Best of 2019: Photography
Following a tradition we started in 2017 we compiled a list of our best photos from the year. It's in no particular order and our criteria for picking images was mainly subjective.
Vireo
We were camping in Elk Island National Park and had red-eyed vireos snacking on berries in our campsite which made for some great photos.
Nuthatch
White-breasted nuthatches are not the rarest birds we see in Alberta but they pose beautifully on old trees and are a very photogenic species.
Raven
This particular picture was originally posted on Instagram and it became one of our most popular posts in 2019. We saw many massive ravens in Rocky Mountain House.
Short-eared Owl
We were out on a winter road trip and stumbled upon a couple short-eared owls during the magic hour and Sandra made her photography debut!
Stilt
Stilts are one of the most striking birds we see in Alberta and it was awesome to catch one out of the water displaying its very long legs.
Vireo
Warbling vireos are common but it's hard to get a good look at them and even harder to get a good photo because they move so fast. They're also extremely cute.
Warbler
We see both races of yellow-rumped warblers in Alberta and this Audubon's markings and colours were on point.
Wood Duck
We had an encounter with a flock of wood ducks that became a highlight of the year. They just kept swimming closer and closer to us and we got some amazing photos of an amazing duck!
Blackbird
We were totally happy to put a red-winged blackbird into our top photos of 2019 list because they're so ingrained into springtime birding in Alberta and they look great!
Tree Swallow
Tree swallows are breathtaking and watching them hunt is mesmerizing because they are such skilled fliers. The light in this photo really shows off the metallic blue plumage.
Looking back
Unlike the previous year we stuck a lot closer to home and did most of our birding in Alberta. Actually, we didn't do any trips outside of Canada, and although we think local birds are awesome, we already have some tropical trips booked for 2020. We also started birding in the Rocky Mountains more where the scenery is bonkers and we'll definitely continue that in the new year as well.