Panama in March (Part 2)

Nature

A few more photos from our time in Panama……….. (I am not completely sure of my identifications so please feel free to correct me!)

Saffron finch
Blue-grey tanager
Slaty-tailed trogon
Cinnamon woodpecker
Crested caracara
White-tailed trogon
Streaked flycatcher (I think)
Grey-headed tanager
Panama (?) flycatcher
Crested oropendola
Northern black-throated trogon (female)
Spotted antbird
Greater ani
Fasciated antshrike
Blue cotinga
Red-lored amazon
Armadillo
Central American screech owl

Panama in March (Part One)

Nature

In March, we traveled to Panama, with Eagle Eye Tours for our third “birding excursion” to Central America. As was the case with our previous tours with Eagle Eye, we had a very busy itinerary, we had excellent guides and we saw in the range of 300 species of birds. The weather was very warm, and the humidity was high, so we had to adjust to the change in climate. Unlike Costa Rica, there was no high terrain to allow us to “cool off”. All in all, it was an excellent trip! The following photographs were taken on the trip. I am not sure if I have identified all of the species shown, correctly.

Red-legged honeycreeper
Roadside hawk
White-necked puffbird
Crimson-backed tanager

Rufous-tailed jacamar

Howler monkey
Manakin (Female velvety, I think)
Thick-billed euphonia
White-ruffed manakin
Snowy-bellied hummingbird
Passion fruit blossom
Three-toed sloth
Keel-billed toucan
Swallow-tailed kite
Hepatic tanager
Black-throated mango (female)
Broad-billed motmot

Birds of Victoria in February

Nature

Last February, we decided to visit Victoria in February to enjoy this beautiful city and area in the off-season; hoping to enjoy early flowers and blossoms. The only problem was that it was cold and very snowy! So we tried again this year. Although it was on the cool side, we did not have snow and we had very little rain. The area did not disappoint, and the plum/ cherry blossoms were out along with many early flowers. We had nice views of the Olympic Mountains and even managed a side trip to Port Renfrew. We were also fortunate to see many different species of birds.

Black-bellied plovers, surfbirds and black turnstones in flight.
Harlequin ducks.
Male Anna’s hummingbird.
Barred owl.
Northern pintails.
Black oystercatchers.
Dunlin
Male bufflehead.
Female Anna’s hummingbird with a feather for its nest.
Red-breasted merganser.
Golden-crowned kinglet
Lesser scaups
Chestnut-backed chickadee.
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Bewick’s wren
Pacific wren
Great-blue heron

Short-eared owls and Northern Harriers

Nature

In the Pacific Northwest, January is a good time to spot short-eared owls and northern harriers. In the last two weeks, I have managed to see both species (in different locations) on four or five occasions. The following is a sampling of photographs I have taken.

Short-eared owl, Abbotsford
Northern harrier (male), Samish Flats
Short-eared owl, Abbotsford. (Notice the differing eye dilations- one eye in the shade)
Squabbling short-eared owls
Red-winged blackbird fearlessly chasing a short-eared owl
Short-eared owl, during the “golden hour”.
Short-eared owl over a saltwater marsh, Delta
Northern harrier (female)
Short-eared owl (classic flight “pose”)
Northern harrier (male)
Short-eared owl, taking off
Northern harrier, hunting
Short-eared owl, landing

Some of my Favourite Nature Photos from 2025, Part Two: July-December

Nature
Baby tree swallows awaiting feeding from mother. Washington State, July.
American kestrel. Washington State, July.
Great grey owl mother and owlet. BC Interior, July.
Great grey owlet, flapping its wings. BC Interior, July.
Osprey feeding its chick. Abbotsford BC, July.
Break-up of sea ice. Davis Strait, Nunavut. August.
Polar bear on cliff. Baffin Island, Nunavut. August.
Polar bear on sea ice. Davis Strait, Nunavut. August.
Polar bear on sea ice. Davis Strait, Nunavut. August.
Icebergs. Ilulissat, Greenland. August.
Mountains of Kluane National Park. Yukon. September.
Droplets of fog on spider’s web. Abbotsford. September.
Northern hawk-owl. Kluane National Park, Yukon. September.
Arctic ground squirrel. Southern Yukon. September.
Belted kingfisher. Abbotsford, BC. October.
Belted kingfisher. Abbotsford, BC. October.
Bull elk establishing dominance. Banff National Park, Alberta. November.
Great grey owl. After watching for about 15 minutes, it flew up and landed beside me. Alberta. November.
Harbour seal. Surrey, BC. November.
Black bear. Metro Vancouver area. November.
Dunlin in flight. Surrey, BC. November.
Bald eagle. Harrison Mills, BC. November.
Juvenile bald eagle. Harrison Mills, BC. November.
Barrow’s goldeneye. Vancouver, BC. December.
Northern pintail “couple”. Surrey, BC. December.
Taiga flycatcher. Included because it is rare. This is the first reported sighting in Canada. Vancouver, BC, December.

Some of my Favourite Nature Photos from 2025, Part One: January-June

Nature

The following photos are amongst my favourites taken in 2025. (Some of the photos have been featured in my blog earlier this year). 2025 proved to be another great year for nature photography with travel to Guatemala, Belize, Nunavut, Greenland and a short trip to the Yukon Territory. Each time I head out with my camera, I wonder what I will encounter. I am often pleasantly surprised. The key to successful nature photography is to get out, often! I hope 2026 will prove to be as satisfying. Wishing all who view this blog a healthy and happy 2026!

Northern hawk owl, diving for a rodent. Delta, BC, January.
American bittern. Willband Creek Park, Abbotsford BC, January.
Northern pygmy-owl. Chilliwack, BC, January.
Red-tailed hawk, Abbotsford, BC, January.
Kulshan (Mount Baker), in Washington State, January.
The rare orange-collared falcon, Tikal, Guatemala, February.
Spider monkey, Tikal, Guatemala, February
Ocellated turkey, Tikal, Guatemala, February.
Malachite butterfly emerging from pupa, Belize, February.
Malachite butterfly, after emerging from pupa, Belize, February.
Slaty-tailed trogon, Jade Jungle, Belize, February.
Howler monkey, Crooked Tree, Belize, March.
Vermillion flycatcher, Crooked Tree, Belize, March.
Morelet’s Crocodile, Belize, March.
Great horned owls, mother and owlet, Delta BC, April.
Pacific wren, near Rolley Lake, BC, April.
Northern-pygmy owl, “launching”. Elk Mountain, BC, April.
“Motherhood”. Mother robin trying to keep two babies happy. Abbotsford, BC, May.
Western tanager. Naramata, BC. May
“The forest takes over”. BC back roads. May.
Ruddy duck (male). Okanagan, BC. May.
Rufous hummingbird. Abbotsford, BC. June.
Helmcken Falls, BC. June.

Yukon September

Nature

This September, I had the opportunity to be in the Southern Yukon for a week. It was not enough time! There is so much to be seen. I did however see enough to prioritize a return visit in 2026!

An initial view of the majestic mountains of Kluane National Park, near Haines Junction.
The Canada jay (whiskey jack). It is found in every province and territory of Canada, and is a very “cheeky” resident of boreal forests. It was this jay (and another one) that told me of the presence of the rare intruder posted below.
Northern hawk-owl. It was chased away by the Canada jays but returned, giving me great photo ops. This is only the third northern hawk-owl that I have seen.
This owl flew from a tree top, right past me and landed on a post 15 feet away, to give me “the look”.
Looking west into Kluane National Park, from Haines Junction.
Sheep Mountain. Kluane National Park, on the Alaska Highway.
Dall sheep (thin-horn sheep). The nineteen white spots are all sheep on the slopes of Sheep Mountain.
Kluane Lake
Kathleen Lake, Kluane National Park
Fresh snow on the mountains. From north of Whitehorse.
Kathleen Lake
Kluane National Park
Weather front moving in. Kluane National Park
On the Alaska Highway.
Arctic ground squirrel
Harlan’s hawk
Wood bison bull (Yukon Wildlife Preserve)
Musk oxen (Yukon Wildlife Refuge)
Woodland caribou (Yukon Wildlife Preserve)
Mountain goat (Yukon Wildlife Preserve)

Davis Strait (Polar Bears, Whales and Ice)

Nature

In August, Mary and I took an excursion with Adventure Canada entitled “Circling the Midnight Sun”. This trip took us along the coast of Baffin Island, across Davis Strait and along the coast of Greenland. On the sea portion of this excursion, we traveled 1449 nautical miles, crossed three time zones and crossed the Arctic Circle four times. We had an exceptional time! The following photographs were of four polar bears, sea ice, whales and icebergs seen along the way.

Polar bear on iceberg, far out at sea!
Bowhead whale
I never expected to see a polar bear sleeping high up on a cliff!
Humpback whale
Fin whale

Summertime in Southern BC

Nature

A few photos from early July taken in southern BC.

Fritillary butterfly on a wild aster
Yellow-breasted chat
Foxgloves. (It is an exceptional year for foxgloves on the mountains of the Fraser Valley!)
Bull thistle
Eastern cottontail (considered invasive, it was introduced to BC in the 1960’s)
Great-grey owl, snuggling its owlet
Male great-grey owl. In the nesting season and with recently fledged owlets, the male is the principle provider for the owlets and female.
Female great-grey owl, spreading its wings to dissipate heat on a hot day. It was closely guarding the two fledged owlets.
Wild chicory
Fireweed
Chilliwack River Valley
Western wood pewee

Springtime in British Columbia

Nature

The following photos are a selection of some of the many I have taken in the province over the last few months. As is usually the case, most pictures I am showing are of birds.

Black bear in the neighbourhood. I believe this is one of the cubs we saw last year with its mother. Now on its own.
Townsend’s warbler
California quail.
Western tanager
Ruddy duck
Mount Slesse
Great horned owlet with its mother
Sleepy barred owl
Rufous hummingbird
Helmcken Falls
Cinnamon teal and blue-winged teal
Savannah sparrow
Nicola Lake
Edith’s checkerspot
Wildrose
Spa’hats Falls
Yellow-bellied marmot family
Osprey with trout
Hungry fledged robins.
Swallowtail butterfly