Heading Towards Us! (Great Grey Owl)
Taken just a couple of seconds after blast off.
Crouching Before Blastoff (Great Grey Owl)
A great grey owl crouches momentarily before blasting off in the direction of the camera.
Straight at The Camera (American Redstart)
Not too sure where this image came from. Perhaps one of my spray and pray attempts to catch this fast little guy in flight. Not sure. Just came across this now and was quite pleased to see the result. Left the cobweb on his wing just for fun. Not much filtering in this one just noise removal, my regular work flow, and cropping.
Male Mountain Bluebird in Flight
Taken on our last hour before leaving the BC Interior to catch the ferry at Tsawwassen.
Flying Towards The Camera (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
A male yellow-headed blackbird banks towards me at Pineview Marsh on the outskirts of Kamloops B.C..
Bullet Bird of Pineview Marsh (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Caught this yellow-headed blackbird doing his bullet bird imitation at Pineview Marsh (Python Lake) on the west side of Kamloops.
Lorquin's Admiral Butterfly on Oak Leaf Portrait
There wasn't much in the way of bird activity down at Buttertubs Marsh yesterday so I tried the 300mm out on some butterflies. Pretty good for minimum focusing distance. Flickr folks please left click to zoom it up.
Catch The Red Eye 2026 (Black-Necked Stilt)
These are cool birds to photograph and I always rank them and the American Avocets as two of my favorites when out in Alberta. It can sometimes be tricky to photograph but if you catch them in the right light you can see that they have a bright red eye.
Pelican Squadron (American White Pelicans)
There were several flights of pelicans flying in the nice weather while we were at Frank Lake. Very large birds. Probably bigger than a Canada goose. The big horns on their beak are a mating thing and break off later when the season is done.
American Avocet in Flight
Taken on the shore of Frank lake the last cloudy day just when the weather started to clear up.
Eared Grebe Portrait
It is truly amazing to think of how far we have come in photographing these guys. We used to sit above a pond somewhere in the BC Interior with a 600mm lens and a 2X extender at first thing in the morning and hope that one would swim by an opening in the reeds for a couple of seconds so we could get a few images.
At places like Frank Lake they are very common and will come to within ten feet of your lens. At times the 300mm F/2.8 is too much. This particular bird did take a couple of minutes to get used to us but came right back in order to feed near a drainage pipe that fed into the lake. The pipe was at the end of a short inlet and there always seemed to be half a dozen eared grebes feeding there.
Screaming in Momma's Ear (Red-Necked Grebes)
The chick was probably excited to see Dad on his way in with another fresh water shrimp of some kind.
Lazuli Bunting in Flight
Out near the Tranquille River dodging cacti again.
Fence Sitter (Lazuli Bunting)
Perched on a post waiting for us less than ten feet away as we arrived in the parking lot.
Lazuli Dive (Lazuli Bunting)
Taken at Tranquille near the Kamloops Airport.
Doing The Splits (Yellow-Headed Blackbird)
Always good comedic value with the yellow-headed blackbirds at Frank Lake. We ran into this situation a few times where the male blackbird would literally do the splits between two cat tails. An interesting territorial behavior.
Great Grey Owl Blastoff!
Taken in the foothills near Calgary Alberta. Pretty good lighting that morning.
Redstart in Aspen #2 (American Redstart)
Probably the closest that I have ever come to one of these guys. Taken on the way back to BC from Alberta in the Revelstoke area. Before our trip It has been nearly 20 years since I have seen one so it was a real treat.
On a More Natural Perch (Great Grey Owl)
Taken on our way back in the BC interior.
Foraging in The Canopy (Baltimore Oriole)
A lovely Male Baltimore Oriole forages for caterpillars in the canopy of cottonwood trees at Fish Creek Park in Southern Calgary.
A Long Distance Crop (Baltimore Oriole)
These guys really like to keep their distance and were hard to get close to. Taken at the Fish Creek Boat Ramp in South Calgary.
Better Eye Contact (Horned Grebe)
Here is another angle with the grebe looking more towards the camera.
Bebo Grove Horned Grebe
Nice to know that in some of the local ponds around Calgary you can find horned grebes as well as the usual eared grebes. These little guys are some of my favorite water birds. Although we get them out here on the coast too, we don't often get to see them in their full mating plumage like the grebe portrayed above. Very beautiful!
I've Been Waiting For You (Great Grey Owl)
Typical perch for great grey owls in the foothills of the Rockies in Southern Alberta. There were at least four hunting in different locations while we were there. Flickr folks please zoom it up for extra details
Redstart Blast Off! (American Redstart)
Got lucky with this one and managed to capture a pretty good blast off shot.
Redstart in Aspen Environmental (American Redstart)
Get a few nice perching shots of these guys in and around the Revelstoke area.
Checkerspot Butterfly Portrait
I always seem to run into at least one of these guys on my trips out east. Always good value.
Bluebird Launch (Mountain Bluebird)
In the mountains of the BC Interior a male mountain bluebird launches from his perch.
On The Hunt (Great Grey Owl)
A great grey owl quarters a farmer's field during a hunt in the foothills of Alberta.
Reaching For The Wood 2026 (Great Grey Owl)
This image taken In the foothills near Calgary Alberta. After a short hunt in a Farmer's field, a great grey owl touches down on a fencepost.
American Redstart
First bird of the Alberta trip. Fast and zoomy like a lazuli bunting.
Coming in Hot! (Red Wing Blackbird)
Coming straight at the camera like a small two engine aircraft. Zoom it up!
Epaulettes on Fire (Red Wing Blackbird)
Another image from Hemer Park Marsh.
Might as Well Jump! (Common Yellowthroat)
These guys never seem to sit still for long and tend to leap without warning. Good practice for photographing lazuli buntings.
Buttertubs Bandit (Common Yellowthroat)
A few of these guys bouncing around Buttertubs Marsh Today. This male was on the two second rule so you had to be quick!
Light Through His Wings (Black-Headed Grosbeak)
Some of the real beauty with these guys lies beneath. You don't always get to see their underside when they are flying but it can be a real treat if you do.
Tanager on Mossy Perch (Western Tanager)
Another tanager portrait from a different venue. Like the black-headed grosbeaks, they seem to be everywhere this spring. If you stop to think about it, there must be tens of thousands of them all over BC and Alberta in order to see them so frequently.
Wings Down - My Favorite! (Black-Headed Grosbeak)
If you know where to go these guys are getting quite cooperative right now. This image taken on the Enos Lake Trail.
Grosbeak With Lichens ( Black-Headed Grosbeak)
A black-headed grosbeak stops to rest momentarily on an old dead branch that has been covered with lichens.
Black-Headed Grosbeak in Flight
Got a couple of nice images of a black-headed grosbeak in flight today. Have had a couple of occasions where I could hear them singing but it always seemed they were too skittish to come out. That changed today when I found two different locations with some very cooperative birds.
Pre-Capture Not Required (Red Wing Blackbird)
Found a very cooperative male red wing blackbird at the local marsh yesterday. Flickr folks please left click for more detail.
Tanager Tower (Western Tanager)
A male western tanager perches on the top of a pine tree momentarily before plunging into the valley. Taken yesterday on Little Mountain.
Time To Log Out (Western Tanager)
A male western tanager forages on a log for insects close to the ground. An unusual place to find tanagers as usually they like to dwell in the canopy.
Pine Tree Launch (Western Tanager)
A bit of a sky shot but still nice. A western tanager launches off of a near by pine tree.
Honey Bee Swarm!
Just another suburban Saturday afternoon in my backyard.
Tree Topper (Western Tanager)
Another one from yesterday's shoot. Enjoy!
Moving To a Higher Perch (Western Tanager)
I managed to get a quick shot of this western tanager as he repositioned himself to a higher branch in a nearby arbutus tree.
Western Tanager on Fir Tree
The western tanager managed to hold still a couple of seconds to allow me to get a few frames at close range.
Western Tanager in Flight
Finally, after several days of searching, I managed to find cooperative tanager to shoot. Up until today they have been pretty hard to approach and always concealed when trying to get a half decent image.
Forest Singer (Western Tanager)
Very cagey and skittish and particularly hard to photograph in a good setting right now.
Swallowtail Butterfly in Flight #2
May 6, 2026 - Thanks for 6.5 million views on Flickr!
Kind of reminds me of a wingsuit like the one they use in Base Jumping. Probably where they got the idea in the first place.
Swallowtail Butterfly in Flight
Another one from the upper Rutherford Ridge.
Wings Up Image (Great Horned Owl)
Sorry, just pirate shots (one eye) on this visit to the venue as regards flight shots. Will attempt to get both eyes in future shoots.
Great Horned Owl Fly By
The great horned owls were quite active in Linley Valley today.
Great Horned Owl Environmental 2026
Ran into a horned owl while playing with the butterflies in Linley Valley today. Who knew. Flight shot to follow.
First of The Season (Swallowtail Butterfly)
May 1st in Linley Valley. It's nice and warm today so a few came out. Shown here on Arbutus Tree blossom.
Barred Owl in Flight
Taken yesterday in Linley Valley. Same owl as last year. You can tell by the shredded wing.
Watching Me From the Shadows (Barred Owl)
Linley Valley yesterday before the harsh light hit.
Juxtaposition (Sooty Grouse)
A different point of view with the bird pointing in the other direction. Possibly the better of the two photos with better eye contact and details. This guy was a real poser.
Sooty Grouse Environmental
He got pretty close so it was hard to get everything in focus. Hope you like this. Full frame.
Calm But Watchful (Sooty Grouse)
Here is the exact same bird when not in display posture.
Too Close For Comfort (Sooty Grouse)
Went up the mountain looking for swallows and Townsend's warblers. Got a sooty grouse instead. Who knew?
Corn on The Cob Anyone? (Sooty Grouse)
A human might not find this appetizing but I bet the female sooty grouse just loves it. Had a pretty high shutter speed on this one as I was hoping for some warbler flight shots. It never happened.
Observing From a Higher Perch (Wood Duck)
A drake wood duck surveys the swamp from an old dead fir tree branch about 30 feet above the water.
Wood Duck in Flight
Hope you like this one. Oliver Woods Marsh.
Quick Fly Past (American Kestrel)
We had a quick and distant fly past by an American kestrel up the mountain today.
Townsend's in Arbutus (Townsend's Warbler)
Another one from my shoot today on Little Mountain.
First of The Season Townsend's Warbler
Did my best in tricky light today with this pretty little Townsend's warbler. I like to think that they are British Columbia's answer to the blackburnian warbler found out east.
Barn Swallow Topside View
Getting to be more of these guys showing up in the swamps every day. Taken at Morningstar Ponds yesterday. Flickr folks please click twice for maximum detail
Knife Edge (Northern Rough-Wing Swallow)
This rough-wing swallow keeps it's eye on an insect while doing aerobatics to line up the catch.
First Barn Swallow of 2026
I realize that these guys have probably been around for the last two weeks or so but this is my first photo of the year so far. Taken today at Morningstar Ponds.
Little Mountain Townsend's Solitaire
My consolation prize for not seeing any mountain bluebirds. Similar to a bluebird but mostly grey in colour. Townsend's solitaires are most spectacular in flight when all of their wing and tail feathers are displayed. If I am lucky later on I will post some flight shots. However, they are pretty skittish and tend to fly the other way when they see me coming.
Life is All About Perspective (Pileated Woodpecker)
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Wings Out (Pileated Woodpecker)
Here is another image from yesterday's shoot.
Just Hanging Around The Swamp (Pileated Woodpecker)
The gate keeper at Oliver Woods Marsh.
Pileated Projectile 2026 (Pileated Woodpecker)
Another one for the bullet bird album.
Violet-Green Swallow Closeup
It helps to have a cloudy day which aids in tracking to get images like this.
Little Mountain Violet-Green Swallow
Found out that Little Mountain was a good place to photograph swallows today too!
Little Mountain Turkey Vulture
Often misunderstood, they are ugly but they are beautiful.
Tree Swallow Bank Shot
Morning Star Ponds
Say "Hi!" On Your Way By (Tree Swallow)
A tree swallow checks me out while flying over the water hunting for bugs.
Reaching For The Prize 2026 (Yellow-Rump Warbler)
A female yellow-rump warbler bursts from an oak tree branch in order to catch a small flying insect. Lots of warblers and swallows at the Nanaimo Estuary yesterday.
Feeding on The Wing (Violet-Green Swallow)
Made another visit to Morningstar Ponds yesterday. The swallows were going nuts feeding on a new hatch of mayflies.
Hiding in Plain Sight (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Found our little buddy partially obscured by fir branches at eye level today.
Enjoying The Sunshine (Northern Pygmy Owl)
A northern pigmy owl enjoys the warmth of early spring sun from a tall branch.
Two For The Price of One (Northern Pygmy Owls)
I was lucky that time and managed to get two birds in focus at the same time.
Sunny Day Swallow (Violet-Green Swallow)
The sun at Morningstar Ponds was really bringing out the colors in the violet-green swallows today.
Harley Fly By (Harlequin Duck)
The harlequin ducks were flying pretty close to shore today at Deep Bay.
Something To Look Forward To (Horned Grebes)
In just another couple of weeks the horned grebes should be in full mating plumage. Really something to look forward to. Hoping this year to get them with babies on their back in Alberta or the Interior of BC.
Side View (Violet-Green Swallow)
A different bird from another angle catching the same type of bug on top the water.
Mirror, Mirror 2026 (Violet-Green Swallow)
A violet-green swallow plucks a newly hatched insect from the calm waters of Buttertubs Marsh.
Jetting Through The Raindrops (Violet-Green Swallow)
Even cold wind and a bit of rain wont keep these guys down. Still quite a few hawking bugs at Buttertubs Marsh.
Great Grey Owl Environmental
Dreaming of great grey owls. I don't remember ever posting this one. Taken on one of my solo visits back east to photograph in the interior of BC. My first real outing with the Sony 300mm F/2.8.
Wings Down, My Favorite (Violet-Green Swallow)
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They're Back! (Violet-Green Swallow)
Had a lot of fun photographing swallows as they hawked insects low to the ground. Taken today at Buttertubs Marsh.
Topside View (Violet-Green Swallow)
Some swallow fun today at Buttertubs Marsh. Snow in the forecast but these guys still showed up!
On The Money Again (Northern Pygmy Owl)
A northern pygmy owl hunts from the "money tree" for blue-legged grasshoppers. His favorite snack.
Coming Soon To a Hillside Near You! (Northern Pygmy Owl)
Spring has sprung! Hoping to see some action again this year from these little guys. Fingers crossed!
It's Mine! (Northern Harriers)
A female harrier harasses a male harrier to try to get him to drop a freshly caught vole. A common practice for harriers between one another and also a game they play with the short-eared owls.
Jetting Around The Marsh (Belted Kingfisher)
The female kingfisher was busy at Foothills Marsh yesterday.
