Birds

Steller's Jay: Nature's Punk Rocker

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With their bright blue feathers, stylish mohawk, and mischievous behaviour, the Steller’s Jay is like nature’s punk rocker. Part of the corvid family, they’re known to be among the most intelligent in the avian world. They’re also excellent mimics with a large repertoire that includes other birds, animals, and even mechanical objects. I once heard a Jay imitating a Red-tailed Hawk, which is thought to be a tactic used to try and scare other birds away. These guys are truly something special so take a moment to appreciate the beauty of BC’s provincial bird up close.

Anna's Hummingbird Babies

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The little hummingbird family I fed over winter had babies!! Three little zippers have been growing up quick right in my backyard and it’s been a wonder to watch them. They make little ‘peeping’ sounds and just melt your heart. More might be on the way as well! Ah, quite the proud sugar daddy right now 😊

Anna's Hummingbird in Winter, BC

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Here are some portraits of my hummingbird pal. I hung out with this guy all day yesterday, thawing his feeder and watching him buzz about. These beautiful birds sure can survive harsh weather. At night they enter a state of ‘torpor’, a hibernation-like mode where their metabolic rate drops by as much as 95% and their body temperature lowers to a hypothermic threshold barely sufficient to maintain life. During the day, their body temp climbs to 40C and their tiny heart beats 1200 times per minute while flying! They’re essentially a rainbow glitter ball that eats half its body weight in sugar each day with the ability to fly forwards, backwards, sideways, and even upside down. How cool is that. Their iridescent feathers are incredible too - an effect created by microscopic air bubbles that refract light at different angles. I’m sure there’s plenty of magic involved as well ;)

Snapshot: Male Anna's Hummingbird

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A male Anna's hummingbird sits perched on the branch of a cedar tree. After closely watching this little guy's patterns early each morning, I noticed he tended to land in a few particular places. So, with the hopes of capturing an image of him in his natural setting, I carefully set up my camera with remote shooting and began to stare at the branch for the next 4 hours. Getting the timing and focus just right was extremely tough but after some narrowly missed attempts, it finally worked out! It took a lot of patience and planning to create this image but I'm really happy with it and have a newfound love for this beautiful bird. Click here to order a print of this image.

Canon 5D MK4 | 100mm 2.8L IS Macro lens | 1/400 sec | f/3.5 | ISO 1600.

A second shot of the hummingbird on one of his favourite perches. His colours and cute little feet are just the best!