Mixed Company - The Snowy Egret and Whimbrel weren't exactly buddies at Moro Bay. They just happened to be in the same area code when I snapped this pic.
OUT-TAKES
Apr. 21/14 -
There's always a few photos that don't make the first cut when I return from a trip, but that doesn't mean they are forgotten. Some deserve to be published because they have a story to tell or they just might strike the fancy of the photographer.
What's so interesting about a crow? You and I might not be able to tell the difference, but I think this is definitely an American Crow because it was in California. Apparently, the American Crow is slightly larger than the Northwestern Crow, but how can you tell? I'm sure a large Northwestern could easily be bigger than a small American.
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Egret action - Most shots of the Great Egret tend to be static because that's how they're usually seen. Occasionally, I get a chance for a flight shot, but never in a full frame situation because I'm never ready. So far my best effort were these are mid-range shots with significant crops at the Salton Sea.
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In the previous journal I mentioned that there were a lot of birds at the Salton Sea. They were difficult to approach because there was no cover, and I only had a few minutes. However, just to give you an idea, this is just a small fraction of a shoreline full of birds at one of the beaches. Although gulls dominate this photo I was impressed by the large number of Northern Shovelers in the same area.
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Peaceful preening - American Avocets were abundant at the Salton. Most of them were preening when I saw them which prompted the question of whether it was a normal, social group activity. I think it was because they tend to be together in flocks.
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Almost postcard perfect - If the sun were at my back I think I could have gotten some excellet shots in this setting with the shorebirds foraging among the shoreline shrubs.
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The biological imperative - On the sidewalk in front of all the visitors? When the time is right location is the least of concerns.
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Yellow is the clue = How can you tell this is a Snowy Egret? If you look back at the Great Egret in flight you'll notice it has black feet and a yellow bill. The Snowy is just the opposite with yellow feet and a black bill.
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Mating game - Apparently the male Marsh Wren builds several nests in the effort to attract a mate, but after the partner is found, she builds her own nest. (Not sure where I read this, nor have I ever verified it.) Arcata Marsh was an ideal site for Marsh Wrens.
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Inspiration Duck - For those of you who are new to this site, it was the Shoveler Duck that inspired my interest in birding and photography 11 years ago. The Shovelers were the most common duck at Arcata Marsh on the day we visited.
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I didn't do this Green-winged Teal any justice with my incorrect exposure. It is one of the prettiest ducks with its intricate patterns and colours.
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As usual coyotes are pretty shy. After a quick look at us it ambled off into the distance probably looking for mice of ground squirrels.
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A major tourist attraction just north of Moro Bay is the elephant seal roost. Hundreds of seals were lying on the beach while many more were frolicking in the shallow water.
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Back on Vancouver Island a secondary herring spawn around Parksville coloured the waters turquoise green much to the delight of sea lions and seals. Both mammals slithered effortlessly through the water surfacing lazily with their little snacks.
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Opportunistic gulls were on standby waiting for the sea lions to drop their catch. The fearlessly flew in to snatch their prizes right beside the lumbering giants.
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1% or less? Many kilometers of beaches around Parksville and Qualicum were host to billions of herring eggs that had broken loose from their underwater moorings. While some would be devoured by gulls, most were left to decay and fertilize the beach. The next two photos illustrate the scene looking west and east at north Qualicum. Apparently about 1 out of 20,000 eggs makes it to maturity. It's difficult to visualize how many eggs are actually laid by the herring.
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Surf Scoter mania - The huge flotilla of scoters was actually a posse feasting on herring larvae - at least that was my conclusion after observing them for a half hour. They were definitely following moving underwater prey as the followed then dove with regularity.
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The end of the herring spawn coincides with the return of the warblers. As usual the first to return is the Yellow-rumped. I had many close-up views while working in my yard, but when I finally brought out the camera, they retreated to the treetops.
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Yard work - Occasionally when I get the chance I'll spend an hour or two trying to photograph some of my yard visitors. It was actually Golden-crowned Sparrow migration time so I expected to see a few of them. Otherwises it was just my usuall buddies like the Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Spotted Towhees, and Juncos. Noshows on this occasion were the Pileated and Red-breasted Nuthatches. I saved the best for the last. One of the reasons I decided to do a shoot was to catch the Varied Thrush before it headed to higher elevations for its breeding season. It had been a regular for most of the winter.
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2013 SHORTFALL ...
My plans for 2013 were to photograph as many butterflies as possible from the Vancouver Island list and then produce and publish VANCOUVER ISLAND BUTTERFLIES. Unfortunately, I only managed to find 50 out of the 69 species, and not all of them were suitably photographed. Consequently, I have decided to delay the publication until the fall of 2014. That has also worked out well for James Miskelly who was very busy with other commitments. James is still onboard as my co-editor and will provide as much updated information as possible. My apologies to all those who were waiting anxiously for the book launch, but theoretically, with more time we should be able to produce a higher quality publication.
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Bird Poster
My poster is on display at: Victoria - Swan Lake Nature House. (Note: This poster has been produced in a more manageable size and is now available for $20 unlaminated and $32 laminated.)
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PUBLICATIONS
