Natural Images Canada
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Events
  • About
  • Hummingbirds
  • Great Blue Herons
  • Waterfowl
  • Birdz
  • Saskatchewan
  • Forum
  • Greeting Cards
  • Contact
  • Links
  • Dragons
  • Little-Eagle
  • Otters
  • Ravens
  • Videos
  • OWLS
  • Farm

2nd visit today ... to the nest.. babies are growing!

30/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
She uses her feet to turn and adjust her babies
Today was my second visit to this amazing little nest in the city!   I spent  2-1/2 hours to take a handful of photos and this 5 minute video.  
Mom was sitting on the nest when I arrived and 1.5 hours later she was still there... wow.. Then suddenly she decided to forage for food (which is generally a combination of tiny insects and nectar)  She spent about 40 minutes foraging and at least 3 times during that period, I heard her wings, thought she was returning and clicked on the record button, but turned out she was just checking the nest.  I shot about 25 minutes of just the nest on video before deciding to head home.  Then as I was taking down my camera gear I heard her in the next yard.  I quickly got the video going and just like that she arrived... but I was in plain view and she literally froze.  She and I were both like the preverbal  Deer in the Headlights... After several seconds I slipped away and out of her sight, but  you won't see her feed the 2 youngsters until the 4-1/2 minute mark.
 There are many sweet birds singing in the background and on this clip, I turned off the internal camera stabilizers and auto focus so the sound quality is better than the last one. 
You can view this directly on youtube if you want a larger image by clicking on the youtube link on the bottom right of the video frame one you load it.   Thank you for all of your comments and likes ... Its a real pleasure to be able to peek into these tiny lives and share these moments with you!   I will try to bring you updates every 4 days or so ..
​All the very best... TerryV 

Picture
                                     Can you spot the nest???
Picture
0 Comments

Tiny treasure discovered on a wee branch!

26/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture

Momma Anna's feeds her newly hatched babies (2)  
One hatched on April 24th the other April 25th ...
* sorry about the audio clicks.  
I set up the camera on auto focus,(and the internal mic amplifies the sound)  turned it on and walked away.
 Set-up was about 20+ feet away using a 600 mm optics* and tripod... Thanks for looking..  watch this page for updates...   TerryV  
Picture
Picture

Picture
This is a dedicated Anna's female from my yard (not the Mom above) but just look at the wear on her breast feathers... She has no doubt done a lot of sitting on her brood and it does take a toll on the feathers!       Cheers from Hummingbird Haven!  TerryV 
0 Comments

Fresh Greens for breakfast... Pine Siskins

26/4/2020

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

Ospreys ... love these characters

25/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture


Picture

Picture
0 Comments

Osprey evening and a magical visitor

24/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
So this little guy is my magical visitor from around 6PM yesterday.   I was out looking for birds to photograph , had stopped to watch a pair of Norther Harriers (one had found dinner and was sitting in a hay field)  The other was gliding over the field searching.  I stopped my vehicle and laid my camera gear across the roof to get a nice angled shot and from the corner of my eye I saw movement coming towards me from straight down the old road.   I recognize the silently gliding form moving effortlessly about 8 inches above the road as a Coopers Hawk.  It headed straight towards me and then tipped up his wings, flew across the vehicle hood and landed PLUNK right on my camera lens ... only inches away from my nose!    I think he was as surprised as I was as we looked at one another for 3 seconds, then off he went and landed on this rock a short distance away!    That incident felt like a pure gift from Nature telling me all was well! 

Northern Harriers (with prey) also known as Marsh Hawks ... North Saanich beauties!
0 Comments

April 23rd, 2020

23/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Ohh my! Yesterday evening's photo from North Saanich ... I was sitting quietly photographing Bufflehead Ducks from a distance and heard a disturbing sound. At first I thought it was an uprising from a number of seals that were all around the bay, basking at the surface, but then looked over and saw herons frantically flying and letting out loud cries. As is very common here, a Bald Eagle made 2 visits to the Heron rookery and removed young Herons from nests....
This about summed up my day and recent weeks.
Nature unfolding in front of us... Not always kind or pleasant.
What is currently happening with the human population seems to be a matter of intense debate.
The images were shot at a very long distance and are quite cropped out, but  set the scene.  
Thanks for looking... TerryV
0 Comments

The Osprey have returned to N Saanich!

19/4/2020

0 Comments

 
A couple hours out in the country can do wonders for the soul of a nature enthusiast. The colours had faded a little by the time I made this little video clip, but if you watch and listen, you'll see Violet Green Swallows darting, maybe a Hummingbird zoom across and hear the melody of the Redwing Blackbirds calling to their mates! Thanks for looking... TerryV 
                                     DANG Crows!!!
0 Comments

RWBB antics spell  Springtime

18/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
                    Female RedWing Blackbird has an evening shake 



Picture

                              Shaking those feathers by the pond! 

Picture
0 Comments

Way way up in the Maple Tree blossoms

14/4/2020

0 Comments

 

Picture
Every day  notice a lot of Hummingbird activity way way up in the maples (70 to 90 feet in the air) and todays images show Mr Anna's testing for nectar and insects.
0 Comments

HD Rufous Tuesday!

14/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

Happy Easter   from  Hummingbird Haven

12/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
above Male Anna's Hummingbird & below  Female  Anna's
Picture

Picture
Female Rufous above & below a Male Rufous Hummingbird
0 Comments

4-10-20  Bushtits forage in a pollen filled maple blossom

10/4/2020

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

Anna's Hummingbird mating dive / sky pilot

9/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Above slide show of adult male Anna's Hummingbird showing his positioning readying himself for a death defying dive past a perched female, ending in a loud chirrrp as he lifts his tail at the bottom of the dive and pulls up to avoid crashing to the ground. He spots a female, flies to the 1st position, then zoooms higher (perhaps 100 - 125 feet) then flies downward in an act at tremendous speed (approx 60km/hr) all to impress her! 
Simply amazing! 
Afer 4 to 6 of these fantastic dives, he rests in a nearby maple tree! (below)  whew!!!

Picture

In the sequence below, you will see this same Hummingbird at the highest point before diving .... If you watch closely he swivels his head around 90 degrees, prior to inverting his body, then at that moment I  lose focus as he dives at 60km/ hr. 
0 Comments

Yellow Rumped Warbler

8/4/2020

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

Sunny North Saanich Sunday

6/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
"Butterbutt"  also known as Yellow Rumped Warbler forages in a Maple tree

Picture
                           A male Spotted Towhee sings a love song to his mate!

Picture
A pair of violet Green Swallows rest after many insect gathering swoops 
Picture
Turkey Vultures have been back for a few weeks, like this one that soared overhead!
Picture
    A very familliar sight  throughout North America ... pair of Canada Geese in flight
                          Group of Ringneck ducks and a mating sequence 
0 Comments

April is Rufous Hummingbird month .. arriving daily

5/4/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture


Picture

Below... 4 slides of a beautiful Rufous Female! 
0 Comments

The beautiful Rufous Hummingbirds! today

1/4/2020

0 Comments

 

Picture
0 Comments

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Author


    Greetings  from Southern Vancouver  Island.
    Please feel free to  comment on any images or about wildlife, photography , etc My email can be found on the contact page link or click the button below .
    naturalimagescanada@gmail.com 
       All the best,.............TerryV :)

    www.VenablesGoldsmith.com

    Plumage: the majestic art of birds
    click to email

    Picture
    March 2018 .. I just received notice that my blog has been awarded  a distinction of being one of the top 100 photography blogs in Canada.

    Top 100 Photo Blogs

    *  All images and content copyright Terry Venables and NaturalImagesCanada *
Picture
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Store
  • Events
  • About
  • Hummingbirds
  • Great Blue Herons
  • Waterfowl
  • Birdz
  • Saskatchewan
  • Forum
  • Greeting Cards
  • Contact
  • Links
  • Dragons
  • Little-Eagle
  • Otters
  • Ravens
  • Videos
  • OWLS
  • Farm