Dec. 15 - NANOOSE ESTUARY

On my last visit, I was fortunate enough to encounter a very handsome juvenile Northern Shrike. There would be no surprises today, but as usual, I enjoyed poking around and visiting the usual residents.

As expected, the Redtail was home. 3 years ago before I had a decent camera, I found the Redtail in a small alder by the road munching on a rodent. I approached within 25 feet, and it did not flinch. I did take a few pictures, but none of them turned out very well. Since then I haven't been closer than about 100 yards or a pitching wedge shot.

I was hoping the Redtail would find a big fat rat, but it didn't and eventually drifted off towards the Arlington Hotel.

A crab apple tree seemed to be the centre of attraction. One of the birds busy with a fruity lunch was the Purple Finch. Despite its large bill, it had difficulty grasping an apple. It had to settle for picking at the little fruit.

A Gold-crowned Sparrow seemed to have the same difficulty but as the Finch, but that didn't deter it from enjoying the snack.

I was pleased to see the shy Fox Sparrow join the luncheon. That made for a trio of sparrows as there was also a Song Sparrow on the tree.

Dec. 16 - VICTORIA DELIVERY DAY

I always look forward to a Victoria trip on a sunny day as there are generally birds to chase. Unfortunately, this was a work day, and for the first time in 2 years, I bypassed Clover Point. To put it mildly, I was very disappointed to read Chris' report that I had missed one of my photo wish birds, the Red Knot.

Sidney was one of my destinations. I told my wife we would stop to visit the Puckle Shrike and Mourning Dove. Sure enough, the Northern Shrike was on the wire beside the lane off Puckle Road. It was diving regularly into the grass to grab grasshoppers or insects. The Mourning Dove was nowhere in sight.

On the way back we stopped at Elk Lake. I was told that there were 15 species of ducks in the lake. The first ones we saw were the Canvasbacks. There were large numbers feeding at the north end.

There were also a few Gadwall in among the Canvasbacks. Other ducks included Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, and Ringed-necks.

There were a small group of ducks at the north end. They were all Greater Scaup except one that stood out like a beacon. It was a Redhead. That was the 11th species we saw. I wonder what we missed?

THE HUNCH-BACKED COOT - We had time for one last stop before heading home. I chose Rithet's Bog even though it was frozen over. I thought it would be fun to see some ducks on ice. Sure enough, there were Mallards and a few Northern Pintails sliding around. But my interest was drawn to another bird. I had always been fascinated by the humungous feet of the American Coot. This was the perfect opportunity to get a good picture of a Coot's feet.

Coots are difficult to photograph because of the white bill and black body. The fading afternoon light definitely worked in my favor.

A phone call confirmed a new client in Sidney. There was just enough sun to check out Puckle Road again. There was nothing, but on the way out on island View a bird on the wire caught my eye. It was the Puckle Mourning Dove, a new bird for my wife. That made it 2 out of 2 for Puckle Road. I'm glad I didn't mention the Rusty Blackbird as there were no blackbirds of any description anywhere.

Dec. 22 - YEAR END

For those of you who aren't aware of our current weather conditions, we are trapped in a deep low and being drowned by the pineapple express. I'm suffering withdrawal from not taking a picture since Sunday. Perhaps, this is a good time to post a warning about bird photography. Anyone considering this hobby should be aware that it is potentially addictive and could become detrimental to family life and relationships. Anyway, with the prediction that the warm rains will continue right through Christmas, it is unlikely that there will be any photography opportunities before Christmas. So this it it. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

It's been a good year. I'm happy to say that my book has been a resounding success and to celebrate, I just might order the Nikon D200 (10.2 megapixels!) and start working on Volume II. The operative word is MIGHT. Does success breed success or should one quit while they are ahead? Here's some interesting facts: 95% of my sales have been to non-birders; 95% of my sales have been Nanaimo and north to Campbell River; many of the people who bought books returned to buy more; despite being in about 15 bookstores, my best outlet has been Graham's Jewellers in Courtenay with over 100 books sold in 5 months; and the Christmas rush (Nov. & Dec.) produced orders for 375 books - a nice way to end the year.

My book is labelled Volume I. Many people have asked for Volume II. In fact, someone even paid me for 2 copies, but I had to refund the money. In Volume I, I said I would start Volume II when I had decent photos of 76 new birds. I have about 60. At this point I am undecided. The whole process of producing the book was exciting and enriching. It was a high that has been reinforced many times over by the wonderful feedback from as far as Australia. But, as I said previously, should one quit while they are ahead? I leave you with a picture from the files and my last 2 shots of the year.

Wanted: 1 Anna's Hummingbird. Wouldn't it be a pretty picture to catch an Anna's Hummingbird feeding on the currant flowers? I was just going through my picture files and thought this spring picture might brighten your day. I know it has provided a ray of light in my day and it also shows that I'm not 100% obsessed with bird photos - just 99.9%.

Dec. 18 - ENGLISHMAN EAGLE - On the way to San Malo I spotted some Bald Eagles across the Englishman River. I pulled over to take a few pictures. Just as I finished, a yellow car pulled over. A gentleman got out and said, "You must be Mike. I just received your book as a Christmas present and want to thank you for sharing your fantastic pictures." Moments like this have been encouraging me to carry on.

Dec. 18 - THE LAST PICTURE - I was going to conjure up a cute caption for this picture at San Pareil to end the year, but let's just enjoy a moment of peace with the Black-bellied Plover, reflect on the good things in life, and pledge to work harder to make the future even better. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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