stops, the Eagles sit pretty and allow close approaches—smile.

Bald Eagles Look Back Portrait (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Pygargue à tête blanche, BAEA) March 6, 2024 near Homer, Alaska. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X Tele-extender @1,200mm ISO 800, f/16 @ 1/200s. Manual Exposure mode. Join me for my Eagles Galore workshop next March. To learn more, CLICK HERE.

American Redstart Displaying

An American Redstart displaying during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop at Point Pelee National Park of Canada. We had so much fun trying to get a clean background as this stunning warbler bounced around, trying to get noticed by a female.

Male American Redstarts display to females during courtship by fluffing plumage, raising crown feathers, spreading wings and tail, and bowing.

Still space for you to join the fun and photograph spring migration in all of its glory at one of the top 10 migration hotspots in the world! Learn more about my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop HERE.

American Redstart Displaying (Setophaga ruticilla, Paruline flamboyante, AMRE). Point Pelee National Park of Canada during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds all Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 10,000, f/8 @ 1/2,500s Manual exposure.

Blackburnian Warbler

Here is a Blackburnian Warbler from a magical morning at Point Pelee during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop on May 9, 2019. The birding started slowly, but we soon realized it would be an epic morning when warblers began to appear in increasing numbers. There was no legendary “wave” of Warblers, but it did become difficult to isolate just one bird in an image. I just relived that morning as I prepared this image for publication. All of the images before and after this frame include a Bay-Breasted or a Magnolia Warbler - One of those mornings that makes Point Pelee so legendary for spring migration!

I still have room on my Songbirds of Pelee May 7-11 workshop due to a medical emergency last-minute cancellation. Learn more and sign up for my May 7-11 Songbirds of Pelee Workshop HERE.

The only North American Warbler with an orange throat, the Blackburnian Warbler (Dendroica fusca) was named after Anna Blackburne, an English Botanist. The male Blackburinan Warbler's orange throat appears glowing, giving it such previous names as "Firethroat" and "Tourchbird." Bent (1953) wrote, "Blackburnian seems to be a doubly appropriate name, for its upper parts are largely black and its throat burns like a brilliant orange flame amid the dark foliage of the hemlocks and spruces." Favouring Hemlocks, they feed and nest in coniferous trees' upper and outer portions, perhaps to avoid competition with other closely related species. Hidden in dense foliage or Usnea lichen and often as high as 85 feet, Blackburnian Warbler nests are an uncommon victim of Brown-Headed Cowbird parasitism.

Blackburnian Warbler with an ant for breakfast (Dendroica fusca, Paruline à gorge orangée, BLWA) on the beach at the tip of Point Pelee National Park of Canada during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop. Image Copyright ©Christopher Dodds www.chrisdoddsphoto.com All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a9 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 2X Teleconverter @800mm ISO 2,500, f/7.1 @ 1/2,000s Manual exposure. Full frame image.

Yellow-throated Vireo

This Yellow-throated Vireo was photographed during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop at Point Pelee National Park of Canada. I used my Sony 600mm f/4 G Master lens with my Sony 1.4X teleconverter.

Due to a medical emergency that resulted in a cancellation, there is still room for you to join my May 7-11 Songbirds of Pelee workshop at Point Pelee National Park. Come and experience the magic of spring migration at one of the top 10 birding destinations in the world! Learn more about my Songbirds of Pelee spring migration workshop HERE.

These little insect-eating birds resemble the warblers with whom they often migrate. Vireos, however, have somewhat thicker bills, search more slowly and carefully for food, and are less colourful. Eleven species breed in North American woodlands and thickets, constructing cup-shaped nests suspended from tree branches' forks.

Yellow-throated Vireo (Vireo flavifrons, Viréo à gorge jaune, YTVI) from mySONGBIRDS OF PELEE GALORE WORKSHOP Point Pelee National Park of Canada ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 1,600, f/13 @ 1/400s Manual exposure. Full-frame image.

Black-throated Blue Warbler Point Pelee Workshop Opening

Here is a beautiful Black-Throated Blue Warbler from an incredible afternoon during my Songbirds of Pelee Workshop last May 8, 2023.

Due to a medical emergency, I suddenly have space available for my May 7-11 Songbirds of Pelee Workshop (Get well soon, Dave) that sold out last July. Join me for this epic experience at the peak of the spring songbird migration at one of the top 10 birding destinations in the world! I am a fully licenced operator in the park.

Point Pelee National Park is one of the best inland locations to observe bird migration. Its location on major migratory flyways and the north shore of Lake Erie make it a migrant trap—a place that attracts a wide diversity of species in a tiny area. More than 390 species of birds have been recorded in the Point Pelee Birding Area.

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens, Paruline bleue, BTBW) from mySONGBIRDS OF PELEE GALORE WORKSHOP Point Pelee National Park of Canada ©Christopher Dodds All Rights Reserved. Sony Alpha a1 Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony FE 1.4X Teleconverter @840mm. ISO 3,200, f/14 @ 1/400s Manual exposure. Full-frame image.

Osprey Calling with fish in first light

After an early breakfast, we drive to Lake Blue Cypress and board the pontoon boat for what is always a magical ride through the Osprey-filled Blue Cypress trees that grow in the water as the sun begins to cast its magical first drops of light. On the last morning of the first Ospreys Galore Workshop (April 7), I heard the celebratory calling of this Osprey showing off its fresh catch to its mate, and Captain Don quickly did his part and got us in position to make a series of images before leaving the bird in peace.

Join me next April for this magical adventure: Ospreys Galore and so much more Aril 5-7 & 8-10, 2025. Learn More HERE.

OSPREY in flight with fresh catch (Pandion haliaetus, Balbuzard pêcheur, OSPR) from my Ospreys Galore Workshop on April 7, 2024, at Lake Blue Cypress near Vero Beach, Florida, USA. Image copyright ©Christopher Dodds Sony Alpha a9 III Mirrorless camera & Sony FE 600mm f/4 G Master OSS Lens with Sony 2X Teleconverter @1,200mm ISO 3,200, f/8 @ 1/5,000s. Manual Exposure mode. Full-frame image. Join me for my Ospreys Galore workshop every April. To learn more, CLICK HERE.