Author: Richard Lee

Some of my Favourite Nature Photos from 2025, Part Two: July-December

Nature
Baby tree swallows awaiting feeding from mother. Washington State, July.
American kestrel. Washington State, July.
Great grey owl mother and owlet. BC Interior, July.
Great grey owlet, flapping its wings. BC Interior, July.
Osprey feeding its chick. Abbotsford BC, July.
Break-up of sea ice. Davis Strait, Nunavut. August.
Polar bear on cliff. Baffin Island, Nunavut. August.
Polar bear on sea ice. Davis Strait, Nunavut. August.
Polar bear on sea ice. Davis Strait, Nunavut. August.
Icebergs. Ilulissat, Greenland. August.
Mountains of Kluane National Park. Yukon. September.
Droplets of fog on spider’s web. Abbotsford. September.
Northern hawk-owl. Kluane National Park, Yukon. September.
Arctic ground squirrel. Southern Yukon. September.
Belted kingfisher. Abbotsford, BC. October.
Belted kingfisher. Abbotsford, BC. October.
Bull elk establishing dominance. Banff National Park, Alberta. November.
Great grey owl. After watching for about 15 minutes, it flew up and landed beside me. Alberta. November.
Harbour seal. Surrey, BC. November.
Black bear. Metro Vancouver area. November.
Dunlin in flight. Surrey, BC. November.
Bald eagle. Harrison Mills, BC. November.
Juvenile bald eagle. Harrison Mills, BC. November.
Barrow’s goldeneye. Vancouver, BC. December.
Northern pintail “couple”. Surrey, BC. December.
Taiga flycatcher. Included because it is rare. This is the first reported sighting in Canada. Vancouver, BC, December.

Some of my Favourite Nature Photos from 2025, Part One: January-June

Nature

The following photos are amongst my favourites taken in 2025. (Some of the photos have been featured in my blog earlier this year). 2025 proved to be another great year for nature photography with travel to Guatemala, Belize, Nunavut, Greenland and a short trip to the Yukon Territory. Each time I head out with my camera, I wonder what I will encounter. I am often pleasantly surprised. The key to successful nature photography is to get out, often! I hope 2026 will prove to be as satisfying. Wishing all who view this blog a healthy and happy 2026!

Northern hawk owl, diving for a rodent. Delta, BC, January.
American bittern. Willband Creek Park, Abbotsford BC, January.
Northern pygmy-owl. Chilliwack, BC, January.
Red-tailed hawk, Abbotsford, BC, January.
Kulshan (Mount Baker), in Washington State, January.
The rare orange-collared falcon, Tikal, Guatemala, February.
Spider monkey, Tikal, Guatemala, February
Ocellated turkey, Tikal, Guatemala, February.
Malachite butterfly emerging from pupa, Belize, February.
Malachite butterfly, after emerging from pupa, Belize, February.
Slaty-tailed trogon, Jade Jungle, Belize, February.
Howler monkey, Crooked Tree, Belize, March.
Vermillion flycatcher, Crooked Tree, Belize, March.
Morelet’s Crocodile, Belize, March.
Great horned owls, mother and owlet, Delta BC, April.
Pacific wren, near Rolley Lake, BC, April.
Northern-pygmy owl, “launching”. Elk Mountain, BC, April.
“Motherhood”. Mother robin trying to keep two babies happy. Abbotsford, BC, May.
Western tanager. Naramata, BC. May
“The forest takes over”. BC back roads. May.
Ruddy duck (male). Okanagan, BC. May.
Rufous hummingbird. Abbotsford, BC. June.
Helmcken Falls, BC. June.

Yukon September

Nature

This September, I had the opportunity to be in the Southern Yukon for a week. It was not enough time! There is so much to be seen. I did however see enough to prioritize a return visit in 2026!

An initial view of the majestic mountains of Kluane National Park, near Haines Junction.
The Canada jay (whiskey jack). It is found in every province and territory of Canada, and is a very “cheeky” resident of boreal forests. It was this jay (and another one) that told me of the presence of the rare intruder posted below.
Northern hawk-owl. It was chased away by the Canada jays but returned, giving me great photo ops. This is only the third northern hawk-owl that I have seen.
This owl flew from a tree top, right past me and landed on a post 15 feet away, to give me “the look”.
Looking west into Kluane National Park, from Haines Junction.
Sheep Mountain. Kluane National Park, on the Alaska Highway.
Dall sheep (thin-horn sheep). The nineteen white spots are all sheep on the slopes of Sheep Mountain.
Kluane Lake
Kathleen Lake, Kluane National Park
Fresh snow on the mountains. From north of Whitehorse.
Kathleen Lake
Kluane National Park
Weather front moving in. Kluane National Park
On the Alaska Highway.
Arctic ground squirrel
Harlan’s hawk
Wood bison bull (Yukon Wildlife Preserve)
Musk oxen (Yukon Wildlife Refuge)
Woodland caribou (Yukon Wildlife Preserve)
Mountain goat (Yukon Wildlife Preserve)

Davis Strait (Polar Bears, Whales and Ice)

Nature

In August, Mary and I took an excursion with Adventure Canada entitled “Circling the Midnight Sun”. This trip took us along the coast of Baffin Island, across Davis Strait and along the coast of Greenland. On the sea portion of this excursion, we traveled 1449 nautical miles, crossed three time zones and crossed the Arctic Circle four times. We had an exceptional time! The following photographs were of four polar bears, sea ice, whales and icebergs seen along the way.

Polar bear on iceberg, far out at sea!
Bowhead whale
I never expected to see a polar bear sleeping high up on a cliff!
Humpback whale
Fin whale

Summertime in Southern BC

Nature

A few photos from early July taken in southern BC.

Fritillary butterfly on a wild aster
Yellow-breasted chat
Foxgloves. (It is an exceptional year for foxgloves on the mountains of the Fraser Valley!)
Bull thistle
Eastern cottontail (considered invasive, it was introduced to BC in the 1960’s)
Great-grey owl, snuggling its owlet
Male great-grey owl. In the nesting season and with recently fledged owlets, the male is the principle provider for the owlets and female.
Female great-grey owl, spreading its wings to dissipate heat on a hot day. It was closely guarding the two fledged owlets.
Wild chicory
Fireweed
Chilliwack River Valley
Western wood pewee

Springtime in British Columbia

Nature

The following photos are a selection of some of the many I have taken in the province over the last few months. As is usually the case, most pictures I am showing are of birds.

Black bear in the neighbourhood. I believe this is one of the cubs we saw last year with its mother. Now on its own.
Townsend’s warbler
California quail.
Western tanager
Ruddy duck
Mount Slesse
Great horned owlet with its mother
Sleepy barred owl
Rufous hummingbird
Helmcken Falls
Cinnamon teal and blue-winged teal
Savannah sparrow
Nicola Lake
Edith’s checkerspot
Wildrose
Spa’hats Falls
Yellow-bellied marmot family
Osprey with trout
Hungry fledged robins.
Swallowtail butterfly

Birds of Belize (Part Two), Eagle Eye Tours

Nature

The following pictures were taken in the vicinity of Crooked Tree, in Belize with Eagle Eye Tours in February and March of this year.

Gartered trogon

Yellow-tailed oriole
Barred antshrike
Northern jacana
White ibis and Snowy egret
Snail kite
Limpkin with snail
Yellow-crowned night heron (juvenile)
Great blue heron
Northern jacana adult flying to two juvenile northern jacanas
Agami heron
Yucatan woodpecker
Rufous-browed peppershrike
Vermillion flycatcher
Little blue heron
Ringed kingfisher
Ringed kingfisher
Snail kite with snail
Green heron
Yucatan jay
Jabiru. (A large stork that stands five feet tall and has a wing span of eight feet.)
American pygmy flycatcher
Common tody-flycatcher
Russet-naped wood rail with chick
Green kingfisher
Greater black hawk
White-necked puffbird
Black collared hawk
Yellow-headed Amazon (endangered)
Snail kite (mature male)
Black collared hawk
Greater black hawk
Greater black hawk
Acorn woodpeckers
Osprey
Jabiru
Black-crowned night heron

Birds of Belize (Part One), Eagle-Eye Tours

Nature

The following photos were taken on the February/ March tour with Eagle Eye Tours and were taken in the vicinity of the Jade Jungle Lodge and on day tours from this lodge.

Emerald toucanet
Slaty-tailed trogon
Squirrel cuckoo
Violet sabrewing
Black-headed trogon
Band-backed wren
Today motmot. (A very difficult bird to photograph, inhabiting dark undergrowth).
Central American pygmy owl
Acorn woodpeckers
Rufous-tailed hummingbird
Grace’s warbler
Lesser yellow-headed vulture
Ferruginous pygmy owl
Central American pygmy-owl
Swallow-tailed kite
Butterfly emerging from chrysalis
Keel-billed toucan
White hawk

A Visit to Tikal, Guatemala (Eagle-Eye Tours)

Nature

In late February, we travelled to Tikal, Guatemala and Belize with Eagle-Eye Tours. Tikal National Park is situated in the jungle of northeastern Guatemala and is one of the major sites of Mayan civilization. It was inhabited from the 6th Century BC to the 10th Century AD. Most of the larger Mayan buildings have been largely excavated, however the majority of structures remain covered by the jungle. The site is exceptional for biodiversity, with more than 300 species of birds, five species of cats, two species of monkeys, more than 100 species of mammals, more than 200 species of trees, as well as reptiles, amphibians, abundant insect types (I still have bites that itch!) and an incredible diversity of plants and flowers. The following photographs were all taken in Tikal. I will make subsequent postings from Belize.

Temple 1, also known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar.
Orange-breasted falcon. This falcon is about the size of a peregrine and roosts on the Mayan structures.
Orange-breasted falcon roosting on one of the Mayan ruins. This species is critically endangered.
Ocellated turkey. This bird has the most incredible feathers. The refraction of light from its feathers result in a metallic sheen and changing colours.
Ocellated turkey.
Keel-billed toucan, tossing back a seed
Tawny-winged woodcreeper
Tropical royal flycatcher
Yucatan spider monkey
Chestnut-coloured woodpecker
Black-headed trogon
Coatis

Roadside-hawk, on the nest.

American pygmy kingfisher
Agouti
Northern potoo
Boat-billed heron
Pale-billed woodpecker
Purple gallinule
Blue-grey gnatcatcher
White-crowned parrot
Red-lored parrot
Chachalaca
Brown jay
Barred forest falcon
Russet-naped wood rail, on the nest.
View of one of the courtyards of the Mayan ruins.
Mayan ruins “emerging” from the jungle.

Winter 2025- Photos from January and February

Nature

The Lower Mainland and southern Vancouver Island provide excellent opportunities for winter birding. These are some of my favourites from this year- so far. (I am also including some winter scenery shots. This is such a beautiful area of the country!)

Varied thrush
Northern hawk owl (a rarity for this area)
Common raven – performing its unique repertoire of strange calls!
Cedar waxwing. Some stay over in this area for the winter.
Surf scoter.
Mount Baker (Kulshan) as seen from Boundary Bay
Bald eagle. There are literally thousands of eagles in this region in winter months!
Anna’s hummingbird. This hardy species winters in the area, and by mid-February, many have started nesting.
Purple finch
Northern pygmy owl
Spotted towhee
Wood duck hen
American bittern
Northern pintail
Bewick’s wren
Ruby-crowned kinglet
The Salish Sea (Strait of Juan de Fuca) with the Olympic Mountains in the background.
Northern flicker
Fox sparrow
Marsh wren
The view from Port Renfrew
Trumpeter swans
Snow geese, with Mount Cheam in the background

Favourite Pygmy Owl Photos

Nature

I had not encountered pygmy owls before moving to the Fraser Valley of British Columbia in 2019. Since then I have been fortunate in seeing them every year, generally on logging roads. It has become one of my favourite owls to photograph, because they are challenging to find. When you do find them, they will generally let you watch them for a long time period, as long as you maintain a healthy distance. Indeed, they will ignore you and will hunt as if you are not present. I have watched them catch small rodents as well as lizards, and have had them dive to the ground a few feet from me and fly right past me as if I weren’t there. The following pictures have been taken over the last five years.

The fierce look of the hunter. Although the pygmy owl looks “cute” it is a very capable hunter and will take on birds that are considerably larger than it is.
The northern pygmy owl likes voles and shrews, as well as birds and lizards.
Note the vole the owl has in its claws.
This owl looks “innocent” until you notice the end of the rodent’s tail sticking out of its mouth.
When alarmed, the pygmy owl “stretches” out appearing larger and taller.
Commonly, you will see the northern pygmy owl, perched on top of a branch, from which it can see and listen for prey.
I see the northern pygmy owl most often in ares that have been logged out perhaps ten years earlier, and where trees have started to grow back.
This owl is guarding its prey, “mantling”, which is also something demonstrated by other species of owls.
The northern pygmy owl is a cavity nester, and has nests fairly high up in trees (often fir trees) near its hunting areas. I believe this owl was close to its nest although I did not attempt to find the nest. It flew into this area after successfully hunting lizards.
Southern cousins. Ferruginous pygmy owls, photographed in Costa Rica.