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An almost perfectly camouflaged female Great Horned Owl attempts to catch some shuteye in the neighbor's 100-foot Douglas Fir on a rainy fall day, only to be subjected to the verbal and physical harangues of nine Northwestern Crows. After three hours, they finally left her to her beauty sleep. Photographed on November 13, 2016.

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

Great Horned Owl in the Douglas Fir Magnet

Add a touch of nature to any room in your home with this wildlife-themed night light!

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

Beautiful Buff-Breasted Sandpiper at the Beach Magnet

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 Duck in the Afternoon Sun Magnet

A wonderful discovery in Elgin Heritage Park, dressed in burnt orange and black: one of two adult male Black-Headed Grosbeaks foraging in the trees at the start of the trail (with a male Downy Woodpecker for company). This fellow was so curious about me that he came down to a different tree and a lower branch to check out the photographer. Photographed in mid-May 2017.

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

Beautiful Black-Headed Grosbeak in a Tree Magnet

A dark, overcast day lends a painting-like effect to my photo of this Chestnut-Backed Chickadee, who was perched on one of the fruit trees in our backyard and in no particular hurry to nab a seed from the hanging feeding stations.

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

Cute Chestnut-Backed Chickadee Songbird in Tree Magnet

One of 7 Killdeer frequenting the mudflats near the pumphouse at Boundary Bay Regional Park / Centennial Beach after the first snowfall blanketed the Metro Vancouver region and turned normally flowing watercourses into frozen lakes of ice and snow. In my 2 years of birding, I have never encountered Killdeer at this time of the year (winter is a week away), let alone under the current weather conditions. Photographed in mid-December 2016 during an unseasonably prolonged cold snap.

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

Killdeer in the Freezing Mudflats Magnet

It's not a Pacific Northwest winter unless you see the Varied Thrush. One of my favorite backyard birds to see (and a highly elusive one at that), this songbird has a stunning beauty to match the hauntingly beautiful timbre of its song. This handsome fellow was foraging in the backyard with several other wintering birds when I photographed him from the second floor--giving me a rare bird's eye view of t him. We almost never see them during the summer when they spend that season northwards in Alaska, but the call of the colder seasons of the year brings them back to us. Photographed in mid-January 2017.

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

Stunning Varied Thrush on the Lawn Magnet

On a very memorable Boxing Day 2017, a dozen of these enchanting but highly reclusive songbirds were frequenting the trees and vocalizing near the Burnaby Lake Nature House at Piper Spit. Many were indulging in the generous winter feast of millet and sunflower seeds put out by some well-meaning birders. None seemed particularly concerned about the presence of photographers, and I daresay some of the subjects even worked the cameras with their pretty poses!

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

Stunning Varied Thrush Songbird on Snowy Ground Magnet

Bonaparte's Gull at the Beach Flask

Bonaparte's Gull at the Beach Classic Round Sticker

Stunning Bonaparte's Gull Seabird at the Beach Coaster

Bonaparte's Gull at the Beach Trinket Tray

Bonaparte's Gull at the Beach Wall Sticker

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

Add a touch of nature to festive year-end celebrations with this whimsical, wildlife-themed Christmas stocking. Personalize with a name or meme. Reverse (for double-sided option) shows identical design. Great for the bird or nature lover on your gift list!

A perfect start to an early winter morning: a male Red-Shafted Northern Flicker roots around in the (still frost-free) grasses of the front lawn for tasty grubs and worms. After 15 minutes of "grazing", North America's second-largest woodpecker was still there, so I decided to photograph him lounging in the grass. I knew I was going to only get one shot with my subject looking over his shoulder and flashing that bright red mustache once the front door squeaked open (if even that), so it was to my great surprise that I ended up with five shots, and this was the best of the bunch.

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

Stunning Red-Shafted Northern Flicker Woodpecker Large Christmas Stocking

Add a touch of nature and spring to the bathroom with this towel set, which features the sun-dappled leaves of an old-growth forest.

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

Sun-Dappled Leaves in the Forest Bath Towel Set

Say goodbye to boring and get noticed with these double-sided, wildlife-themed business cards! Perfect for promoting wildlife tour and nature expedition businesses. Includes fields for business name, individual name, email address, mailing address, and contact number.

When you're this small and round, even watching you eat is a cute experience! Saw more of the tiny Sanderlings at the Boundary Bay Regional Park beach, just before Valentine's Day 2017. This one was foraging on the shoreline with 20 others of its kind, dining on the remnants of clams that had been already picked apart by gulls. 

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

Sanderling Birdwatching / Nature Tours Business Card

Add a touch of nature and whimsy with your golf game with this wildlife-themed club head cover!

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

Male Anna's Hummingbird on the Plum Tree Golf Head Cover

Stunning Varied Thrush Songbird on Snowy Day Wall Sticker

Stunning Varied Thrush Songbird on Snowy Day Ceramic Knob

Beautiful Varied Thrush on a Snowy Winter's Day Bath Towel Set

Varied Thrush Songbird on Snowy Winter Day Round Pillow

Stunning Varied Thrush Songbird on Snowy Day Ceramic Tile

After sitting outside for an hour and a half as the afternoon snow fell quickly and in fat clumps this afternoon, this beautiful male Varied Thrush finally ventured to the bowl of the seed on the ground. Occasionally, he would look up and gaze in my direction before resuming his meal. After eating his fill (and keeping the other, smaller songbirds at bay), he returned to flipping leaf litter under the thicket. My first time photographing a Varied Thrush in the snow. Taken in early February 2017. 

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

WWN Stunning Varied Thrush in the Driving Snow

Add a touch of nature and elegance to your laptop or computer with this floral-themed mousepad. 

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

Great Horned Owl in the Douglas Fir Magnet

Great Horned Owl in the Douglas Fir Magnet

More from Walks with Nature

Other magnets from various stores