One of the most common hawks in North America is the Red-tailed Hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis ). This Red-tailed Hawk would take flight whenever I approached it with my camera. It has a thrilling, raspy scream that sounds exactly like a raptor should. It hunts mainly mammals from a perch or by kiting.
It was raining heavily when I came across this male Hooded Merganser ( Lophodytes cucullatus ). This is a small duck with a slender bill and a hood ( crest ) that can be raised or lowered, which changes the shape of the head and the white head patch. Hooded Mergansers are fairly common on small ponds and rivers, where they dive for fish, and other food, seizing it in their thin, serrated bills.
May the New Year bring you happiness, peace, and prosperity. Wishing you a joyous 2021!
Photographic minimalism is popular on social media sites like Instagram. It’s an art style that started in the 1960’s. The guiding principle of minimalism is less is more. It should be simplistic, clean and the viewer should clearly understand what is the photo’s subject. There should be no doubt about what you are looking at in the photo. It’s a very fine line between a photo that speaks to you, has some meaning or just taking a boring photo. It reminds me of the saying ‘Simple is hard’. Click on the image to see a larger version with a black background.
A Juvenile and two Adult Bald Eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) after a fresh snowfall. In the winter the sun is farther south and creates beautiful sidelight and shadows. There is not an absence of colour in the winter. Click on a photo and then use your left and right arrow keys to scroll through the gallery.
With their Superman-like vision and sharp talons I never tire of taking images of these majestic birds. No baiting or calling was used in taking photos of these Bald Eagles ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ). Click on a photo and then use your left and right arrow keys to scroll through the gallery.
The weather forecast wasn’t very promising, but I was determined to spend the day taking photos of the Fall colours. Timing peak colours each Fall is an imperfect science, and the ideal time and place one year can turn out to be a disappointment the next. The reason leaves change is because of a decrease in photosynthetic activity as the days get shorter in the Fall. I like this photo because of the vibrant colours and how the trees lead the viewer into the photo, creating a sense of depth. Click on the image to see a larger version with a black background.
This was my first attempt at creating panoramic images of the beautiful west coast. I was happy with the results and teaching myself a new photography technique. These images give the viewer a truly unique perspective. Click on an image to see a larger version and then use the left and right keys on your keyboard.
This morning I spent some time photographing a Anna’s Hummingbird ( Calypte anna ). I watched it perform this elaborate swooping or diving aerial display. The male hummingbirds usually do these displays for females. The Anna’s Hummingbird does a steep, J-shaped dive, curling around at the bottom. It also produces a distinctive sound at the bottom of the dive, which I heard. Very cool.
The Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus ) builds one of the largest nests of any bird. It can be 1.3 to 3 metres wide. Sticks are weaved together and they fill in the cracks with softer material like grass and moss. Both the male and the female bring materials to the nest, but the female does most of the placement. A nest can take up to 3 months to build and may be reused year after year. After laying the eggs the incubation period is 34 to 36 days. Both the male and the female take turns sitting on the eggs, but this is mostly done by the female. During this time, the other Bald Eagle is hunting for food or is perched close by to guard the nest, like in the photo. When I took this image it was windy and challenging for the Bald Eagle perched on the branch to maintain its balance.
