Today I did something I don’t often do and went on a road trip to a public beach in the east end of the city in pursuit of what has been described as an incredible opportunity to photograph Horned Larks and Snow Buntings. I don’t see these birds very often because they prefer rural open country habitats that I rarely visit. But during the fall they can be found along open shoreline habitats like beaches and mudflats. I have seen both species along the shoreline habitats within a few minutes of where I live and have photographed both species before, but not very well and these particular birds I sought today were said to be very accommodating for photographers, unlike all the other Snow Buntings and Horned Larks I have encountered in the past.
 
After seeing many excellent photos of these birds I couldn’t resist going myself. I am well known for not venturing away from my end of the city - I haven’t been to this part of the city for a couple of years now - and when the local gang of photographers I often bump into here in the west end spotted me walking out onto the beach this afternoon heads turned and eyes widened at the sight of me in the east end!
 
I was told that the Horned Larks I sought hadn’t been seen since the morning but were likely still around. I walked off down the beach and quickly found them. The Snow Buntings were easily found.
 
After taking a fill of photos I left for another site in the east end where the remains of an old railway bridge can be found, a site that has been on my list of places to visit for a long time. All that remains of the bridge are piers sticking out of the ground. This bridge carried the Canadian Northern Railway across Green’s Creek. This rail line ran along what is now Highways 417 and 174 from Ottawa to Montreal in the east and to Arnprior and eventually the northern part of Algonquin Park in the west.