Looking for something to shoot? Find challenges and assignments here.
#92086
Great shots everyone! Love your Starling, Judy. lol. Glad to see you back, Ian! I was in your neck of the woods today (White Lake Eco Reserve) and was able to finally add a few birds to our collection. I had a Spotted Sandpiper, but terrible photo. Here are two less common additions on our list:
Nashville Warbler
ImageImage

Cassin's (Solitary) Vireo
Image
Image

More common but nice:
Western Bluebird
Image

Chipping Sparrow
Image

I know we have this guy, but I needed at least one good picture to post from there: Brewer's Blackbird (lol)
Image

A few days ago I was hiking at Black Mountain Regional Park and added these lovelies.
Calliope Hummingbird
Image

Vesper Sparrow
Image

Also at Black Mountain, I'm "pretty sure" this is a Dusky Flycatcher.
Image

Now if only I could get my images to look like Ian's! haha.
Happy Birding, everyone!
James
#92089
Great additions from the interior- thanks Ian and James. Hope to see some of these next month on my Kaslo vacation.

I did a Dawn Patrol at Iona Beach Park this morning, and was lucky enough to bag some new birds for the Challenge.

First up is a pair of Purple Martins. I saw at least 3 pairs starting to occupy the Martin sheds on the pilings out there.

ImagePurple Martin pair by GMcD2008, on Flickr
#92091
And finally from Iona Beach Park, there were a few Common Terns moving around among all the Caspian Terns along the river side of the park. Managed to catch this one out of a group of mixed Terns that went by. The Common Terns were easy to pick out compared to the Caspian Terns - the Commons are a bit smaller, have the longer tail and shorter bill, and some have the grey cast to the bellies.

ImageCommon Tern by GMcD2008, on Flickr
#92093
I was over at Mayne Island for a couple days, and on the trip kept my eyes open for some birds for the Challenge (and my own sightings). Starting at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, there were a number of Pelagic Cormorants around with some in breeding colours.

ImagePelagic Cormorant by GMcD2008, on Flickr
#92095
While on Mayne Island, I always spend a couple hours in the Japanese Gardens there - a great little oasis of peacefulness. I heard a singing bird that I wasn't recognizing, looked over and there was a House Wren on the gate structure. Harsh lighting and a bit distant, so a photo was taken, good enough for ID and verification. Add the House Wren to the list:

ImageHouse Wren by GMcD2008, on Flickr
#92096
I spent a couple hours at Bennett Bay on Mayne Island, and was watching for shorebirds and anything else interesting. Distant Belted Kingfisher, but no photo opportunities, a small colony of Purple Martins using the nest boxes on the Mayne Island Resort pier pilings, a few Turkey Vultures soaring high over the south point, Great Blue Herons fishing along the tideline, and a group of Black Oystercatchers out on the rocks. Not very many shorebirds though. As I was sitting on a log in the shade, I looked over and spotted a Northern Rough Winged Swallow perched on a shady spot nearby, great - that's not on the list, here we go. Northern Rough Winged Swallow portrait:

ImageNorthern Rough Winged Swallow by GMcD2008, on Flickr
#92097
While on the patio this afternoon, this guy flitted in, landed on the fence (so it qualifies for a 'Fence Friday' shot) stayed for about 10 seconds and then was gone. I managed to get only 4 pics of him; I liked this one the best.
I originally labeled it as a Western Wood-Pewee but on 2nd thought it may actually be a Western Flycatcher (formerly known as a Pacific-slope Flycatcher). What do you think?

ImageWestern Flycatcher by Jewill on Flickr
#92098
Jewill- looks good for the Western Flycatcher - the teardrop eye ring, light yellowish caste to the belly. Western Wood Peewees are generally greyer and lack the eye ring. Good capture.
  • 1
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • 10
  • 11
  • 14

FYi - My sighting of a bird from the Sea-Tac study[…]

Is this a hawk?

Hello everyone. I had a recent visitor in my back[…]