Backyard Visitors
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Our recent visitor.
We had an exciting backyard visitor a couple of weeks ago and the way we stumbled upon him really demonstrates the need for being fully present and noticing unusual behaviours.
Roxy enjoying a walk with all her senses engaged. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/1000s, 300mm ISO800)
Here’s the backstory - we were walking Roxy in our backyard as the weather has been so lovely and above 15C (mid 60’sF). We’ve spent time meandering and really following her which means slowing down for a full scale sniffari - animals are so great at really being present and using all of their senses to scan their environment for things that don’t belong.
Kory noticed that some birds were making a commotion in a group of evergreens in the back corner of our property. We headed over and I used my bird app to identify the bird sound - (Merlin eBird is a free app and a wonderful way to identify birds from photos or sounds) - red breasted nuthatches were the noisy ones we heard which made me wonder because they are not usually that vocal.
After looking around the trees Kory spotted a nuthatch at about eye level and tried to point it out to me - I looked and looked, but couldn’t quite see it and suddenly I realized that part of my brain saw something that didn’t quite belong and it then resolved into the shape of an owl silhouette.
Documentation image of a Northern Saw Whet owl in an evergreen tree. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/100s, 300mm, ISO200).
I was so surprised and excited to see this little owl about 6-8” tall - nestled at eye level within the tree’s branches. After taking a couple of images with my 300mm lens - I headed into the house to get my long lens (600mm with a 1.4 TC that gets up to 840mm focal length).
I went with the long lens to make sure that I didn’t have to get too close and disturb this amazing backyard visitor.
Northern Saw Whet Owl disturbing the red nuthatches as he spent time resting during the day. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/640s, 840mm, ISO2000)
Animals have so much to teach us
Dogs have such refined sense of smell that this scene is more than just a beautiful vista, but a whole story. (EXIF data f9, 1/2000s, 86mm, ISO1250).
I have been reading a book called An Immense World (Ed Yong) which really talks about the specific senses that different animals have developed in order to navigate their world effectively and meet their needs (food, water, mates etc.).
We humans underestimate our sense of smell, but it’s also clear that we simply don’t live in the same olfactory world as a dog. And that world is so complicated that it’s a wonder we can make sense of it at all. (Ed Yong - An Immense World)
I really appreciate how he talks about our loss of the ability to discern scents due to lack of practice - I know I will never have the scenting skills of a dog, however I like that I can enhance my experience of the world by slowing down and practicing these skills.
By watching animals’ responses we are able to “see” things that we cannot see visually.
So much to see when I really pay attention
I have been getting out with my camera more often lately - at least 3 times a week I get up early and either wander through the wooded area in our backyard or walk in the neighbourhood down to the river. I have also started a 52 Week Creativity Project with the Journal of Wildlife Photography (JOWP link) that is helping me to be more intentional and creative about my photography choices - this is sparking a lot of inspiration inside me - I’m getting even more excited about my photography.
Evergreen sapling in our wooded area. (EXIF data f10, 1/125s, 135mm, ISO3600).
When Kory and I took Roxy out for a walk this week I noticed that there are a number of evergreen saplings growing amongst the the aspens in our wooded area. Some of them appear quite outnumbered by the tall trunks of the aspens, however their bright spring greenery really drew my eye. I immediately envisioned taking a photo of them in the early morning light to capture that freshness.
As I was focusing on the delicate greens of the little saplings I heard a rustle and the telltale crowing of Pete our resident ring neck pheasant. I recalled last year thinking that our neighbour was raising chickens and had a rather sickly sounding rooster - if you’ve ever heard a pheasant cock crow they sound a bit like a rooster, but an abbreviated version that sounds a bit sickly at the end. It became clear that it was actually a pheasant once I identified the call.
Just a note: my niece asked me if we name all the animals that frequent our yard and if that is a good idea - the answer is that we name most of them that are regulars and we’re not intending to eat them, so my understanding is that the rule is don’t name something you’re eventually going to eat!
Pete our resident ring neck pheasant. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/250s, 400mm, ISO360).
I spent a few minutes stalking Pete until I finally saw him strutting through the thick grasses at the edge of our wooded area. I spent about 1/2 an hour kneeling and laying down trying to capture him at eye level and especially during his infrequent crowing.
He is certainly a handsome fellow and I think he rather knows it by the very confident nature of his strut. He has 5 or 6 lady loves that follow him around during the day, but with their very beige colouring they are much better hidden than Pete is.
If I am very still then he tends to come very close to me without realizing that I am there which is a treat when I don’t have a long lens. This morning I came prepared and captured him in all his glorious colours and patterns.
Heading into the busy season
I’m excited to know that we’re heading into the busy season of animal activity as I’ve seen bald eagles and hawks frequenting the neighbourhood. I’ve also seen a pair of Mountain Bluebirds nearby and I’ve also started my annual bluebird monitoring run. There is so much to see and even more so when we slow down and attune our senses to the natural rhythm of nature.
What signs of spring are you seeing in your area? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or contact me directly by clicking on the the Connect With Me button.
Northern Saw Whet Owl resting during the day. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/640s, 600mm, ISO2200).
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
