Tag Archives: birds

nature, Photography

Duckie Monday

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We have a lot more rain coming our way in the form of another water-logged front and while out walking it was clear to me that it was on its way. The occasional breeze ruffled the lake’s surface but it was otherwise very calm and smooth with the blue-grey overcast gathering quickly.

There are lots of warnings about heavy rainfalls with the possibility of landslides in the mountains, so I think I’m just going to stick around here where it might be soggy but it’s 12C (53.6F) and as long as I have rain gear I’m fine.

The ducks don’t mind this at all, though. Bring on the rain, they quack!

For them, rain is a terrifically good thing and they can’t understand why we humans would like things to be a little drier.

Nevertheless, wherever you are, I hope you have a very duckie Monday, rain or not.

nature, Photography

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge

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Many thanks to Beth at Wandering Dawgs who is hosting this week’s lens-artists photo challenge: wings.

Arctic flying: Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

As a pilot, wings have obviously been a large part of my life, something that started with watching birds when I was very young and wishing I could fly like them. So herewith are a few of my favourite “wings” photos – of both aircraft and birds.

A juvenile yellow-headed blackbird.
Royal Canadian Air Force’s military aerobatics flight demonstration team.
Swans. I didn’t capture their landing, unfortunately.
As the sun rises, takeoff from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories over a frozen Great Salve Lake.

I very much enjoyed this challenge; I had fun looking through my archives and then finding photos I had all but forgotten.

If you want to know more about the Lens-Artists challenge, please click here.

nature, Photography

Autumn Quail

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Very unusually, this family group of quail crossed a footpath in front of me. I wanted to get some photos of them and crept up very gradually behind them when they slowed down to investigate something that interested them.

I was fortunately able to get a few decent photos of these very small, very speedy little birds that startle so extremely easily.

Although their distinctive call is commonly heard in the summer, they’re not often seen as they are trying to raise their tiny young out of sight of predators and are also attempting to avoid the heat. Once autumn arrives though, I usually see them more often, but I still am challenged to try to get good pictures since they move so swiftly and avoid humans so thoroughly.

Although these 280 gram birds (10 ounces) can fly and will if they have to, they prefer to run and they sure can! They must be the avian equivalent of the Olympic sprinting team!

Happy Wednesday from the quick (and very cute) quail of the Okanagan Valley.

nature, Photography

Flight

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Humanity has been enthralled with flight for centuries. As far back as the 15th century, Italian artist and scientist Leonardo da Vinci experimented with aircraft designs. He intensely studied birds and developed an amazing understanding of flight principles; his book Codex on the Flight of Birds contains incredible insight into basic aerodynamics.

Landing at CYEP Edmonton Parkland Airport.

Although he was unable to bring his designs to fruition because of the technological limitations of the time, he is credited with the fundamental design concepts for the hang glider and the helicopter.

Eagles over the Pacific.

He was far ahead of his time and at the forefront of the remarkable flying technologies that we now so readily take for granted.

Snowbirds Canadian Air Force Demonstration Team

What would da Vinci think of all our present flight capabilities? Everything from parasailing to drones to space flight?

Rufous hummingbird.

I think he would love it!

One more eagle.

Happy Thursday.

nature, Photography

More Rain

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We have been experiencing a rainier, cooler than usual summer punctuated by hot days where the temperature reaches 37 or 38 (98.6-100.4 F). A rainy night makes for comfortable morning constitutionals, however.

These clouds were moving into the north after being pushed out by …

… quite strong and gusty winds from the east. Surface easterly winds are unusual here since they have to make it past a number of mountain ranges in order to arrive, but I noticed that this one seemed to have quite a lot of altitude, too, probably about 3000 metres (approx 10,000 ft).

As the day wore on – and more clouds moved back in – our resident bald eagles weren’t too concerned as they perched in their favourite lookout tree to survey their territory. Some jostling from the winds didn’t stop them from having one of their regular, affectionate chats.

Happy Saturday.

nature, Photography

Mystery Bird

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(The answer will be at the end of the post.) I saw this cute little robin-like bird while out walking.

Very unafraid, he or she let me get within about a metre (3 ft) which I needed to do since I only had my cell for photos.

The size, wing-configuration and body shape all shouted that this bird is a type of thrush – so are North American robins – but when I saw it walking, the gait was definitely different. Robins will do a combination of hopping and walking, while this bird was a very confident walker with rather largish feet for its size, I thought.

I also had the sense that given the colouration, this little one might be a female or a juvenile from this summer.

Once I got back home and was able to do an online search, I learned that this is either a female or juvenile yellow-headed blackbird which means that it’s a passerine, not a thrush. They live among the bulrushes – which explains the feet as they need strong ones to grab those grasses as they perch, especially if it’s windy – near water and I discovered this little one on a railing above Okanagan Lake.

Photo courtesy of All About Birds

As you can see, in addition to the yellow heads, the males also have white wing flashes. These birds like to migrate to Mexico for the winter, but in some places they remain all year. The Okanagan Valley is apparently one of those places.

Happy Wednesday.