"Out for a Stroll" are a pair of yearling Mule Deer among Balsam Leave Arrowroot. Mule deer are a fairly common site in the hills around Vernon, British Columbia.

"1 2 3 Fan" Rufous hummingbird showing tail feathers fully extended. Male Rufous can be quite entertaining when they see a rival or just for the joy of it. This species is quite common in the Southern parts of British Columbia, Canada.

Pileated woodpecker busy filling up with elder berries.

What a delight it was to capture this downy woodpecker. It was busy opening the rosehip berries on this snow covered rosehip bush in the search for miniature bugs.

I guess there is a first for everything -> getting hissed on by a Great Basin Gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola) today which I nearly stepped on.

This female Red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) is romancing me from it's cattail perch. The background off Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) makes this image a wall hanger.

World play on the "ducks in a row on this group of Western painted turtles.The Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) is the largest subspecies of painted turtle. I found those on one of my favorite ponds closed to Vernon, British Columbia, Canada.

American bald edge, juvenile. If stares could speak!

Portrait of an American kestrel (Falco sparverius), a small but fierce predatory bird.

Red-winged Blackbird Female coming to say 'hi' this morning.

The Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) is resident of the Interior of British Columbia and can be found in a number of locations. They are very hard to spot as they average only about 15.5-18 cm in length. They are a fierce hunter of rodents and birds, but also consume a wide variety of insects.

The two fledglings Great Horned Owlets (Bubo virginianus) where not to concerned with me being there. The magpie that eventually showed up pestering them they did not like and they flew into a nearby spruce tree.

The Great Grey Owl also known as Great Northern Ghost (Strix nebulosa) is rarely seen, as in inhabits dense coniferous forests. I was privilege to come across this one in one of my walks and it was hunting only about 30 meters away from me. What a privilege this was.

Oh my what nails do you have. Perfect pedicure on this Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii).

Compared to a "Jackson Pollock" with snails racing across it. Nature surprises one in subtle ways.