Anna's Hummingbird - Grouse Mountain
Thoughts posted on BirdingBC -
When i first started 5 years ago i was unaware of birding websites like this one and picked up a bunch of books dealing with local hiking trails and birding locations in British Columbia and used those for reference.
Because my wife Audy had recently immigrated from Thailand getting out on weekends to check out new parks etc. was something fun for both of us and i realized that for a guy who had pretty much grown up in the Lower Mainland there were many natural places i had never been to before, places like Campbell Valley, Maplewood Flats, Blackie Spit, Boundary Bay etc etc.
Nowadays, i don't feel truly comfortable unless i'm out in the "wild"
As for Kelowna and the interior in general, after doing a few day trips out that way (based on book info) i found some locations that are reliable and make a habit of checking them out every time i go up.
Being one who still has to work a day job i know that i have a lot less time than others when it comes to shooting and it's important for me to make the most of those opportunities.
That's also the main reason i don't shoot with others as much as i'd like to, i love meeting other photogs and birders in the field but i know that i spend too much time chatting and not enough time shooting when i'm in a prolonged group situation.
For me, the whole act of shooting birds is almost a meditative pursuit, the one time when it's just the birds and me.
Shooting birds calms the mind and soothes the frayed work-week nerves
Orange-crowned Warbler - Grouse Mountain
I love shooting at feeder setups (i just won't shoot the actual feeders) and utilized a blind set-up last year at my mom's place in white rock successfully.
I salivate at the chance to visit Deon's one day.
I know quite a few photogs who only shoot set-ups, more power to them but I think the good photogs find a happy balance between set-up shooting and grab-shooting, if you consider yourself a birder as well, then grab-shooting comes with the territory.
I usually consider my locations carefully, choosing destinations based on probability of whatever species i'm looking for that day.
That's something different from when i first started, back then i would never consider just one or two species as a focus, it was all about shooting everything (as it should have been, everything was new).
Sometimes, a long walk is not necessary, i've been amazed many times by the many birds available by the parking area, restroom or fruiting tree/bush near beginning of trail.
Macgillivray's Warbler - Grouse Mountain
