Ian P 🇨🇦
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pandalus.bsky.social
Ian P 🇨🇦
@pandalus.bsky.social
33 followers 43 following 58 posts
Retired biologist (fish diseases, population studies) now living on Vancouver Island, birdwatcher, sourdough bread baker, sailor of Sage 17 'Pandalus', harbour tour boat skipper, and amateur radio enthusiast VA7POC
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pandalus.bsky.social
I have to give a big shout out to Vortex Optics for their amazing customer service with their VIP warranty: I damaged my favourite birding 🪶 Viper 8x42 binoculars - completely fixed under the warranty despite being over 10 years old! Way to go Vortex - exceptional customer service!
My favourite Vortex Viper HD 8x42 birding binoculars - free repair under VIP warranty after accidental damage - exceptional service!
April 10, 2026 at 1:07 AM
pandalus.bsky.social
Busy 🪶 bird day in the garden so a Cooper's hawk shows up for lunch!
December 11, 2025 at 8:14 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
They're a bit late for #WoodpeckerWednesday, but have a female downy and a northern flicker anyway - they were probably here yesterday too!
December 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
The 🪶red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoenicious) finally decided to visit our backyard, but they are a bit skittish - no getting close with the smartphone!
A female red-winged blackbird perched in a leafless paper-bark maple tree - the streaked brown colouration is a pretty good camouflage. One of a sizeable local flock of red-winged blackbirds that like to over-winter in our Vancouver Island community.
December 11, 2025 at 7:53 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Rainy day here on #VancouverIsland but the paperbark maple in our backyard is fired up in it's autumnal colours
Unedited smartphone photo of a paperbark maple tree in autumn colours - a bright, slightly pink version of red. Framed on left and right with a wichita blue juniper, and windmill palm.
November 13, 2025 at 6:23 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Forgive the v poor pic - low light smartphone at a distance - but I do believe this 🪶 at the feeder is a female (or juvenile?) red-winged blackbird - first of the season if ID correct!
Low resolution photo of a bird at the feeder tentatively identified as a female red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). They return to the area each winter, so it fits behaviour-wise.
November 10, 2025 at 12:25 AM
pandalus.bsky.social
My wonderful and very smart Sweetie ❤️ designed our backyard to have flowers all year - this Camellia sasanqua var is just coming into bloom which pleases our family of resident 🪶 Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna)
November 9, 2025 at 10:57 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
I have been listening to a pair of 🪶Bewick's wren (Thryomanes bewickii) complaining about my presence so close to the feeder (about 3 m) - finally one of them gets close enough for a smartphone pic
A Bewick's wren atop a well-pruned crepe myrtle bush, with bird bath behind, gathering up courage to visit to the suet feeder. We see them regularly but I find them difficult to photograph as they are constantly on the move.
November 9, 2025 at 10:32 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Working in the backyard today (battles with fig tree...) and the male downy woodpecker 🪶comes to visit the suet feeder
Male downy woodpecker (with red flash on the back of the head) hanging off the suet feeder while I'm working 2-3 m away. Evergreen magnolia in the background. Interestingly, both male and female downy woodpeckers announce their intention to land on the feeder with a call from a nearby tree - purpose unknown, but fascinating. Not the only species that does that, so it means something!
November 9, 2025 at 7:34 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Next batch of #sourdough #bread country loaf turned out better - reduced working of the dough and less bulk fermentation
Two sourdough bread loaves made from home milled 20% red Fife wheat, 5% rye with Vancouver Island grown & milled red Fife wheat flour - centre score allowed good oven spring - crust is a nice golden colour
November 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Out on a hike in the hills behind Ladysmith BC in the sunshine listening to 🪶ravens, golden-crowned kinglets, and yellow-rumped warblers - too much rain to cross Tyee Creek though!
Ford across Tyee Creek in the hills behind Ladysmith BC - too much rain to cross on foot without getting wet! Beautiful fall colours in the sun - great walk though!
November 7, 2025 at 8:14 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
News of the sunflower seed must be getting around: #BirdsOfTheDay at our place this morning included three California quail - here's a pair that came close
Two of three California quail (Callipepla californica) visiting our backyard this morning for sunflower seed - a male and female together in the smartphone camera shot from 2 m away. The male has the characteristic black head plume and fine grey black, white & chestnut markings around the head and breast
November 7, 2025 at 3:47 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Finally persuaded a fox sparrow to come within smartphone camera range - with food of course!
Fox sparrow (Passerella iliaca) finally daring to come within smartphone camera range, attracted by sunflower seeds sprinkled on the ground amidst the fallen leaves
November 6, 2025 at 3:42 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Good morning from #VancouverIsland!
A morning view of clouds backlit by the sun from a low angle, framed by conifer trees in silhouette - pale blue sky and grey to gold cloud colurs
November 6, 2025 at 3:27 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Nothing quite like a feeder to generate #birdsatoddangles especially when it's nearly empty - bushtits obliging for #birdsoftheday
Plus a bonus message for all anti-democracy goons from a chestnut-backed chickadee...
Three tiny bushtits (Psaltriparus minimus) hanging at various angles from a suet feeder to get at the last remaining fragments Chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens) in a less photographed pose on the feeder showing its (ahem) bum Can you say bum on bluesky? Guess we'll fing out!
October 30, 2025 at 12:18 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Diplomatic relations resumed with #Birds now that the seed embargo is lifted
First to show up are the chestnut-backed chickadees
Close up of a chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens) on the side of bird feeder loaded with chopped sunflower seeds. The grey wing primary and tail feathers contrast with the chestnut back, white neck and black cap. Very tolerant, they allowed me to take this photo with a smartphone from 50 cm away. The presence of food is key: it's definitely 'cupboard love'!
October 29, 2025 at 4:33 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Meanwhile... (not a #bird)
Sweetie Indoors informs her rain-soaked Knight that the robotic vacuum has gone off line.
Gadzooks fair Sweetie, dost thou forget how to deploy the dustpan & broom?
I shall attend thy wishes for a network reset as soon as I have the composter installed safe within the keep
a man in armor is standing in front of a window
Alt: Knight in armor is standing in front of a window looking frustrated and hoping fair Sweetie is out of halberd range
media.tenor.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:54 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Recently rejoining battle in the castle keep, there is nary a 🪶 in sight. Have they forsaken me for pastures anew? It seems a knight that deserts his feeder duties is not worthy of allegiace. Was it #CupboardLove all along?
October 28, 2025 at 8:44 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
And in today's episode of 🪶 #UpstairsDownstairs ...
A dark-eyed junco helping distribute sunflower seed to the spotted towhee waiting below
A dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) on the bird feeder helping themselves to sunflower seed - the tree behind is a variety of evergreen magnolia A spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus) on the ground below the feeder, waiting for the sunflower seed chips dropped by the smaller birds above that can successfully land on the narrow perch of the feeder
October 27, 2025 at 5:49 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
🪶 No chance of an egret around here!
Have a dark-eyed junco instead, and a splash of autumn colour
Once it gets light I will try and get another bird photo by our feeder - fox sparrow in my sights!
Dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) sitting on our deck railing with a backdrop of garden trees - looking none too happy that the feeders are empty! Various species come and sit on the railing in full view to 'remind' us to get busy with the sunflower seed Crimson leaves of a dwarf weeping Japanese maple (Acer sp.) - the brightest red of any autumn leaves around here!
October 27, 2025 at 2:50 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
And in today's slightly damp collection of 🪶 we have a golden-crowned sparrow and a scolding Anna's hummingbird
A slightly damp juvenile golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) waiting in the veggie patch for brunch of chopped sunflower - one of at least three young of the year that hatched in our yard A grumpy "chitting" Anna's hummingbird (Calypte anna) sitting in the red, gold and green autumn leaves of our Persian ironwood tree (Parrotia persica) - grumpy because... well, who knows!
October 26, 2025 at 7:36 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
Not today's, but if we need #birds in the sun will these fine friendly fellows do?? They waddle over and say 'hi' every time we walk past
October 25, 2025 at 10:30 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
And today's #BirdOfTheDay is a...
Hey! Wait a minute, that's not your food...
Oh well, at least the birds had their turn:
downy woodpecker, golden-crowned sparrow, song sparrow (I believe) and a spotted towhee. No sun today though in this temperate rain forest on #VancouverIsland
Not a bird! Likely the melanistic morph of the invasive eastern grey squirrel which was introduced to Vancouver Island in the 1960s Tentatively identified as a song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) - please reply if you believe this ID to be incorrect- thanks! Note the spotted towhee (Pipilo maculatus) waiting on the rock behind for their turn at the feeder Believed to be a juvenile golden-crowned sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) Female downy woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) playing hard to get today behind the feeder canopy, plus moving sparrow on the other side
October 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
@breadtopia.bsky.social
Had first go at your recent pain de campagne recipe (25% red fife, 5% rye 75% hydration) - very nice loaf, but I need to work a bit more on my dough tension: a bit of flop-bot!
October 24, 2025 at 10:17 PM
pandalus.bsky.social
The chestnut-backed chickadee is my #BirdOfTheDay today - one of 20+ visiting our backyard on #VancouverIsland
A chestnut-backed chickadee (Poecile rufescens) enjoying chopped sunflower seed at a backyard feeder, North Cowichan, Vancouver Island. Photo taken with a smartphone about 1.5 m away - cropped but otherwise unedited
October 24, 2025 at 8:02 PM