Henrik Nilsson
North Vancouver, CA
Member since July 21, 2013
Most Viewed
The Neighbourhood
This is a sad story. The image of the herons is from a rookery near a ferry terminal in BC. It’s a busy and noisy spot I’ve been visiting for years. Many people drive right by not knowing about the hundreds of herons nesting on the nearby hillside. I was focussed on this particular tree because it had three nests in it and there was a lot of interaction between the two families you see in this photo. One evening I heard a loud cracking sound coming from the hillside. I thought it rather strange since there was no human access. But nothing more came of it - at first. About 20 minutes later, as I was waiting for the parents to bring food to the chicks, the whole tree collapsed. I was in shock. The tree just disappeared and with it went 17 chicks. It was unbelievable. I looked for an entry point to go and have a look but there were none. The base of the hill was filled with water and thick blackberry bushes. I contacted a local rescue association and told them what happened. They were able to retrieve the 17 chicks. Sadly only two of them made it. The cause of the collapse was deemed to be unstable soil.
The Glance
Spending just over a week with coastal wolves on a remote beach in British Columbia is an experience difficult to put into words. They are highly intelligent animals incredibly aware of their surroundings. Although I photographed this image from a blind, there was no hiding. She was well aware of my presence. With a nose upwards of 100 times more sensitive than that of a human, you don't hide from a wild wolf. The blind did however keep me contained. The wolf was part of a 14 member pack and she came close to satisfy her curiosity. After a minute or two, she continued her patrol down the beach.
The Sprinter
Being a grizzly bear cub has to be tough. Even though cubs can stay with their mothers for up to three years, there are many lessons to learn and many dangers to be aware of. This first year cub was being chased by a sibling as play turned into a chase.
The Boss
This is the alpha wolf of a pack of 14. I photographed him early one morning before first light. He had come down the beach with 4 other wolves. The rest of the pack, including 7 pups, were tucked away in the forest nearby. He proceed to bark and howl for a good 10 minutes. At first I thought he was warning the rest of the pack to relocate. But that wasn't the case as they appeared later on. He was letting me know he was the boss. This was his beach and I was a visitor. Message understood. Once he was done, he and the other 4 wolves proceeded down the beach. Although he never displayed any aggression, it took a while for my heart rate to return to normal. [Please note: wolves are hunted without limits in BC. As such, I am not in a position to share the exact location. Image was captured on the west coast of BC].