T.O. Backyard – Seasonal Switch

March and April are always interesting months in our backyard. The calendar says Spring arrives, but Winter puts up quite a fight to stay around. The first of our Spring/Summer migrants have arrived, Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles.  We’ve been making sure the feeders are well stocked to help them out, as …

Continue reading

Christmas Bird Count 2015: A Gabriola Photo Shoot

For my first post of 2016 I offer you a photo display of some of the birds seen on the 2015 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Gabriola Island. The photos are by five Gabriola photographers – Shannon Gresham, Garry Davey, Zulis Yalte, Eileen Kaarsemaker, Douglas Green – and me. Prolific …

Continue reading

An Owly day on the Prairies

Late last year I was contacted by some folks who would be visiting the Calgary area in early March in search, primarily, of Snowy Owls. As my third ever outing as a professional guide, I went all out on researching what else we could see, and what other birds, mammals, …

Continue reading

A fond farewell to Alberta’s Winter Birds

With only 28 days until the first day of Spring, and given the record snowfall and deep, bitter cold that has gripped us here in Alberta this year, I don’t think it’s really that premature of me to wish our winter visitors a fond farewell. Don’t get me wrong. I …

Continue reading

Christmas Birding in the Comox Valley

For the second time in four years, I spent Christmas of 2013 on Vancouver Island, and had some good opportunities to do some bird photography while I was there. The Comox valley is situated on Vancouver Island’s east side, on the Strait of Georgia, about 100 kilometers northwest of Nanaimo, …

Continue reading

Christmas Bird Counts in Alberta

This past weekend (December 14 and 15), I participated in two back-to-back Christmas Bird Counts in the Calgary area. On Saturday, December 14, I drove out to Canmore before sunrise to cover an area near Quarry Lake for the second year in a row, and on Sunday, December 15, I …

Continue reading

What should you put out to feed birds during the winter?

  Feeding and watching birds have become favorite pastimes in North America. It is estimated that 1/3 of the population feeds wild birds. This ranges from putting out scraps of food to serving seed, suet and nuts. During the winter time, especially in periods where the natural food source falls, …

Continue reading