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My subject was a male Mandarin Duck who had decided to take up residence at Burnaby Lake’s Piper Spit in May 2018. Mandarins are not native to North America, but call Asia their home range, as well as parts of the U. K., Russia, and other areas of Europe where feral populations–the descendents of formerly captive breeding stock that had escaped hobby farms–had established themselves in their wilds of their new homes. He had to be at Piper Spit for months as he underwent his molt (once he started losing his feathers, he would be unable to fly); he had to be safe from predators (he was, relatively speaking, safe, although bears and bobcats do roam the area), and we had to hope that his owner wouldn’t come to claim him (given all the media attention focused on him, that was a strong possibility). By the time he was dressed to the nines–with his cinnamon-hued “sailfins” and ruffs–he stood out even from his well-dressed male Wood Duck cousins, and, I’m told, had even made a few passes at the female Wood Ducks (who can’t resist the male Mandarin Duck in all his breeding regalia? )

f/11, 1/500, 500mm, ISO 400 With many birds, introducing yourself (even gradually), into their staging areas as they fatten themselves up for the often long flight southward, is likely to incite panicked calls and immediate flight, and make the transgressor look like a thousand-pound heel to any human witness(es) present. f/11, 1/500, 500mm, ISO 400 From time to time , my subjects (there were a total of 30 feeding in the area, and most appeared to be juveniles) would study me briefly as I was returning the favor, but most continued to feed nonchalantly on aquatic bugs buried in the ground, and a few even parked themselves on top of the mounds of seaweed to relax and nap–less than 6 feet away from me! I was amazed to learn that these diminutive flyers, who “tip” the scales at a couple of ounces, and measure barely over half a foot in length, make an amazing 15,000 km annual journey from South America to the high arctic to breed (and then the return trip for their winter vaca).

Perhaps the most colorful of warblers, the Chestnut-Sided Warbler is a sight to behold, and I had the opportunity to finally see one with a small group of birders in early July 2018 on the Powerline Trail at Grouse Mountain in West Vancouver. The object of our expedition played coy with the cameras for a good 30 minutes, only often giving periodic glimpses of his tail while singing clearly and often (a delightfully upbeat melody that has been likened to “pleased, please, pleased to meetcha He was on the hunt for a mate — but none were to be found, for this migratory bird is a creature of the Mideastern Canada and U. S., and the North American East Coast during the spring and summer; and a rarity on the West Coast. During breeding season, the males sport a dazzling arrangement of colors: bright yellow caps, rich reddish-brown hues streaking the sides, black eyestripes, and black wings on a crisp white breast and belly.

The nocturnal cousin of the diurnal Short-Eared Owl, the Long-Eared Owl is a migratory visitor to Southwestern British Columbia during the fall and winter, and I was privileged to see my first one as winter 2018 neared its halfway mark. (Feb 2018) On a tip from another birder, I was able to find a Long-Eared Owl sleeping on the blackberry brambles lining the ditch along a farm — right out in the winter sun. I have seen people stand less than a foot away and literally yell while they’re talking to each other, completely oblivious to the facts that (a) a nocturnal owl needs to get its sleep in the daytime (b) owls have superb hearing (this particular owl was subjected to the very loud conversation of a few observers, but it didn’t bat an eye and continued to sleep away; I, on the other hand, wanted to throttle those imbeciles). the afternoon siesta is over, and we are treated to that golden gaze (Feb 12, 2018) From time to time, this vole control specialist would briefly crack an eye open, change its sleeping position, and even cast (regurgitate the indigestible remains of a meal — fur, bones, and claws — like their Short-Eared cousins,