J’rell the birdwatching photographer

IF you need help identifying a specific bird, talk to J’rell Ellis. And if you need a nine-year-old photographer who takes lovely photos of them, talk to J’rell again.

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle, the Trinity Junior School student is now carrying the mantle.

J’rell is from Tacarigua and he told Newsday Kids it all began last year when his grandfather, Rory Ellis, took him to the Asa Wright Nature Centre in Blanchisseuse.

“He gave me a camera so I could take pictures of the hummingbirds and stuff.

“I got two kinds of hummingbirds, and then after that, we went into the forest, but we didn't get any birds there because he was mostly camouflaged with the environment,” he recalled.

He said that day was the first time he held a professional camera on his own.

“It was mostly light but under it was kind of heavy.”

He added, “I took a while to get the controls right…(Grandpa) showed me one (button) to take pictures and one to zoom in. Other than that, he showed me how to change the shutter speed and (adjust) the lighting.”

His grandfather did not just boost his interest in photography, but also birdwatching by gifting him a book about birds.

J’rell’s mother, Renikka Ellis, said he always correctly identifies different species of birds. In fact, on his way to be interviewed by Newsday Kids, he saw a bird at a gas station and took a photo of it.

“He was like, ‘Mommy, look a bird!’ and asked to put down the window to take a picture,” his mother said.

J’rell said he enjoys watching shows about birds on National Geographic and Animal Planet.

Asked about his favourite bird, he quickly said the egret.

“I like the beak,” he said as he excitedly scanned through the photos on his Canon PowerShot camera.

Smiling as he found the shot of an egret he was looking for, he said, “This one where the beak kind of went from yellow to orange to red to purple.”

He also showed Newsday Kids a photo of a bird “that looks like a kiskadee but isn’t a kiskadee.”

“It’s a bananaquit,” he said.

He said he still has some pages left to read in his bird book and hopes to someday take photos of a merlin, an osprey and a scarlet ibis.

J’rell has also taken photos of other animals like crabs and squirrels, as well as flowers and people.

Newsday Kids first noticed him during the 2024 Remembrance Day parade in Port of Spain on November 10. He brought his camera to take photos of his brother, J’sayne Ellis, marching with the Cadet Force. He also took videos.

His grandfather and uncle Rhyjell Ellis were all there.

His mother said it has been great to see a skill passed down through generations in her family.

“So seeing all of them (my dad and brother) taking photos at the Remembrance Day parade was really nice.”

J’rell hopes to combine his passions in the future as he dreams of becoming a professional photographer and birdwatcher.

More photos by J'rell: