Thursday, June 30, 2011

Cedar Waxwings

I don't see cedar waxwings too often, and when I do, they don't let me get too close. So it was a nice surprise when I went to the Sechelt marsh the other day and came upon a fair number of these beautiful birds. Most of them were snacking on the twin berry bushes that line the marsh path. The challenge was to photograph the birds when they weren't totally enveloped by shadow...not easy to do. Here's a waxwing that almost came out into the full sun after snacking on some berries.


I got the closest I've ever been to a cedar waxwing...the one pictured below seemed completely unconcerned that I was standing so close...I suspect he was a young one.


And then there was this pair...they sat in the tree, occasionally grooming and completely ignoring the small crowd of spectators who watched in admiration from below.


All in all it was a very successful day of Cedar Waxwing watching!

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Northern Flicker Family


I discovered a family of Northern Flickers last week and have visited them a few times whenever the sun peeks out, which is rare lately.

There are two babies in the nest, which is in a cavity in a dead tree. Both mom and dad spend all their time feeding the babies and the babies never stop calling out for them.


Only one baby at a time will fit in the hole in the tree. I'm hoping to catch their first flight but we'll see.

Meanwhile, if you like bird videos I made a short one of this cute family. Check it out!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Baby Coyotes

This time last year I was visiting a group of five baby coyotes a half-hour's drive from where I live. I visited them about half a dozen times and it was always big fun to watch them play...they're a lot like puppy dogs and never stop playing and/or biting each other. The pups had a den in some dense blackberry bushes, behind a fence bordering an empty parking lot. They'd often come out to frolic in the parking lot and although many people would walk right by and not even realize that they were there, there were also lots of people who got in the habit of keeping up with their goings-on.

Yesterday I went down to the same area where the I'd found the baby coyotes last year. Unfortunately I didn't see anything at all. They'd cleared away a lot of the blackberry bushes but there's still a lot left so they could possibly have a den in there.

If you'd like to see a short video of the baby coyotes playing, please click on the link. Meanwhile, here's a photograph of four of the little cuties on the run that I took last year.

 
If you'd like to see more pictures of this coyote family (although I never did see the parents), please have a look at Baby Coyote and Baby Coyotes on the main Fun Nature Photography website.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Baby Birds Everywhere!

Have you noticed any baby birds around lately? I have! They seem to be popping up everywhere. I recently photographed these mallard ducklings, for example.


Here are some more shots of baby ducks. Cute or what?





Last year there was a family of chickadees around but I haven't seen any babies yet this year. Here are a couple of photos of last year's baby chickadee crop though...



If you'd like to see more baby animal pictures, please visit my main website where I have lots more photographs of baby animals...everything from baby coyotes, baby squirrels, and baby raccoons, to more baby birds.



Saturday, June 18, 2011

New Photos in my Online Store

I've added some new photographs to my online store. You can order all kinds of products like greeting cards, letterhead, canvas prints, and t-shirts. You can personalize the photographs or leave them as is. Here are the new photographs I just added to the store. As you can see, I was focussing on insect pictures. The first photo is of a hornet's nest I came across in my neighbourhood...





Friday, June 17, 2011

Baby Sandhill Crane


A few weeks ago I travelled to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, B.C., hoping to see the flock of sandhill cranes. I was overjoyed to hear that a baby had been born just two days before. The trail where the cranes were located had been blocked off to keep us over-enthusiastic birders out of the area.

I came upon a couple of photographers standing on park benches, "craning" their necks to get a look at the little ball of orange fluff. I quickly joined them. Wow, the little one was about the cutest thing I've ever seen!

The crane parents and baby were fairly close and didn't seem at all concerned with the goings-on of us mere humans. The baby would sit for awhile then get up and either toddle over to a nearby parent or sometimes he'd run quickly, his unformed wings held out to the side. All to the tune of our shutters clicking madly away. What fun!

I managed to capture the shot above of a parent crane feeding the baby some little tidbit...it looks like an insect to me. I noticed the baby was also fed bits of grass.

I'm tempted to hop on the ferry again and travel the few hours it would take to get back over to the sanctuary to see how the baby crane is coming along. I shot a short video of the little one too...you can see it, along with other videos of birds, on my website.

Welcome To My Blog!

Welcome to my new blog! You know, hardly a week goes by when I don't see something interesting in the natural world. I'd like to share my passion for nature and photography with you here at the Fun Nature Photography blog.

For the past year I've also had a website called Fun Nature Photography where I share my photo adventures in more depth. I've learned a lot since starting that website because I often do research on the wildlife that I've photographed, and I share what I've learned with my readers.

By the way, there are also places where readers can share their own photos and nature experiences on the Fun Nature Photography website. I have a monthly photo contest  with a new theme every month, and viewers can also share their own pictures in many other places on the site. I'd love to see your photos and hear your stories!

Please feel free to comment here on the blog whenever something interests you...let me know what you're thinking!