How to photograph Wildlife when you live in the city?
Well, look everywhere for it. Sometime you can be surprised. Here is some Urban Wildlife photography in Montreal, Canada.
When I was living there, I didn’t have a car, and many time I wanted to escape from the buildings and traffic.
So, thanks to the Montreal Subway system and a couple of bus lines, or simply by walking, I was able to reach different parks on Montreal Island.
The idea is to show you that you can enjoy and respect Wildlife, closer than you think.
This first serie of photographs, presents you some animals I encountered walking in the streets of Montreal, or at the Wilfrid Laurier park, the Lafontaine park, the Botanical Garden, the Maisonneuve park, the Jean Drapeau park and along the Saint Lawrence River, even on the National park of Boucherville Islands.
A barred owl during a -30 degres day in winter, a Northern cardinal singing the Spring coming, a great blue heron fishing, or a flying white tailed deer!

F4, 1/500 sec, 200 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F1.8, 1/2500 sec, 50 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F5.6, 1/200 sec, 55 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F5.6, 1/200 sec, 55 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/640 sec, 450 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/1600 sec, 172 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F7.1, 1/1600 sec, 200 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/800 sec, 200 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F4.5, 1/800 sec, 200 mm, ISO1250, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/1600 sec, 500 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/500 sec, 109 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/1600 sec, 500 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/1600 sec, 500 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/160 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/5000 sec, 200 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/8000 sec, 200 mm, ISO640, Canon EOS 7D

F4.5, 1/50 sec, 135 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F4, 1/400 sec, 200 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F5.6, 1/1000 sec, 138 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/1000 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
Wide and famous, the Mount Royal park in the heart of Montreal, is not only invaded by people, but also by some urban Wildlife trying to survive is this really busy park.
Some areas are less known and visited, so you can enjoy a bit of Nature, while watching birds and mammals wandering around.
Lots of squirrels and super fast chipmunks are less scared of people (who feed them), and also some raccoons from time to time.
It’s not allowed to feed them, but people do it anyway… giving them the rest of their junk food, which is not healthy and helpful for the animals.
I was really surprised to be able to observe a barred owl and a red fox there. The owl was spotted during winter time. I like to walk in the snow and avoid crowded places, so it was nice to encounter it in “the woods”.

F5.6, 1/1250 sec, 203 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/130 sec, 145 mm, ISO6400, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/130 sec, 200 mm, ISO6400, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/640 sec, 500 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/640 sec, 500 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/640 sec, 500 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 7D

F9, 1/250 sec, 200 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/130 sec, 500 mm, ISO3200, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/800 sec, 500 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/500 sec, 200 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/2000 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/800 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/2000 sec, 373 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/640 sec, 200 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F4, 1/80 sec, 200 mm, ISO6400, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/200 sec, 500 mm, ISO2500, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/640 sec, 70 mm, ISO640, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/640 sec, 200 mm, ISO640, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/2000 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/640 sec, 373 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D
The West side of Montreal Island, is my closest best place to escape from the city. The Cap Saint Jacques park (extended with the Morgan Arboretum and the Parc Agricole).
There you can walk peacefully and not see a single building around. I haven’t been there during Summer time as it can be busier, due to the beaches there.
It’s a wide area where you can have a stroll and spot red foxes, white tailed deers, raccoons, canadian geese etc.
I have photographied many birds there: great blue heron, blue jay, cardinal, turkey vulture, wood ducks, pileated woodpecker, northern harrier and other little birds, such as the black capped chickadee.
If you have some time and are patient, you can get some better photographs.
Many squirrels and chipmunks will spy you there, but they are more shy than the ones on Mount Royal Park.

F7.1, 1/500 sec, 200 mm, ISO320, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/1000 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/200 sec, 287 mm, ISO640, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/1600 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F9, 1/1000 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F8, 1/400 sec, 450 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/1000 sec, 244 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F9, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F2.8, 1/400 sec, 100 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F13, 1/250 sec, 50 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F13, 1/250 sec, 413 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F7.1, 1/400 sec, 373 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F5.6, 1/1000 sec, 203 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/200 sec, 500 mm, ISO1000, Canon EOS 7D

F13, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/1250 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F8, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO500, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/1000 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/500 sec, 500 mm, ISO400, Canon EOS 7D

F5.6, 1/1250 sec, 138 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/500 sec, 500 mm, ISO1600, Canon EOS 7D

F6.3, 1/3200 sec, 287 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F6.3, 1/400 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL

F9, 1/1000 sec, 500 mm, ISO800, Canon EOS 400D DIGITAL
I hope you liked my photographs of the Urban Wildlife of Montreal. They are not all artistic or jaw dropping, but it’s simply to make you realise that Mother Nature is still willing to survive in our cities, and we have to protect her.
I know some Wildlife photographers would prefer to be deep in the woods, and so do I, but I wanted to show you an alternative when you live in a city and can’t go in the Wild all the time.
Take care and take pictures!