American Redstart
First bird of the Alberta trip. Fast and zoomy like a lazuli bunting.
Coming in Hot! (Red Wing Blackbird)
Coming straight at the camera like a small two engine aircraft. Zoom it up!
Epaulettes on Fire (Red Wing Blackbird)
Another image from Hemer Park Marsh.
Might as Well Jump! (Common Yellowthroat)
These guys never seem to sit still for long and tend to leap without warning. Good practice for photographing lazuli buntings.
Buttertubs Bandit (Common Yellowthroat)
A few of these guys bouncing around Buttertubs Marsh Today. This male was on the two second rule so you had to be quick!
Light Through His Wings (Black-Headed Grosbeak)
Some of the real beauty with these guys lies beneath. You don't always get to see their underside when they are flying but it can be a real treat if you do.
Tanager on Mossy Perch (Western Tanager)
Another tanager portrait from a different venue. Like the black-headed grosbeaks, they seem to be everywhere this spring. If you stop to think about it, there must be tens of thousands of them all over BC and Alberta in order to see them so frequently.
Wings Down - My Favorite! (Black-Headed Grosbeak)
If you know where to go these guys are getting quite cooperative right now. This image taken on the Enos Lake Trail.
Grosbeak With Lichens ( Black-Headed Grosbeak)
A black-headed grosbeak stops to rest momentarily on an old dead branch that has been covered with lichens.
Black-Headed Grosbeak in Flight
Got a couple of nice images of a black-headed grosbeak in flight today. Have had a couple of occasions where I could hear them singing but it always seemed they were too skittish to come out. That changed today when I found two different locations with some very cooperative birds.
Pre-Capture Not Required (Red Wing Blackbird)
Found a very cooperative male red wing blackbird at the local marsh yesterday. Flickr folks please left click for more detail.
Tanager Tower (Western Tanager)
A male western tanager perches on the top of a pine tree momentarily before plunging into the valley. Taken yesterday on Little Mountain.
Time To Log Out (Western Tanager)
A male western tanager forages on a log for insects close to the ground. An unusual place to find tanagers as usually they like to dwell in the canopy.
Pine Tree Launch (Western Tanager)
A bit of a sky shot but still nice. A western tanager launches off of a near by pine tree.
Honey Bee Swarm!
Just another suburban Saturday afternoon in my backyard.
Tree Topper (Western Tanager)
Another one from yesterday's shoot. Enjoy!
Moving To a Higher Perch (Western Tanager)
I managed to get a quick shot of this western tanager as he repositioned himself to a higher branch in a nearby arbutus tree.
Western Tanager on Fir Tree
The western tanager managed to hold still a couple of seconds to allow me to get a few frames at close range.
Western Tanager in Flight
Finally, after several days of searching, I managed to find cooperative tanager to shoot. Up until today they have been pretty hard to approach and always concealed when trying to get a half decent image.
Forest Singer (Western Tanager)
Very cagey and skittish and particularly hard to photograph in a good setting right now.
Swallowtail Butterfly in Flight #2
May 6, 2026 - Thanks for 6.5 million views on Flickr!
Kind of reminds me of a wingsuit like the one they use in Base Jumping. Probably where they got the idea in the first place.
Swallowtail Butterfly in Flight
Another one from the upper Rutherford Ridge.
Wings Up Image (Great Horned Owl)
Sorry, just pirate shots (one eye) on this visit to the venue as regards flight shots. Will attempt to get both eyes in future shoots.
Great Horned Owl Fly By
The great horned owls were quite active in Linley Valley today.
Great Horned Owl Environmental 2026
Ran into a horned owl while playing with the butterflies in Linley Valley today. Who knew. Flight shot to follow.
First of The Season (Swallowtail Butterfly)
May 1st in Linley Valley. It's nice and warm today so a few came out. Shown here on Arbutus Tree blossom.
Barred Owl in Flight
Taken yesterday in Linley Valley. Same owl as last year. You can tell by the shredded wing.
Watching Me From the Shadows (Barred Owl)
Linley Valley yesterday before the harsh light hit.
Juxtaposition (Sooty Grouse)
A different point of view with the bird pointing in the other direction. Possibly the better of the two photos with better eye contact and details. This guy was a real poser.
Sooty Grouse Environmental
He got pretty close so it was hard to get everything in focus. Hope you like this. Full frame.
Calm But Watchful (Sooty Grouse)
Here is the exact same bird when not in display posture.
Too Close For Comfort (Sooty Grouse)
Went up the mountain looking for swallows and Townsend's warblers. Got a sooty grouse instead. Who knew?
Corn on The Cob Anyone? (Sooty Grouse)
A human might not find this appetizing but I bet the female sooty grouse just loves it. Had a pretty high shutter speed on this one as I was hoping for some warbler flight shots. It never happened.
Observing From a Higher Perch (Wood Duck)
A drake wood duck surveys the swamp from an old dead fir tree branch about 30 feet above the water.
Wood Duck in Flight
Hope you like this one. Oliver Woods Marsh.
Quick Fly Past (American Kestrel)
We had a quick and distant fly past by an American kestrel up the mountain today.
Townsend's in Arbutus (Townsend's Warbler)
Another one from my shoot today on Little Mountain.
First of The Season Townsend's Warbler
Did my best in tricky light today with this pretty little Townsend's warbler. I like to think that they are British Columbia's answer to the blackburnian warbler found out east.
Barn Swallow Topside View
Getting to be more of these guys showing up in the swamps every day. Taken at Morningstar Ponds yesterday. Flickr folks please click twice for maximum detail
Knife Edge (Northern Rough-Wing Swallow)
This rough-wing swallow keeps it's eye on an insect while doing aerobatics to line up the catch.
First Barn Swallow of 2026
I realize that these guys have probably been around for the last two weeks or so but this is my first photo of the year so far. Taken today at Morningstar Ponds.
Little Mountain Townsend's Solitaire
My consolation prize for not seeing any mountain bluebirds. Similar to a bluebird but mostly grey in colour. Townsend's solitaires are most spectacular in flight when all of their wing and tail feathers are displayed. If I am lucky later on I will post some flight shots. However, they are pretty skittish and tend to fly the other way when they see me coming.
Life is All About Perspective (Pileated Woodpecker)
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Wings Out (Pileated Woodpecker)
Here is another image from yesterday's shoot.
Just Hanging Around The Swamp (Pileated Woodpecker)
The gate keeper at Oliver Woods Marsh.
Pileated Projectile 2026 (Pileated Woodpecker)
Another one for the bullet bird album.
Violet-Green Swallow Closeup
It helps to have a cloudy day which aids in tracking to get images like this.
Little Mountain Violet-Green Swallow
Found out that Little Mountain was a good place to photograph swallows today too!
Little Mountain Turkey Vulture
Often misunderstood, they are ugly but they are beautiful.
Tree Swallow Bank Shot
Morning Star Ponds
Say "Hi!" On Your Way By (Tree Swallow)
A tree swallow checks me out while flying over the water hunting for bugs.
Reaching For The Prize 2026 (Yellow-Rump Warbler)
A female yellow-rump warbler bursts from an oak tree branch in order to catch a small flying insect. Lots of warblers and swallows at the Nanaimo Estuary yesterday.
Feeding on The Wing (Violet-Green Swallow)
Made another visit to Morningstar Ponds yesterday. The swallows were going nuts feeding on a new hatch of mayflies.
Hiding in Plain Sight (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Found our little buddy partially obscured by fir branches at eye level today.
Enjoying The Sunshine (Northern Pygmy Owl)
A northern pigmy owl enjoys the warmth of early spring sun from a tall branch.
Two For The Price of One (Northern Pygmy Owls)
I was lucky that time and managed to get two birds in focus at the same time.
Sunny Day Swallow (Violet-Green Swallow)
The sun at Morningstar Ponds was really bringing out the colors in the violet-green swallows today.
Harley Fly By (Harlequin Duck)
The harlequin ducks were flying pretty close to shore today at Deep Bay.
Something To Look Forward To (Horned Grebes)
In just another couple of weeks the horned grebes should be in full mating plumage. Really something to look forward to. Hoping this year to get them with babies on their back in Alberta or the Interior of BC.
Side View (Violet-Green Swallow)
A different bird from another angle catching the same type of bug on top the water.
Mirror, Mirror 2026 (Violet-Green Swallow)
A violet-green swallow plucks a newly hatched insect from the calm waters of Buttertubs Marsh.
Jetting Through The Raindrops (Violet-Green Swallow)
Even cold wind and a bit of rain wont keep these guys down. Still quite a few hawking bugs at Buttertubs Marsh.
Great Grey Owl Environmental
Dreaming of great grey owls. I don't remember ever posting this one. Taken on one of my solo visits back east to photograph in the interior of BC. My first real outing with the Sony 300mm F/2.8.
Wings Down, My Favorite (Violet-Green Swallow)
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They're Back! (Violet-Green Swallow)
Had a lot of fun photographing swallows as they hawked insects low to the ground. Taken today at Buttertubs Marsh.
Topside View (Violet-Green Swallow)
Some swallow fun today at Buttertubs Marsh. Snow in the forecast but these guys still showed up!
On The Money Again (Northern Pygmy Owl)
A northern pygmy owl hunts from the "money tree" for blue-legged grasshoppers. His favorite snack.
Coming Soon To a Hillside Near You! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Spring has sprung! Hoping to see some action again this year from these little guys. Fingers crossed!
It's Mine! (Northern Harriers)
A female harrier harasses a male harrier to try to get him to drop a freshly caught vole. A common practice for harriers between one another and also a game they play with the short-eared owls.
Jetting Around The Marsh (Belted Kingfisher)
The female kingfisher was busy at Foothills Marsh yesterday.
Top Side View (Belted Kingfisher)
Got a few shots of this female kingfisher showing some of her lovely back and tail plumage.
Just Before Impact (American Kestrels)
Here is an image just milliseconds before the female collided with the male near the nest box.
Kestrel Clash (American Kestrels)
A female kestrel slams into a male kestrel in an attempt to drive him from the nesting area.
Squat For The Shot (Short-Eared Owl)
Squatted down deep in the swamp for this one. Hard to get the exact light angle right but did my best and got pretty good eye contact too.
Stretching in Evening Sun (Short-Eared Owl)
Got a few more shots of this friendly owl right before leaving for the ferry. I have heard people refer to this as the "dove" position. Not sure why. It is common to see when an owl is either hunkering down for the night or getting ready to fly. It can also be prevalent in young raptors working their wings to make them stronger in order to fledge.
In Dappled Sunlight (Short-Eared Owl)
The friendly owl gave us quite a show on Friday. Too bad we didn't find him until about an hour before we had to catch the ferry.
The Friendly One (Short-Eared Owl)
Most of the short-eared owls at the venue were very skittish but this particular owl was very calm and let us take great portrait images. He is apparently the star of the venue coming close during hunting for great flight shots as well. It was cold and windy at the time so he spent the day down below the grass line and out of the wind.
Red Wing in Morning Light (Red-Winged Blackbird)
A welcome splash of colour in a an otherwise mostly brown winter landscape.
Calm Waters 2026 (Long-Tailed Duck)
Caught a few images of this guy between the fog banks today. When the fog lifts temporarily you have to move fast before the next fog bank rolls in.
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.
 
