The Anna’s Hummingbird and Bewick’s Wren are two of an amazing 230 different species of birds that have been recorded in the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows areas.
The Bewick’s wrens are small birds with a big voice and lots of attitude who chase off rivals as they defend their territories.
The Anna’s hummingbird is a common bird to find in southern B.C., but 20 years ago there were practically none around.
“These tiny birds were virtually absent 20 years ago,” explained Simon Fraser University professor Dr. John Reynolds with the department of biological sciences, as he laid out the facts about his favourite local birds.
“Now they are common all year-round, thanks to milder winters which allowed them to spread northward into our area,” said the professor who will be giving a pictorial tour of the diverse birds in the region at the upcoming ACT Art Gallery’s annual fundraiser TeaGarden!.
Reynolds’ own photography will be featured, many of which he will be taking in the days prior to the sixth annual event.
His favourite place to shoot is Kanaka Creek, where it joins the Fraser River.
“It is a beautiful sight and it has a mix of habitat so you have the Fraser River and the creek, obviously themselves, some beautiful deciduous forests and it’s a nice easy walk that lets me concentrate on the wildlife instead of tripping over roots and things,” explained Reynolds, who also enjoys photographing birds in the Pitt Meadows area including Grant Narrows Park, where 200 species alone have been recorded, and the DeBoville Slough.
Reynolds enjoys the challenge of photographing birds in particular, in addition to other wildlife and vegetation.
“Because it’s hard to get everything to work. To have an interesting posture by the bird, to have good light, to be close enough to it that you can get good detail. But also to have a good background. Often you want to throw the background out of focus to have the bird stand out,” he explained.
“But sometimes I’ve noticed that some of my favourite shots are not because the bird is filling the whole frame but because of the setting the bird is actually in,” he said.
“I’ll take a singing bird over a non-singing bird any day just because it’s more interesting to see them behaving rather than just standing there,” Reynolds noted.
The key to photographing birds Reynolds has learned is to go out on overcast days. This is a lesson he learned the hard way.
“Everybody knows you need a zoom lens to zoom in on the bird,” said Reynolds.
“But I thought oh good, a nice bright day, I will have lots of light for my photos,” he said as he ventured out for the first time. But he ended up washing the colours out of his subjects because the sun was too bright.
Reynolds has been photographing birds for quite some time but only really got into the hobby when he upgraded his camera two years ago. His photography is an extension of his work as a biologist and a conservation ecologist.
In addition to his photographs, Reynolds will also be talking about some of the endangered species in the Lower Fraser Valley and websites and apps that are available to help people identify birds and keep track of their sightings.
Dr John D. Reynolds is currently the Tom Buell BC Leadership Chair in Salmon Conservation.
One additional note Reynolds mentioned about the Anna’s Hummingbird is that they do not migrate. If you see a hummingbird during the winter months it will be an Anna’s.
TeaGarden! takes place at 1:30 p.m. on May 27 at the Maple Ridge Art Gallery, 11944 Haney Place inside the ACT Arts Centre.
Tickets are $40 and will include a $20 tax receipt.
There will be door prizes along with tea and treats.
To make a reservation call 604-476-2787.