Just Birds

Hello, dear readers.  Today, I offer you 12 stories about birds.  

1. Tupper

This is Tupper, a Yaletown (Vancouver) seagull.  His/her tail feathers stand straight up..  all the time.  

I don't know if that could be considered a handicap.
Tupper seems to have established ownership of the streetlamp in front of my apartment.  I've been watching him/her for about two years.  S/he seems to fly just fine.
I guess Tupper qualifies as a survivor.  Have you figured out how I chose his/her name?

2. A Cormorant Enjoys a Rare Sunny Day

There are quite a few families of Double-crested Cormorants living under the bridges of False Creek.  This one was seen recently flying low to the water on a rare sunny day.

3. A Bathing Barrow's Goldeneye

The Barrow's Goldeneyes return to Vancouver (possibly from William's Lake, according to this article) around the beginning of December.  This one was enthusiastic about bath time.

4. Mrs. Mallard

Mrs. Mallard, at Granville Island, looked like she was thinking about setting up a nest. Did you know that mallards pair up in the fall and court throughout most of the winter?  I learned several interesting facts about mallards at this site.  Who knew that their flying speed has been estimated at 55 mph (88.5 kph!) and the longest living one on record died at 27 years and 7 months of age?  One other fact really surprised me.  They lose all their flight feathers every year at the end of breeding season and are unable to fly for 3 to 4 weeks.  I knew this about geese, but in fact, it holds true for all ducks as well.  I really hope you will spread the word to anyone you know who might think it's okay to let their dogs chase waterfowl.  That causes terrible stress at any time, but during this very vulnerable period when they can't fly, it is particularly cruel.     

5. Feeding Finches

I think this is a male American Finch.

He was enjoying that same sunny day and raved about the food in David Lam Park.

Mr. House Finch enjoyed eating at the same diner.

6. Mr. and Mrs. Gadwall

I was surprised when I saw this duck in David Lam Park.  I think he is a Gadwall, the first one I have ever seen in the area.  It was a heavy-mist-almost-raining day but my camera did a good job of capturing the waterproofing details in his beautiful feathers.

At first, I thought Mrs. Gadwall was a mallard, but then I realized she was sticking very close to her mate and there was no blue patch under her wing. 

Birds seen during our 2nd visit (this year) to Boundary Bay
7. Bald Eagles

We stopped along a quiet road just before reaching the park.  I don't think I have ever seen so many Bald Eagles in one tree.  There are 13 that you can see here, but there were at least 4 more on the other side of the tree.

I watched this pair doing the sky-dance mating ritual.  When they landed here, I thought they didn't look all that happy but perhaps, that's just the eagle way :)
 
We watched this eagle for a few minutes.  I've never seen such dark eagle-eyes.  

 I worried that his/her vision might be compromised, but.. 

like Tupper, s/he flew just fine.  Maybe, the feathers around the eyes were just stained.

Watching a bird fly is never routine for me.  The different angles and tilts and wing speeds..  

are fascinating.  Each species has a distinctive style, but perhaps the eagles..

stand out..

for their remarkable aura of power, especially when they fly directly toward the camera.

8. Northern Harriers and Eagle Lessons

This Northern Harrier took a moment to teach a young eagle..

that smaller does not mean weaker.

I have been slow to pick up bird-identifcation skills but thought I could recognize Northern Harriers by the patch of white at the base of their tail feathers.

No white in this one that I can see, but I am fairly sure it is a Harrier.  I think that white patch is only on top, although it usually flashes pretty clearly.  Perhaps the one below is a juvenile.  My book says that juveniles are "cinnamon below fading to creamy buff by spring" and that sounds about right. As always, corrections and suggestions are appreciated.

 

9. The Small to Medium Birds were Active Too

There were Nuthatches..

and really cute Chick-a-dees doing the side-step..

and posing White-crowned Sparrows..

and a Fox Sparrow..

slurping up dee-licious berry juice.

There were Flickers as well.  I'm fairly sure this is the Red-shafted one most commonly seen, 

but there was even one that flashed golden rather than red under its feathers when flying.  Could that have been a Yellow-shafted Flicker?  If so, it would be my first.  Some bird watchers talked about a Gilded Flicker as well.  Definitely could use help here :)

10. Snowy Owls, Alliteration and Photography Frustration 

As mentioned in other posts, there is concern for the welfare of the Snowy Owls.  It took a while to see the six here.  It is surprising to me that they appear to be seeking out heat from the vents of the greenhouse roof.

One of my hopes for the day was to capture a Snowy Owl in flight (from the dyke and not by harassing them in their space).  This one was sitting on a piece of driftwood and looking towards the three or four of us with cameras set up.  I do not use a tripod, and only rarely a monopod, but paid for that laziness this time.  The eagle gave one, and only one, opportunity for a flight capture when it flew just a few feet to the left.

Ah, the frustration..

of a fuzzy flight shot!  But nice opportunity for alliteration :)   By the way, does the alliterative "f" sound count when it starts with "ph" as in the title of this section?

I did make a decent capture of the landing, but s/he only looked at me..

after the landing, and then, only to wink knowingly.  

"Use a tripod, lady.  I'm worth it."

11. Immature Cooper's, Too Far To Tell, Peregrine Falcon and a Mystery

This bright-eyed juvenile caught us by surprise.  I wasn't quick enough to catch a flight shot, but s/he took pity on me and settled for a moment.  A passer-by who seemed to know what he was talking about told us we were looking at an Immature Cooper's Hawk.

Bill spotted this bird minutes later by the side of the dyke.  Perhaps the same Cooper's?

Wa-a-ay off in the distance, I spotted this unlikely pair.  My big lens and an even bigger crop brings them to you.  The heron was unmistakeable, but as for the hawk..  not at all sure.

There were lots of distant sightings.  I've left one un-zoomed to give you the bigger picture.

We missed this one entirely.  This is after cropping, so with the naked eye, was barely a speck.  A man who has lived in the area for many years and knows all of the bird life intimately told us he was certain this is a Peregrine Falcon.

As for the mystery bird, I can't seem to find any hawk that has that striped bib.

We watched each other for quite a while.  Then the hawk pooped (my indicator that helps me recognize when they are about to take off)..

and I managed to get.. 

some open-winged shots.

12. A Long Tale about Short Ears and a Short Tale about Long Ears

This is Short-Eared Owl, but, I think it should be called Absent-eared Owl.  I've looked closely at every one of my shots and see no sign of ears at all.

All of these shots were taken within about a five-minute time period.

Clearly, the warning sign was a deterrent - not!

Considering it was around mid-day, I was surprised to see such action.

It was so much fun to watch..

the flight patterns..

that included swerves ( I missed all of them but they were so neat), landing-gear-down..

quick checks and then off again..

and finally, success (although not for whatever was being mantled).

I was on the dyke and using the long lens.  That is to say, I'm not sure I deserved that pointed stare in my direction, but I did get the hint.

Lots of swoops later, and this one appeared destined for a direct hit.  Thank you, Mr. or Mrs. Short-eared for entertaining this most admiring birder.  Hm..  that's the first time I've applied that term to myself.  Maybe a tad presumptuous until I improve my i.d. skills :)

And the short tale?  Well :) We were in the truck and on the little road that leaves the park when Bill slowed down.  He had noticed a crowd of photographers all staring towards the fence by a little stream.  I would have missed it because I was already going through my 700 photos :)  We had heard about a  Long-Eared Owl (now those are ears you can see!) and had searched for it, but to no avail.  So you can imagine!  Right?  I jumped out and then stood directly in front of the truck (so nobody could get by..  Sorry, Bill!) and started snapping quickly, quite sure I was about to miss the shot of.. well, maybe not a lifetime..  but close :)  Isn't s/he a beauty?  Thanks, Bill, for another stellar day!

And..  thank you, readers for stopping by.  Sharing these stories is a good part of the fun.  I am linking up to two memes today.  Our World Tuesday (thank you, Sandy!), because birds really are a big part of my world, and Wild Bird Wednesday (thank you, Stewart!), because I'm so late with the post, a whole week has gone by, and now I can say I'm early.  Hope that makes sense :)  Until the next time!

Every Inchie Monday - "Ruin"

Here is my contribution for Every Inchie Monday.  

The theme for this week was "Ruin" and I turned to a video by artist, Michal Orlowski, for help.  He was way too fast to follow and took me completely out of my depth but it was thrilling to watch him work and I did try my best to use a part of his drawing for inspiration.  If you have time to check out this video, I think you will be amazed.  You can also check out his web site here.  Thank you, Michal! 


Next week, the theme is "happiness" so I imagine that may be a tiny bit easier.  If anyone is interested in trying this out, all you have to do is create a piece of art on the weekly theme in any way you choose as long as it is within a square inch of space.  Lots of fun and I do thank Trillian for organizing this blog meme.  Until next week!

Every Inchie Monday (on Saturday) "Hut"

This is my contribution for Every Inchie Monday.  It is again very late!  But, again, I have found satisfaction in its completion.  Having never taken an art course, and having also believed I was completely talentless in that field, I think my goal was just to learn a little about drawing.  To be honest, i don't know if I will make much progress.  I used an internet site with a video that took me step by step through the drawing.  I had to play the video many times.  You may want to check out the link just to hear the instructor's voice.  It annoyed me a lot at first (swallowed balloon air?) but I came to rather like it after a while.  i wonder if that silly voice is a strategy to relax stressed-out "artists" wondering if they will ever get it right.  The result you see below was my second attempt.  Still, my hut is leaning a little bit to the left and back :)  I understand now how important the initial lines are in coming up with a realistic image.  If I were to hide this picture and the video, I think my end result would have very little resemblance to a hut.  There is a long way to go, but even a few weeks ago, I couldn't have imagined this little hut that is now making me quite happy :)

I have an inch square piece of cardboard that I cut out.  I trace around it for each new image and that becomes my 1-inch frame.  When I take the photograph of it, I get as close as my camera will allow, and then crop (tightly for the image above), with a bit more border for the one below... 

and with a much larger frame in this last shot so we feel the "inchie" effect more.  I think I wonder about the photography process almost as much as the drawing process. 

Thanks for sharing in my learn-to-draw process.  For many more ideas about how to create a "hut" theme in a 1-inch square space, do check out the Every Inchie Monday link.  You can also click on the flickr link at the right of my page to see everyone's interpretations of the weekly theme.  Oh..  and "ruin" is the theme for this Monday (just two days away).  Perhaps, you would like to join the meme.  If you have the time, it will give you a weekly adventure in creativity.

Lessons for Friday Skywatch

GREY DAY LESSONS

A road map of branches, a high-rise and a crane formed a delicate ensemble against patches of blue and grey Vancouver sky a week or so ago.    

The next day, a yellow sign on the Cambie Bridge caught a small shaft of late afternoon light, reflecting a golden path across False Creek that climbed up the mossy stones.

That evening and the following one as well, the sky in front of my apartment..

\

put on a surprise watercolour show..

at the end of days.. 

when the sun had remained hidden behind a solid mask of grey.

Henry Tsang's Welcome to the Land of Light came back to my attention after someone saw one of my old posts and asked permission to use a photo from it.  I love the work, have blogged about it on at least one other occasion and was happy for any excuse to reexamine it.  It occurs to me that the words Mr. Tsang chose could apply to the interaction of Vancouver cultures in a past or present time.  The electric eye, heart, mind, talk and sound could represent the vibrant hum of new arrivals by the shore, with different cultures meeting, showing their wares, and figuring out how to communicate for lucrative trade deals.  

You have same like electric eye and heart mind and talk sound. 

("Maika mitlite kahkwa elektlik eye pe elektlik tumtum pe elektlik wawa latlah")

You live fast like light. ("Maika mitlite hyak kahkwa towagh")

See talk be here there and everywhere at one time. 

("Nanitch wawa mitlite yukwa yawa pe conaway ka kopa ikt laly")

I thought my original photo was poor and offered to try to get some better quality ones.  At first, I thought I would wait for a sunny day, but the fog persisted for so long, I gave up on that idea and took the new pictures with my camera protected by a rain cover.  It was a pleasant surprise to see that the words stood out quite nicely against the grey background.  Some of my favourite thoughts are expressed below.  

"Us make this community good indeed.  You not afraid here."

(Newaika momook okoke town kloshe wawitka.  Maika hao kwass yukwa)

I didn't know where Henry Tsang found those Chinook words.  I knew some had come into common usage (like "skookum") but I wondered if there is anyone alive today who remembers this jargon enough to carry on a conversation, or whether it has been recorded or documented by researchers.  This article says:
"Used to facilitate communication between multiple indigenous cultures, the Chinook Jargon was used in the 19th century in Oregon, British Columbia and Alaska.  It was made up of various spoken languages used by inhabitants of the region (today’s False Creek) and eventually evolved to incorporating French, English and Asian words."   
Finally, I had the idea to write Henry Tsang, and just a couple of hours ago, received this very kind response to my question: "The original text I wrote keeping in mind the (then) upcoming development and master-planning of False Creek North/Concord Pacific Place and their joint venture with Telus to build what they were marketing as "Canada's First Fibre-Optic Community." Then I had my writing translated by Duane Pasco, an artist in Washington State who used to publish a Chinook Jargon newsletter, into the pidgin, and then literally translated back into English. So what you see on the seawall handrail is the second hand versions of the original texts that I wrote."  Well, how exciting to be able to communicate with the artist and to receive such a prompt answer.  Thank you ever so much, Henry Tsang!
I like to think that the words, "Land future it be now" indicate that the people of that time understood the need to take care of the land, although I know False Creek was very polluted for a long time.  Or, perhaps, those words hint of a "power of now" philosophy. 

The words in the photo below refer to the artist's use of a fibre optic cable light under the letters to give them a colourful glow after dark.  

"Greetings. Good you arrive here where light be under land."

My plan is to go back one evening to try and capture that, although I did read in this article that maintaining public art is not easy.  Apparently, even some years ago, corrosion and failing bulbs had caused many of the lights to flicker and fade. 

If success of an art piece can be measured by the extent and quality of thought it has stimulated or pleasure it has provided, then Henry Tsang's "Welcome to the Land of Light" is, to me, a wonderful achievement.

ONE SUNNY DAY

There was only one day in the past ten that could truly be described as sunny.  Black Jack and I took the False Creek Ferry to Granville island. From there we walked to Vanier Park where we hung out for a while before retracing our steps.  The shot below was taken through the doorway of the ferry and between the high-rises as we moved along at a good speed.  That bit of turquoise at the centre is a mural on a dilapidated building at the Granville Bridge exit.  it is amazing to me that the camera gathered together so many sights in one image. 

When we got off the ferry, I was struck by the intricate patterns and lines in this rock at the edge of the water.

We walked along the seawall past the fishing boats to a little pond that we both enjoy.  I like to watch the ducks; Black Jack seems to love to sit on this cement seat overlooking the pond.  I think she was hoping for a treat in this photo, but she was also enjoying the sun's warmth. 

Mallards are so common, it always seems a bit sad that people barely notice them.  These two were enjoying a few minutes of peace until..

this Common Merganser couple swam by.

The drake rose up in anger and there was a bit of a kerfuffle that I mostly missed because my big lens was too close to the action.

It ended as quickly as it had started, and the female climbed up on this rock..

where she proceeded to do what ducks do.  Can you imagine scratching your face with one foot while standing on the other?

We walked on until we reached Vanier Park, where I watched the geese take off and land noisily.  There were gaggles and gaggles of them.  Can one say that?  They rarely spent more than a few minutes in one spot before announcing at the top of their lungs to all who would listen..

that they were going to move a few feet along the waterway.  Geese in Vancouver do not migrate, but it seems to me, their short distances traveled, often in V formation, are a kind of fake migration ingrained from a time of the past.  

This sculpture, titled "The Gate to the Northwest Passage" has been in Vanier Park since I've lived in Vancouver (coming up to 15 years).  Most of the time, I am barely aware of it, but when I do take a moment to look at it, I usually face straight through the opening.  But, on this sunny day, I thought it looked as though it were walking jauntily across the park.  I approached, read its title and took a photograph.

I appreciated it most one day in the summer of 2009 when I saw one of the juvenile Bald Eagles resting on top of it after one of his/her first flights.  Perhaps a different camera caused the metal to appear a rustier orange colour, or perhaps it has continued to weather since then.  As you can see, I gave most of my attention to the eagle.  

This morning, looking at my "walking"  sculpture, I decided to do a little bit of research.  I laughed a little, but also felt sorry for the artist, Alan Chung Hung, when I found this article.  I imagined his feelings must have been hurt when he read these words: 
"A five-member jury headed by former parks superintendent Stuart Lefeaux selected Chung Hung's proposal from a local competition and the Parks Board approved the choice. Gordon Smith, a member of the selection panel, said, "If people think Hung's sculpture is a poor catch, they should have seen the ones that got away."
I thought that Mr. Chung Hung may have long since accepted that the public's response to art is often emotional.  Many are unwilling or unable to take time to explore beyond the surface impressions of new art.  And, I thought that he did have the last laugh since his sculpture has lived on for 23 years, in spite of heavy criticism at the outset.  Then, in the way that googling adventures work, I ended up at Terry Power's flickr site, admiring a photograph that really brought out the best in the sculpture.  I hope you will take a moment to check out this link, as I cannot post it here without permission, and it is truly an example of the kind of photography I aspire to.  Terry Power's words also had quite a profound affect on me:  "I find that taking a photograph of public art can sometimes be a little tricky. Not that it can be tricky to actually take the photograph, or that security guards are going to chase you away, but I tend to feel that the photographer needs to add something to the frame (not literally, of course) to make an image that isn’t just a photo of ‘someone else’s art’." Why had I never thought of that myself? That thought led me to the idea that taking a photograph of someone's art requires a touch of reverence and more than a little awareness that one owes the artist at least the very best work one is capable of doing. Finally, that thought took me to the public art registry where I found that Alan Chung Hung is no longer living though he was only a year older than I am. My heart dropped as I learned that he had died of cancer while traveling back to Vancouver from Hong Kong. Most likely, he had wanted to see his place of birth one more time before he died. And, the final piece of the puzzle, I found these words that brought him back from the dead and into my life: "As I sit in the bush in the morning hours watching the buds grow, I become one of them - grow with them - from energy out of the earth. How strange our life is...we come from earth, return to earth but drawing life from death. I thrive on rule and order...appreciate definitions we make in our cultural history... love fairy tales...fantasies...and illusions flashing across my mind! I am of the earth but growing in a fiery search of myself in contraditions and will be reborn from the ashes of desire." 
Suffice to say that I will never look at "Gateway to a Northwest Passage the same way again, or, for that matter, any other works of art.  I have learned many lessons this morning and I thank my wonderful teachers.
     
As we walked back to Granville Island to catch the ferry home, I took some time to enjoy the reflections of fishing boats and the busy complexity of the scenes created by the..

Burrard Bridge pillars, the high-rises and the masts and poles extended every which way.

Waiting for the False Creek Ferry to take us home, this seagull hung around at the terminal, sitting in silver-blue waves and reflections cast over the water..

by the little blue boats.

2ND TRIP TO BOUNDARY BAY 
Just as bountiful in grey!

Visiting Boundary Bay for the second time did not yield the blue skies of an earlier trip (shown at the end of this post) but it was every bit as exciting.  I had planned to post most of the pictures in a Wild Bird Wednesday post but have missed yet another deadline.  Perhaps, they will go into tomorrow Camera Critters post.  There are way too many to add here, but i will put just one Snowy Owl with "lips" pursed and eyes half closed to give a taste of the day.

Bill, looking ruggedly handsome.. (I can say that..  right?) 

divided his time between keeping Black Jack happy (mission accomplished)..

and helping me scout out photo opportunities.  As always, I am enormously grateful to him for the day!  There are many more pictures to come of this eagle but for now, I just point out his/her very dark eyes.  So dark, I wondered if s/he had an eye problem, but perhaps, it was just a matter of stained feathers around the eyes.

I include three pictures..

to leave no doubt of Black Jack's..

wild enthusiasm..

and one picture of Henry Wong (on the right) of Broadway Camera fame.  He spends his two free days a week in the outdoors doing what he loves in both his work and play life.  He sold me my camera and I've never stopped being grateful for his expertise, deep enthusiasm for wildlife photography and genuine concern for his customers.  That camera (Nikon D90) has served me for at least four years and has taken thousands and thousands of pictures.  Wherever Henry goes with his camera, he meets friends.  He is truly well known in the Vancouver community.  Thank you, Henry!  

I'll leave you with this series of a heron..  

that floated by..

near the end of our Boundary Bay visit.

It clearly had a story to tell, and so, it seems, do I.  

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and thanks so much for dropping by my blog.  I am posting this to Skywatch Friday, since I at least have the day right :)  and there has been more than a little mention of skies here.  For other skies from around the world, I hope you will take a little time to drop by that most excellent blog meme.  Its extraordinary administrator, Sandy Carlson, is stepping down and the search is on for someone to take her place.  You can leave a comment on her blog if you are interested.  In the mean time, she is owed an enormous debt of thanks for her consistently first-rate work to keep the meme running smoothly.  Thank you, Sandy!!