Queen's Park Birds and Twitchers

Jan 24th 2013 Queen's Park, New Westminster, British Columbia.

I hadn't intended going back to photograph the Red-flanked Bluetail at Queens's Park but I had an assignment to find and photograph Vancouver Island birders. Those pictures will accompany a story to be published in community newspapers.

Hundreds have visited Queens' Park looking for the diminutive Bluetail and today was no exception. While searching for my Vancouver Island birder I met three American 'Twitchers' with impressive ABA list numbers. Steve Moore (785), Bill Drummond (795) and Tom Prince (771)  

The three friends had had just flown 3000 miles from Massachusetts to add the Red-flanked Bluetail to their list.

While I was there I grabbed few images of a Brown creeper, a Chestnut-backed chickadee (from a previous visit) and a few more shots of the Red-flanked Bluetail.

Chestnut-backed chickadee

Brown creeper

Red-flanked bluetail

The More Eyes the Better

Nov 16 2012 

Cool and Overcast

George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

I figured that joining a group of experienced birders would not only be a great social event but educational as well, especially a walk led by noted naturalist Al Grass. The group consisted mostly of members of the White Rock and Langley Field Naturalists.
Within minutes Wim pointed out two Great-horned owls perched in a cedar and we were still in sight of the parking lot. Making our way around the sanctuary we eventually tallied fifty five species in three hours.
It was also a time for me to photograph "birders" birding for my upcoming presentation "Where to Bird in The Lower Mainland". The show is slated to be shown in early March at the FVRL White Rock library. I'l be showing some of my images (a work in progress) as well as location shots. Also included will be  tips on what camera gear one might need to photograph birds, including budget set-ups for those who don't want to get too seriously in debt but want to make a photo collection and perhaps self-publish the results in a coffee table book. The event is free but pre-registrsation is requested.
Anyway, I include a few of the photographs from Fridays Reifel trip including what appeared to be a wounded Snow Goose that may have been hit by stray shot. Sightings of the Great-horned owl, the Rough-legged hawk and a Northern shrike were the highlights of the day for what turned out to be yet another wonderful day in Beautiful B.C..
A special thanks to Anne Gosse who arranged the trip. Her blog and more info about upcoming trips visit:
http://anneisforthebirds.wordpress.com

Brown creeper

Golden-crowned sparrow

Great-horned owl

Hooded merganser 

Red-winged blackbird

Sandhill crane

Wood duck

Snow goose