Winter Residents

Living in the heart of Kitsilano as I do, I am but a moments stroll from an amazing array of photographic subjects.  I run along the beach on a regular basis and those runs take me past Kits Beach, Jericho Beach and Spanish Banks.  There are two sailing clubs in the immediate vicinity, one public and another private.  And there is a series of ponds that are home to a host of birds, many of whom overwinter in Vancouver.  Today I headed for the pond at Jericho Beach.


Many people feed the local waterfowl and they'll let you approach within a few feet.  In fact if the ducks see you coming and you look like you have seed or breadcrumbs, they'll make a beeline for you.  The resident blackbirds are a little more reclusive, but they'll reward you with their presence if you are patient.


I struggled today to get a decent exposure of this blackbird today, as the light was flat and over cast, and the blackbird IS black and he was perched on the very light bullrushes.  So my ratios between highlights and shadows were pushing my limits.  And being on a Sunday there were lots of dogs and people around.


For the first time I realized that blackbirds can, and actually will, puff up their red and yellow shoulder patches when the make a territorial cry.  They look like little Sergeant-at-Arms with flashy epaulettes.  'Course I missed that shot!  Maybe next time, now that I know what to look for. I chose my Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VRII for my walkaround lens today with my Nikon D3s.  I had no idea what I wanted to shoot, and never intended to go 'birding'.  I would have been better served by my 200-400mm f/4 zoom.


Oh, and I ran 10 kilometers this morning.  Was going to take a camera, but didn't.  Will next time.


- Vince Hemingson -