Category Archives: Birds

Blackcap in my dreams?

May 27, 2017 Stephen Barstow Leave a comment

I woke at 4am to the familiar song of the blackcap (munk) which had no doubt arrived with the warmer weather during the early hours…this is very late for my first blackcap of the year (I’ve heard them in the past even in late April)

Birds, walks, Wild Edibles

Vikhammer plants and birds

May 16, 2017 Stephen Barstow Leave a comment

Pictures of plants and birds taken on 15th May 2017 on a walk along the beach from Vikhammerløkka to Vikhammer.

Oystercatcher and nest

Common sandpiper

Common gull

White wagtail

Oystercatcher

Birds

The pied flycatchers are back

May 4, 2017 Stephen Barstow Leave a comment

Last year was the first year with no breeding pied flycatchers (svart-hvit fluesnapper) here :(

Therefore, it was extra special to find a male catching flies in the garden just now, right on cue and all the way from Africa :)

He wasn’t singing, maybe worn out after the journey…

Birds, Mammals

Birds and mammals of BC

April 14, 2017 Stephen Barstow Leave a comment

A highlight of my visit to British Columbia (apart from the plants) was to experience springtime birds in a different part of the world, and most species I hadn’t seen before. There are two albums below plus some videos showing a selection of pictures taken with my handheld Panasonic DNC-TZ80 which has an amazing zoom…
Many of the pictures in the first album from Victoria are taken from my fantastic Airbnb room which overlooked the harbour!
See further down for an album from Vancouver (mainly in the fabulous Stanley Park).
At the bottom are several videos for your entertainment including Pileated woodpecker, Rufous-sided towhee, two squirrel species, bald eagles, American wigeon, Great blue heron, Northwestern crow, American robin, White-crowned sparrow, Red-winged blackbird, Northern flicker and American goldfinch

Hooded merganser (female) the only merganser restricted to North America

A male bufflehead (related to Goldeneyes)

...and there "she" was, Anna's Hummingbird, a singing male, just a few hundred metres from my wonderful Airbnb room, which overlooked the harbour (all the pictures above were taken from my room!).. — …and there “she” was, Anna’s Hummingbird, a singing male, just a few hundred metres from my wonderful Airbnb room, which overlooked the harbour (all the pictures above were taken from my room!)..

Anna's hummingbird extended its range last century from Southern California thanks to the planting of exotic winter flowering shrubs...the migratory species had yet to arrive — Anna’s hummingbird extended its range last century from Southern California thanks to the planting of exotic winter flowering shrubs…the migratory species had yet to arrive

Fisherman's Wharf: the public can come close to Harbour Seals here and feed them.. — Fisherman’s Wharf: the public can come close to Harbour Seals here and feed them..

It's a good life to be a Victorian harbour seal... — It’s a good life to be a Victorian harbour seal…

..and there was even a River Otter... — ..and there was even a River Otter…

Taking a picture of this pink form of Ribes sanguineum, I was unaware that I had also taken a picture of a Anna's Hummingbird :) Magic happens if you let it! — Taking a picture of this pink form of Ribes sanguineum, I was unaware that I had also taken a picture of a Anna’s Hummingbird :) Magic happens if you let it!

Common mergansers (goosanders in Europe)

Bewick's Wren (from my room) — Bewick’s Wren (from my room)

Bewick's Wren (from my room) with invasive ivy — Bewick’s Wren (from my room) with invasive ivy

Common mergansers with the harbour ferry

Black-tailed deer fertilising a Victoria garden

Not sure of the ID of this one? Hairy woodpecker is the closest I've got......at Beacon Hill in Victoria — Not sure of the ID of this one? Hairy woodpecker is the closest I’ve got……at Beacon Hill in Victoria

...and a deliberate shot of an an Anna's hummingbird — …and a deliberate shot of an an Anna’s hummingbird

Having a day and a half free in Vancouver before travelling to Quebec, I was keen to visit Stanley Park again! I first visited this remnant old growth forest right next to downtown Vancouver back in the late 80s and was so impressed that they had deliberately left dead trees standing and trees where they had fallen…this is what makes this place so special and rich in wildlife as these pictures taken in a 3 hour walk in the park show. I’ve also included some pictures taken in the UBC Botanical Garden (amazing to look up and see a pair of bald eagles sitting atop a tree in the middle of the garden) and also the Van Dusen botanical garden, both of which I visited on one day!

..and there it was, a Pileated Woodpecker posing for me right next to the path!

...a drumming Northern flicker on floodlights — …a drumming Northern flicker on floodlights

Spot the turtles and nesting Canada Goose

Now, a few pictures from the UBC Botanical Garden...here a brown creeper — Now, a few pictures from the UBC Botanical Garden…here a brown creeper

Bald Eagles in the middle of the UBC garden

The vegetation around the cattail beds were alive with birds

..and now some videos.
First, a drumming Northern flicker:

A downy/hairy woodpecker at Beacon Hill, Victoria

Pileated woodpecker in Stanley Park:

American wigeon, Vancouver:

Rufous-sided towhee in the UBC garden:

Hermit thrush? in Stanley Park:

Melanistic form of the Eastern Gray squirrel (introduced):

American wigeon at Beacon Hill, Victoria:

Hunting Great Blue Heron in Stanley Park:

Northwestern crow gathering nesting material:

American robin:

White-crowned sparrow on cattail seed (Typha):

The catttail beds and vegetation around were teeming with birds:

American goldfinch singing:

Birds

Birds seen from the house today 11th March 2017

March 11, 2017 Stephen Barstow Leave a comment

Oystercatchers (tjeld) are one of the first spring migrants to arrive here and early March is the normal time. I was woken up by the characteristic piping call of these birds this morning!
An eagle also suddenly appeared right outside the window where I sit, no more than 30m away…but it was all over in a flash and it was gone……