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Saturday Greetings to everyone! I don't often post such sketchy photos, but I've been trying for some time to show what a male Rufe looks like when he approaches a female. This often happens in a mere few seconds and like these photos show generally deep inside tree leaves. The feisty little Rufous male approaches a female, flares his iridescent gorget and flies back and forth in front of her ... Hoping to catch her attention! If you look at his form (even in these blurred photos) you will see he is quite the dazzler! Have a great day... TerryV Tiny Titans battle in the treetopsMore sketchy photos.. this time cropped images shot way up in the top of a large maple tree. A pair of Anna's Hummingbirds do battle over territory and breeding rights! Survival of the fittest is how nature works, and the fittest creatures get to reproduce and carry the next generation forward!  I watched a real scrap 2 days ago between this bird and a male Rufous ... Legs are the weakest parts on a Hummingbird, so possibly a target? When this guy comes in to feed, he only perches using the other leg. Hope he is able to recover... Life can be very harsh for these small creatures!
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Last evening was the big opening for the Plumage: The Majestic art of Birds show... It was also a fundraiser for the Bateman Foundation and I got to meet and sit with the Bateman's It was truly an honour to meet these lovely folks and listen to Robert's stories about his art! I learned so much about many subjects. The event was carefully planned by Peter Ord (Exec Director) and the talented staff of the Robert Bateman Centre in Victoria, BC. There was a plentitude of beautifully prepared treats as well as some fine beverages. I do believe everyone who attended had a fantastic time! Thank you again for including me in this wonderful show! I hope you folks enjoyed my small slide presentation? ... I would suggest that anyone who loves birds should try and see the "Plumage" show... It's on until mid June! Above are 4 images from around 700 that I shot today .. Will post a few others tomorrow as time permits ... This Rufous Hummingbird has taken over the yard! Look out, everyone... He's the new BOSS!!! :)
An unusual Owl nest to be sure... The story I heard was that her nesting tree blew over in a windstorm , so some kind soul installed this wicker basket way, way way up a nearby tree. The hope was that she would find it and use it as a nesting platform.
As the story goes... Build it and they will come! While I was balancing myself on a sidehill and trying to shoot a few photos in very low light conditions, a tiny Anna's female Hummingbird came by to check out her nest. If you look closely you will see her fly past (out of focus towards the top of the images from left to right) Made my day... Thanks for looking............TerryV 25 slides from today, showing the pure joy of a fresh air bath ... Thanks for looking! :)
 Plum Blossom salad  Male Bewicks Wren .. singing away  A tiny angel on earth in the form of a Hummingbird     Another sunny day here on the peninsula , that is after the heavy rain early this morning. Lots of bird nesting/courting activity today... Never a dull moment and I suppose that is why I found it difficult to stay inside and work! There are at least 4 male Rufous Hummingbirds (like the one in the above image) hanging around the yard and no doubt many more will be migrating through in the coming weeks.   Mr Rufous Mizz Rufous    What could be more pleasant than a lovely Spring day and Nature to inspire us
1st day of Spring arrives, and right on cue ... the Vancouver Island BlueBirds of happiness!20/3/2019  Mr Bluebird (Mountain Bluebird) watching for lunch  This sweet thing arrived a few minutes after I began clicking on her mate (above) What a surprise to find a pair of Mountain Bluebirds today! Bluebird scratching post click to play 3 slides, showing male in front and female behind   Wireless bungee jump :D ... helps if you have wings!   A beautiful butterfly visited the Plum tree this afternoon. *Thanks to Morgan Warren for the ID on this beauty "Satyr Anglewing"   I never tire of watching these tiny Bushtits... Very busy little birds, but this one was relaxing in todays sun!  Another sun spot visitor today. Female House Finch  Maybe not green, but definitely a Leprechaun ... Chestnut Backed Chickadee. A pair of House Finches from this afternoon. The paler bird is the female who sang very sweetly inbetween nibbling on plum blossoms!  A male Oregon Junco in the same Plum tree also sampling the blossoms  Female Bushtit  Male Bushtit  July 20th 2017 ... Little Eagle and his Eagle sibling foraging at Roberts Bay on the last day I photographed this wonderful bird family! A big shout out and thank you to Friends Of Shoal Harbour for their most wonderful event yesterday! Quite a few enthusiastic lovers of nature gathered at Scoter Trail and Sidney waterfront to be guided by resident experts on birds and natural systems that exist in our midst! I was very pleased to be able to show my slides at the tea held after the walk at St John's church ... Thanks again to FOSH members for hosting this uplifting , entertaining and thought provoking event yesterday!     Wigeon makes a splash! bathtime in the spring sunshine  One of my long lived Native Red Squirrels came yesterday. I haven't seen this red for a long time! Welcome back my friend!  Tiny as a wee mouse, this Brown Creeper is showing up regularly this Winter. I just love these tiny birds!  Purple Finch(House Finch) looking grand as he sits in the Plum tree, enjoying the view and the occasional sweet flower bud.  Another admirer of the Plum blossoms, this make Oregon Junco has a snack! Starting: March 7th, 2019 — Ending: June 15th, 2019 Plumage – The Majestic Art of Birds is a unique collection of paintings, photography and sculpture spanning more than 150 years, that focuses on the ability for birds to reflect nature’s expression of colour, beauty and creativity. Drawing together historically significant artworks by major North American naturalists and artists, as well as contemporary images by local wildlife photographers, the exhibition celebrates one of nature’s most diverse and dynamic animal groups. Wild animals resonate with us because we share core needs, like delighting in communication, building intricate shelters to rear young, using beauty to attract and repel, migrating for opportunity and exhibiting a propensity for play and activity. Yet, we are also awed by their ‘otherness’. Birds, especially, have a magical quality and mastery over their world in being able to fly, which we find foreign and mysterious. They exist in every corner of the world, within pristine natural areas as well as urban, human-impacted spaces. They are simultaneously distant, commonplace and exotic, practical but also entertaining and beautiful. Birds offer a connection to the natural world – which we are losing more and more. Robert Bateman profoundly believes that, ‘the world would be a better place if everyone was a bird watcher‘, and it is through conservation, science and art that we can rebuild our connection to nature, as well as birds. Featuring works from some of the world’s most iconic and pioneering naturalists of North America, often quoted as major influencers of Robert Bateman’s work, this exhibition traverses scale, time and style – much like birds themselves. Featured artists: John James Audubon (1785-1851) was an American ornithologist, naturalist, and painter. Charles Darwin was a student of Audubon, and quoted him several times in “On Origin of Species”. Often cited as “the most expensive book of all time,” his major work was a colour-plate book entitled “The Birds of America” (1827–1839), considered one of the finest ornithological works ever completed. James Fenwick Lansdowne, OC OBC (1937-2008) was a renowned Canadian painter, illustrator, printmaker and author. Born in Hong Kong but later brought up in Victoria, BC, Lansdowne’s works have been exhibited around the world. Major Allan Brooks (1869-1946) was born in India, but emigrated to Canada in the 1880s, and became one of the most important North American bird illustrators during the first half of the twentieth century. He became a household name in Canada, featuring in numerous publications, including National Geographic Magazine and Taverner’s Birds of Western Canada. Terry Venables is a locally-based wildlife photographer, with a particular passion for birds and the natural ecosystems of Southern Vancouver Island.   Terry Venables photo of a Male Rufous Hummingbird   I clicked these photos yesterday in Central Saanich and counted 5 of these beautiful Canada Geese subspecies with red neck bands and leg bands. They winter in Oregon and return each spring to the Copper River delta in South Central Alaska and Prince William Sound. They are known as one of the smallest subspecies of goose populations in North America! Strikingly beautiful chocolate brown birds that tend to stop off on the Peninsula in Fall and Spring.  |
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April 2025
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Summer 2023.. I just received notice that my blog has been awarded a distinction of being one of the top 10 photography blogs in Canada.
* All images and content copyright Terry Venables and NaturalImagesCanada *
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