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

2018 is fading, but not the Hunmmingbirds

29/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
A mild and balmy day today ... Mr A was busy grooming.
Picture
The young Mr A was checking out the new buds on the Plum tree for nectar today.
Picture
The photo above and below are uncropped .. A tiny Humminbird shot at (2 meters) minimum focal distance @ 600mm  You can see how much of the frame is filled.
Picture
Picture

Picture
Another young male Annas on the scene .. He was singing today such a creaky song! His gorget colour is just coming so watch for more photos of this little guy!
3 photos above are 2 young females that played the Hummingbird game of "I want your spot... No , don't you dare come here"  :)   * click on photos to enlarge*
Picture
0 Comments

Surf Scoters at Pat Bay ,,, Dec 26th 2018

26/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Greater Scaup
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Birds on Boxing Day

26/12/2018

0 Comments

 
 This is a female Bushtit (she has the gold ring (around her eye) These little fluffballs weigh between 4 and 6 grams and travel in family groups.. and they weave a beautiful nest that resembles a small hanging sock!
Picture

Picture
Boss of the deck feeders.. Male Anna's Hummingbird looking regal
Picture
1 of the 3 baby Anna's that appeared over the last couple weeks!
Picture
Scolding posture as another baby invades this ones air space!
0 Comments

*****   Wishing you  a very Merry Christmas   *****

24/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

Living Christmas tree ornaments

18/12/2018

0 Comments

 
This little male Annas Hummingbird is the one I have been documenting for the past few months.  Here he is in all his brilliant feathery glory.. Each movement reveals a host of colours and brilliance!  Isn';t Nature simply amazing !  (click on these photos above to view) 
Cold December rain???     * Make the most of it and have a bath! 

Picture

Picture
0 Comments

Christmas Bird Count today in Victoria  ...

15/12/2018

0 Comments

 
 
Bird Watching with David Stirling

December 17 2017 was the Christmas Bird count for Central Saanich, North Saanich & the Gulf Islands
​
I was approached by 2 avid bird watchers and asked to accompany another avid bird enthusiast who has been involved with this count since its inception in 1959, minus the 2 years he was unavailable.
Mr David Stirling, is the penultimate observer and a self-proclaimed Naturalist.... Born in Northern Alberta to parents who homesteaded on the edge of the boreal forest, he and his family collectively lived in their hand built log cabin, fondly referring to it as their family home. This home on the "edge of the wilderness" as David says was surrounded by deer, Moose, Woodchucks, many species of animals and of course, an abundance of birds.
David grew up there, walking 3 miles to the nearest school and having very few friends... A rather isolated but peaceful existence working around the farm.
​
When WW2 broke out, he had just finished high school and decided to enlist in the army ... Upon reaching Calgary for basic training, he woke up and saw the Rocky Mountains for the 1st time...
He then shipped off to England and immediately faced near misses as German planes bombed his camp... The next 5 years were spent defending Britain and the free world. During that time his older brother, also in the army was killed in battle. 
Picture
After the war he returned to Canada (and his family home) later married and then decided to move to the West Coast (1955) in which Victoria on Vancouver Island became his permanent residence.
David and his wife Ruth spent two years in New Zealand and Australia watching birds, doing casual work and travelling by motorcycle, then later produced a book.
Birds, Beasts and a Bike Under the Southern Cross *
David, always familiar with nature, then took up a 25 year profession as a Park Naturalist working in BC’s Provincial parks , sharing his knowledge and love of nature with all people interested in the natural history of BC and these parks.

In 1959, David and his friend Alan Poynter organized the first Christmas bird count for the Victoria area. (Frank Chapman, naturalist and member of the Audubon Society is officially credited with starting the very first Christmas bird count in Florida in the year 1900.)
David said that back in the 60's there were around a dozen dedicated participants throughout the Victoria area and after the count they would all meet at one of the member’s homes for a get together and tally the bird numbers counted that day.


Today on this rainy, windy West Coast day, I met an extraordinary man, humble and of great character with an overwhelming love of nature and all things wild. 
Picture

We enjoyed lunch together at Marys Cafe by the airport and spent a couple hours searching for bird life on the airport lands. It was a day of observing many raptors, Red Tailed Hawks, Coopers, Northern Harrier, Glaucous Gulls and others.
The elusive Meadow Larks avoided being counted as did the once common Skylarks.

Disappointing, but thats birding.
David mentioned that in the early days up to 900 Sky Larks had been counted, but loss of habitat due mainly to human expansion has caused their demise, plus the same story for many other species.


By 3 in the afternoon we had finished our visit and search for bird species and hopefully a pair of Nature minded individuals began a new friendship.
David is in his 97th year and he is by all means a great force in the birding community. Victoria and indeed planet Earth are fortunate to have such an informed and caring naturalist in their midst.

http://www.elderscouncilforparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/David-Stirling-Poster.pdf click button below for more information on this incredible man's life work.

http://www.agiopublishing.com/authors/davidstirling/ < copy/paste to link info about his book ... Beasts and a Bike Under the Southern Cross. 


David Sterling link
Picture
0 Comments

Getting closer to Christmas

13/12/2018

0 Comments

 
My apologies about the scarcity of blog posts, but I have been busy with other projects as of late ..  Regular programming will continue after the holidays!   
I do hope everyone has a terrific Festive Season ... All the best,  TerryV 
Picture
0 Comments

Baby its Cold Outside!  ...

7/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

December 05th, 2018  *  Central Saanich morning

5/12/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Mallards on ice
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