Fighting over a vole in mid air…Note the vole in the left side of owl claw.

The snowy owls return after a 4 year absence.

A rare opportunity for a Merlin to be so accommodating.
Taken at Iona in Richmond.

At first these few yellow legs at the pond in Elgin Park seemed a bit timid and flew to the other side, but as I lay down in the grass with camera on the ground, they eventually wandered over to my side, and at times were even too close for the lens. Not even the shutter noise bothered them.

Finally some of the birds are back and hanging around the marsh at Iona.
It’s hard to miss them from the distinct cat like call they make..or something like a baby crying.

When I first posted the images of the couple together, I went back and for two weeks there was not a bird to be found on this nest, so I almost gave up hope, and thought they had moved somewhere else.
Upon checking again over the last week now it seems they just decided this was the place to be.

My belief is there is already eggs in the nest, because the female sits there mostly on guard
until the male brings her a fish, then she goes into a nearby tree and eats it.
 Perhaps they keep mating for reassurance.
This is something I have not researched on thier behaviour. I guess I should find out more.

Out in the Crescent Park area, I heard the ratatat of this pileated.
It’s rare for me to get such a close and unobstructed view of one, so this was  a good find.
 A good chunk of the tree has been eaten away so it must be popular.

It seems I always hear one while being there, but never get to actually see them.

After a year of absence, the nest was rebuilt and the osprey are using it again. My guess and from talking to a fellow photographer is that the birds were unsuccsessful in having young last year.

Today I checked the nest and it was full of action. Yippee!

Another of the pair rebuilding the nest.
I’m going to be checking it on a regular basis and adding more to this post.

A few short eared owls have been turning up at Boundary Bay.

Gave me a nice opportunity to try out the new 300mm 2.8

There is something to be said about bird photography, and not only does it get a person addicted, but I find there can actually be withdrawals from not gettting out clickng that shutter.
I was reading a very interesting website about just this.
Very much worth a read.

http://www.onthewingphotography.com/wings/2011/02/08/so-ya-think-ya-want-to-be-a-bird-photographer/