Willet or Won't It

Sept 26 2013 White Rock, B.C. Canada. Sunny
I had heard on vanbcbirds that a Willet, a member of the sandpiper family has taken up residence on the beach at White Rock opposite the large white painted rock from which the city takes its name. Silhouetted against the late morning sun, the bird wasn't too hard to find.
I first encountered a Willet on the shores of Last Mountain Lake in Saskatchewan (see picture below)

Willet (Catoptrohorus semipalmatus) Regina Beach, Saskatchewan.

The second Willet I photographed was being chased by an American Avocet at Chaplin Lake, the Willet had the audacity to get between it and its mate.

An American Avocet chases away a Willet

(Below) During my 2013 road trip I spotted what turned out to be a Willet feeding in a fallow field near Regina Beach, Saskatchewan. I finally followed it to a watering hole for cattle where it settled down beside its mate.

A pair of Willet close to their nest.

At White Rock I made my way down as the tide was about an hour from full flood. The bird was still feeding for about 10 minutes before it hunkered down for safety with a flock of Mew Gulls.

The White Rock Willet hangs close to a flock off similar sized Mew Gulls
as a form of security.

The intricate plumage of the Willet is accentuated by photographing the bird
with a long lens and side light.

Click here for More about the Willet

Good Birding 

John Gordon

A Few Hours Well Spent.

Sept 18 2013 104th Delta, B.C.

After looking for the elusive Smith's Longspur without any success I decided to walk east on the dye path. I wanted to check a freshly ploughed corn field that I thought might attract the small flock of Longspurs that had been near 96th Ave. As much as I wished no such miracle of miracles prevailed.
However I did find many Common Yellowthroat, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Song sparrow, one Lincoln Sparrow and numerous Barn Swallows.

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

I also chatted to a few birders before making my way back to the car. Just by the railway line a juvenile Red-tailed hawk was surveying the ground from a telephone poll. I took a few pix and waited until it flew off before pressing the shutter for an action shot.

A few hours well spent, it's as simple as that!

Waiting for just the right moment .








Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

Sept 17 2013 Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Overcast with Sunny breaks.

Male Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)
As soon as I arrived at the Reifel parking lot a Belted Kingfisher flew over my head. I followed it to the warming hut where it had alighted on a nest box about 100 metres away. I just had to be patient until it decided to take off, a trait I picked up from when I used to fish for specimen Carp and Tench back in the UK. Birding and angling have a lot in common but I have come to the conclusion that birding has less impact on the creatures we both seek.

The same bird but in a different location on the outer dyke. 

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Same bird different background.
 I prefer the first shot but that is just my style. I like an uncluttered background unless it is to tell a story about the bird's habitat. 

Greater Yellowlegs, I think?

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Sora (Porzana carolina)
A Sora makes a dash for cover near the Tower at Reifel. A pair of Sora were present as well as a Virginia Rail.

Good Birding.

Good Birding, Good Friends and Good Laughs.

Sept 9 2013 Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Westham Island, Delta B.C.

Size comparison between Lesser Yellowlegs (foreground) and Greater Yellowlegs (background)
September is one of the best times to see these two species together. Note the comparative size and beak lengths. 

It was so good to be out in the fresh air again. The fog was clearing over Boundary Bay and the cool morning air would soon be replaced by the scorching sun and clear blue sky. The first sounds I hear are three American Pipits flying overhead. Out on the mudflats a Semipalmated Sandpiper crouches low as a Northern Harrier flies past on the hunt for a Savannah Sparrow or Townsend's Vole. My camera, still idle is left unattended while I enjoy the scene before my eyes. Sometimes, especially moments like these I just don't feel the need to be photographing, just being in the Here and Now is enough.
I decided to go to Reifel as the tide might push some shorebirds into the holding ponds where over the weekend a Stilt Sandpiper was spotted. I have photographed them before in Churchill, Manitoba and once last Fall at Reifel. Although none was seen this time there was a chance encounter with a Virginia Rail, that some of us in attendance (you know who you are) managed, despite all the fancy gear some not very good pictures. One of our party didn't manage any shots at all  as he was busy on his phone BOTH times the secretive bird ventured out from the reed bed. We all had a good laugh at his expense, even he had to chuckle at his timing.
Anyway here is the shot of the rail, albeit not in the best light and not quite in focus. Also a Sandhill Crane that flew overhead against the ONLY cloud in the sky, Murphy's law, Eh!

Virginia Rail (Rallus limicola)

Sandhill Crane (Grus canadensis)

Good Birding
John

Back to the World of Birds

Sept 5 2013 Boundary Bay, Delta, British Columbia.
The past six weeks has just flown by since my last blog. What with my annual U.K family visit to help out my brother with his festival stall at the Cropredy Festival near Banbury, Oxford (festival headliners were Fairport Convention, Alice Cooper and 10cc) and visiting my wonderful parents in the picturesque Wye Valley.  As you can imagine little birding was done, I did however walk the Malvern Hills for an hour or so where I spotted Buzzards, wrens and a type of grouse and some LBJ's.
Although I returned to Canada almost two weeks ago the imminent wedding of our oldest daughter had me helping the wife 'pretty up' the house and garden for visitors. New paint, wainscotting in the living room, new countertops and new bathroom meant the birdwatching had to take back seat. I did however manage to get out to lead a two day photography workshop which I took photographers to Boundary Bay. Apart from that it was the nose to grindstone. What did I miss? A rare Buff-breasted Sandpiper and an elusive vagrant Red-necked Stint. Although I would have loved to have added them to my B.C. and Canada list I may not have found them anyway so I'm not loosing too much sleep over it as one never knows what tomorrow may bring.
Finally with the DIY mostly finished I made my way down to 96th to find the Buff-breasted Sandpiper. After looking for some five hours, myself and numerous others headed home without even a flyby. So slow was the action most of the time we spent trying to identify first year gulls. Where's Mike Tabac when you need him!
Anyway I went again September 4 to have one last look for the Buff-breasted and although I didn't see it I got back into shooting mode with the following pix. I hope to see many of you out there, Enjoy!

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca)

Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes)

Long Billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus)
Note: The bird has only one leg but otherwiseappeared to be in good health.

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

This Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri) showed no fear of humans as it walked along the dyke pathway.

 Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarenis)
Practising flight shots with common birds is a great way to prepare yourself for that time when the unusual turns up.

Wandering Tattler and the Curious Spotted Sandpiper

July 24 2013 Iona Regional Park, Richmond B.C.

I have learnt that when a rare bird report comes in the best chance of success is to jump in the car and get moving right away. With the help and advice of many I have been fortunate enough in locating numerous Lower Mainland 'Lifers' and other interesting birds. Wednesday was one such day.

Iona South Jetty is 4km long

VANBCBIRDS had been reporting a Wandering Tattler at Iona. For one reason or another it took a text from another good birding friend to persuade me to drop my gardening and DYI chores and make the trip from Surrey. I hadn't seen a Wandering Tattler since a visit to Mitlenatch Provincial Park back in the mid 80s. There I had taken a grainy shot on Kodachrome 64 so this was possibly a chance to update my files and get another view of the elusive sandpiper.
With temperatures hovering around 22 c and with sunburn a good possibility, the thought of walking 2.5 kms on the South Iona jetty to look for a bird that might have already departed for California had me wondering if I was still sane!

Looking toward UBC as the tide moves in. Scenics taken with Canon SX50

I made a last minute decision to bike it, I hadn't biked or done much exercise in years so it wasn't long before my legs could pedal no more. I stopped and started several time before arriving at Marker 164, the last place the bird had been seen. I couldn't find the Tattler but a Spotted Sandpiper was feeding way out on the sandbar.

Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularia)

As I had the bike I thought I might as well make it to the end of the jetty where the only signs of life were two noisy Caspian Terns and what appeared to be a topless sunbather of the female persuasion, but without my bins I couldn't make an exact identification!  Making my way back I bumped into another birder who knew exactly where to look (for birds of the avian kind) and soon we were both photographing the Wandering Tattler. The bird was feeding on tiny crabs forced onshore by the flooding tide. Not to be outdone, a curious and possibly the same Spotted Sandpiper (above) landed on a rock a few feet away to pose for pictures.

Wandering Tattler (Heteroscelus incanus)
A wave pounds on the Iona jetty where a Wandering Tattler rests before continuing its southward migration. A fast shutter speed 1/2000 sec was needed to freeze the action of the wave splashing against the rock.

In conclusion I'm glad I made the effort to photograph today. I did get some fresh sea air, exercise and with this humble series of blogs an attempt to throw off a writer's block that has haunted me for over a decade.

Kestrels, Grasshoppers and Camera Trial

July 22, 2013 Boundary Bay, Delta.  Between the Pilings and 112 St.

An American Kestrel hovers above the Boundary Bay dyke pathway. From one perch to another the female Kestrel makes its way along a hundred or so metres of hedge, eagerly looking for any movements in the tall grass below. Even barking dogs, walkers and the sudden movements of passing cyclists cannot deter the bird's concentration.  There are scores of grasshoppers everywhere. After a few sideway glances, a menacing stare and a little bobbing of the head the hunter suddenly swoops down on another juicy meal. Not every hunt is successful but during the time I spent observing at least five large grasshoppers were dispatched.
As the setting sun waned and the cool breeze off the Boundary Bay brought to close yet another day in paradise I wondered if could life be any better for a BC birder.

American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)

The Hunt is on.

Another grasshopper is caught.

 Camera Test. Canon SX50 HS Superzoom

I have always wanted to test an inexpensive super zoom point and shoot to see if it would be useful addition to my already heavy camera bag. Below are some examples.

The two pictures (above) and (below ) were taken with the $400 Canon SX50 HS. The first three hunting pictures in this blog were taken with my trusty Nikon D3s and 500 F4 lens and 1.4 converter mounted on a Gitzo tripod at ISO 1000. The high ISO helped me catch the flight shots using 1/2000 sec shutter speed.  The Canon ain't gonna do that for you but...
The SX50 is point and shoot APS censor camera 12 Megapixel with a 24-1200 zoom. I had always wanted a little lightweight camera to take on organized bird walks etc where carrying a tripod and big lens just slows everyone up. The big question was, would I be happy with the results ? The answer is Yes and No.  The shots above were taken hand held while the bird was perched. A tripod  would help although not too many birds are stationary long enough. Although the images looks fine on a web blog they wouldn't be suitable for printing bigger than 4x6 or 5x7. The first three images on the other hand could be made into 16x20 prints without too much trouble. In conclusion it all depends on your end use. Apart from selling large prints I also give presentations where a certain clarity is required. If however you are blogging, Flickring, Facebooking or other inter webbing use and you don't require action shots I think the Sx50 is a decent choice for the person just wanting record shots and that coming from a Nikonian is high praise!
Oops! I forget to mention that it takes great scenics and video to complements your record photos and for that purpose alone I think its perfect and money well spent.

Conclusion.
 If the  main purpose is to add a simple inexpensive easy to use camera to back up your bins or just to take record shots I think the Sx50 is a good choice. I tried out other brands but felt the Canon was the best build and buy. The fact I could hand hold the camera at 1200 mm and get these shots was I felt really useful. Forget about action flight shots as the shutter has a slight lag and sometimes it is easy to hit the video record button by accident but overall it was fun to use. Whenever I want a powerful zoom I'll defiantly carry this camera especially for concerts and other long distance situations.