Overlooked Photos of 2020 #20: Water Off A Duck’s Back

Photo taken in Penticton, BC — December 12, 2020

It’s hard to hide from a Common Goldeneye like this handsome male specimen. Their round, yellow eyes seem to pierce you as you stand at the edge of the water; it’s clear you’re not fooling them by pretending to be a tree or a rock. They lacerate you with their gaze for only a few seconds, dive beneath the surface…and resurface dozens of feet away, still firmly locked on you.

* Why I didn’t post it: I was already posting other photos I had overlooked in 2020, so this one went to the back of the line. But that’s it folks — that’s the last overlooked photo from 2020 that I’m going to post this year. I hope you enjoyed the series. I learned a lot doing it and I hope those lessons will be reflected in my future posts.

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.

Overlooked Photos of 2020 #19: Don’t Cross the Boss

Photo taken in Okanagan Falls, BC — November 7, 2020

His horns showed his years of experience. Broken, battered and scarred, this male California Bighorn Sheep was clearly the boss of his herd. Entering rutting season, he was brooking no funny business. Whenever another male approached a female he ran over — sometimes at a near sprint — and broke up the incipient romance. Not that he had a mind for pitching woo himself. No, he’d give the now-solo females a passing sniff, then wander off to eat grass until another male made a move. Then BAM — back in action.

* Why I didn’t post it: When I took this shot there were a lot of bighorn sheep photos being posted. I wasn’t sure this one (and the others I took) could compete and I didn’t want to infringe on others’ subject matter. (“You think that’s a bighorn sheep? Check this out!”) Ultimately that’s not a good approach — we should post work we’re proud of without worrying how it will be received. But do we? Really?

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.

Overlooked Photos of 2020 #18: Dark-eyed bird of mystery

Photo taken in Celista, BC — September 7, 2020

I was rattled, I’ll admit. I had just been roundly chastised by a squirrel intent on defending his territory. As I stumbled disoriented down the path I almost missed the adult male “pink sided” Dark-eyed Junco in the cedar before me. Luckily the bird was in a forgiving mood and posed for several photos before flitting away into the forest. I slept fitfully that night with both the vision of the bird and the nagging chatter of the squirrel in my mind…

* Why I didn’t post it: I took this shot just a few hours before setting off on a four-week roadtrip. I guess I had other things on my mind for a while and didn’t post it. And the threats that squirrel made still haunt me. Would you like to see a photo of him?

* I took a lot of photos in 2020, more than in any previous year. Some I shared, but looking back I’ve found many I didn’t. Maybe I thought they weren’t good enough, maybe I had something else to post or maybe…I just plain forgot. As the year winds down I’m rectifying those oversights and posting some photos I overlooked earlier in 2020.