Picoides pubescens
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Sunny
OBSERVATIONS:
The first time I saw a Downy Woodpecker was in Penticton at Sunoka park area. I was just walking around the park and I heard some scratching of the bark. It was neat how they “walk” around the trunk of the tree to look for bugs and anything to eat. The grassland picture was taken at the George C. Reifel bird sanctuary. I was surpirsed to see him at the tall reed grasses. I’ve just assumed that they are a tree dwellers.
Chen caerulescens
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Gray and cold
OBSERVATIONS:
First time I’ve seen this many birds at once. Ever since I got into birding. I’ve been waiting for them to arrived. I was afraid I’d miss them this year because I was about to go on a two month Asian vacation. On this day, they were pretty hard to miss. As soon as I enter the compound, I saw them feeding on the research field across from the water. They were so many that they cover the entire field. What used to be brown earth were not covered with white squaking feathers. And the noise is soo loud. Unfortunately I had no experience photographing such a big scale. I didn’t know what to do. Whether to use the short or long lens.
As an update. It is now March and they were back. I took a couple of close shots and continued on
Junco hyemalis oreganus
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Bright and sunny
OBSERVATIONS:
This guy was just hanging out at the patio of the Roundhouse lodge. Looking for handout from people eating. I thought it was a chickadee until I got home and couldn’t find it in my field guide. As it turned out it was an Oregon Junco of Dark-eyed Junco family. Keep shooting, nothing is wasted.
Aix sponsa
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Afternoon light, a couple of hours before sunset
OBSERVATIONS:
I just love the male’s colours combination.
Sturnella neglecta
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Not available
OBSERVATIONS:
Not available
Agelaius phoeniceus
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Cloudy.
OBSERVATIONS:
Not available
Turdus migratorius
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Clear afternoon skies
OBSERVATIONS:
I was waiting for the Vancouver fireworks to start when this couple flew right on the tree in front of me. I got a couple of minutes to shoot but eventually they got bored and flew off.
Branta canadensis
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Cloudy.
OBSERVATIONS:
Not available
Carpodacus mexicanus
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Not available.
OBSERVATIONS:
The first time I saw this bird was in January but the weather was warm enough that there’s no more snow on the ground. I was fascinated by his colour. I had difficulty identifying it because there were two species that are so close together. It was a toss up between a male House Finch or a Purple Finch. A forum member pointed me to the right one.
Botaurus lentiginosus
CAPTURE
CONDITIONS:
Fair weather turning to grayish later in the afternoon.
OBSERVATIONS:
I’ve heard that there was a Bittern in this area from my last visit. But I was too far away to even make a presentable shot because I was on the wrong side of the enbankment. This time I was only 20 feet away but the majority of area were covered with bushes or branches. The following images are the only ones that are reasonable. Now that I’ve had a chance to look at the bird closer. I find it difficult to identify whether I got an American Bittern or a Juvinile Black-crowned Night Heron. But I’m convinced that this one is an American Bittern.
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