[stumblingpiper]

Okay, here it is! The new challenge ... lucky year #7! I don't have the first bird this time ... it seems the Merlin that's decided to overwinter here is chasing off a few of my locals. Haha. Good luck, everyone!

[GMcD]

Happy New Year. I took a walk around Iona Park today, got there before the parking lot mayhem ensued by mid-afternoon, and got a bit of bright overcast for a good walk around.

I'll start by adding the sparrows I saw: Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden Crowned Sparrow and White Crowned Sparrow.
Song Sparrow by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Fox Sparrow by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Golden Crowned Sparrow by GMcD2008, on Flickr

White Crowned Sparrow by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[GMcD]

Iona Park walkabout ducks: Mallards, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, American Coot, Bufflehead hens, Lesser Scaups and a Pied Billed Grebe.

Mallard pair by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Northern Pintail drake by GMcD2008, on Flickr

American Wigeon pair by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Northern Shoveler drake by GMcD2008, on Flickr

American Coot by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Bufflehead hens by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Lesser Scaup pair by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Pied Billed Grebe by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[GMcD]

Some Iona Park walkabout odds and sods:
Bald Eagle pair, Snow Geese flock, Spotted Towhee, Dunlin, and a Red Winged Blackbird.

Bald Eagle pair by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Snow Geese flock by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Spotted Towhee by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Dunlin by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Red Winged Blackbird by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[GMcD]

Well, it wasn't raining this morning, but very grey and drab clouds. What the heck, get some fresh air, check out the Pier Life this morning, and pick off some of the quick and easy local birds while I can before the rains started. Gadwall pair, Common Merganser drake, Green Winged teals drakes and hens, and American Robin. Low light, low shutter speeds and high ISO, but good for adding to the list.

Gadwall pair by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Common Merganser drake by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Green Winged Teal group by GMcD2008, on Flickr

American Robin by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[stumblingpiper]

Wow, nice early work GMcD! You are keeping me on my toes tracking. I'll post an updated list of birds. I was out for a hike on the 31st and photographed 5 different birds ... same hike on the 1st -- zero.
However, I did get this Northern Flicker (Intergrade, I think) on my feeder yesterday. Will try to pop in a few more (Okanagan) local in the next few days ...

[stumblingpiper]

22 Birds and Counting ... Nice Job!
Here's the Link:
viewtopic.php?t=16962

[stumblingpiper]

I went for a walk in Knox Mountain Park yesterday ... although I didn't have great settings on my camera, I was able to pick up a few birds for our list! Here is the first bird from last year, the Townsend's Solitaire:


Here are both a Mountain Chickadee and a Red-Breasted Nuthatch. As I was struggling with my camera settings, I missed both the Black Capped Chickadee AND the Golden-Crowned Kinglet 5 feet from my face. haha. Oh well.



Finally, I picked up this American Goldfinch and the Dark-Eyed Junco in my backyard ...



I'll try to post better images of all these birds. I was just going by the modified quote: "A Bird in the Blog is Worth Two in the Bush." lol. I did get a long-shot of a Cooper's Hawk but I just couldn't bring myself to post it. haha.
James

[GMcD]

Here's a Dark Eyed Junco from this afternoon at London's farm here in Richmond, just to provide a better look for the bird.

Dark Eyed Junco by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[GMcD]

The rain stopped before noon, and the clouds were a little bit brighter, so I took a walk to the London Heritage Farm here in Richmond to see if there was any bird action. Yup, enough to keep me there for a couple hours till the skies darkened by mid-afternoon. Here's a pair of Warblers (already!) - an Orange Crowned Warbler and a juvenile Yellow Rumped Warbler.

Orange Crowned Warbler by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Yellow Rumped Warbler by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[GMcD]

London Farm collection from today - a Great Blue Heron looking for mice in the adjacent field, a Ruby Crowned Kinglet, a Golden Crowned Kinglet, a Bewick's Wren, and a Black Capped Chickadee.

Great Blue Heron by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Ruby Crowned Kinglet by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Golden Crowned Kinglet by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Bewick's Wren by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Black Capped Chickadee by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[GMcD]

And finally from my London Farm visit - a male and female Bushtit, tiny little grey puffballs, with only the eye colour being a distinguishing mark.

Bushtit male by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Bushtit female by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[BillGyles]

Trumpeter Swans at Hemer Park. Not much light today, but not needed for white birds.
Trumpeter Swans by Bill Gyles, on Flickr

[GMcD]

In spite of the weather reports saying bright, clear conditions for the Lower Mainland, the morning arrived with pea soup fog. By 9:30AM I did note some bright patches coming through, what the heck, time to do my 7,500 steps on the West Dyke path in Richmond to see if anything was moving. A couple Coyotes came in close for some wildlife shots, and the Harriers were up and hunting. I'll start with the male and female Northern Harriers:

Northern Harrier male by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Northern Harrier female by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Northern Harrier female by GMcD2008, on Flickr

[GMcD]

The foggy conditions and variable lighting was a challenge for the morning, so shutter speeds as low as possible without incurring too much motion blur, and get some decent ISO, but the West Dyke yielded a Lincoln's Sparrow, A House Finch, and a Marsh Wren:

Lincoln's Sparrow by GMcD2008, on Flickr

House finch male by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Marsh Wren by GMcD2008, on Flickr