I am definitely a fan of sit birding. You find a nice birdy location – say the edge of a marsh or along a riverbank – and then (here’s where it gets technical) you sit. As in down. Get comfy. Sit in your carefully chosen perfect location and wait for …
The most important act that a bird performs in the preening of its feathers. They begin by grasping with their bill, one feather at the base and nibbling towards the tip to remove oil, dirt and parasites. Or they may just simply draw the feather through the partially clamped bill …
I love it when owls throw up on me. One winter day when I was walking my dogs in a thickly wooded area, I sat down for a rest on a fallen log. As the dogs sniffed their way around the area, something fell from the sky and dropped into …
Birds have the best colour vision of all vertebrates. Some species even see ultra-violet light, which means they are able to pick up highlights and tones in plumage unseen by the human eye. Raptors, whose survival depends on hunting, have eyesight two to three times better than humans. Each image …
This is the fifth in a series of posts on birds at risk in Canada. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists 73 bird species as endangered, threatened or of special concern. It seems inconceivable that a member of the blackbird family could be listed …
This is the fourth in a series of posts on birds at risk in Canada. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists 73 bird species as endangered, threatened or of special concern. Ferruginous hawks are the largest broad-winged soaring (buteo) hawks in North America, and …
Recently, I put up a new bird feeder on our deck railing. The deck is off the kitchen and I thought it would be nice to see the chickadees and nuthatches dart in and out from close range. My intention was to provide a feeder for these small birds that …
Sunday, September 13/09 will mark the start of the 11th year of the British Columbia Coastal Waterbird Survey from Bird Studies Canada. The focus of the program is to record monthly counts of seabirds, waterfowl, and other coastal birds to identify patterns in abundance and assess population trends. Volunteers cover …
Sept 5 is the first International Vulture Awareness Day. What does that have to do with birdwatching in Canada, you ask? Although most people are unaware of it, Canada does have a resident vulture species. Turkey vultures have been expanding their range northward in the last few years, and can …
This is the third in a series of weekly posts on birds at risk in Canada. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) lists 73 bird species as endangered, threatened or of special concern. Virtually unknown until the past few decades, these small birds have the …