Early Morning Birding at Iona Jetty

April 20 2015 Iona Regional Park Richmond BC Sunny 17c

The alarm went off at 5 am and again thirty minutes later. The plan was to drive to Iona Regional Park to look for a Lapland Longspur that had been seen the day before. I had only ever photographed them in the Autumn so I was looking forward to seeing one in full breeding plumage.
Because I had slept in the sun was already up when I arrived. A cold wind was blowing for the north-west, I wished I had brought gloves. I made my way out to where the bird had last been seen the evening before at around the 150 marker. Numbered markers run the length of the 4km (2.5mile) jetty. It is very popular with walkers and cyclists, especially on the weekends.

A  male Lapland Longspur seems unperturbed by a passing walker.

There were only two of us on the jetty. Eventually I saw some bird movement but it turned out to be a false alarm, just a pair of Savannah Sparrows. I keep searching and finally I found my quarry, a splendid adult with rufus nape and black face.

Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus)

I continued to photograph until a few more people passed and flushed the bird. When I relocated the first bird, a female suddenly flew in and joined the male. They continued to feed on seeds before the foot traffic became distracting,  by mid-morning it was getting warm, the light harsh and time for brunch.

The female longspur holds a seed between its beak.

1. 

   Female (left) and male






                                                            

          The Iona Jetty 

1. On the walk back to the car the cries of Caspian Terns drew my attention. They were quite far out and high above but with the Tamron 150mm-600mm I was able to zoom in a catch a few shots. All images were taken hand held.

   
   Caspian Tern (Sterna caspia)

   
   

2. 

   American Wigeon (Anas americana)

   
   
   
   
   "It's never too late to start birding"
3. John Gordon
4. Langley /Cloverdale
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Lower Mainland Birding

                         March 12-13 2015 Various Lower Mainland Locations Sunny 19c

Ann'a Hummingbird (Calypte anna) feeding one of two nestlings. 

A female Anna's Hummingbird feeds one of her two chicks. The nestlings are about two weeks old and still have short beaks. Anna's hummingbirds live year round in the Vancouver and Lower Mainland area. For the UK readers I would describe Vancouver's weather as something like Devon and Cornwall with occasional cold blasts just like the UK. The rest of Canada is as you imagine Canada to be....cold in winter and hot in summer.
Some Anna's will try for a second clutch if the soon to arrive and more aggressive Rufous Hummingbirds leave them alone. This particular nest was within feet of a very busy pathway so staying any length of time would attract attention from passersby.
When the female was away from the nest we would point our lenses in another direction so as not to draw attention to the nest.

Ethical birding practices includes not disclosing the location of nesting birds so therefore I have left their location out of this blog just to say that this series of pictures were taken in three different locations. 

                                                                           *****

Barred Owls hunt mainly at night or early in the morning. They choose a handy perch and sleep most of the day sometimes waking up for a shake of the head or perhaps when mobbed by crows. They can be easily disturbed by humans and dogs so care must be taken not to flush them. Many owls including Northern Saw-whet and Great Horned often perch very close to human activity when they might have acres of forest to choose from. Go figure! 

"Head Shake" Barred Owl (Strix varia)

This Barred Owl awoke when a squirrel ran within inches of its gaze. Once the squirrel realized its folly it froze, eventually moving away very slowly until out of danger. After opening its eyes for a few seconds the owl then rubbed its head on a branch and then shook its head in a circular motion, the slow shutter speed was used catch the motion.

Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Usually the Night Herons at Reifel are hidden in a tangle of branches but this one was almost in the open so why not rattle off a few frames.
The Sandhill Cranes were in an frisky mood with more than one pair going through the courtship rituals.

Common Loon (Gavia immer)

Next stop was Blackie Spit. In the past I have found some interesting birds including a Solitary Sandpiper and Horned Lark, there is always something interesting. On Thursday afternoon Gareth Pugh and his group counted 42 species in a few hours, a Red-necked Grebe being the best sighting. Before they arrived I photographed this Common Loon diving for crabs. I waited for the bird to dive before approaching closer. Despite my low angle the bird knew I was there all the time, eventually it moved away and I moved on.

Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)

 This is a heavily cropped shot of one of my favourite forest birds. the Varied Thrush. I actually heard it before eventually spotting it high up in a tree. I alway remember sound recorder and birder John Neville calling the bird the 'tone deaf thrush' very apt as its call is not that melodious making it easy to pick out from the rest of the Spring chorus.

Varied Thrush

Other birders keep telling me they have Varied Thrush come to their feeders but I've yet to find one that tame so for now I will have to be content with shooting them from a distance. There's no great rush, much of the fun is in the waiting and searching.

Pacific Wren formally Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)

Finally this Pacific Wren was heard long before I almost tripped over it. I must have been very close to its lair. These diminutive forest birds make any walk in the forest that more interesting with their noisy antics. I have a dozen good shots but I like that this shot has motion in the wings, exactly as I remember the scene.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

BC 

Canada

The Dartford Warbler and Other Birds

Feb 18/15 Forest of Dean and Pittville Park Cheltenham, Gloucestershire UK.

Today was the day to go after the Dartford Warbler. On the way I stopped off at the Speech House in the heart of the Forest of Dean. The following three shots were taken from the car window at a place where park visitors leave seed for the wild birds. By choosing a good vantage point I was able to photograph with dark shadows in the background. I had to underexpose a little in manual mode.

Speech House/ Forest of Dean

Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)

Nuthatch (Sitta europaea)

Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos)

New Fancy View/ Forest of Dean

Common Buzzard (Buteo Buteo)

As a child growing up in the Wye Valley I never once saw a Common Buzzard. There was a decline of food as the rabbit population had been decimated by Myxomatosis

There was so little food the buzzards were even forced to turn over cow dung in search of insects. Their numbers crashed until the rabbit population finally recovered.

The Common Buzzard has now rebounded and can be seen in many parts of the UK. I also was lucky enough to see a pair of Goshawk at New Fancy View, one of the best viewpoints in the Forest of Dean,

Pittville Park Cheltenham 

As I have mentioned this was not a birding holiday but the temptation to try for the Dartford Warbler was too strong. Pittville Park Cheltenham is a passive park with much activity but in one corner a wildflower patch of about an acre has been seeded. It has been there a few years and has matured and has reseeded itself. There were three Stonechat and a dozen Linnets present and one very lost Dartford Warbler. Fortunately the winter has been mild and the sunniest ever recorded, all good news for the diminutive warbler normally found in the southernmost parts of the UK.

Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata)

Stonechat (Saxicola torquatus)

Stonechat

Well this is the last post from the UK but not the last bird I saw. I took a quick walk around Parkend before leaving and finally had a good views of a Hawfinch. It was the perfect way to end the trip.

I would like to thank Gary Thoburn and Vic Savery for their helpful contributions and suggestions and without their encouragement my trip would not have been so enjoyable.
Also the Gloster Birder website which is an invaluable guide to visitors like myself

Technical details
I brought a Nikon D7100 with battery pack. It never ran out as either the camera battery or the battery pack kicked in when one was exhausted. I bought a Tamron 150mm-600mm lens in the summer for trips like these when photography would be secondary consideration.
I brought a flash, remote controller and monopod but never used them. I dressed as I would for Vancouver and was never cold or wet. I found UK birders and photographers very helpful and willing to help the hapless visitor like myself. Overall I am very happy with my visit and look forward to returning soon.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale
British Columbia
Canada

A Couple of Lifers

Feb 6/15 Parkend, Forest of Dean Gloucestershire UK Sunny and cold 4c

I had heard from birders twitching the Hawfinches that there were White-fronted Dippers behind the pub in Parkend. I had had a quick look before but didn't see it. This was my second try and it wasn't long before I was following a narrow pathway along the riverbank. What I didn't realize as I continued was this was no man made footpath but a trail carved out my boar. The trail became narrower and muddier. Just as I was about to turn around I spotted two dippers in the distance. The small river or creek was perfect for them. It ran through a forest canopy, there were long runs where small fish would likely hold up, gravel bars and the odd large rock protruding the water. It was on one of these rocks that I spotted the dipper. The bird is larger and more colourful than the North American species. The familiar stance is the same and the characteristic dipping motion was identical. It too "walks" underwater. It was quite far away but to move would spook the bird so I knelt on the muddy trail and fired off a few shots with my travel lens, the Tamron 150mm-600mm. Shooting wide open at F6.3 dropped my shutter speed down, miraculously I managed a few in focus. 

Another UK lifer, the White-fronted Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)

After spending an hour or so waiting for the elusive Hawfinches to arrive I decide to move on to Cannop Ponds to see what if anything new could be found.

The Long-tailed Tits that seemed to appear out of nowhere. They fed in small family groups and flitted from tree to tree using there tiny needle sharp beaks to pry out emerging buds. Among the flock was a Goldcrest, my second lifer of the day. The bird is very much like the Ruby-crowned Kinglet foraging in mixed flocks.

Goldcrest (Regulus regulus)

Following another muddy trail, the family of Long-tailed Tits flitted from branch to branch, sometimes hanging upside down, sometimes seeming to fall to a lower branch like an acrobat. Again I would have loved to have my faster lens and fill flash but as I mentioned this is not a birding holiday and these odd days out are just breaks in the action. I'm just happy to have time with family, the forest, stream and birds....and Six Nations rugby!

Long-Tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) 

According to Collins the Long-tailed Tit is more closely related to warblers, swallows and larks than it is to the other members of the tit family.

Grey Wagtail (Montacilla cinerea) uses a park bench to survey the pond 

This wagtail feeds on an icy pond.

Moorhen ((Gallinula chloropus) is a common pond birds throughout the UK and Europe. Here it feeds on the ice or perhaps it looking at its own reflection.

Until next time

"It's never too late to start birding"


John Gordon

Tamron/Sigma 150mm-600mm Reviews

As some of you may know I have been using the Tamron 150mm-600mm for about six months. I am often asked how it performs. I have had some great results with the lens especially on long walks or when shooting out of the car window.
I have just one issue, occasionally the lens refuses to focus. I have spoken to a number of other photographers and they say the same thing. My solution is to just turn off the camera, uncouple the lens and start again. It has occured twice in six months. It hasn't caused me to lose any shots yet but it is a little discerning. I try to keep all the electrical contacts clean both on the lens and camera and hopefully the problem will vanish.

Merlin shot from 30 metres away and handheld. 

I love the lens for its compactness compared to my larger lenses, I plan to use it when I travel. Remember when handholding try to keep the lens length close to the shutter speed. For example if you are using it at 500mm then the recommended shutter speed should be at least 1/500sec. The VR function works really well so use that when needed. Remember it is harder to handhold the Tamron compared to a 300 F2.8 with a 2x or even 500mm F4 purely because of the weight factor, the heavy lens gives better balance and more stabilty.
Below I have included a link to some other reviews as well as one for the new Sigma 150mm-600mm a lens I haven't tested.
Here is a pic of a Western Tanager from a walk I took as part in with a group of birders from Langley. I wouldn't have been able to keep up with them and grabbed this shot had I had a big tripod and heavy 500mm F4 lens to carry over my shoulder. In terms of great pictures and sheer enjoyment the investment has already paid off. Try out both lenses and make your own decision, we really are spoilt for choice these days!

Enjoy!

Western Tanager Tamron handheld 150mm-600mm at 600mm

http://www.kruger-2-kalahari.com/tamron-150-600mm-lens-review.html



http://www.kruger-2-kalahari.com/tamron-vs-sigma-150-600.html



http://thecanadianwarbler.blogspot.ca/2014/05/tamron-150-600-nikon-test-run.html

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Snow Buntings and More

Nov 19/14 Blackie Spit, Crescent Beach Cloudy 8c.

When I arrived at Blackie Spit it was cold and windy. Usually there are joggers and walkers but as I approached the tip of the spit it was clear I would have the place to myself. I sat and waited. A few minutes later three Snow Buntings flew in to feed on the plant material that had been blown down by the wind and washed upon the shore. The birds fed on the sandy beach, blending in, camouflaged, crouching down motionless when a patrolling Northern Harrier flew overhead. As soon as danger passed they continued their business.

Snow Bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis)

Adult non-breeding.

The Snow Buntings gleaned seed from these plants washed up after a recent high tide.

First winter bird

Some walkers asked me what I was photographing. They had difficulty locating the birds even though they were only a few metres in front of them. It reminds me of before the time before I started birding. I remember going to 72nd Ave after someone told me there were lots of birds there. I didn't see a thing so I went again and the same thing happened. These days when I go, I often see ten or fifteen species or more without too much difficulty. These days my eyes are wide open.

***

While photographing the Snow Bunting I had made myself quite inconspicuous so much so that the Common Loons and Horned Grebe seemed comfortable with my presence. 

Horned Grebe (Podiceps auritus)

A harbour seal also patrolled the spit were a rip tide was causing a riffle in the water, perfect fishing location for both seal and loon.

Harbour Seal (Phoca vitulina)

Common Loon (Gavia immer)

***

It was time to move on so I decided to scan the fields along Hornby Drive, who knows what might turn up. I drew a blank.  Eventually I made my way down to 'The Mansion' where thousands of Dunlin and hundreds of Black-bellied Plover were walking in with the flood tide.

Above me a Bald Eagle surveyed the scene, suddenly it launched into the air disturbing two Wilson's Snipe in front of me. It was time to grab the camera. They lifted a few feet in the air and landed into the reeds. A master of disguise they were hard to spot but eventually a slight movement gave them away.

Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)

The other snipe with slightly different plumage. 

Where the time went I will never know but soon the light was fading and it was time to head home for a warm meal.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Fraser Valley Birding

Nov 11/14 Sumas Prairie Abbotsford BC Cold 1c

American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)

Driving around Sumas Prairie in sub zero temperatures looking for raptors can be a frustrating experience. On calmer days American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks and even the odd Golden Eagle can make it an exciting place to bird. We did find a dark phase intermediate Red-tailed Hawk but the buffeting winds made holding the camera still somewhat of a challenge. The American Pipit (above was shot from the car window from about twenty-five metres with the Tamron 150mm-600mm. I bought the lens for situations like this when a larger lens would have been too cumbersome to set up in the cramped quarters of a small car. With no Black-backed Gull to be found we headed toward Mission to find Bald Eagles that had congregated to feed on spawned out salmon.

Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)

Another car window shot with the Tamron. The lens is so light and agile it can be very useful in situations where a wary bird like the Varied Thrush can only be approached by using the car as a blind. Plus it was really windy and cold outside.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
An adult Bald Eagle (left) clashes with a 2nd year bird on Nicomen Slough. The spent salmon the eagles were fighting over can be seen in the water below the birds.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley Cloverdale

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Oct 2 2014 Boundary Bay 104th St Delta B.C.

I really hadn't meant to photograph the vagrant Ash-throated Flycatcher again but on my way to find some shorebirds a small gaggle of birders and photographers were actively looking for the bird so I stopped to chat. Since my first shots, the moulting process had been in full swing and the best words to describe the bird was 'ragged and worn"
Suddenly the Ash-throated suddenly popped out of the brush so I decided to see whether I could improve on the composition from my previous series of shots. My first few shots from mid-Sept the flycatcher was perched on a dead branch and the dark background. My second attempt I had it catching a darner. This time I was after better composition. The advantage of the zoom lens became apparent when the flycatcher first flew in very close to us. With the 150mm-600mm zoom I was able to compose an image in camera at around 500mm on my D7100 and come up with a completely different looking image from previous efforts.

Ash-throated Flycatcher

I am happy with results as it gives me a different perspective. The bird is completely separated from any background distractions. I use Lightroom© for editing but try not to shoot too many "same same" images once I know I have a good record shot. I suppose it goes back to the days of film when you could see a 'keeper' image through the viewfinder as the mirror flipped. I see quite a few people rattling off hundreds of shots of the same thing and wonder wouldn't their time be better spent birding  than editing. 

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Photographing Common Birds

Feb19/14 George C Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Wind and Sun

I find all birds interesting, even the so called "Dirt Birds" What may be a common bird to one may be a mega rarity to another. In Vancouver we have had a number of rarities or vagrants over the past few years.
The most recent being the Red-flanked Bluetail in New Westminster. It attracted birders from all over the continent. There are countless others, the Citrine Wagtail in Courtenay, Hooded Oriole in Port McNeil, the list is quite extensive.
However those occurrences are so infrequent, much of our birding time is spent with the more common species, many of them splendid in their own way.
Here is a typical days birding in the Vancouver area at two of our most popular locations. It began with a morning at Reifel Bird Sanctuary finishing with a chilly late afternoon session at 72 ave at Boundary Bay.
I have tried to take some time to create some close-ups of common species as well as try some compositions that show the habitat as well as the bird.

Here is' a really common  garden gird, The Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis). I was drawn to the repeating shapes of the picket fence leading the eye left to right and back to the bird. If it caught your attention for more than a few seconds then composition works.

How about these for common birds. Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) Many birders/photographers/park keepers scorn them but there is something in those eyes that drew my attention in the first place. I like this image and in the end that's all that matters.  It was a good day to practice my bird photography skills so I know how to react when that mega rarity unexpectedly arrives.

Northern Pintail (Anas acuta)
A very common duck in the Vancouver area. Thousands of these elegant dabbling ducks can be seen feeding in winter fields or bobbing about in Boundary Bay. I like the open mouth that gives the bird a little extra character.

Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola)
I really had never photographed Bufflehead so I took the opportunity to find a quiet spot where the birds felt safe enough to approach me.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
As I was leaving Reifel this pair of Bald Eagles drew quite a few admirers. There are hundreds of Bald Eagles in the Vancouver and Lower Mainland at this time of year.

Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus)
If you want to see flight and close-up pictures of Short-eared Owls there are plenty in my previous blogs. The inspiration for this image came from a recent presentation by noted ornithologist John Neville, some of you may have his recordings. John is blind so he birds by ear. His presentation was illustrated by the work of Robert Bateman. What struck me about Bateman's work was how he often brakes all the rules of composition but most off all how he leaves plenty of space in his paintings for his subjects and the habitat. Often I have been guilty of cropping too tightly. I hope this image shows an owl in a natural setting.

So there you go. I saw many other species during the day including a pair of Rough-legged Hawks riding thermals, one moment they were in front of my car, the next distant specks in the sky.

Other highlights were a lone Western Meadowlark, a flock of several thousand Snow Geese, a light phase Red-tailed Hawk as well a numerous other "common" birds, too many to list here. 

No, I didn't see a rarity but I had a brilliant day out.

Good Birding

John Gordon