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.
It was a cloudy, rainy and quiet Saturday morning in the lower mainland. It wasn’t a great day for photography, but I don’t consider it a waste of time to get up early to explore a location with my camera. It’s the experience of being in nature that I appreciate and I’m not disappointed if I return home without a great image. The photo below isn’t fantastic, but I do like the green and yellow colours of the sunflowers and how they naturally frame the squirrel. You often have to return to a location many times to get a great image. It takes patience.
This morning I spent some time photographing two beavers ( Castor canadensis ) in their pond. Fortunately, one of the beavers came out of the water to eat some grasses. The beaver soon realized I was no threat and instead of watching me, it could focus on more important matters, like eating and preening its fur coat. I really enjoyed taking images of this industrious and hard working creature.
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.
Yesterday I spent some time photographing this Killdeer. To me, they look very similar to the Semipalmated Plover, which is smaller and has a single breast band. Killdeer’s exhibit a clever ‘broken wing display’ in which they appear to be struggling with a broken wing while leading the predator away from their babies. Although technically they are shorebirds, they are unusual in this group because they often nest and live far from water. They are ground-nesting birds that are famous for hiding their nests right out in the open. It will use no nesting materials and rely on distraction displays to protect their offspring. Killdeer’s emit a loud cry ‘kill-dee’ or ‘kill-deear’ and ‘kill-deeah-dee-dee’. It also makes a long, trilled ‘trrrrr’ during display or when young are threatened.
P.S. I’m still sorting and processing my images from my Haida Gwaii trip…
Approximately 45 to 60 kilometres off the west coast of British Columbia are 150 islands that form the archipelago of Haida Gwaii. The climate produces lush vegetation, abundant wildlife and the area is nicknamed Canada’s Galapagos. It’s the heart of the Haida nation and they’ve lived on the islands for 13,000 years. There is more than 500 archeological sites, a few containing totem poles and longhouse remains. Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve is located in the southern islands and is accessible only by boat or seaplane. I just returned from a 10 day trip in this area exploring the dramatic landscapes, moss-covered rainforest and ancient village sites with my camera. I’m now sorting through my images and looking forward to sharing them soon on my website.
