Photographic Post: Great Birding Day on X'mas Eve

I biked out to the dyke just after noon.

A gorgeous day.

Mrs. Mallard (and Mr. Mallard - not in the picture) crossing the trail.

One of the many Great Blue Herons I saw today.

Close by was a proud-looking juvenile.

While biking past the observation deck, an accipiter swooped by and landed on the tree. I think it's a Cooper's Hawk.


Another Great Blue Heron waiting for food.

A Song Sparrow perched quietly on a stick caught my attention. So peaceful.

Someone has kindly set up a suet feeder along the trail for the birds to enjoy and for picture-takes like me to capture the enjoyment.

Not a completely clear sky, but at least there's sunshine.

I don't think I have yet taken any squirrel photos yet this season. Well, today presented a perfect chance when this super-cute Grey Squirrel was feeding on hawthorn berries.

Awwww...

Love its paws...so cute!

Finally reaching Terra Nova slough and enjoying the view.

Beautiful sky-watching day.

View along the Fraser River

Another GBH on Fraser River.

Then it was time for me to turn back and head on home.

Quiet a peaceful view. There's a half Moon in the center of the picture.

Biking through these trees with a magical feel.

Another GBH.


Saw a Short-eared Owl in the distance. (Just earlier I think I saw the same owl harassed by a gang of crows - there were many crows today for some reason.)

I decided to continue biking and go to Williams Road.

Along the way I saw a juvenile Bald Eagle harassed by many crows.

Reaching Williams Road, I saw a Northern Harrier perched just a couple of meters away from the trail. I got too excited and braked the front tire and that almost caused me to fall off my bike. I stabilized my bike but twisted my ankle during that time (Edit: The ankle feels fine now).

Pictures of the Northern Harrier perching silently.

Then it took off suddenly, leaving me with this poor image.

Then it was time for me to really go home now. I saw the juvenile eagle flying off too.

Half Moon shot. Pretty.

That's my great birding story on 2009 Christmas Eve.

Feliz Navidad and Hauoli Makahiki Hou!!

365 days ago (2008-12-24) - Orchid Island - Part 2.
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Quick stroll to Harbour Green Park

Almost every morning in downtown, on my way to the office, I always walk in front of the building where I see this fantastic Christmas Tree with two life-size figures in the lobby. I have no idea who they are but always wanted to take a picture. Well, I finally get the chance to do so this morning.

Santas? Or two of the Three Wise Men?

The office is quite quiet today as almost everyone is gone for the rest of the year. Oh yeah, did I mention I will be working here for another week or so in the new year?

Anyways, on my lunch break, I headed out in this chilly weather to go to the Harbour Green Park to get some fresh air after being couped inside the office for so long and staring at the computer the whole time (with a few breaks here and there).

Cloudy, but at least it's not raining

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) with the yellow bill.

A lucky shot of the gull in the air.

A Pelagic Cormorant catching fish. I actually saw it caught and ate a fish, I was too amazed to photograph it. The fish was a pretty good-sized too.

That's all I did today. I will be taking my holiday break from now until the beginning of the new year, so hopefully I will have more time to blog everyday now.

Happy Holidays!

365 days ago (2008-12-23) ... About my trip to Orchid Island from August 18 - 20, 2008. Good times with sunny skies, salty sea air, and skin-burning sunshine! Ah!
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Just a Moon shot

Don't know how long it has been (probably not very long) since the last time I saw and photographed the moon.

Anyways, the sky finally cleared away today and I was able to see this crescent moon.

367 days ago (2008-12-20) ...
366 days ago (2008-12-21) ...
365 days ago (2008-12-22) ...
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Happy b-day, mama & Walk by the dyke in a cloudy day

Hello everyone! I know I haven't posted since last week. It's not because I don't want to, but the weather and my work have been keeping me indoors and occupied at the same time.

Today is my mother's birthday and we celebrated by having a lunch at a Chinese restaurant! Afterwards we headed to Terra Nova to enjoy the rare dry day.

View from Terra Nova.

Great Blue Heron, before it saw us and flew away.

Then my mother was getting tired so my parents drove back home while I continued walking along the dyke trail towards home.

While near the Terra Nova Slough, a Northern Harrier flew right over me and gave me a look.

Today I saw my (two or perhaps even more) Brown Creepers, Certhia americana, of the season.

I also saw my first Hooded Mergansers, Lophodytes cucullatus, of the season! How I wish my mother was with me to see one of her favorite birds!

As I continue to walk towards home, I saw a couple more Northern Harriers flying along the dyke.

Northern Harriers - identified by their white uppertail coverts.

Watching this adult male (because it is grayish) landing on dead tree roots, with Snow Geese in the background.

And the Bald Eagles have finally made home! I was just beginning to worry they might nest here this year...

367 days ago (2008-12-17) ...
365 days ago (2008-12-19) ...
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Disappointing weekend...

Ah! I didn't go out as much as I promised (and hoped) this weekend. Bummer! Well, yesterday was the office dinner party in Kitslano but it was cloudy and so I just arrived at the restaurant on time. The party itself was great - good food, good people, good atmosphere. It's going to be a sad farewell again when my work concludes.

I took this night shot as I left the party near midnight and crossed the Burrard bridge and to Downtown (for transit). I got home near 2:00-am...a bit drunk, and probably reek of holiday cheers.

The snow finally arrived today - just like the same time last year!! But the timing was terrible because I was looking forward to visit my long-time-no-see friends in Downtown today, but had cancel it. So I stayed home getting some more sleep and continued working on my scientific report (yep, still writing/editing).

That's all I did this weekend. Hope next week is better....

365 days ago (2008-12-13) ...
364 days ago (2008-12-14) ...
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View watching from Burrard Bridge

Today is another one image post. Not feeling hungry during lunch, I decided to walk the opposite from the usual direction and headed towards the Burrard Bridge. Here's the view - cloudy with a little bit of snowflakes falling, but that's all.

The work will have an office dinner party near here tomorrow. I'll see if I can do some birding before then. That's all for today, enjoy the weekend, everyone!

365 days ago (2008-12-11) ...

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Panoramic View during lunch break

Once again, I went out for a quick stroll after lunch. The day was gorgeous. I saw pretty much the same things as usual (e.g. cormorants, seaplanes, gulls, etc), but here's a panoramic view of the view.

Pretty nice, no?

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Short Post again: Moon and Pheasants

Gosh, I hope I am not getting lazy to go outside these days. Maybe it's because of the cold temperature? Anyways, I still didn't go out during my lunch break today, but again had two more images to share today.

(Half) moon-watch in the early morning.

And inside the gentleman's restroom in one of the hotels in downtown Vancouver hangs this picture of a male and female Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus). It seemed very strange to me that the hotel decides to hang this picture in the men's washroom.

Pheasants, M & F - Plate LVII

Anyways, after some Googling just now, I discovered that this beautifully hand-colored engraving belongs in the second edition of Prideaux John Selby's Illustrations of British Ornithology (London: 1841-1846) and was being auctioned here. Very neat - especially the idea of full-sized paintings!

365 days ago (2008-12-08) ...
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