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British Columbia Wildlife Photographer
Melissa Alves

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Barred Owl, December 20, 2021 — Animal Facts

Barred Owls

This particular post is long overdue. Barred Owls are a frequent subject of mine, and…

Rufous Hummingbird — Animal Facts

Rufous Hummingbirds

Each spring, Britsh Columbia welcomes back little orange dynamos known as Rufous Hummingbirds. These hummingbirds…

Barred Owl — Birding

Barred Owl Baby Watch 2022

Owls are a captivating subject for most birders, with baby owls being a particular delight…

Pacific Wren — Animal Facts

Pacific Wren

The Pacific Wren has somehow managed to be one of the loudest birds in the…

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This Barred Owl waits as the sun sets for some pre

This Barred Owl waits as the sun sets for some prey to appear on the path. One bunny already got away from her, and she's keen to not let it happen again.

Fun facts from @cornellbirds:

🔸 A population of Barred Owls living in Mexico was officially 'split' from other Barred Owls, and named Cinereous Owls in 2021. Before that, they were considered to be a subspecies

🔸 Generally, Barred Owls do not move around much. The 158 birds that were banded and then found later hadn't moved more than 9.5 km (6 miles ) away from their original spot. Despite this, Barred Owls have expanded west into the territory of the Spotted Owl, threatening a species already threatened by habitat loss. (Support Spotted Owl captive breeding and release by visiting @nsobreeding!)

If you enjoy my work, consider visiting my Support page — link in bio! And be sure to hit that follow button

🆔 Barred Owl
📍Delta, BC
🗓️ July 13, 2022
📸 Canon 90D with Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 C DG OS

#Nuts_About_Birds #YourShotPhotographer #Women_Wildlife_Photography #WingsOverTheRockies_2022 #ShareCanGeo #BBCWildlifePOTD #Wildlife_Perfection #BCBirdTrail #CWFEncounters #Raw_Birds #Raw_Community #ShareCCPC #BirdWatching #BirdPhotography #BCBirds #Elite_Owls #Owls #BarredOwls

One of my favourite spring visitors, the Western T

One of my favourite spring visitors, the Western Tanager!

Fun facts from @cornellbirds:

🔸 At one point, it was thought that western tanagers posed a significant threat to fruit crops, with one observer in 1896 writing “the damage done to cherries in one orchard was so great that the sales of the fruit which was left did not balance the bills paid out for poison and ammunition.” Thankfully, it's now illegal to shoot these birds

🔸 Western Tanagers are unable to produce the red pigment on their feathers on their own. The pigment is called rhodoxanthin, and they probably obtain it from insects in their diet

If you enjoy my work, consider visiting my Support page — link in bio! And be sure to hit that follow button

🆔 Western Tanager
📍Delta, BC
🗓️ May 20, 2022
📸 Canon 90D with Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 C DG OS

#Nuts_About_Birds #YourShotPhotographer #Women_Wildlife_Photography #WingsOverTheRockies_2022 #ShareCanGeo #BBCWildlifePOTD #Wildlife_Perfection #BCBirdTrail #CWFEncounters #Raw_Birds #Raw_Community #ShareCCPC #Bird #BirdWatching #BirdPhotography #BirdsOfInstagram #WesternTanager

A male Anna's Hummingbird looks directly at me to

A male Anna's Hummingbird looks directly at me to show off those beautiful pink gorget feathers

Some facts (per @cornellbirds)
🔸 Anna's Hummingbirds originate in Baja California, but by planting flowering trees (a source of both food and housing) this hummingbird has spread all the way to British Columbia and more

🔸 Hummingbirds are only found in North and South America, confusing colonizers. They wondered if they were a cross between birds and insects

If you enjoy my work, consider visiting my Support page — link in bio! And be sure to hit that follow button

🆔 Anna's Hummingbird
📍Delta, BC
🗓️ June 26, 2022
📸 Canon 90D with Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 C DG OS

#Nuts_About_Birds #YourShotPhotographer #Women_Wildlife_Photography #WingsOverTheRockies_2022 #ShareCanGeo #BBCWildlifePOTD #Wildlife_Perfection #BCBirdTrail #CWFEncounters #Raw_Birds #Raw_Community #ShareCCPC #BirdWatching #BirdPhotography #BCBirds #Hummingbirds

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