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Fall and winter bring great numbers of Dark-Eyed Juncos to Metro Vancouver--and these colorful sparrows are second in number only to the diminutive Bushtits for the most commonly seen songbirds in our yard during these times of the year. This lovely female was quite aware that the camera was trained on her, and made an extra effort to give me her best pose.

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

Dark-Eyed Junco on a Limb

Feeling a little blue? A little blue, thanks to this accommodating male Mountain Bluebird, might actually do the trick and cheer you up! The perfect notecards for bird lovers! 

My second encounter with a male Mountain Bluebird. We are gifted, albeit very briefly, with the presence of these beautiful songbirds at the start of the spring season before they head to higher ground to breed. Those stunning cerulean colors stand out on a dreary landscape, even from a distance. When he wasn't busy diving for insects on the local beach, he was highpointing it on driftwood and stalks of dessicated tansy. Photographed at Boundary Bay Regional Park in early spring 2017.

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

Beautiful Mountain Bluebird

This pose is the cat's meow! This neighbourhood cat has been very neighbourly since summer 2014 ... visiting regularly for her dose of birdwatching, cuddles, and saucer of milk. Here she is, posing next to the camellia leaves on a wet and gloomy day.

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

Whimsical The Cat and the Camellia

The perfect greeting cards for cat lovers!  This l'il shadowboxer looks like s/he means business, but that stern expression belies a very friendly nature. It takes a very trusting feline to walk right up to a complete stranger, lie on the ground, and roll around several times (showing belly) in the parking lot at the Ladner Harbour Park (where it looks like a film shoot or a local festival is being set up) as if she's known you all her life. She certainly knows how to play up to the camera -- those yellow eyes never leave it (maybe she's a studio cat)! Oh, and she came by to rub my legs after she finished with her sandbath.

Cute Shadowboxing Orange Tabby Cat in the Gravel

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

A presumed hobby farm escapee, this adult male Mandarin Duck has been seen in the company of the Wood Ducks of Piper Spit. He has called Burnaby Lake home since he was first spotted in 2018. His stunning pastiche of ruffs, dazzling color palette, and "fins" make him such a dreamboat to photograph. Mother Nature left nothing to the artist's imagination when she made this creature! Photographed at Burnaby Lake in early March 2020.

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

Stunning Mandarin Duck at the Pond Greeting

An unusual bird to see in Metro Vancouver during the fall migratory bird season, this Buff-Breasted Sandpiper was one of two I had the opportunity to photograph up close, and one of five spotted here in 2016. Like the Sanderling, the BBSA is exceedingly comfortable around humans. 

The BBSA is special for another reason: fewer than 80,000 individuals are estimated worldwide (per data from migration sites and its allaboutbirds.org/guide/Buff-breasted_Sandpiper/id profile; actual figures are difficult to obtain, as it does not always exhibit nest fidelity), making it a Near Threatened species. Its dainty, dove-like head, short bill, and buff coloration make it one of the easier peeps to identify. It is a transcontinental bird, flying northwards to breed in the arctic, and wintering in South America.

Rather comically, this one spent some time chasing the other one off. Apparently, it wanted the attention of the photographers all to itself! When it wasn't hogging the limelight, it made sure every lens was trained on it -- regardless of what it was doing -- foraging, resting on the grass, or grooming its feathers.  Photographed in late August 2016.

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

Profile of a Buff-Breasted Sandpiper at the Beach

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

Bonaparte's Gull at the Beach Classic Round Sticker

Bonaparte's Gull at the Beach Notebook

My first encounter with the dapper little Bonaparte's Gull in breeding plumage. It's always nice to see birds in their breeding plumage, and this was a much-anticipated moment for me with this small shorebird. This was the lone member of its species at Boundary Bay Regional Park on Global Big Day 2016!

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

WWN Bonaparte's Gull at the Beach

In Memory of a Beloved Pet Memorial Ceramic Tile

In Memory of a Beloved Pet Memorial Guest Book

Stella (the Grey) was an adventurous lady who never lost her youthful spirit, independence, or zest for adventure. Her playful personality belied her actual age by many, many years. She stared down dogs much bigger than herself; loved her humans; and welcomed the laps and attentions of friend and stranger. She will be missed by many.

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

WWN In Memory of a Beloved Pet Memorial

Add a touch of nature to the living room with this wildlife-themed lampshade cover.  The sudden appearance of three Bald Eagles--working the waters of Boundary Bay Regional Park--sends thousands of American Wigeons (and the odd Northern Pintail) into the sunny but chilly late November skies.

Stunning Winter Ducks in Flight Ceiling Lamp

Part brainteaser, part assemble-it-yourself art, this challenging, wildlife-themed puzzle is great for improving muscle memory. 

Mother Nature couldn't let February end without another round of snowfall, which created a feeding frenzy with (at least) 30 Dark-Eyed Juncos for most of the day. But by mid-afternoon, the snow was already melting and the setting sun was out. Photographed in the backyard on February 27, 2017. 

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

Dark-Eyed Junco Sparrow Songbird on Snowy Fence Jigsaw Puzzle

Holding tightly onto a branch on a gusty May 2016 afternoon at Iona Island is this male Yellow-Headed Blackbird. He often stopped for short periods between fetching meals for his offspring. His mate was also in the nearby marsh. My closest encounter with these strikingly-coloured birds!

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

Gorgeous Yellow-Headed Blackbird on a Windy Day Classic Round Sticker

Add a touch of personality to refreshments with this wildlife-themed can cooler. A great gift idea for birders, bird lovers, and nature lovers!

A curious and vocal Marsh Wren darts out of the marsh, long enough for me to snap his photo. Like most wrens found in Metro Vancouver, Marsh Wrens are songbirds that you tend to hear more of than you actually see. Photographed on the shores of the manmade Surrey Lake Park.

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

A Beautiful Marsh Wren in--Where Else?--the Marsh Can Cooler

Cute Little Northern Saw Whet Owls Fleece Blanket

Cute Little Northern Saw Whet Owl Adult Cloth Face Mask

Cute Little Northern Saw Whet Owl Poker Cards

Cute Little Northern Saw Whet Owl Pickleball Paddle

Cute Northern Saw Whet Owl Throw Blanket

Cute Northern Saw Whet Owl Kid's Flip Flops

The Northern Saw Whet Owl is one of the smallest owls native to North America, and its diminutiveness, combined with those oversized black eyes, might make you think that it is, at first glance, a plush toy!

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

Dark-Eyed Junco on a Limb

Dark-Eyed Junco on a Limb

More from Walks with Nature

Other cards from various stores