Dave Kemp Vancouver Island bird photos ... 2002 in review

 

Pictured here are twelve birds that were photographed by Dave Kemp of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, during 2002 and which were featured in this birding blog throughout the year.   Many thanks Dave for sharing your terrific images.

Intrepid Mourning Doves...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Winter stalwarts

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BarrytheBirder

Winter 'Woodies'...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

DOWNY WOODPECKER

Above and below

HAIRY WOODPECKER

Above and below

PILEATED WOODPECKER

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BarrytheBirder

Vancouver Island photos from Dave Kemp...

Photos by Dave Kemp

Northern Harrier

(Circus cyaneus)

Tufted Duck 

(Aythya fuligula)

American Dipper

(Circlus mexicanus)

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BarrytheBirder

Bird carving - 'Ardea alba'

This is one of my favourite bird carvings collected over the past may years.   Unfortunately I lost track of the carver's name, but I purchased it at a countryside studio near Fergus, Ontario.   The life-sized carving (39" tall) is of a breeding Great Egret.

It is distinguished from most other white herons by large size, and from the white morph of the larger Great Blue Heron by black legs and feet.   Common in protected wetlands in southern Ontario.

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 if you wish.

Barry the Birder

 

Cold King Township field...

Photo by BarrytheBirder

 Canada Geese Gleaning

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Barry Wallace

Jamaica scenes...

Photos by BarrytheBirder

Bananaquit

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Barry

Wallace

A few years ago... and today

      Photos by Barry Wallace

Looking south at Bathurst Street (above and at left) at the south-east corner of the Holland Marsh, not so long ago.

Below, looking south on Bathurst Street, after it was pushed and paved up over the King Ridge and became a major traffic corridor between Newmarket and Aurora, and Bradford

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Barry Wallace

Foraging on a fence...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

Crow with a morsel

(Corvus brachyrhynchos)

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BarrytheBirder

More of Dave Kemp's Vancouver Island pictures...

Photos by Dave Kemp

Long-tailed Duck

Scoters

Sea lion

Sculpted by the sea

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Barry Wallace

16th Sideroad of King Township...

 

Photo by BarrytheBirder

BARRED OWL

(Strix varia)

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BarrytheBirder

East coast of Vancouver Island...

Photo by Dave Kemp

 BUFFLEHEAD (female)

(Bucephala albeola)

Smallest duck in North America - often called the "butterball"

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BarrytheBirder

Early January thaw...

Photo by Barry Wallace

The new year of 2023 is starting off with mild weather.  Temperatures are above freezing and snow is mostly melted.  Bird baths have melted and offer a short interval of rest and relief for feathered creatures.

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BarrytheBirder

Trumpeter Swans...

Photos by Barry Wallace

Trumpeter Swan

(Cygnus buccinator)

The Trumpeter Swan is the largest native species in Northern America.   With a wingspan of more than 7 feet and a height of 4 feet, snow-white Trumpeters present a truly spectacular sight.   

The Trumpeter Swan's long neck and feet allow it to easily uproot plants in water up to 4 feet deep.   Depending on the minerals in the water in which they forage, Trumpeters can often take on a rusty iron coloration, as in the photo above.   These big birds were once fairly common throughout a large part of the northern United States and Canada, but market hunting and the millinery trade depleted nesting populations during the 19th century.   Huge numbers of swan skins ended up in Europe to make ladies' powder puffs, while the feathers adorned fashionable hats.    Though decimated over the decades, enough swans survived to become the salvation of the many, many birds that we see today in numerous U.S. and Canadian locations.

Above, mature cygnets and a parent

All photos shown 

here were taken 

in York Region.

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Barry the Birder

Cozumel Birds - Mexico

Photos by Barry Wallace

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BarrytheBirder