This quiet country girl met up with a “big city Scottish fella” from English and French descent. It was their mutual interest in plants and flowers that led them to start an Interior Landscaping business in 1985. They now live on 25 acres where they have space for greenhouses, quiet woodlands to take a walk and gardens to welcome the birds and small wildlife.

DH has had a bird phobia all of his life but over the years through getting to know more about them and getting caught up in Carol’s passion, his fear has lessened. He enjoys them and knows all the names of their regular visitors but he still prefers to wait outside if there is a swallow in one of the greenhouses.

Carol’s first memory of a serious interest in birds was as a child when her father pointed out an Eastern Meadowlark to her. He told so many fascinating stories of the many different birds on their farm but sadly many of the birds he told her of are very rare these days due to loss of habitat. While reading her Children’s Encyclopaedia one day she learnt the meaning of ‘extinct’ and it was from there that she was set on the road of advocacy for the preservation of the environment for both birds and animals. Her father and her still go together each spring and fall to see the Tundra Swans during migration that is an extra special event for them both.

Carol is fascinated by all birds but if she had to choose a favourite it would have to be the hummingbird which she describes as “a tiny, but perfect and wonderful gift flitting amongst the flowers”.

She is a member of the Ontario Field Ornithologists and usually goes birding with a small group of friends but also she enjoys being out in the field on her own with the birds. As she and DH live not far from the shores of Lake Erie she has many excellent birding opportunities including the spring and fall migrations.

Last April Carol was given an unexpected opportunity to go to Cuba that she jumped at. To travel to Cuba has always been high on her wish list. She rushed to a small bookstore and bought their last copy of a Field Guide to the Birds of Cuba and every night until late she studied and dreamed of the birds she hoped to see. By the time she saw the real birds in Cuba it was as though they had flown straight off the pages of her book. Before her trip she also read up in a birding magazine about Cuba and it’s desperate lack of supplies to educate young birders. Through many phone calls and emails, our Buddy Carol was able to track down a birding contact in Cuba and arranges to meet him with many donations of binoculars, cameras and also caps for the children to wear to protect their heads from the sun.

Her dreams came true when she was able to see and photograph a Cuban Emerald Hummingbird on her nest. The perfect little cup of a nest was made up of fine grasses, lichen and spiders web.

It was a thrill for her to find some of the Cuban endemics and photograph them and her rarest sighting was of a Red-legged Honeycreeper enjoying the nectar of a tree in full bloom and whilst hiking in a forest a Cuban Tody appeared and disappeared like magic. Some day she hopes to return to the beauty of Cuba and the warmth and kindness of it’s people. Wish Carol luck in her pursuit of the elusive Cuban Trogon, their colourful National bird.

In Carol’s garden there are an abundance of birds, in excess of 30 different species. She enjoys building her own rustic birdhouses and had Eastern Bluebirds as special guests. Summer brings the melodic flute-like sound of the Wood Thrush and the Killdeers flying over the fields with their unmistakable cry. The Catbird arrives to feed on the berry bushes along with groups of rowdy Cedar Waxwings. The little White Crowned Sparrow is a winter visitor and the beautiful Northern Flicker is present year round and what a beautiful display of feathers in this photo.

When she was just 10 years old Carol collected cereal box tops to purchase her first camera and for many years she used a 35mm Olympus. Then several years ago she discovered that pairing a digital camera to a field scope for incredible close-up shots and she was hooked. She can capture the most intimate moments from a distance of up to 100ft. without the birds being aware of any human presence. One of her greatest captures is of a Snowy Owl during a winter storm last January. She was so caught up in the moment that she almost suffered frostbite.

Here are a couple of tips from Carol on getting good bird photos. First and foremost make sure you have full battery and a large memory card or plenty of film. Add perches near feeders and baths to encourage the birds to pause for a moment and this may just give you enough time to snap a photo. Also make the bird the star by keeping the background uncluttered.

Carol has shared a special recipe given to her by her friend “Amigo Diane” and it was a real hit amongst the birds at her winter feeding station but beware to tell the family that it is “for the birds” as it looks good enough to eat. You will find the recipe in Feathered Friends Treats.