Culture Nature Wildlife

It was a busy evening for woodpeckers at my local duck pond. The usual flickers were around, but my ears perked up as I heard a hairy woodpecker calling in the woods. Just as I locate it... It flies off, so I try to follow it only to lose it as it passed a tree that had two pileated woodpeckers smacking away! Wonder if there will be a nest soon. Today in Cloverdale, BC, Canada.

When we think of birds that eat birds we usually think of falcons, hawks, and eagles... Well, unlike me, this song bird definitely is not a vegetarian! At my local park I found this juvenile northern shrike feasting on a recently caught pine siskin. Shrikes are known to impale their prey on sharp bushes and even barbed wire, while this juvenile tugged the ex-siskin around and used the branches of this tree as a sort of plate. While I've known for a while that these birds are carnivores, this is the first time I have seen one with a bird as it's prey. More photos from this set to be posted in my story... Warning some are quite graphic, as you can imagine for a species nicknamed "butcher bird". Taken today in Cloverdale, BC, Canada.

I haven't posted a series in a while, but the rare juvenile yellow-billed loon at Elgin Heritage Park is so beautiful that it can't be done justice in one photo. On Saturday I spent quite a while just watching this beautiful bird as it hunted for crab, preened, and went about it's daily life. I hope you enjoy! Taken January 9th in Surrey, BC, Canada.

Happy holidays everyone! Nature gave an extra gift today with this very rare viewing of a juvenile yellow-billed loon in Surrey, BC, Canada. These beautiful birds breed in the high arctic and then winter in the Pacific waters along the coast of Alaska and British Columbia, but are rarely seen this far South. More photos to be added to my story.

So far we have had nearly nothing but rain this new year. Yesterday we had a few brief moments of sun and I was able to take advantage of the light to get some shots of this juvenile red-tailed hawk. It was displaying interesting behaviour, as it seemed to stop when flying to hover in place for a few seconds. I see this behaviour much more often with rough-legged hawks when they are hunting than with red-taileds. Flight photos to be posted in my story. Please view in large for full image and feather details. Taken January 3rd in Ladner, BC, Canada.

Not quite snowing yet, but getting colder everyday. Cold enough for this common redpoll, an arctic breeding finch, to stop by for a visit. The last redpoll I saw was in Yellowknife at -40C, winter must be here! More photos on my story. Taken yesterday in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

A lifer for me today, and a very odd bird to see in Metro Vancouver in December. This least flycatcher is a rare summer breeder in these parts, and is usually found in Mexico, Central America, or the tip of Florida this time of year. This adorable bird is only 10 grams (less than half an ounce), making it even smaller than a chickadee! Taken today in Coquitlam, BC, Canada.

Happy New Year everyone, and here's to hoping everyone has a better 2021! Lots of rain today, but was nice to see this female Redhead in a little pond near home in Cloverdale, BC, Canada. She is a returning rare migrant from last winter, hopefully she had a good first day of 2021!

Oh how I love seeing colourful creatures in sunset light! This is a tropical kingbird, another rare visitor I got to see on my island trip. Last time I got to see a tropical kingbird was in Belize, so it was quite exciting to see this vibrant bird much closer to home. Please view in large for detail. More photos in my story. Taken on October 31st in Sooke, BC, Canada.

In these crazy times of more and more isolation I just wanted to give a shout out to all the pets out there! I don't know if anyone else is like me, but my dog Drogo has definitely been one of the main things keeping me sane right now. With less and less light in the winter I am going a bit crazy without much time for my usual vices, but this guy always cheers me up! I would love to hear about everyone elses' pets and how we are appreciating them through quarantine

Finally had some good weather over the weekend, so I was able to go out and get the best view I have had to date of this beautiful bird, a gyrfalcon. Gyrfalcons are the largest falcon in the world, and the third fastest living thing on the planet. The only two animals faster are the peregrine falcon and the golden eagle, all 3 of these animals reach their max speed by diving down on their prey, reaching incredible speeds due to how aerodynamic they are and with the assistance of gravity. On top of incredible dive speeds, the gyrfalcon is also the second fastest horizontal flyer in the world, second only to the white-throated needletail, reaching horizontal flight speeds of up to 145 kilometers per hour - faster than most cars! Taken November 21st in British Columbia, Canada.

Last weekend on Mesachie Lake. Was lovely to see the fall colours while the lake was so still that it was perfectly flat. It's always hard to come home from the island!

When we think about elusive, hard to see birds we usually think of rails or snipes, but I have to say the most skulky and sneaky bird I have ever looked for was the LeConte's Sparrow that showed up in Sooke, BC, Canada. This is the first record of a LeConte's Sparrow on Vancouver Island in at least 86 years or maybe ever. I was in the presence of this bird for hours on two occasions before I had a chance to actually see it because it sticks low to the ground, skulls in the underbrush, or sometimes under logs. Please view zoom in for feather detail! Taken November 1st, 2020.

A view on fall colours of the celebrity Red-Backed Shrike that turned up in Powell River, BC, Canada. This individual is the first of it's species ever recorded in Canada, and only the second ever to have been recorded in the Americas. The only other record was in 2017 on Saint Lawrence Island an American island off the coast of Russia. Red-Backed Shrike are usually found in parts of Central Asia, Europe, and Africa. This one has really taken a wrong turn to be on the West Coast of North America! To my knowledge the bird has not been seen since this photo was taken. I was lucky enough to be able to watch it flycatching and hunting - more photos to come. Taken October 30th, 2020.

I had quite the surprise on Monday when I was out on my normal dog walk. I was feeding the ducks at my local pond when my sister asks me, "Hey, what is that little bird on the ground over there?", and when I turn around I see this beautiful little Sora. An elusive bird at the best of times, they are not usually found here this time of year. Please view in large for feather detail! Taken in Surrey, BC, Canada.