Vancouver May-June 2017

I've noticed that some of the pictures on this blog change colour, and become darker or colder in temperature. Making the image to display at largest size fixes the problem for now.

May 7
Queen Elizabeth Park

Wilson's Warbler

 Hutton's Vireo
grey claws

 Anna's Hummingbird

 Richmond Nature Park

Anna's X Black-chinned Hummingbird
this bird was first identified as Black-chinned Hummingbird, but later was confirmed by experts to be a hybrid.

 Mourning Dove

May 14

Iona

Wilson's Warbler

 American Goldfinch

 Yellow-headed Blackbird

 Northern Rough-winged Swallows and Barn Swallow

 Purple Martin
only the male is all blue, the female on the left is drabber

 Osprey

 Painted Lady

Angiosperm

May 21

Reifel

Mallard

 Bald Eagle

 Sandhill Cranes

this year's colt unfortunately died possibly due to sickness.

 Black-headed Grosbeak

 Tree Swallow

Iona

Red-winged Blackbird

This male was very busy today. It sang to claim its territory.

 swooped down on a crow

 and kept an Osprey busy.

 A Bonaparte's Gull also did the same

Osprey 

May 21

Capilano Fish Hatchery

Probably one of the most reliable place to find dipper.

American Dipper

didn't care to look at the camera once, even when it was within 2 meters from me.

May 28

Burnaby Mountain

Red-breasted Sapsucker

Richmond Nature Park

Black-headed Grosbeak

Brunswick Point

Bar-tailed Godwits

New birds for me

 Snow Geese

 Bullock's Oriole

June 3

Langley 

Yellow-breasted Chat

my first lifer this summer.

 Spotted Towhee

 Willow Flycatcher

Jun 10

Maplewood

Warbling Vireo

making nest

 3 hours later it does look bigger.

 Red-eyed Vireo

 American Robin

nest with young

 Pacific Tree Frog is easy to find at Maplewood

looks like this bee pulled the flower apart

Red Crossbill, Pied-billed Grebe and Garter Snake

Aug. 2 2015

Klootchamn Park

Many Harbour Seal were enjoying the sunshine at around 11 a.m. 

Harbour Seal

Over 90 Surfbirds were on Grebe Islets. Scoped the flocks a few times, but didn't see any Black Turnstones.

Surfbirds are tiny in my 300 mm lens

Ambleside
Later, I spend half an hour to check out Ambleside park before getting out of the summer heat.
To my surprise, other than the people sunbathing, more than a dozen Red Crossbills were in the sun as well. They seemed to be picking something in the driftwood on the beach. But I couldn't find anything that they can eat when I examined the tree trunks, guess they are better at finding bugs than I am.

Red Crossbill

Red Crossbill

Aug. 7 2015 

Burnaby Lake

The Pied-billed Grebe at Piper Spit is successful at raising 4 young this year. Catching a big fish doesn't look very hard at all. The parents were able to catch so many fish that the chicks do not beg for more.

Pied-billed Grebe

One fish was actually so big that a small grebe  can't swallow it. So one of the parents ate the fish when the chick gave up.

Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

Pied-billed Grebe

The usual Red-winged Blackbirds were also present.

Red-winged Blackbird

A Merlin came close to people and stretched its tail and wings. 

Merlin

Another raptor, Cooper's Hawk.

Cooper's Hawk

The flowers at the garden welcomes hummingbirds

Anna's Hummingbird

Anna's Hummingbird

Butterflies liked the garden too. This one looks like a European Skipper, a species accidentally introduced into ''North America, near London, Ontario, about 1910, in contaminated imported seeds of Timothy Grass,'' according to Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility.

Richmond Nature Park

2 Garter Snakes were looking for their next meal. They circled the little puddle just outside of Nature House, but one of them gave up early. The other snake, however, with some luck, after about 20 minutes, located a prey. It was a Green Frog. 

Garter Snake

Green Frog

was alerted and escaped the snake mouth as the snake closed in. Unfortunate for the snakes, likely they would need to rest empty-stomach that night.  

Green Frog