I managed to capture a few photos of some of the local wildlife this week. I hope you enjoy, and have a great Sunday.
2016-12-18: What I've seen this week
2016-12-18: What I’ve seen this week
I managed to capture a few photos of some of the local wildlife this week. I hope you enjoy, and have a great Sunday.
2016-12-11: What I've seen this week
***December 12th – I guess I forgot to actually hit post on this yesterday – oops! ***
While I have actually seen quite a lot this week around the neighbourhood, it has mostly been too cold to get the camera out to capture anything while out walking. -22C was the average temperature for my morning walks, and I had to resort to mittens, which don’t lend themselves to quick wildlife shots! The deer and fox have been around a lot, as well as the hairy woodpeckers and lots of chickadees.
For the first time in a long time though, I spotted a northern flicker in the yard, and that is the lone photo of the week (since I could take it through my office window).
Have a great week everyone!
2016-12-11: What I’ve seen this week
***December 12th – I guess I forgot to actually hit post on this yesterday – oops! ***
While I have actually seen quite a lot this week around the neighbourhood, it has mostly been too cold to get the camera out to capture anything while out walking. -22C was the average temperature for my morning walks, and I had to resort to mittens, which don’t lend themselves to quick wildlife shots! The deer and fox have been around a lot, as well as the hairy woodpeckers and lots of chickadees.
For the first time in a long time though, I spotted a northern flicker in the yard, and that is the lone photo of the week (since I could take it through my office window).
Have a great week everyone!
2016-05-23: Monochrome Monday
2015-12-27: What I’ve seen this week
This week, all the photos were taken in my backyard, watching the birds. The pine grosbeaks have discovered the bird feeder, and a flock of them now frequent the area; today I got distracted by the group fluttering around and lost count after 12. I think here were around 16 or more individuals at one point. It’s wonderful to have them close and listen to them calling to one another.
We’ve had some significant snow yesterday and today, and I’m late getting on with editing and posting as I was busy using the snow blower on the driveway and shovelling out a new pathway to the feeders.
Some of the photos were taken out the window from the basement, giving a unique angle to the feeder… I’ve had to shovel out in front of the windows to be able to see the birds on the ground!
That’s enough chatter for this evening, I hope you enjoy seeing some of the lovely birds that have visited this week (the deer have been around too, but always after dark so no photos of them this week).
The pine grosbeaks have been around in force since they discovered the feeders:
The hairy woodpecker stopped by for some seed as investigating the trees.
The flickers have been visiting regularly, though are usually quite skittish and fly away if anyone is outside.
The grey jays have been around frequently as well. They are usually quite skittish but I was outside taking photos of the grosbeaks Saturday and one of the jays stopped in for a snack; previously they would fly away if they saw someone move too quickly at the window.
I’m not a fan of the squirrels on the bird feeders (and with the set up I have, that hasn’t been a problem) but I’m happy for them to stop by and act as the clean up crew.
Northern flicker
1/100sec, f5.6, ISO400
Northern flicker silhouette
1/2000sec, f7.1, ISO400
Juvenile Northern Flicker
The previous week I saw 7 flickers at one time; how I wish I would have had my camera along for that!
1/500sec, f6.3, ISO100
Northern Flicker
The flicker has always been elusive for me when I have my camera in hand. On days when I am walking the dog near my office (camera safely stored at home), I often see one sitting atop a light pole, pecking at the top, making a lot of noise and drawing my attention, or see one pecking in the grasses growing along the dikes alongside the robins. When I have my camera though, I always seem to hear them only, as they call from distant trees, or watch them disappear as I am desperately trying to catch a single picture.
I finally had my chance, and was lucky enough to see a couple sitting in a tree along the dike… and they didn’t disappear the minute I focused my camera on them. As with the herons and the eagle (I still can’t believe I saw all of them in an hour one morning), I am really noticing the noise at high ISO on my camera, but unfortunately in BC, lots of dreary, grey sky days are the norm, and quick moving birds require the fast shutter speed.
1/640 sec, f5.6, ISO1600
1/640sec, f5.6, ISO1600