Best of 2018 - Part 1 - January to March

I've collected my best photos/experiences of 2018. Most of these are covered in this blog, but some of them were from my  2018 Vacation/Birding Blog .

I've tried to contain it to three or four photos for each month, but some months were more productive than others.

January 2018

This photo was taken in the back yard of at a private residence in Ladner where a Mountain Chickadee had been seen in December 2017. It features the common Red-winged Blackbird, both a male and female. The male is not quite as sharp as I'd like, but I still love the photo.

Red-winged Blackbirds  - River Road, Delta BC - January 13, 2018

The next photo is from our backyard, a Chestnut-backed Chickadee at our seed feeder. Our house is built into a hillside, so that feeder is about 30 ft off the ground. I took this hanging out a window on the top floor.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Backyard, North Delta BC
January 14, 2018

The last January bird is a duck commonly seen at Reifel Bird Sanctuary. I took this shot of a male American Wigeon on January 27th. I liked the reflections and the reflected sunlight in this shot.

American Wigeon - Reifel Bird Sanctuary - January 27, 2018

February 2018

I have selected four photos for February. The first was taken on February 9th on Boundary Bay in Delta. It shows the White-crowned Sparrow in it's winter plumage. In breeding plumage the head is adorned with black and white stripes.

These birds are much more numerous here in winter compared to other seasons.

White-crowned Sparrow - Boundary Bay, Delta BC - February 9, 2018

On a day that I saw a Northern Goshawk, I choose a photo of a crow. It's a really nice portrait of this common bird. The Goshawk photos didn't match up.


Northwestern Crow - Maplewood Conservation Area, North Vancouver BC - February 12, 2018

The most common Wigeon we see here is the American WIgeon. It's a nice looking bird, but does not compare to the Eurasian Wigeon. This species is seen in small numbers here on a regular basis. This photo shows a colourful male with a female. There seems to be some dialogue going on between them.

Many of the entries in the top photos of the year post feature pairs of birds.

Eurasian Wigeon - Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC - February 18, 2018

The Wood Duck is one of my favourites, I especially like the elegance of the female of this species. Here's one in the snow on the same day at Reifel.

Wood Duck (F) - Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC - February 18, 2018

March 2018

I was in North Vancouver to see a rare Nashville Warbler at the Lonsdale Quay. You can read about that here:

North Vancouver Rarity

After seeing the Warbler, I realized it was a good time to see Pigeon Guillemots up close at Lonsdale Quay. I usually see them when I go to the Dentist in North Vancouver, but the timing has not been optimal for those appointments lately.

One of the themes of this years Best of 2018 post is the number of shots that have a male and female pair instead of a single bird. Here's another one:

Pigeon Guillemots - Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver - March 3, 2018

The other March photos come from near the end of the month. On March 24th, I took this shot of a Northern Harrier on Boundary Bay in Delta.

Northern Harrier - Boundary Bay, Delta BC - March 24, 2018

My March 31st visit to Reifel Bird Sanctuary resulted in these 3 shots making the grade. This Towhee has a sinister look to it:

Spotted Towhee - Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC - March 31, 2018

Yet another male/female shot, this time Northern Shoveler ducks.

Northern Shoveler - Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC - March 31, 2018

When I first posted the next photo, I said it was one of my best of the year. Here it is again.

Northern Pintail (F) - Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC