December in Southern BC

For those that like birding, December is a good month to be in Southern BC. On the Coast, the weather is warm enough for many migrating species such as ducks, geese and raptors from more northerly climates. While the vast majority of birds that spend their summers in the area migrate further south, there are others that remain year round. All in all, it makes for an interesting mix of birds. So far this month (13 December), more than 210 bird species have been recorded in British Columbia, while in Southern BC i have managed to see more than 80 species. This certainly is in contrast to most of Canada in December! The following pictures have been taken this month, in the Metro Vancouver Region, Fraser Valley and in the Thompson Nicola Region.

American kestrel, with “lunch”.
Northern pygmy owl, looking down at me
Great-grey owl
Whooper swan with trumpeter swans. The whooper swan is a Eurasian swan and this is only the third recorded siting in BC.
Barred owl
Red-tail hawk
Brown creeper
Hooded mergansers
Great-grey owl. This owl had just devoured a rodent which it heard beneath the snow.
Northern pygmy owl. Only 6 inches tall, this is a fierce raptor and can take on species larger than it is.
Canvasback duck
Frost (from fog) covered trees
Townsend’s solitaire (which like to feed on juniper berries)
More frost covered trees
Hooded merganser hen
Sunrise from Abbotsford, over Mount Baker WA.
Bald eagle
Mount Judge Howay, north of Mission
Bewick’s wren
Great-grey owl

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