With Ottawa basking in sunny skies that hit +23 degrees, I decided to head to a walking trail not 5 minutes from my house, namely the Brittania Conservation Area adjacent to the Ottawa River. (The path I used circles Mud Lake, and is on Cassels Road just above the Filtration Plant, and just north of Richmond and Carling Avenue.) I had heard about this area earlier in the morning from a Bird Watching Report board on the net, and word has it that 4 Great Horned Owls call these woods home, as well as over 200 species of birds. I didn't need anymore convincing....
Within 5 minutes I came across two of the juvenile owls, basking in the sun some 90 feet up a pine tree. My telephoto wasn't quite strong enough, but here's a shot to give you an idea.
They are sitting on an old crows nest, both facing to the left of the photo. One of the adults was on an adjoining tree, but he/she was too well hidden to get a shot off..
A bit further down the trail I find these guys.
Found this little guy sunning himself..
Then his older, and bigger, cousin!
She was sitting about two fit off the trail, just up from the water. While crossing a small bridge ten minutes earlier, I got to witness two big brutes doing the mating dance just feet away from me in the water. Pretty neat sight to see!
Saw a male and female Wood Duck only ten feet away, but my camera view was blocked by branches. I waited for them to come out in the clear, but sadly, they headed the opposite way. Would of been nice to of gotten a shot of those in their brilliant plummage.
Found a playful pair of Cotton Tail by the side of the road. Had to get a shot of these..
If anyone is into bird watching, or would just like to get out for a breath of fresh air, give this spot a try. And for those with kids, they would have a ball here. Squirrels and chipmunks are everywhere, and are tame enough to eat from your hand. The water is also full of huge tadpoles, which was quite interesting to watch...
All in all, a great 4 hours spent in wilderness. (Now, time to get the boat ready for fishing!)
Good Shooting,
Justin
It's a very sacred place to some... I lost interest when I found out the lake wasn't home to any fish 
This time of year is just awesome for sightings of scores and scores of species. Big push to the nesting grounds is well underway, and in some cases, nests are established (take your owls, for instance, who court in the winter). 
