bird on Oxymoronical

A dream of a robin

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 10:13:21 +0000

Normally what I look for in photos is sharp focus. I want to make out every detail. But as I was editing this photo of a robin perched in a magnolia bush I found the background turning all milky and making it all look dreamlike. So I leaned into it and in the end this might be one of the best photos I’ve ever taken.

Perched long-tailed tit

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 10:08:52 +0000

One of my favourite things to photograph is birds. And one of my favourite birds is the long-tailed tit. They’re really cute but unfortunately quite skittish and so hard to capture. This year I treated myself to a big zoom lens and at the time I would have said it was for shooting deer or eagles, but one of the first things I did with it was sit out in my garden and waited for a long-tailed tit to come to the feeder.

Mobbed

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 16:23:11 +0000

It’s a common sight in California. A red tailed hawk just minding his own business and along come a bunch of crows to chase them off.

Skimming the water

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 08:54:32 +0000

I’m always impressed at how close pelicans skim to the surface of the sea, no matter how many waves there are.

Willet in flight

Sun, 20 Jan 2013 15:52:53 +0000

Perhaps oddly the thing I most love about this photo is the stream of water from the tips of the Willet’s toes to the water as it launches itself into the air.

Scaring prey

Sat, 26 May 2012 19:22:26 +0000

On a road trip to Solvang we stopped at a gas station and found a red-tailed hawk perched in a tree. Suddenly it flew into the air and started screeching trying to scare out some prey. Not super well focused but I love this photo anyway.

Shakin her booty

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 13:14:59 +0000

A wood duck in High Park in Toronto. They have very vibrant colours, the male a little more so than this female but I loved the movement in this shot.