So someone made this. And in a time when no one seems to be fighting back against these awful, racist, useless referendum(b) questions, this gave me a glimmer of hope. #ableg #abpoli #cdnpoli #referendumb #Alberta

I may have to quit all social media. After years of effort, I've finally had a post liked by a sitting Canadian senator.

LMAO. Multiple, repeated failures of the "Americans use critical thinking and reading skills challenge" in this thread...

No, I don't 'celebrate' Earth Day. When it comes to Earth Day, I'm one of those everyday is Christmas kinda people.

Made my 15,000th iNat identification this morning.

The male Western bluebird came close to the house to check the temperature. I assume this is the male as it got in a fight with its reflection in the window. It did not appear to hurt itself, but it's clearly stressing itself out. Wish there was something I could do. 🪶

No, I don't 'celebrate' 420. When it comes to 420, I'm one of those everyday is Christmas kinda people.

A photo that makes clear how Red crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) get their name. Crossbills are finches, taxonomically, but instead of conical beaks, they have this specialized adaptation for extracting conifer seeds from cones. 🪶

Am I the only one that reads these as YELLOW SNOW ADVISORY then gets Frank Zappa stuck in their head?

Western bluebird couple have occupied one of the bird houses in the yard! It's a rather small house, so only one of them can actually fit in it at a time 😂

This is an absolutely amazing and moving antimated short about Norm MacDonald talking about Sam Kinison. Just spectacular: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMOY...

At our college library doors this morning … Pretty sure they don’t have Library cards 🙂

The first Bombus I photographed this year was a B. occidentalis in the wax currant! #rockcreekbc

There was a Red-naped Sapsucker hanging out in the ash tree for a bit yesterday. A good week for returning migrants. The Brewer's Blackbirds showed up, two species of hummers, White-crowned Sparrow, Yellow-rumped warbler, and even an early Nashville Warbler! 🪶

The little green one(s) came back. Definitely Calliope. Female and male. Also noticed the Brewer's blackbirds are back. 🪶

We got our first hummers today! This one, a Rufous, has come by a few times today. Also saw a smaller, greener hummer early this morning, but it was too fast for a pic and has not returned. I suspect it was a Black-chinned, but it could have been a Calliope. 🪶

While a year-round resident of this area, the Clark's Nutcracker must head for the hills in the winter. It was a daily visitor to the yard last year, but disappeared when the weather turned. It has started appearing again in the last two weeks. 🪶

Just saw my first Turkey Vulture of the year soaring overhead.

Caught this Western Bluebird enjoying a visit to the spa. 🪶

The male goldfinches are starting to molt into their brilliant yellow breeding plumage. Picture is from 4 days ago. 🪶

One of the two resident Steller's Jays in the yard. A mated pair. This one is brave and screams for peanuts at close range. The other is shyer, and tends to the shrubs on the outside of the yard. 🪶

If, like me, you find driving at night increasingly uncomfortable and dangerous due to nuclear-bright headlights, both in new vehicles, and aftermarket, then take the time to fill out this Transport Canada survey. It asks for no personal information other than age, and whether you are a CA citizen.

A coyote that stopped its fleeing long enough to stop, look, and consider the weirdo with the camera. This is another one from the Nicola Plateau, high above Merritt.

Oh wow! This isn't unfamiliar for the prairies, but almost unheard of in mountainous BC. Wild weather everywhere but where I am, which seems to be the valley that weather forgot. I can't even articulate how BORING this winter was, weather-wise.

Result from my laptop.... www.keithcirkel.co.uk/whats-my-jnd/

Moments after posting this the wind picked up dramatically. I see that a good portion of the southern interior is under a wind warning.

A Zerene Fritillary (Argynnis zerene) high in the hills above Rock Creek on Fiva Creek Main. This is from August 3 of last year. #Butterflies

Yesterday and today are the first days this year I would call 'warm'. It reached 18 yesterday. A bit cooler today, but still sunny and nice. The Violet-green swallows have returned in numbers. I saw meadowlarks on grassy Anarchist pass, but have not seen or heard one at valley-bottom yet.

We are fortunate to have both Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers around all year, but they are particularly active in the winter. This female Hairy Woodpecker arrived with a few loud PIPS, to forage for snacks on or in the trees! #Birds #photography #wildlife 🪶

A surprisingly common #MixedPair. When barred owls hang out in the woods the Steller’s jays are often nearby, sounding an alarm. #birdoftheday #nature #ThursJay #birds #photography

Not sure why they've called this the 'Alaska Highway', as it's demonstrably not, but I will say that after ~20 years of professional trucking, the Pine Pass section of the Hart Highway was consistently one of the worst stretches of highway in BC. Narrow, twisty, and always iced up. A nightmare.

A Red-belted Bumble Bee (Bombus rufocinctus) collects from sneeze weed (Helenium autumnale) near the shore of the Columbia River in Castlegar, BC, last August 8. 🐝

I've never set out specifically to shoot mammals, but when I see them I try to get a shot. In honour of #WorldWildlifeDay I've collected a few of my favourites.

A pair of fritillaries (exact species unknown) have their tongues out, sampling the nectar from the spreading dogbane plant. This is on Fiva Creek FSR, high in the hills above Rock Creek, from August of last year.

Have blocked 'Spooky Sara', because people who steal and post other people's photographs without permission, or even bothering to mention it's not their work are peices of fucking shit. Just don't do this. It's gross.

When we turn the clocks ahead on March 8, it will be the last time change ever for BC. We're changing to a permanent daylight saving time, simply called Pacific Time (PT). Learn more: News.gov.bc.ca/33415

Nice! Finally some good news!

The main failing of the 80s-inspired pop resurgence is the disturbing lack of abundant saxaphone solos. We've got the synth, bring back the brass!

First Violet-green swallow has arrived!

A sparkling emerald Agapostemon sweat bee grabs some late-season sustenance from a Curly-cup Gumweed flower. This is on the Old Hedley back road, just outside Princeton, BC. September 5 of last year. 🐝

The Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) does not occur in British Columbia but for a few rare vagrants, so it was nice to see it when I was in southwest Manitoba. This one, my lifer, was spotted just outside Deloraine MB, by Whitewater Lake. 🪶

These RWBBs were born months earlier, in the spring. By September, when I took this shot, the juveniles have flocked together, packing on calories in preparation for their first migration. Seen at Douglas Lake Ranch, on the Nicola Plateau. 🪶

This is the kind of hot take that could only be produced by someone who has spent no appreciable amount of time in the 'country'.

Ugh, apologies for double post, I thought I had caught it in time. Forgot the alt-text.

To that end...here's a picture of an absolute unit of a Swainson's Hawk I saw last September near Writing-on-Stone PP in Alberta. 🪶 I hadn't even looked at the pics I took that day, or any since, until today.

Hey all. Some of my earlier followers may remember a time when I used to take pictures and post them. I feel like I've not done that in some time now, because honestly, I've not really been taking photos. I've not really had a good winter. I find myself almost constantly in a state of high anxiety,

Maclean's approached me about writing a personal essay on Alberta Secession and my opposition to it. It was published today. macleans.ca/politics/i-d...

Never fails. Trump posts something hideous/stupid & Progressives on #Bluesky MAKE SURE we've all seen it by collectively posting it *1000s* of times on our feeds Your 'clever' dunks on it aren't worth you amplifying it & you sure as hell aren't performing some kind of service #cdnpoli #CanadaSky

The mass shooting likely could have been prevented if some AI chuds had taken the time to send a fucking email. Maybe AI chud Evan Solomon might want to think about codifying this kind of thing into law?

Chimichurri is just spicy pesto. Change my mind...