DARE TO BIRD

I haven't been out birding properly since Nov 7th. I haven't photographed a bird since Oct 31st. I finally felt like picking up a camera again today. My target today was American Robins. A common underrated bird that so many of us (including myself) sometimes take for granted. There were large flocks feeding on crabapples today at Garry Point Park. I was there today looking at the late Yellow Warbler that my friend Alan Moat found yesterday. Winter listers will be out on Dec 1st for this bird I can assure you. I saw it and went for my Robins. It was because I was so busy shooting American Robins that I missed the Townsend's Solitaire that briefly came in for a gander and who then immediately took off in less than a minute. Here are a few fruits of my labour. They are the best shots I've taken of this species and the male was really accommodating. I find in the winter that American Robins are at their most beautiful with their fine breast scaling etc. Note the male with ...

UPDATE: DUE TO PROVINCIAL HEALTH ORDERS BEING EXTENDED UNTIL JAN 8TH, 2021 I HAD TO CANEL THIS EVENT.  I am running the Christmas Bird Count For Youth (CBC4Youth) on Jan 3, 2020! If you are able to join us please register at the Eventbrite website HERE This event is open for youth age 12-18 years old. We will meet  at 9 am   on the dyke at the foot of 72nd St at Boundary Bay in Delta.  I am looking forward to seeing you all!. Masks are mandatory and if we go into lockdown due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, I will cancel the event. Young Birders at the Christmas Bird Count For Youth in Delta - Photo: Melissa Hafting

Tonight on the 6pm news, Global News did a segment on Owls and rodenticide poisoning . Rob Hope from OWL is constantly trying to bring awareness and explain why a province wide ban is necessary. You can watch the video HERE On Vancouver Island a Short-eared and Great Horned Owl were recently found dead, most likely from rodenticides. You can watch a CTV news clip on that HERE . Also a Barn Owl was found dead not long ago at Iona again most likely from rodenticide poisoning. Tests results have come in from a Barn Owl found at Hasting Race course with the cause of death proven to be rodenticide poisoning. Metro Vancouver Parks is not using rodenticides in their parks but do permit businesses who lease the land from them like the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation and Vancouver Aquarium to use it. Time for this to change and to eradicate this ridiculous loophole. It is time for a city-wide ban in Vancouver and a full province-wide ban.  On a happy note, yesterday the District of West V...

I have wanted to see a Prairie Warbler forever. When Ilya and I went to Texas we dipped on them as we were a tad early before they got back to their breeding grounds. I think they are one stunning warbler and was pretty disappointed we didn't get one. So when I heard that one had showed up in Vernon (BC'S 5th confirmed record), I took my first chance on Friday and drove up. F riends Larry Cowan and Janice White wanted to join.  The highway was clear on the drive, we only had a little bit of snow falling on the connector. We got there at 4pm due to my commitments and looked hard for 2 hours in the rain until dark. We found a Black-capped Chickadee flock, Ring-necked Pheasant, and a late Cassin's Vireo that Chris Siddle had found a few days prior. It is the latest Cassin's Vireo that I've ever seen in BC. It was very active and seemed to follow us throughout the park. I found a great hotel the Rivera Plaza Hotel . It was on special for 49$ a night; which if in Vancouv...

On Friday my friend Iwan Van Veen sent me a photo of a blurry Asian shrike. I could tell right away it was an Asian shrike and I thought due to range most likely it would be Brown. He had first thought on Thursday when he first saw the bird that it was a Northern Shrike but something bugged him about the bird so he went back and got the photo. Once he saw it more clear he figured he probably had a Brown Shrike too. Well because the photo was blurry I said we can’t rule out the other Asian shrikes like Red-backed, Isabelline and Red-tailed and could you go back and get better photos. Well he did that same day. He got every angle of the bird covered which would be needed for expert opinions. I studied up reading this amazing article by Dutch Birding and after consulting with a few others thought "oh my gosh this looks better for Red-backed"as so many features were lining up!. Since I had never seen Red-backed Shrike and it would be the first record for Canada and the second fo...

The National Audubon Society has asked me to take over their Instagram account for a week starting Oct 5th and have asked me to share my work with their almost 590,000 followers. They told me they were impressed by the quality of my photographs, my passion and my advocacy for conservation. Two of my photos a day will be posted from Oct 5th until Oct 11th . This is a true honour and if you would like to follow along and see what images I will post under my Instagram takeover. Please follow the National Audubon Society's Instagram account @audubonsociety.  If you don't have an Instagram account you can still see the twice a day posts that will feature my work by clicking this link HERE Thank you once again to the National Audubon Society for featuring my photographic work in this manner. I am truly humbled and honoured. To learn more about the work of the National Audubon Society and how they help preserve birds and their habitat in the Americas, please click her...

The CBC documentary I was part of and featured in, that we filmed in Sept 2019 with other local Vancouver birders (including a few of my young birders Bridget, Rebecca, Toby, Sasha (plus Liron behind the camera)) is airing Oct 3, 2020 at 8 pm. It is called "Rare Bird Alert" and will be featuring birders from across Canada and in the USA. Look for it on TV on CBC Network. You can read more about this documentary HERE I’m very honoured CBC asked me to be part of this project. The crew and host Paul Riss were a real delight to work with. Here is the trailer for it: Also here is a featurette on talented young Tofino birder Toby Theriault! She is a natural on camera! 

September is traditionally known for rare birds in Vancouver and the province and this year was no exception. First off John Reynolds photographed a juvenile Curlew Sandpiper at Boundary Bay on August 28th and then 11 days later on Sept 8th, John Gordon found a juvenile (perhaps the same bird?) at Reifel. Luckily this bird stuck around and I was lucky to see it the first day John found it. This was my second Curlew Sandpiper for BC and the first juvenile I had seen, as the other bird was an adult . This was bird #250 for my Metro Vancouver year list too! A great bird to get 250 with! Juvenile Curlew Sandpiper at Reifel - Photos: Melissa Hafting A few days before this on Sept 5th a Bell’s Vireo was found by Aziza Cooper in Saanich. This was the first record for BC. It was bright yellow on the flanks and of the Eastern Susbpecies. The place was very birdy and it was nice to see so many friendly faces including young birders like Liam Singh who is now much taller than me!....

Great news! On Sept 8, 2020, The City of Port Moody has banned the use of rodenticides on all city property and lands. This is a major victory and the whole council voted unanimously in favour of the ban. I was inspired by the delivery of Councillor Meghan Lahti who was so passionate about the topic and had all her facts straight. Thank you to all the councillors who voted in favour of this motion as well. Thank you to Councillor Lahti who listened to me and responded to my letter a few months ago so promptly with this motion. Hopefully as cities around BC continue to ban the use of rodenticides that the province will ban the use province-wide as well and ensure that general members of the public can't use this stuff. Thank you again to everyone who wrote in letters of support to council and for everyone who signed the BCSPCA's province wide petition asking for a rodenticide ban.   If you have not yet signed the petition please do so now by clicking the link to the left....

I got away from Vancouver's hustle and bustle last month to do some hiking and go into a remote coastal area to shoot some Black Bears. I was in awe watching 6 bears at once successfully hunt salmon. Watching their individual personalities was special. They sat in cute poses and all deferred to the alpha male.  They are such a misunderstood animal that so many have an irrational fear of. They really want nothing to do with us if people give them a healthy dose of respect. The BC Conservation Officer Service has killed 70 bears across BC in July 2020 alone. Truly heartbreaking. Humans need to learn to coexist. One of the bears I photographed had an injured foot but was still able to successfully hunt and catch salmon.This shows the resilience of these amazing animals. Being alone in their presence was a privilege I will always treasure. Black Bears in BC's coastal rainforest - Photos: Melissa Haf...