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 meGreat-grey owlWhooper swan with trumpeter swans. The whooper swan is a Eurasian swan and this is only the third recorded siting in BC.Barred owlRed-tail hawkBrown creeperHooded mergansersGreat-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 duckFrost (from fog) covered treesTownsend’s solitaire (which like to feed on juniper berries)More frost covered treesHooded merganser henSunrise from Abbotsford, over Mount Baker WA.Bald eagleMount Judge Howay, north of MissionBewick’s wrenGreat-grey owl
This past week, we managed to see and photograph short-eared owls in Abbotsford and Skagit County Washington. I have seen short-eared owls in Alberta, Newfoundland, BC, Washington, Ontario, Indiana and Kentucky. This has prompted a retrospective review of short-eared owl photographs I have taken. The first one, taken in Indiana has been viewed on line some 13 million times and downloaded more than 140 thousand times. (I used to post photos on a photo sharing site, Unsplash, but no longer do so after it was taken over by Getty Photographs and they changed their policies.)
Taken at the Somerville Mine in Indiana in 2017. The owl was hunting over reclaimed strip mining leases.Taken in Abbotsford this past week. I had been driving around trying to spot an owl when I noticed motion at the side of the road. This owl perched on a fence post beside the car.Another photo taken from the Somerville Mine in Southern Indiana, 2016.Short-eared owl at Boundary Bay, 2020. Not the greatest owl picture but a great backdrop!Generally in Indiana, you could only see short-eared owls at dusk. The exception was on cold snowy days, when the owls had to work harder to find rodents. At the sea shore in Delta, the owl activity is often influenced by the tides, so often it is possible to find owls in broad daylight. This photo was taken in Delta in 2020.This owl is protecting its catch. Taken in 2020 in Delta.Evening hunt in Delta. taken in 2022.Evening hunt in Delta in 2023.Short-eared owls squabble amongst themselves and with northern harriers with which they compete for rodents. 2023Short-eared owl chasing a northern harrier. 2023.Diving for a rodent. 2023Owl with the prize. 2023Short-eared owl in Abbotsford. 2024
There are many black bears in the Lower Mainland, at the edges of the mountains. Indeed we see them from time to time in Abbotsford and have had them in our driveway and knocking over our bird feeder. On almost all of our hiking and cycling trails we see bear warning signs. So it is no surprise for us to see or encounter bears, particularly in the autumn when the bears are fattening up for winter hibernation and the salmon are spawning. This week however was exceptional in that we were able to observe a bear across a small creek from where we were, while it rested, fished, climbed and feasted on salmon. Its actions made it quite clear that it was nervous of other more “dominant” bears in the area, and in fact we encountered a sow and two cubs as we left the site and returned to our car. The following is a sampling of photographs I took while watching.
October marks the “rainy season” in the Lower Mainland, with lots of rain, occasional floods, shorter days, falling leaves, cooler temperatures and migrating salmon and birds. But it is also a time of incredible natural beauty, if you get out, explore and observe. The following photos represent some of the highlights for me of the natural beauty observed this month.
Great blue heronMushrooms and other fungi have been bursting out everywhere!Fly agaric mushroomsBlack bear in its favourite “perch”, immediately over a prolific salmon stream.With the return of the salmon, we have the return of the eagles.Hooded merganser drakesSteller’s jayMigrating salmonBlack bear with chum salmon.Autumn coloursSpectacular aurora borealisFerns growing from lichens on treeCackling geese in flightAmerican bitternGreen heron with dragonfly
The following pictures were taken from Abbotsford (Sumas Prairie) on the night of October 10. Experts say the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are more visible right now due to the sun being at what astronomers call the “maximum” of its 11-year solar cycle. What this means is that roughly every 11 years, at the peak of this cycle, the sun’s magnetic poles flip, and the sun transitions from sluggish to active and stormy. The variety of colours were astounding. In several photos, you can see the Big Dipper clearly. In many photos, the traffic on the Trans Canada Highway shows as a line of lights.
One of the things I appreciate about living in the Lower Mainland of BC is that you can see a good variety of birds, any month of the year, if you take the time to look. September is a good month to encounter migrating birds. I particularly enjoy spotting and trying to identify shorebirds……….a difficult challenge, particularly as many of the species are only encountered during migration. The following is a sampling of bird photos taken this month.
Clark’s nutcracker. A boreal bird of higher elevations. Taken in Manning Park.The Canada Jay. Previously called the Gray Jay. Commonly known as the “Whisky Jack”. Also a boreal bird, taken in Manning Park.Greater yellowlegs on the left, short-billed dowitcher on the right. I had to get expert advice to identify the dowitcher. To me, the long-billed and short-billed dowitchers are virtually indistinguishable from each other. Taken at Blackie Spit.Long-billed dowitchers. Taken at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.Sharp-tailed sandpiper. This is an interesting bird to spot in the Lower Mainland. The species breeds in Siberia, and migrates south to Australia in the winter of the Northern Hemisphere. However, a very small number of juveniles, move eastward, through southern Alaska and into the Yukon and British Columbia. Certainly a rarity in this part of the world. Again, I depended on experts to spot and identify this bird. (There were there or four present at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.Pectoral sandpiper. The sharp-tailed sandpipers were associated with the more common pectoral sandpipers. Taken at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.Sandhill crane “colt”. At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, there has been a resident pair of sandhill cranes for several years. This is one of the two cranes that hatched this year.One of the resident sandhill crane parents at Reifel.Great blue heron. These birds are resident in our area year round. I keep reminding myself not to take any more pictures of them, but every so often I cannot resist as one poses in front of me, or flies by with its most unusual call.Ring-necked duck (drake). The ducks are transitioning from eclipse to breeding plumage and are being seen in ever increasing numbers in the region as we enter Autumn. Taken at Reifel.
When we lived in Kitimat, we usually drove up to Hyder AK/ Stewart BC each summer to see the grizzly (brown) bears fishing. At the time, Hyder was notorious as a location for hard drinking and getting “Hyderized”. The Stewart / Hyder area has a long reputation for boom and bust as the economy has depended on mining. There are still significant mineral reserves in the area, mainly on the BC side of the border, and from what we saw on the trip, there is a lot of renewed mining activity. Hyder however is not doing well with most buildings derelict and only one decrepit bar still running. However, the US Department of Agriculture which oversees the Tongass National Forest has installed an exceptional bear viewing platform, and actively maintains surveillance over the platform to ensure protection of bears and people at Fish Creek, which is about five miles from Hyder, and accessible by paved road. When we were there this week, we observed two adult brown (grizzly) bear boars fishing and interacting on the creek. We missed seeing an older sow, and a black bear that had been chased out earlier. If you go there, you will need a passport: not to enter Alaska, but to return to Canada. The only road access to this location is through BC. Here are some of the photos I took.
Our first glimpse of a brown bear came after two visits. This six or seven year old boar has been named “Runner” by the Forest Service Rangers.We watched Runner fishing, which proved to be a pretty easy task, given the large number of salmon in Fish Creek (mainly chum salmon).After going into the bush to eat salmon in peace, we observed Runner sit-up, sniffing the air. Something had disturbed him.
The reason for the disturbance was the arrival of another brown bear, upstream. According to the Rangers, this bear is of a similar age and the two bears have not come to terms yet with respect pecking order. This bear, has been named “Scruffy” by the Rangers. For a while after his arrival, the two bears maintained a good distance between them and fished.
Runner. (Note the roe being squeezed out of the salmon by the pressure of Runner’s grip!)All of a sudden, Runner stood up again and stared back at Scruffy, who was approaching………………..…..and ran in the opposite direction……………………and ran, until there was a good distance between them.Scruffy stopped his advance and resumed fishing.Keeping a safe distance, Runner resumed “doing his thing” and fished some more, ever wary of Scruffy. It was a very interesting evening for observing!
I have posted photos already of the northern gannet and the Atlantic puffin. Here are some other birds seen on our recent trip to Newfoundland.
Common murresWhite-throated sparrowNorthern waterthrushHerring gullRazorbill or razor-billed aukThick-billed murreThe birds of Gull Island – mainly common murres.Common murresBlack guillemotGreater black-backed gullPine grosbeakBlack-legged kitiwakesAmerican pipitLincoln sparrowMagnolia warblerAmerican black duckMourning warblerBlack and white warblerBlackpoll warblerSwamp sparrowCaspian ternCommon ternCommon loonsGreater yellowlegs – not often seen swimming!Rusty blackbirdBlue jayCedar waxwing
The following photos were taken in the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve in Newfoundland on June 30. There are literally tens of thousands of Atlantic puffins nesting in the reserve.
Two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to observe the osprey nest in Matsqui. The female was on the nest incubating eggs, when we heard and then saw the male approach with a fish. It then landed on a distant tree and started to eat the fish. The female on the nest called to the male, clearly wanting to be fed. After a while, the male approached, carrying half of the fish. It landed on the nest,and gave the half fish to the female. The female then left the nest and started to eat the fish in flight. The male stayed on the nest, presumably on the eggs.
Male with complete fish after landing in a tree about 400 metres from the nest.Male bringing the half eaten fish to the female.Delivering the fish.The female leaving the nest after the exchange.Leaving the nest.The female, starting to eat the fish, in flight.
