Personalized Gifts

The perfect greeting cards for bird lovers!  Black Oystercatchers are one of the most approachable all-year-round shorebirds in Metro Vancouver. Their bright red bills, arresting yellow eyes, and red mascara will grab your attention from the start. Some will even walk right up to you--giving you the chance for some great opportunities. If they are very comfortable around you, they will go about their business as if you are not even there. It was a red-letter day to not just see two, but seven Black Oystercatchers working the same shoreline, along with a late-migrant Whimbrel and a solitary Snow Bunting.

Black Oystercatcher See, Black Oystercatcher Do

I was privileged to see a Saker Falcon in the feathers a couple of years ago. This female was so well-mannered with the large (and often noisy) crowds in attendance, as a matter of fact, that her handler rarely needed to be present to tend to her feathered charge! Chosen for thousands of years as a popular falconry bird for its exceptional trainability, this large, pale Eurasian beauty is sadly--despite being endowed with great hunting prowess, power, and speed--an endangered hierofalcon species thanks to loss and destruction of its habitat. 

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Vignetted Portrait of an Inquisitive Saker Falcon

If someone combined the adorably big head and black eyes of a Black-Capped Chickadee with the colours and bill of a Kookaburra in a Jay-sized body, they'd have the whimsically-named Whiskeyjack. Also known by its less colourful aliases of Canada Jay and Gray Jay, we saw no fewer than six at Manning Park's Lightning Lake, where they would boldly descend on picnic tables in the hopes of free handouts.

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Profile of a Cute Grey Jay / Whiskeyjack

Chasing the blue and gold: my first day with the 100mm macro lens. The allure of our front lawn California Lilac in full bloom with hundreds of bluish-purple clusters on the front lawn is irresistible to local honeybees and other pollinators. In fact, this bush resembles a purple beehive in late spring/early summer. 

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Beautiful Honeybee on the California Lilac

A White-Crowned Sparrow welcomes the day (and enchants its rapt listeners) with a simple but sweet song. As spring turns into summer, we see more and more of this beautiful songbird, who often forages solo, too.

A White-Crowned Sparrow Sings to the Sun

The perfect greeting cards for bird lovers!  A rare moment of co-operation and tenderness between Sanderlings (who are more likely to go solo or chase each other during their hunts) in their search for snacks on the shore.

Cute Pair of Sanderlings Sandpipers Shares a Meal

This is my second visit to Surrey's Elgin Heritage Park, and I really wished to see a Golden-Crowned Kinglet again, my first photos of it on a deciduous tree being nothing but blurs. My wish was granted with one of several accomplished singers in a giant fir tree, a high-energy, multi-tasking (being able to sing, and flit from branch to branch while hunting for insects) Golden-Crowned Kinglet, who nevertheless proved to be a challenging subject to capture.

Cute Kinglet Songbird Causes Stir in the Fir

My closest encounter with a magnificent male Pileated Woodpecker, who was busy carving out a hole in a very tall tree. Rather than be spooked by the presence of a photographer nearby, this largest of North American woodpeckers would stop briefly to see who was rustling the dead leaves on the forest floor, and then resume his woodworking activities. Photographed on Galiano Island in the early evening of July 3, 2017.

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Beautiful Pileated Woodpecker on the Tree

Add a touch of furry whimsy to the living room, bed room, or any room in your home with this cute, pet-themed throw, which features the intelligent and gorgeous Papillon.

A brief detour from birding led to a chance encounter with two furry new friends at Ladner Harbor Park: a couple of adorable and oh so well behaved Papillon dogs, a very old Belgian/French breed of parti-color toy spaniels so named for their elegant, butterfly-like ears. Photographed in early October 2022.  

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

- Blank search: mojo_throwpillow 20x20 cotton

Cute Papillon Toy Spaniel Dog at the Dock Throw Pillow

Part brainteaser, part assemble-it-yourself art, this challenging, floral-themed puzzle, which features an eclectic mix of tall and low-growing succulents in a large planter, lit by the afternoon summer sun, is great for building muscle memory.

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Various Succulents in Large Planter Jigsaw Puzzle

Slate-Colored Dark-Eyed Junco on the Pear Tree Post-it Notes

Slate-Colored Dark-Eyed Junco on the Pear Tree Leggings

Slate-Colored Dark-Eyed Junco on the Pear Tree Serving Tray

Slate-Colored Dark-Eyed Junco on the Pear Tree Tote Bag

Slate-Colored Dark-Eyed Junco on the Pear Tree Placemat

Dark-Eyed Junco Sparrow Songbird on Pear Tree Label

The first full day of snow in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, saw many fluffed up songbirds in the backyard perched on the fruit trees for most of the day, including at least two Cassiar Dark-Eyed Juncos (an intergrade of Slate-Colored and Oregon varieties), like this chubby little number here.  Photographed on December 9, 2016.

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

WWN Slate-Colored/Oregon Dark-Eyed Junco on the Pear Tree

Add a touch of nature and the colors of fall to the living room, bedroom, and even picnics and outdoor events with this elegant, floral-themed fleece blanket, which features stunning red and gold autumn chrysanthemums.

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Stunning Red Gold Autumn Chrysanthemum Flowers Fleece Blanket

My first encounter with a bold and friendly Ash-Throated Flycatcher, who was only too happy to crack a large and ebullient smile for my lens between hawking for grasshoppers on a sunny autumn afternoon. Photographed in mid-October 2020.

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

- Blank search: zazzle_postcard2 4.25x5.6 175ptmatte 4color none none

Smiling Ash-Throated Flycatcher Songbird on Branch Postcard

Vignetted Profile of a Peregrine Falcon Luggage Tag

Stunning Vignetted Profile of a Peregrine Falcon Glass Coaster

Stunning Vignetted Profile of a Peregrine Falcon Large Christmas Stocking

Vignetted Profile of a Peregrine Falcon Tie

Vignetted Profile of a Peregrine Falcon Bath Towel Set

Add fun to family reunions, picnics, BBQs, and garden parties with this wildlife-themed cornhole game, which features eye-to-eye encounters with two of the most iconic and recognizable raptors from North America: a Peregrine Falcon and a Bald Eagle. Personalize with team names, or use as is.

Design © W.H. Sim, All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

WWN Vignetted Profile of a Peregrine Falcon

Keep notes, reminders, and more in this whimsical, wildlife-themed journal. The perfect choice for bird lovers! One of two Hooded Merganser drakes who was practising his courtship rituals (without benefit of a female audience). He must have been pretty surprised to see his maneuvers recorded!

Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Black Oystercatcher See, Black Oystercatcher Do

Black Oystercatcher See, Black Oystercatcher Do

More from Walks with Nature

Other personalized gifts from various stores