A Rose Between Thornes (Long-Tailed Ducks)
A female long-tailed duck is flanked by two drakes as they make their way back towards me after being flushed from the water by a passing fishing boat.
Change of Pace (Long-Tailed Ducks)
Went to Deep Bay today to have some fun with the long-tailed ducks. Caught a break when the male and female flew past on the same focal plane at close distance.
Crop From Across The River (Short-Eared Owl)
This image is a distant crop of the short-eared owl as it perched in an old dead arbutus tree across the river from the main dyke trail. Not a usual position for a short-ear as they normally perch down low on fence posts and logs.
Unexpected Portrait (Northern Harrier)
This young northern harrier got a bit too close to the lens on New Year's Day. Had to settle for a portrait instead of a full body shot.
Island Owl (Short-Eared Owl)
We do have short-eared owls on the island too. Not as numerous as the Lower Mainland though. The clouds and fog were thick yesterday not to mention the birds keeping their distance making for a challenging shoot.
Gear Down (Short-Eared Owl)
Take off after another missed vole.
Logging Out (Short-Eared Owl)
The short-eared owl takes a bit of a rest on an old driftwood log close to the ground.
Out on a Limb (Short Eared Owl)
In this image the owl rests on one of the old familiar perches in the salt marsh. This branch has been there since I first started photographing at this venue. Judging by its condition it wont be there too much longer.
Gliding Near The Ocean (Short-Eared Owl)
where the salt marsh meets the ocean a short-eared owl glances in our direction as it glides by.
Skimming Winter Weeds (Short-Eared Owl)
A male short-eared owl flies low to the ground and directly at the camera during a hunt.
Looking Our Way (Short-Eared Owl)
There were a few nice perching images to be had at the venue yesterday. This short-eared owl is taking a well deserved break in between hunting sessions on an old driftwood log near the ocean.
Another One From November (Short-Eared Owl)
Here is another one from our first trip over to the Lower Mainland at the end of November. We tried down island today but ended up with no owls and getting rained out.
Season's Greetings (Great Grey Owl)
Looks like it is getting cold in the Interior of B.C.
Another Head-On Shot (Short-Eared Owl)
Here is another of many images that I took as the owl flew directly at the camera. Taken on our trip to the Mainland at the end of November.
Special Re-Crop (Great Grey Owl)
An image from the spring that I resized to fit my 27 inch monitor. Thought you might like it.
Coming Straight at The Camera...Again! (Short-Eared Owl)
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I see You! (Short-Eared Owl)
The short-eared owls come a bit closer on the lower mainland. Had some fun at our favorite venue yesterday.
Smile For The Camera (Northern Harrier)
A female northern harrier skims in low over the weeds to check me out.
Danger From Above (Northern Harrier)
At the Nanaimo Estuary a female northern harrier dives on an unsuspecting field mouse. Harriers are generally good hunters but will often steal prey from other birds such as short-eared owls.
Dreaming of Northern Hawk Owls
An out of focus roof from a nearby building makes a good backdrop for this northern hawk owl as it returns to its evening perch.
Bohemian Rhapsody (Bohemian Waxwing)
A bohemian waxwing prepares to chow down on some tasty winter hawthorn berries. Taken long before mirrorless was a thing. Not bad for only 16MP.
What Are You Lookin' At? (Northern Pygmy Owl)
A northern pygmy owl lands on a close by fir tree branch clutching a freshly caught grasshopper in it's talon.
High-Key Short Ear (Short-Eared Owl)
I managed to flush a female short-eared owl this afternoon. First of the season and right on time. Just got a few "sky shots" unfortunately. She circled and barked at me and then took off towards the river, never to be seen for the rest of the afternoon.
Happy Halloween (2025)
Eat, drink, and be scary!
Raptor Season is About to Start! (short-eared owl)
So many owls to photograph and so little time.
King of The Elbow (Northern Pygmy Owl)
On a branch just off of the cliff that I refer to as "The Elbow" the pygmy owl surveys the cliffside for another grasshopper to pounce on.
Some Salad With Lunch? (Northern Pygmy Owl)
The northern pygmy owl blasts off of the cliff once again with another blue-legged grasshopper in its talon. Looks like it took a good chunk of lichens along with it.
Sunlight From Below (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Had about two minutes to get this shot. The light was pretty harsh so I had to wait until the bird perched in the shade in an arbutus tree just off of the cliff.
Pretty Tubular (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Perfect light today at the venue but unfortunately no owls showed up. Here is one from a couple of weeks back. I was going to remove the old dead branches but on second thought I think it frames the bird rather well and adds interest to the image. Taken at about 30 feet away with the bird around 5 feet off of the ground. Hope you like it!
Rainy Day Post (Northern Pygmy Owl)
The weather is pretty lousy today with lots of wind and rain so I thought I would work at home to post another image in the bullet bird sequence from a few days back. Enjoy!
Money Tree Guardian (Northern Pygmy Owl)
On a perpetual hunt for food a Northern Pygmy Owl scans the cliffside for insects. Flickr folks please left click for more detail.
Raptor Season Approaches (Short-Eared Owl)
I am really looking forward to this time next month when the raptor season kicks in with the return of the short-eared owls. If you look closely at this image you will see the humorous situation. The photographers are oblivious to the short-eared owl perched above them as they check their camera settings. Wait a minute, I think I know one of those guys 🙂
Thanks to Mark Wynja for this photo.
On The Down Stroke (Northern Pygmy Owl)
On his way to the cliffside to snatch up another grasshopper.
Northern Pygmy Owl Environmental 2025
I really like this photo. It is what I refer to as "an image within in an image". What I mean is that you can crop it in several different ways. It works well close up or far away, landscape or portrait. Flickr folks please left click for more detail.
Into The Abyss (Northern Pygmy Owl)
The northern pygmy owl kicks up some moss as it launches itself into the valley to enjoy a freshly caught snack.
Wings Up Version (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Showing some side body and underwing details.
Wings Down (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Tried my best to get the right angle to have both eyes in the picture. Unfortunately, I ended up getting mostly "Pirate Shots" (one eye) today. Background blue is out of focus trees on the other side of the valley.
Pygmy Projectile 2025 (Northern Pygmy Owl)
For those of you who enjoyed this pose last year.
Poofy Pygmy 2025 (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Judging by the residue on this guys beak he seems to be eating pretty well. Caught him in a moment when he was all puffed up.
Alert With Tail Up! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
I think he was watching a grasshopper on the cliffside.
Cuteness Factor (Northern Pygmy Owl)
After a while curiosity got the better of this little guy and he just had to come in closer to check us out.
Playing With Pygmies... Again. (Northern Pygmy Owl)
We had one owl come in quite close today. Great light at the venue right up to the end of the shoot. A high shutter speed once again in anticipation of a flight shot. Unfortunately the bird jumped in the opposite direction to what I had hoped.
Pygmy Back Shot (Northern Pygmy Owl)
In this image the northern pygmy owl makes a few quick wing beats between perches.
A Hibiscus of a Different Colour
Meanwhile, back at the opposite corner of Colleen's Secret Garden, the pink hibiscuses had started to bloom too. Oops! forgot to change settings after shooting pygmy owls in flight 🙂
Favorite Perch in Morning Light (Northern Pygmy Owl)
A northern pygmy owl rests for a moment on his favorite perch before leaping to a near by arbutus tree.
Fir and Spanish Moss (Great Grey Owl)
Another nice one from my second summer trip to the interior of BC.
Top Down View (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Caught this image as the northern pygmy owl flew between perches.I had forgotten how tiny and wicked fast they are.
A Different Angle (Great Grey Owlet)
Another image from this past July. This guy was down on a low fir tree branch. He was keeping an eye on me which made for some nice portrait images.
Pygmy Blast Off! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Wings up. A northern pygmy owl blasts off of an old snag.
Wings Down My Favorite (Northern Pygmy Owl)
One in a series of images as the northern pygmy owl leaves its perch.
And Now For Something Completely Different! Backyard Hibiscus
Here is one for all of you flower buffs out there. We are having an unusually good crop of hibiscus blooms this year in the back yard. Takes all summer for them to reach this point only to last less than 48 hours before they are gone.
Top Side View (Canadian Forces Snowbirds)
I think this particular maneuver was a combination of a loop and a role towards the audience.
Solo Pilots Top Side View (Canadian Forces Snowbirds)
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Snowbird Solo Pilots Wing Down
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Snowbirds Solo Pilots Knife Edge Pass
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Inverted Loop (Canadian Forces Snowbirds)
All nine snowbirds perform an inverted loop over Nanaimo's downtown harbor.
Close Fly-By (Canadian Forces Snowbirds)
Giving onlookers in a tall building in downtown Nanaimo a nice close fly-by.
Vertical Loop (Canadian Forces Snowbirds)
Here is another one of my favorites from the weekend.
Canadian Forces Snowbirds
Went to Maffeo-Sutton Park here in Nanaimo yesterday to take in the airshow. I was quite impressed with the new Sony 300mm F/2.8. You can even see the pilot's name on the side of the cockpit. Flickr folks please left click for more detail.
Environmental Shot (Long-Billed Curlew)
Here is another one from yesterday's shoot.
Rare Visitor (Long-Billed Curlew)
Went to the Estuary yesterday to shoot barn swallows and got some shots of this long-billed curlew. Who knew? Very rare around these parts and the first occurrence of one at the Estuary in quite some time, if ever.
Another Interesting Perch (Great Grey Owl)
Here is yet another perch that the male great grey owl used as a hunting platform at the edge of the meadow. He moved around quite a bit and covered at least six different positions before he finally caught a vole.
WIngs Up Version (Barn Swallow)
One image of several in a sequence shot at Nanaimo Estuary.
Another Tough Target (Barn Swallow)
Ran into Pius and Dave out at the Estuary today. Had some fun for a bit trying to photograph barn swallows. Very fast and unpredictable subjects for sure!
Alpine Common Yellow Throat
While on my way to photograph owls I was surprised to find this common yellow throat still singing away at a small pond near the 4000 foot level.
Straight on For You! (Great Grey Owl)
Sorry, did not get any vole shots this time out. Flickr folks please left click for more detail.
Branch Ballerina 2025 (Great Grey Owlet)
It would appear that nature has a sense of humor sometimes too. What beautiful legs you have!
Baby on a Branch (Great Grey Owlet)
A great grey owlet waits patiently on a nearby branch for one of the parent birds to bring the morning feeding.
American Three-Toed Woodpecker
The soot rains down as an American three-toed woodpecker excavates an old burnt tree in search of insects.
Bounce Back ( Great Grey Owl)
In a strange behavior, the great grey owl leaves the meadow to go uphill to land for a few seconds only to make a 180 degree turn to come straight back towards me and the camera. Still haven't figured that one out?
Great Grey Blast Off! (Great Grey Owl)
In this image the bird leaves the meadow temporarily to go uphill to continue the hunt.
Hello Down There! (Great Grey Owlet)
Great grey owlet close up!
Tough Capture (Lazuli Bunting)
Quite a challenge getting a good shot of one of these guys. Here is an underside view taken last weekend at the head of the Tranquille River Trail. Watch out for the cactuses! Ouch!
Tree Topper 2025 (Great Grey Owl)
Here is one from a different angle with better eye contact.
Great Grey in Conifer (Great Grey Owl)
One of my favorites from the weekend trip to the BC interior. This particular owl presented me and one other photographer with several interesting perches as it casually hunted on the edge of an alpine meadow.
More Great Grey Fun! (Great Grey Owl)
Spent a couple more days in the interior of BC with my little great grey owl buddies.
Cooper's Hawk Portrait
Taken tonight in the back yard while waiting for the night hawks to show up. Only bird I saw the whole time. Guess it was my consolation prize.
Hawking Bugs in Golden Light (Common Night Hawk)
The night hawks enjoyed a fresh hatch of flying insects just above my house last night. A rare visit that only happens for a couple of evenings in July each year.
Skimming the Lily Pads (Cedar Waxwing)
A cedar waxwing skims the Lily pads at Oliver Woods Marsh while hawking for insects.
Kingfisher Blast Off! (Belted Kingfisher)
Why do they always fly in the other direction? Arrgh!
She's Comin' Right at Us! (Belted Kingisher)
Here is one with the kingfisher coming straight at the camera. Pretty good tracking ability. You still gotta be quick though.
Oliver Woods Kingfisher (Belted Kingfisher)
Spent a while today trying to get used to the new lens at Oliver Woods Park here in Nanaimo. Doesn't seem to matter if it's a new lens or a new camera body, I always take a few weeks to perfect my technique.
Down By The Sea (Great Horned Owlet)
Found this guy down by the beach cooling off in a shady spot.
Oliver Woods Barred Owl
While photographing cedar waxwings I heard the fuss that the robins were making just a couple of hundred feet further down the swamp. Went to investigate and found this barred owl out in the open. Ironically enough it was probably the same owl I got images of when I first tried out my 400mm F/2.8.
Red-Breasted Bullet (Red-Breasted Sapsucker)
Another addition to the "Bullet Birds" album.
Alder Branch Launch (Red-Breasted Sapsucker)
A red-breasted sapsucker launches from an alder tree branch at Foothills Marsh here in Nanaimo.
Black-Crowned Night Heron (Female)
We had a couple of quick visitations with black-crowned night herons on our trip to the Calgary area. They are about the size of an American Bittern. Unlike our blue herons out here on the coast they tended to be a bit skittish and would not stick around much for a good photo. This one was chased up from the marsh reeds by an overly protective male yellow-headed blackbird. Guess it got too close to the nest.
American Avocet Preening
Just something beautiful and serene about this image. I really enjoyed the avocets at Frank Lake this year. There were a whole lot more than the last time I was there.
Skimming The Sage (Lazuli Bunting)
One of the few flight images I was able to get this year of the lazuli bunting flying over the sage brush.
Bunting Bullet 2025
Cinnamon Ridge Compost Facility dirt background. Worked out pretty good.
Full Wing Spread (Great Grey Owl)
In this image the female great grey owl lifts off of the grass and heads towards a near by fence post to eat a freshly caught vole.
Dancing Avocet (American Avocet)
This one avocet did a little dance after it had landed probably to greet the others in the flock that were already there feeding in the marsh.
Prairie Background (American Avocet)
There were lots More Avocets at Frank Lake than there were on my last visit. I think I counted 30 this time.
Full Frame Landing Shot (Great Grey Owl)
Had to struggle a bit to keep this one in the frame. Even at 400mm great greys are a very large bird.
Black-Necked Stilt Closeup
We couldn't figure out what a lot of the shore birds were feeding on at first. I managed a frame or two of this black-necked stilt feeding on these little red worms. Must take a lot of work for a full stomach as these worms are pretty tiny. If you zoom up the photo you can see that the stilt has a worm in its beak.
Posing For The Camera (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Always one of the highlights on our trips back east. The yellow-headed blackbird is not only beautiful but fun at the same time. Its raucous calls and comedic behavior can keep anyone entertained for several minutes. In this image a typical iconic pose atop a bullrush just at the edge of Frank Lake.
Frank Lake Black-Necked Stilt
These guys proved to be a bit jumpy at first but soon they got used to us. By about the third trip out to the lake they were feeding and flying quite close. Gotta love that red eye!
Frank Lake Black-Necked Stilt #2
I couldn't decide which frame I liked the best so here is a wing up version. You be the judge.
Watching From a Distance (Great Horned Owl)
Momma was keeping a close watch on me as I photographed the owlets. She was not skittish at all and actually fell asleep towards the end of my shoot.
Horned Owlets in a Huddle (Great Horned Owls)
Went looking for tanagers again today and found a family of great horned owls at one of the local parks instead. Who knew?
