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Barrow's goldeneye shot last year (left) and this year (right) in the same place with different cameras. There is much to be said about the capabilities of cell phone cameras; their popularity certainly supports the idea that they are both convenient and effective.  However, they cannot match DSLR and mirrorless cameras in a few areas.  These include high ISO exposures, exposures with flash, and long lens shots that you may find in sports and wildlife photography. My sport-shooting days are over as my children are grown, but I still do a lot of wildlife photography (if you look at my blog history, you will see what I mean).   Last year I got a great shot of a Barrow's goldeneye duck (click here to see the post).  This year I saw another male in the same pond and it was about in the same position.  I took out my iPhone 15 Pro and zoomed in to its maximum magnification at 15x.  Although it looked OK when viewed as a thumbnail, it was lacking details and...

Red-winged blackbird singing on bullrush by a frozen pond, Kelowna. RWBB are very territorial during breeding season and will stake out an area and patrol it diligently. While some birds mate for life, RWBB are highly polygamous and will mate with up to 15 females. In the photo above, the male RWBB is demonstrating his authority over his staked territory. RWBB vary their diet with the season.  They take insects when they are available and will eat seeds and berries at other times.  I had one visiting my feeder taking sunflower seeds. The red epaulettes on the wings of male RWBB grow brighter with age; females tend to seek out these larger patches as they denote a healthy, successful male. After the nesting season is finished the birds join flocks, sometimes of hundreds of birds.  I once saw a large group of RWBB in a murmuration; they all turned at once and the sun suddenly reflected off their shoulder patches displaying a brilliant red patch in the sky for just a moment....

I misidentified the swan as a trumpeter, rather it is a tundra swan.  First I ever saw one. OK - so what is a tundra swan?  I knew of mute and trumpeter, but never heard of tundra swans before.  I posted a blog on the BC birds site I belong to and was soon told it wasn't a trumpeter but rather a tundra swan (thanks to Les W Dewar).  The yellow mark by the eye is the key to identification.  And yes, this bird certainly has it. If you look at the range map (here), you can see that it is called a tundra swan for a very good reason; it flies far to the north to the edge of the continent and breeds along or near the Arctic's coastline.  The funny thing, though, is that there is a tiny area in central southern BC in the Okanagan where they be found when not breeding.  My guess is that these birds are part of the local population that has spent the winter here. When they overwinter they are perfectly comfortable sleeping in the water as I witnessed them doing...

A pair of trumpeter swans on Okanagan Lake near Kelowna, BC. I never get tired of seeing swans.  Large majestic birds, they are both graceful and powerful.  At first, I mistook the pair for  boat float buoys, the kind that boats hook up to offshore.  Their heads and long necks were originally nestled close to the body or under a wing; they were likely resting before continuing onto some other destination. These birds typically don't breed on large lakes, rather they prefer small ponds with lots of cover and food.  They mostly nest north of here or along the coast; you can see a range map here .  Trumpeter swans eat aquatic vegetation and some small water insects or even fish; they will take grass and grain if available.   Trumpeter swans are North America's heaviest flying bird, males coming in at an impressive 26 pounds.  Although that may not seem like much, having an angry one come at you would be nothing to sneer at.  I had a male Mu...

Male house finches photographed 1 day apart in Kelowna - diet is responsible for colour differences. As a rule, animals cannot produce carotenoids.  These are important chemicals found in plants and are responsible for the bright colours you see in carrots, fall leaves, and berries.  There are over 600 types of carotenoids.  They range in colour from red through orange to yellow.  They are important to health as they are powerful antioxidants and some get repurposed into other chemicals such as Vitamin A. It turns out that many birds are affected by carotenoids in that they affect feather colour.  For some, such as house finches, the male's colour can be red, orangish, or even yellow depending upon what foods are eaten.  The pigments end up in feathers as they are growing and eventually displayed after a molt.  Once the feather has formed no new pigments are added; the colour remains the same regardless of what is eaten. The spring-like weather in Kelo...

I have been looking forward to the arrival of spring.  I feel as though it suddenly appeared yesterday as evidenced by the sounds of robins and red-winged blackbirds.  I was at  Sibell Maude-Roxby Wetlands Park in Kelowna and my ears were accosted with the familiar and welcome songs. A large mountain ash bearing fruit from the previous year was a popular spot for many species of bird.  Three that I saw eating the berries were robins, cedar waxwings, and a pair of house finches.  It was the male in the above photo I photographed.  Although the berries aren't a particular favourite of most birds, they are a welcome source of energy and nutrients when other more desirable forms are not available. I have photographed house finches here in BC, in Arizona, and in Hawaii.  They are relatively abundant throughout much of the US and southwestern BC.  They can also be found east of the Great Lakes in Canada. An interesting fact about male house finches is t...