I enjoy taking images in the rain, it’s quiet and there are very few people. This morning I came across this male Green-winged Teal ( Anas crecca ). It has a beautiful dark rufous and iridescent green coloured head. The American population differs from the Eurasian by having a distinct white bar, which you can see in the photo. It’s the smallest North American dabbling duck.
This morning I was fortunate to spend some time photographing a Anna’s hummingbird ( Calypte anna ). The males of this genus are distinctive, with elongated gorgets and iridescent crowns. The three photos below are of the same adult male Anna’s hummingbird. You can only see the iridescent crown from a certain angle, when the hummingbird is looking directly at you.
Adult Bald Eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) obtain their food by hunting and killing, while younger birds rely more on scavenging and piracy. This morning I was photographing adult and juvenile Bald Eagles feeding on salmon carcasses. It takes four or five years to achieve its distinctive coloration. I hope the juvenile Bald Eagle will be okay because it has less than a 50 percent chance of reaching adulthood.
A Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) shows its two metre wingspan. You can see in the photo that the Bald Eagle is watching me. They have excellent eyesight and can see four to seven times farther than humans.
Four Canada Geese ( Branta canadensis ) glide in for a landing on a marsh. Thousands of ‘honkers’ migrate north and south each year, creating long V-formations. However, more and more of these grassland-adapted birds are staying put in urban and suburban areas year-round.
Early this morning I was taking images of three Lesser Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) in a marsh. An elegant bird, gray in colour, with a distinct red crown. They are known for their dancing skills. Courting cranes stretch their wings, pump their heads, bow, and leap into the air in a graceful and energetic dance.
The weather was cloudy and the light wasn’t great for taking photos. So the photos I was happiest with, were the ones that didn’t have any dull sky in the background. A good tip, when taking photos of wildlife on an overcast day, is to isolate your subject without any sky in your images. Dull light = dull pictures.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone…
The Belted Kingfisher ( Ceryle alcyon ) catches fish by plunge-diving headfirst. My experience with Belted Kingfishers is that they are loud, noisy and skitterish. I was fortunate to find this male Belted Kingfisher perched on a post. In the image, you can clearly see its shaggy crest.
This heron was sitting right at the top of a snag.
Being outside in the rain taking images is an enjoyable experience if you have good rain gear. The light is soft, it’s quiet and there are very few people. I like this photo of a Pacific Great Blue Heron ( Ardea herodias fannini ) because of the dark water background and the way it was perched on the log.
I couldn’t believe when I saw not one, but three Great Horned Owls ( Bubo virginianus ) this morning. They had the most beautiful yellow eyes and I could see them staring at me through my telephoto lens. When the Great Horned Owls were around all the other birds became silent. If there was a little noise in the bushes or trees the Great Horned Owl in the photos below, immediately snapped its head around to take a closer look. Great Horned Owls will eat birds ranging in size from kinglets to Pacific Great Blue Herons and will even eat other owls. I never thought I would ever see a Great Horned Owl in the wild, but to get the opportunity to photograph one, that was truly special.
