I stopped regularity bringing my camera out birding a year or more ago. In part because it’s a distraction, but also because it is heavy.
On top of that, knowing that any photographs I post here (and anything I write as well) will be stolen and dumped into the slurry of data being feed to LLMs by amoral companies doesn’t encourage me to share.
Generating synthetic text and images may appear as harmless fun, but there are serious repercussions when they accidentally or intentionally start polluting discourse and data. Two recent articles I’d recommend reading:
With that said, here are some recent photography from Stanley Park.
Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus)
Red-necked Phalarope (*Phalaropus lobatus*)
Red-necked Phalaropes are only slightly larger than House Sparrows, but spend upwards of nine months of the year in the open ocean. I was lucky to see this one passing through on migration.
Another season draws to a close. Another lesson in impermanence. Most of the nests have fledged, and I’ve been worn down from birding the city streets, engulfed by traffic noise and concrete.
Above is a photo of our long-time banded friend from Pyramid Nest. This adult has been at nesting here since at least 2024. Pyramid Nest usually provides a lot of good photos, but this year my schedule seemed to be out of sync with the chicks and I rarely saw them.
During the morning I spotted numerous fledgling gulls in the air, calling loudly as they pursued their parents. Several of the nests are now empty – no fledglings, no adults.
Another week or two will and young gulls will be scattered around the city.
Calling Gull
Calling Gull
This adult was calling atop a building near Crossfit Nest. After less than 30 seconds a young gull landed and the parent regurgitated a meal for it.
Yesterday I ventured out to Spanish Banks at low tide, secretly hoping to encounter some of the Elegant Terns that were recently sighted nearby. I found no terns and ended up with wet feet and muddier than usual – but I was able to spend some time with small flocks of Western & Least sandpipers.
Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla)
Least Sandpiper
Sandpipers are tiny birds, and Least Sandpipers are the smallest of them all – measuring 13-15 cm from bill-tip to tail, and weighing 19-30 grams (around the same as a AA battery!). Collectively known as peeps, they can be challenging to identify. The greenish-yellow legs are one of the field marks for these birds.
