The mountain streams and rivers are experiencing a surge of melting snow. This Spring runoff leads to high water flows. I’m still learning to take images with my drone, but I like this photo and how the viewer’s gaze meanders through the scene. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
Owls are such beautiful and mysterious birds of prey. I spent some time photographing a family of Barred Owls. They fly noiselessly through a dense canopy of trees. Barred Owls don’t migrate, and they don’t even move around very much. The photos were taken with a telephoto lens and are heavily cropped. I was a considerable distance away and didn’t want to disturb them. Please click on a photo and then use your left and right keys to scroll through the gallery of images. My favourite photo is the first one because of the beautiful Barred Owl and the red and green bokeh. Comments are always welcome.
Recently, I photographed a spectacular sunrise behind Mount Slesse. A thin layer of clouds was touching the 8,002 foot summit. Can you imagine being on top during this time? The vibrant colours only lasted a few minutes. Click on the image to see a larger version.
I always look forward to the return of the Ospreys ( Pandion haliaetus ). The Osprey is also known by its nicknames the Fish Hawk, Sea Hawk, or River Hawk. The Sea Hawk seems the most appropriate nickname because they often live close to the ocean. The Osprey is a unique bird of prey because its diet is about 99% fish. Each winter they primarily migrate to Central and South America. Some Ospreys may winter in California, Florida, and Baja. I watched as the male was collecting sticks for the nest which seems to get bigger every year. Click on a photo to see a larger version and then scroll through the gallery using your left and right keys. Comments are always welcome.
The Ospreys ( Pandion haliaetus ) have migrated back to British Columbia. One of the first things they do after arriving is clean up their nest. With generations adding to the nest year after year, it becomes bigger. I was fortunate to photograph the male Osprey collecting nesting material. It didn’t land on the lakeshore, it would just swoop down and collect sticks feet first. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
When walking on the beach I noticed these beautiful trees created in the sand by the receding tide. Their formation is also helped when the beach has a slight incline. I didn’t have a macro lens, which would have been ideal, and I had to work hard not to get my feet in the picture. I received a lot of curious glances from people walking by. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
I was on my way to see if the Ospreys had returned to their nest for another season of breeding, when I spotted two American Kestrels ( Falco sparverius ) perched on a wire. They are North America’s smallest falcon and eat mostly insects and other invertebrates, as well as small rodents and birds. The photo below is a female American Kestrel and it was scanning for prey. I never did see the Ospreys, but I enjoyed watching this pair of American Kestrels hunting. Their flight is very light and buoyant. Click on the photo to see a larger version.
The Osprey ( Pandion haliaetus ) have returned for another summer season. They’ve built their huge nest of sticks on an artificial platform. These birds are one of my favourite raptors to photograph. They’re unusual among hawks because they possess a reversible outer toe that allows them to grasp with two toes in front and two behind. This helps them to grip slippery fish. Click on either of the photos below to see a larger and sharper version.
On Friday I went for a bike ride in the cool of the evening. I saw a large bird sitting on a fencepost and it flew right in front of me before landing on the branch of a tree. I was amazed to see it was a Barred Owl (Strix varia) and was disappointed that I didn’t have my camera and telephoto lens with me. For the next few days I returned to the same location at dawn and dusk and was thrilled to get some images of this nocturnal predator. The Barred Owl has a distinct hooting call which sounds like “Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?”. Click on any one of the three images below to see sharper and larger versions.
This morning I visited a family of River Otters ( Lutra canadensis ) I had photographed earlier this year. I spotted two River Otters, down one from the last time, when I saw three. They were relaxing on a riverbank grooming their well-oiled and dense fur. It was rare to see them resting, usually they are very active, constantly in motion, swimming, foraging along the shore, and climbing out for only brief periods of time to eat fish or shellfish. It was quiet, peaceful, with no other people around, and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with these wild River Otters. Click on either image to see a larger version.
