All My Blogs

A male hooded merganser at rest but aware of my presence. Our brains are wired to look at eyes.  We tend to look at mouths when someone is speaking, but our first glance at someone always goes to the eyes.  That is not accidental.  If a dog doesn't know you, looking into its eyes may make it feel threatened.  Eyes give away intent.  They say, "If you are looking at me, I might be in danger." In photography, the eyes help define a person's face, show emotion and intent, and help to center our gaze.  In the above photo, it's the eye that you first notice, even though there are bold white lines present to direct your vision elsewhere.  Below, I have other similar images I have taken, each using the eye of a bird to draw your attention. Wood duck, Eclectus parrot, Blue-and-gold macaw I am always paying attention to eyes when shooting.  I often place them in a thirds position, use them to gauge if my presence is disturbing my subjects, and often taking...

Top:  White-faced heron, Little blue heron, Green heron Bottom:  Reddish egret, Black-crowned night heron, Yellow-crowned night heron, Great blue heron The three species of heron I have seen in Canada are the green heron, black-crowned night heron, and great blue heron.  The white-faced heron I photographed in New Zealand, and the other three were taken in southern Texas near the Gulf of (Ahem) Mexico.  And, if you didn't notice, there is an egret in the group. The body shape of herons and egrets appears to be the same, which isn't a coincidence.  Egrets are really just a type of heron.  They both belong to the Ardeidea.  The term egret typically applies to white heron-like birds or heron-like birds with a glossy coat.  Below are photos of some egrets. Snowy egret, Great egret, Cattle egret The only North-American member of the Ardeidea that I haven't seen or photographed is the tri-coloured heron.  Cattle egrets are an old-world species foun...

Black-crowned night herons at the Leduc Reservoir.  Inset:  BCNH photographed in Hawaii. I have seen black-crowned night herons in Alberta at least two times that I can remember, and once in British Columbia.  The last time I saw any was while visiting Leduc this summer, where my son lives.  I saw a breeding pair there on June 19 at the Leduc Reservoir.  I did manage to get a few shots off before they moved on.  You can see a group of images below. Black-crowned night heron launching from a branch at the Leduc Reservoir. If you want to see crowned night herons, go to Hawaii.  They can be found just about anywhere there is water, fresh, salt, or brackish.  Although I have photographed them a few times in Alberta, the best photos have been obtained when visiting Hawaii.  See two more images below.  The left image was photographed in Edmonton in 2016 and the right image in Hawaii in 2024. Black-crowned night heron adult (left) and juvenile ...

Male carpenter ant (drone) photographed in Clearwater, BC, 2026 Some insects, such as aphids, can reproduce parthenogenically, that is, to make clones of themselves.  Most insects, however, require a male and female to reproduce.  All Hymenoptera (ants, wasps, and bees) are this way.  You probably know that male wasps and ants are rare; most of the brood are female.  However, the queen can choose to produce a male (if only King Henry VIII had such a bride!). Here's the weird part.  An unfertilized queen mates with a male ant and stores the sperm in an organ called the spermatheca, which stores the genetic material and keeps it viable for a long time.  The length of time can be impressive, with some queens mating only once and keeping the gametes for up to 10 years.  The queen produces an egg and allows a stored sperm to join with it, eventually producing a worker, always a female.  However, if a queen lays an unfertilized egg, it becomes a drone....

My special-needs program at Garibladi, the ILP - ran from 1991 to 2012.  This was 2007. I remember the day I retired from teaching.  It was 2018, and the big question on my mind was, "Had I made a difference?"  It has been 8 years since then, and I think I finally have an answer. Each of us makes an impact on those around us.  It is our actions, or lack of them, that impact others in our lives.  Although the job itself has a bearing, the difference that is made comes from the relationships you form with others and the example that you set. I used to think in a grandiose way - what important things have I done, what legacies have I left, that will make a difference tomorrow on the planet?  My name will never be written in the history books.  Others will not tell stories of my victories, accomplishments, or legacies.  I am but a drop of water in a bucket, and when the bucket is empty, the memory of my existence will be gone just as the water. But th...

Franklin's ground squirrel at Wabamun Provincial Park, Alberta I thought I was familiar with most of the squirrels in Canada.  It turns out that I have never seen or heard about one called Franklin's ground squirrel.   It is not that common, appearing in a narrow swath across central Alberta, across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and down into the prairie regions of the central states.  I saw this one near the extent of its western range in Wabamun Provincial Park.   Franklin's ground squirrels used to be fairly common in Alberta.  However, their numbers have been steadily declining due to habitat loss and population fracturing.  The prairie that it once thrived in has been converted to farms, towns, and roadways.  Most sightings now occur in protected areas, which is exactly where I saw this one.  As the areas where it lives constrict, there will be less and less genetic variation and the fewer numbers will likely produce inbreeding, a situ...