Personalized Gifts

Easily recognizable from far away by their enormous bills, Northern Shovelers, although generally not skittish around humans, do keep themselves at a fair distance from spotting scopes and cameras, and frequent nearby bodies of water or sandbars. This fellow, on the other hand, was just inches from me, feeding just inches from the shore at the local wildlife habitat for quite a few moments before moving on.

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

Closeup of a Handsome Northern Shoveler Duck

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

Fresh from their swim in one of the local wildlife refuge ponds, a pair of young Canada Goose goslings plays around in the grass under the watchful eyes of its protective parents.

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

A Pair of Playful Canada Goose Goslings

The perfect greeting cards for bird lovers!  There's lots to be admired when you're a Hooded Merganser. Crests are your specialty, whether you're the male or the female. The ladies have lovely cinnamon crests, and the gentlemen inflatable black-and-white numbers complemented by a one-size-fits-all black tux for all seasons with a swath of reddish brown on their sides.

A Meeting of Hooded Mergansers

Mid-autumn brings the return of Buffleheads to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. While one or two of these diminutive ducks will partake of the birdseed thrown in the water, the rest generally keep their distance from humans and the other duck species.
 
Based on the original photography of W.H. Sim. All Rights Reserved. See more at zazzle.com/walkswithnature

Male Bufflehead in the Afternoon Sun

The perfect greeting cards 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!

A Surprised Hooded Merganser

Tulips come in many colours, but these white-and-purple ones really broke the mold. Photographed in one of the flower beds at the top of Queen Elizabeth Park, the site of an extinct volcano.

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

Elegant White Purple Flaming Flag Triumph Tulips

Our resident adult male Anna's hummingbird has never let me photograph him at close range, but on one evening in late May 2016, he came to sit on one of the old plum tree branches, just a few feet away from me. 

Perhaps, after seeing how comfortable the four visiting Rufous hummingbirds were around me, he probably figured that there wasn't anything scary about me -- and that I might even afford him some protection from the little hellraisers. So rather than being on the receiving end of his metallic scratchy or tick-tick-tick calls, he stared for a few moments into my lens, and then went to feed from the nectar feeder before making a much less frenzied exit than was his usual style.

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

Stunning Anna's Hummingbird on Plum Tree Greeting

Add a touch of nature and whimsy to your coffee, tea, or favourite hot drink with this wildlife-themed mug! The perfect gift idea for bird lovers! 

As with many yellow summer birds on my watch list, I have been pursuing this beautiful warbler and prolific singer for quite some time. Two years ago, I heard his trademark witchety-witchety-witchety birdsong and have since gotten few and frequently shaded glimpses of his rakish black mask and bright yellow breast through local shrubs and bushes. This is the closest I have come to photographing him out in the open. 

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

Beautiful Common Yellowthroat Warbler Songbird Mug

Add a touch of nature to the bedroom or living room with this wildlife-themed throw. The perfect choice for bird lovers! 

If the legendary celestial phoenix had an earthly form, it would have to be this creature. Golden Pheasants are showstoppers, wherever you see them. In their natural environment, these shy creatures seek the underbrush in the day and roost high in trees at night. As with most birds in the avian kingdom, the males are the ones who dress to impress, and this uncharacteristically bold fellow is no exception. This is the red gold variant. 

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

Profile of a Red Golden Pheasant Throw Pillow

Add a touch of nature to any room with this wildlife-themed clock! Customize with or without numbers, and choose from round or square designs. 

Close encounter with of one of several stunning spring aerialists, a handsome male Tree Swallow taking five on the wire at Iona Island, BC, Canada. Their less strikingly colored female counterparts have yet to arrive. Photographed in late March 2021. 

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

Stunning Tree Swallow Songbird in Springtime Sun Clock

Elegant Maple Leaf Tulips Ceiling Lamp

Elegant Floral Maple Leaf Red White Tulips Label

These striking two-tone maple leaf tulips were created specifically to celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.

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

WWN Elegant Maple Leaf Tulips

Cute Blue Jay Songbird on Treestump Keychain

Cute Blue Jay Songbird on Treestump Watch

Cute Blue Jay Songbird on Treestump Throw Blanket

Cute Blue Jay Songbird on Treestump Drawstring Bag

Cute Blue Jay Songbird on Treestump Adult Cloth Face Mask

Cute Blue Jay Songbird on Treestump Label

Blue Jays may be one of North America's most iconic bird species, but they are rarely found on the West Coast. However, this one has discovered that Ladner Harbor Park in beautiful British Columbia is a great place to hang out and avoid the nasty snowfalls of the east. 

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

WWN Bold Blue Jay Songbird on the Stump

This is the first time I've been to Stanley Park in the autumn. On this chilly day, the waters were swimming with so much waterfowl, including American Wigeons, Black Oystercatchers, Surf Scoters, Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Harlequin Ducks, Double-Crested Cormorants, the odd Pied-Billed Grebe, and hundreds of Barrow's Goldeneyes. What surprised me was how comfortable (and perhaps, even curious) some of these seabirds were with the various human users (bikers, hikers, dogwalkers), of the Stanley Park Seawall. This is the closest I've gotten to one particularly curious Barrow's Goldeneye.

Profile of a Barrow's Goldeneye Magnet

Add a touch of nature to your walls with this floral-themed photo print!  The hibiscus is a familiar and popular sight in many private and public gardens, and will also draw the interest of hummingbirds. Some varieties can grow to the size of dinner plates! I snapped this blooming beauty in the backyard.

Closeup of a Handsome Northern Shoveler Duck

Closeup of a Handsome Northern Shoveler Duck

More from Walks with Nature

Other personalized gifts from various stores