The Great Gray Owl Twitch

Feb 10 2014 Tynehead Regional Park Surrey B.C. Rain and more rain.

After days of blue sky and sun, the rains normally associated with winter have returned to British Columbia. Initially I had hoped to catch up with a few chores but when the news of a Great Gray Owl sighting surfaced those plans were suddenly scuttled. As I had never seen one before, I decided to make my way over to the park. Despite it being only fifteen minutes away from home it was a location I had never visited.
I spent the morning walking the trails peering at every branch and bush but to no avail. Perhaps twenty or so photographers and birders were also looking. At noon I went home cold, hungry and wet and without a sighting. No sooner had I arrived home my phone rang with the news that the owl had been spotted. With no time to eat I headed back to the park by which time the rain was coming down in buckets and the light was failing.
Thanks to the generosity of other birders I was able to capture these images. Just to see the bird sitting up in the Alders was breathtaking, such a magnificent  creature and a 'lifer' to boot!

Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa)

From the pathway and from a respectable distance a group of us watched the owl for over an hour. Due to the heavy rain the bird was quite wet and occasionally would shake its head sending spray everywhere.
The owl was perched above a small glade or opening. Surrounded by alders large fir trees and some Himilayan blackberry bushes made up the perfect hunting environment for rodents, rabbits and other prey.
Finally it was time for the bird to hunt and off it went to a nearby branch but being partially hidden and with the light failing it was time to head back to the car and home.

The Great Gray Owl in flight.



As I mentioned before on the way back to the car  we came across the owl perched in a tree just by the pathway. It had obviously taken a short-cut and had beaten us back to the car park. The car park is situated at the north end of the dog park close the Trans Canada.

We came across this bird close to the pathway.
 Numerous people with their dogs stopped to view the owl  before it flew off.

The owl was perched about fifteen feet above the ground. From where we stood the background was plain sky or if we moved a few feet we could compose a different image with fir trees behind the owl. We tried both but no sooner had we done that a number of rambunctious dogs began to play too close and the bird flew off a few yards to another perch.

On the way to the car park and with failing light the bird was only a few feet from the pathway.

By now the light was dim so with a ISO 1250-2500 and VR enabled the above shots were captured.
A far cry from the days of birding with Kodachrome 64 at $20 for 36 shots.

What is most interesting about this bird was its lack of concern for walkers, joggers and dogs, never mind the birders and photographers.

My only concern for the bird is that we never saw it catch anything and as far a I know it didn't show the following day so it may have moved to another part of the 270 hectare park, hopefully the bird will find enough to eat and provide the kind of special moment I enjoyed.

Good Birding 

John Gordon

Western Scrub Jay At Home in Maple Ridge

Oct 17 2013 Maple Ridge York St/ 119th/South of Dewdney Trunk Road.

The well documented pair of Western Scrub Jays that have been reported in Maple Ridge were nowhere to be seen. An hour of fruitless searching passed when suddenly another birder spotted a single bird in a tall fir.

Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica)
The Western Scrub Jay is more often found in drier climates, especially
where there is an abundance of oak and juniper.

Soon after another Jay landed in a tree about 50 feet away, affording me a shot against the blue sky. I was lucky, moments before the fog was so thick photography would have been a challenge. No sooner had I rattled off a few shots, the bird was spooked by crows and flew off to York St/119th.  I followed the bird to a hazelnut tree where I was greeted by several residents who wanted to know what I was looking at. Tripods and bazooka lens tend to draw crowds.
Long time York Street resident Scott Fraser has been feeding one of the birds for three years. The first Western Scrub Jay arrived at his feeder in the summer of 2011, emaciated and in poor condition. After a steady diet of sunflowers and peanuts the bird steadily regained its health. In the autumn of 2011 it left only to return the following spring, this time accompanied by a mate. The newer arrival is quieter, a little smaller and quite shy in comparison. Eventually (she) did come down on the lawn for a peanut. One shot and it was gone back into the tree. Scott thinks they nested in a bramble bush but the squirrels got to the eggs.
Since their arrival, the two birds have had to fight off a number of Steller's Jays. No doubt a noisy confrontation, a tussle they have apparently won. Scott rarely sees the commoner Steller's in his garden anymore. While I was there the original Scrub Jay even chased off a Northern Flicker.

This scrub Jay was in poor health when it arrived at Scott Fraser's garden in 2011.

The pair spent last winter in the vicinity due to a plentiful supply of peanuts and sunflower seeds provided by many feeders in the area. I then spoke to one of Scott's neighbours whose pet Parakeet now mimics the Scrub Jays when they visit her garden. She also confirmed the bird was there in 2012.

Western Scrub Jay on Scott Fraser's front lawn.

I hope you enjoyed  this blog. Good Birding

Bitter Cold But Worth The Wait....Almost!

Sunday March 17th 2013. Burnaby Mountain. Clear skies, windy and by Lower Mainland B.C. standards very cold!
It was still dark when I dragged myself out of bed Sunday morning. I was to meet up with fellow birder Raymond on Burnaby Mountain. A small flock of five female Pine Grosbeaks did arrive about 8.30 a.m and over the following fours hours gave us numerous opportunities to photograph them. They mostly perched on the pencil thin cherry tree branches, gorging themselves on the succulent and obviously nutritious buds, descending to pick up pieces that had fallen into the moss laden boughs below. Occasionally the flock would fly off and re-appear 30 minutes later. Pine Grosbeaks seem to ignore most human activity which makes them very approachable. A Peregrine falcon flew over a few times, a Red-tailed hawk used a thermal to glide high above us and a pair of Ravens looked like they were had courtship on their minds. The male never did show which I suppose makes a perfect excuse to try again.

Most shots were taken with available light except for those in the shade. I used a Better Beamer on my Nikon SB800, a D300 at ISO 640 and tripod mounted 500 F.4
The flash gives a nice catchlight and brightens up the underside of the birds.
Enjoy!

A type of small finch, the Pine Grosbeak (Carduelis pinus) visit parks and gardens during the winter

Female Pine Grosbeak: Fill flash set at -1 SB 800 TTL 640 ISO
This created added depth of field, a nice catchlight and pleasing exposure.

Delta Photo Inspirations 2013 Bird Talk

I am honored to have been invited to speak at the upcoming Delta Photo Inspirations seminar April 26/27 2013.
For the last two years and after 27 years as a community newspaper  photographer I decided to change direction and devote much of my time to learning the art of bird photography. Until two years ago I had photographed just 30 species but since 2011 I have added another 200, mostly from British Columbia and the vast majority in the Lower Mainland.
Not only does one have to master camera technique but an understanding of bird behavior is equally important in capturing that elusive image.

This diminutive House Wren was photographed in a very low light situation. I used a Nikon SU 800 wireless transmitter and a SB 800 flash of camera on TTL -1 stop to illuminate the bird, this technique picked up just enough ambient light to make the image pleasing to the eye. Without flash his image would not have been possible.

                                    Please join me for a "Total Birding" experience 

Seminar Link

Delta Photo Inspirations 2013

 My seminar link

Photographing birds

Owls and Sparrows

Boundary Bay, Delta, British Columbia.  March 12, 2012. Sunny breaks and warm.

Barn Owl (Tyto alba)

I hadn't even thought about going birding but the sun kept poking through the clouds so I quickly loaded the car and off I went to Boundary Bay. It began to rain as I drove through Surrey but when I arrived at the coast it was sunny and warm. I had no plans to target a particular species but I did need some exercise before the next big storm rolls in and soaks everything. The weather lady calls for three days of rain and wind.
Am I glad I got off my backside, I had only been on the dyke a few minutes when I spotted what I thought was a Short-eared owl but as the distant speck approached it became clear it was a Barn owl. They are not often seen during the day, the Bald eagles tend give them a hard time and they are normally nocturnal hunters. I managed about 7 shots with six in focus and 2 with good expressions before the bird was out of range.

The underside is adorned with small black spots

On my way back to the car I met a birding "duo" from Prince George who pointed out a Lincoln's sparrow to me. I had seen them in the Caribou but this was my first for the Lower Mainland.

I'm glad I didn't say home, the Newcastle v Stoke game which I had on the PVR can wait for a rainy day.

Lincoln sparrow (melospiza lincolnii)
The bird skulked around the undergrowth, occasionally coming out to bathe in a ditch.

A Mixed Bag and a 'Lifer' to Boot!

9.00 Leave home after leisurely breakfast


Mar 8th, 2013 Burnaby Mountain. Blue skies and sunny.


9.30 A.M.
A few feet above me a flock of Pine Grosbeaks are gorging themselves. I can't believe I've found them on my first try. It wasn't a question of finding the quarry myself as much as locating another photographer who had already found the birds! I suppose that's just another facet of the 'Total Birding' experience. anyway I digress....I best shut up and just take pictures!

Female Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)

The Pine Grosbeak is a beautiful bird, even though the more brilliant male was missing from the flock  the females with their yellow-olive heads were stunning. I spent an hour with them.

Pine Grosbeak feeding on cherry buds.

The flock spent a good hour eating the tender cherry buds, disregarding some very loud groups of tourists passing directly underneath them. The flock kept on feasting, eventually retreating into some higher branches andout of range, most probably to take a rest from eating.. or to take a break from us humans!



11.30 A.M.  Deas Island Regional Park Sunny

Deas Island would seem to be the perfect resting place to go bird watching. The Fraser River skirts one side of the park, another sheltered body of water inside the park is used by the local rowing club offers shelter to ducks, herons and kingfishers. High above gulls and bald eagles circle in the air. A very vocal Winter wren makes checks me out, coming within inches of my shoulder, high above a flock of Yellow-rumped warblers search for insects and scores of Black-capped chickadees and Ruby-crowned kinglets flit from tree to tree.
The rattle of a kingfisher draws my attention away. There are so many branches obscuring the bird but eventually I find a small opening to shoot through. The aperture is set at F4, later I am surprised by the clarity of the files despite all the branches in the way.

Belted-kingfisher (Mecaceryle torquata

2.00 P.M. Ladner Trunk Rd.72nd Ave
Having found nothing of note at the base of 72nd Ave I decided to make my way home. As I reached Ladner Trunk Rd I spot a Red-tailed hawk perched up on a snag. I managed one static shot before it took off and I 'lucked out' with this flight shot.

Red-tailed  hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

4.00 Arrive Back Home after yet another wonderful days birding in the Lower Mainland.

White-winged crossbills (Burnaby Lake)

Jan 10 2013 Burnaby Lake, Burnaby, British Columbia

In the Vancouver area the White-winged crossbill is normally found at higher elevations where it feeds on the conifer seeds of the Western hemlock and Spruce. For whatever reason a flock of perhaps 30-40 of these colourful birds have spent the past month or more at Burnaby Lake, a lowland lakeside location where they are very rarely or if ever seen. The flock was spotted during the Audubon Christmas bird count and may have otherwise been overlooked.
As normal with rare or unusual bird sightings, scores of birders and photographers have been trudging alone the trails at the base of Piper Ave to view the birds. For many of us the bird is a "Lifer" which with the Bramble earlier in the day made it two for the day.
I hope the birds stay around for a few more days as I hope to get some better images as these were taken from quite a distance.

Adult male White-winged crossbill (Loxia leucoptera)

Adult female

Owls Bitterns and Tree Sparrows

Jan 1st 2013 Boundary Bay, British Columbia, Canada

Pea Soup Foggy

A thick fog covered the landscape and for brief moment or two the sun peeks through the cloud. It was cold and dull as I poured a cup of coffee from my flask. For the first few minutes no birds were apparent but as the minutes passed the sighting of a Northern harrier and the sound of songbirds drew me in.

I decided to see what I could find ( I really need all the exercise I can get) after eating too much Gravy Bird (Turkey) and chocolates that were gifted us over the holidays. Thanks to you all, may the good cheer continue. May I also be able to fit back into my pants (trousers) again! Hmmm, probably need to going on more birding walks to lose the pounds!

Back to the birding. I was looking for the American tree sparrows that had been spotted along on 72nd and the dyke. They had been pointed out to me by photographer Raymond Ng. I wasn't really happy with my first effort so I decided to go back and have another go.

The first bird I encountered was an American bittern that was feeding in an open ditch, I stumbled on it as I followed the tree sparrows. The bird landed on a Himalayan blackberry bush for a few moments before flying off to an adjoining field.

An American bittern melds into the surroundings .

American tree sparrow

I continued walking the dyke for another hour when I again found the elusive sparrows feeding on seed. I spent the next thirty minutes following them from post to branch to seed heads where this picture was eventually taken, just four frames and then the bird was gone. The lack of sun and a temperature that barely rose above freezing meant the plants were still laden with moisture from the morning hoar frost.
Later, as I approached my car I noticed a large group of people huddled together peering at what turned out to be a Long-eared owl that had hidden itself in a hawthorn bush.

I'm glad I made the effort as it was a great way to kick off 2013!

Long-eared owl

Happy Birding

2012 Audubon Christmas Bird Count

Dec 30th 2012 Langley B.C. Foggy with sun in the afternoon.

Images from the Langley, Surrey and White Rock Audubon Christmas bird count. These are mainly record shots, however I do really like the Golden-crowned kinglet. A big thanks to group leader Anne Gosse for sharing her expertise that made these images possible.
So what to say as the year comes to a close. The blog has been a great help to keep me organized in both my record keeping (it is so easy to forget details) as well an outlet for my birding exploits.
For those of you who have been kind enough to make comments, I thank you. Although there are too many people to thank here, a special thanks should go to all the members of the Langley Field Naturalists, to Al and Jude Grass and to Russell Cannings (for pointing out the location of a Yellow-breasted chat) for all their helpful advice. And last but not least all the dedicated birders and photographers who have helped me along the way.

HAVE A WONDERFUL 2013

Male Golden-crowned kinglet displaying

Bushtit

Surrey, White Rock, Langley Christmas Bird Count Results

The Audubon Christmas Bird Count has taken place each year since 1900 to provide information about ongoing changes in bird populations. Today, over 60,000 birders in 2,000 count circles across North America take part.

Beginning early on the cold damp foggy morning of Sunday, December 30^th, 2012, Langley Field Naturalists thoroughly scrutinized our part of the large circle that encompasses the Surrey, White Rock, and Langley Christmas Bird Count area.  We had 5 teams covering our Langley area. Members ranged in age from two enthusiastic teenagers to experienced seniors.  By noon, sunshine emerged and so did the birds!  The spirit of competition is high and each team works hard from first light to dusk trying to identify and count as many birds as possible.

The Langley teams enjoyed a fabulous day of counting all over our area - with teams reporting lots of Dark-eyed Juncos as well as soaring noisy waves of Pine Siskin's and Canada Geese flocking overhead every so often. One team found three owls; another recorded an Anna's Hummingbird (which are moving into our area) plus many raptors gliding over our farmer's fields.

 At our post count gathering to tabulate results, excited chatter of Langley Field Naturalists and friends exchanging notes on sightings completed a wonderful day. Our Langley total was 68 species (last year 62) consisting of 6,557 birds.  In the evening, at the post count dinner, our results were combined with the whole of the Surrey, White-Rock Langley circle for a total of 128 species.  

As well as being an exciting, fun event at year’s end, the Christmas Bird Count provides important information for bird conservation in all of North America.  Langley Field Naturalists are pleased to be part of this and look forward to next year’s count!

Submitted by

Kathy Masse

Anne Gosse

Langley Field Naturalists

Check out link for more info
http://anneisforthebirds.wordpress.com/

Great blue herons

Barred owl

Great-horned owl

All pictures taken Dec 30th 2012.

The Sage Thrasher

An unusual visitor for British Columbia, a Sage thrasher has spent the past week at 64th Ave in Delta. On my way home from seeing my grandson and on a whim I thought I might just pass by the area where the bird had been sighted. As mentioned in the copy below the bird feeds on insects and berries and should be able make it through the West Coast winter. 

Technical details for tech heads.

Nikon D3s 300m F4 handheld 1600 ISO.

The Sage thrasher is a visitor to the Pacific coast.

For more information 

http://www.birdweb.org/birdweb/bird/sage_thrasher

Snowy Owls (On Their Terms)

Dec 3 2012  Boundary Bay. Mostly cloudy, cold with a sunny breaks.
The weatherman, the newspapers, the radio all spoke of rain but as usual they were wrong. Tuesday was supposed to be the day for decorating the Christmas tree but I suppose there is always tomorrow.
As the first rays of sun came through the living room window I knew it was time to head out birding. I wasn't quite sure where I wanted to go, at first I thought I'd check out 112th for raptors but then decided to go to 64th but it turned out to be too windy and cold so I doubled back to 72nd. What had promised to be a warm sunny day quickly turned overcast and I was deliberating whether to return home. A quick visual scan turned up three snowy owls way out on the foreshore.

Two snowy owls jostle for position.

Recently there had been a number articles in the local press about not approaching the birds too closely as they are thought to be starving and have recently come down from the arctic due to a lack of food. The logic is that the owls are hungry and need to rest and being chased by photographers disturbs them.
On this particular day the photographers were on their best behaviour due to the high tide which kept everyone on the dyke and out of the marsh area. We needn't have worried, after an hour of waiting two owls flew within one hundred feet of about twenty or so onlookers including us photographers.
Not only did the owls graciously perform a fly-past but they also jousted for position on the only stump available to them, not once but twice before flying off to a distant perch to repeat the ritual (top pic).
Everyone had a good look at the birds, the photographers including myself were happy, birders didn't need bins and point and shooters were all smiles, all in all, a win for everyone including the owls.

Two snowy owls fight over a perch. I had my 1.4 converter  on which
proved a hindrance, cutting off the second owl and ruining a potentially great shot. 

                             This owl was shot on a full frame camera and was close enough to show quite a bit of detail.

A snowy poses for photographers.

American Pipits (A master of disguise)

Two "lifers" is two days make for one very happy birder. After spending the morning at Blackie Spit with the Langley Field Naturalists (see Anne's blog at bottom of page) I went to the base of 104th St on Boundary Bay in search of American Pipits. A flock of 40 were feeding on insects among the seaweed left by the receding tide. Other birds noted were Black-bellied plover, Western sandpiper, Least sandpiper and Northern harrier. What is apparent for their survival is how well camouflaged (see pic #1) Pipits are as they comb the beach for insects. The ever present Northern harrier kept the flock moving each time it would glide past making photography somewhat of a challenge. As soon as the  birds would come into range for a decent shot the silhouette of the Harrier would scatter the birds only for them to slowlymake their way back to my hiding spot. These shots were taken over a one hour period.
To see more of my photography please visit or sign in with your Google or Yahoo account or go to blog and links at

http://www.johngordonsphotography.com

American Pipit: Note the camouflage.

A better composition when perched on a stump separates the bird and background

Gaining the trust of a bird leads to a more pleasing image.

Some of the birds seen at the Blackie Spit walk.

Long-billed curlew with hermit crab at Blackie Spit

Marbled godwit and Long-billed  curlew showing bill differences

For anne's account of the day see link below

http://anneisforthebirds.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/blackies-spit-surrey-bc-with-al-g-september-21-2012/

Not One Merlin But Two!

The first Merlin I ever saw was during the 2012 birdatlas count in the Chilcotins. It was backlit and cloudy and far way, it quickly took off, not a really good sighting by any means.
Fast forward to Boundary Bay at the foot of 104th St. While on my way to photograph shorebirds I noticed this bird in a fir tree next to the parking lot. The Merlin had caught a Savannah sparrow. A few hours later at Reifel I had only just entered the sanctuary and there was yet another Merlin.

Merlin with Savannah sparrow

Merlin at Reifel

Western Canada Road Trip Part 1 (Critters)

May 7th 2012.
I had no idea what to expect when I left Langley on a twenty-one day birding trip on May7, 2012. First stop was Manning Park where the only birds were a few robins, a black-capped chickadee and a yellow-rumped warbler.

Black bear/Manning Park

Snow was still clinging to the shaded areas of the campsite and the Similkameen River had risen a foot overnight.  Soon after leaving the campsite I came across a Black bear eating grass at a roadside salt lick. Soon a number of others stopped and asked me to take pictures with their cel phones. Eventually, fed up with all the attention the bear growled and we all ran for our vehicles. As I approached Princeton a herd of ten or more Mule deer took little notice of me or the passing cars.

Coyote/Christmas Pass B.C.

A Coyote posed for picture after picture at Christmas Pass.
My three week sojourn would eventually see me spend 10 days in the Okanagan, two days in Creston, five days in Saskatchewan which included a wicked snowstorm. On the way back, a night in the Elk Horn area of Cypress Hills, Alberta, a damp night in the Rockies at Lake Louise where a Raven stole my bread. The trip finished in Vernon and then back home.

There were special moments everyday. The highlights were the new sighting like the Yellow-breasted chat (a special thanks to Russell Cannings for all his advice on location) 

At Cypress Hills I was in search of songbirds but only found three Wild turkeys that woke me up at 4.45a.m. Some birder I am, I didn't even know there were Wild turkeys in Canada! It is said the Turkey call can be heard a mile away, these birds were just feet away so needless to say I didn't need my alarm clock!

Other highlights were a Burrowing owl that I happened to flush while walking through a farmers field. It settled on a fence post, posing briefly with an angry glare.
Finally, if that wasn't enough, I tracked down a Piping plover at Chaplin IBA Saskatchewan.

See more about the Piping plover at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piping_Plover
An endangered species with an estimated population of 5700 in North America. There are 50-200 at Chaplin which is on the Trans Canada just west of Moose Jaw, Sask. After much scanning the lake I managed to shoot this grainy record shot from the road (below) I now know where my next trip will based.

Piping plover, Chaplin Lake( IBA)

On the last day I photographed a Clay-colored sparrow (see separate post) near Vernon bringing the total of "lifers" for the trip to 35 with a further 70 species photographed. One bird I didn't manage to photograph was the Brown thrasher at Writing on Stone Provincial Park in Alberta. I did however join a very hospitable group of Alberta birders who were taking part in a May long weekend bird count. Being a typical Vancouverite I high-tailed out just before the snow was expected to fall only to spend the next six hours battling snow from Medicine Hat to Regina.

Please see Western Canada Road Trip Part 2 for more photography.