Nicolas Demers
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figureoutthesea.ca
Nicolas Demers
@figureoutthesea.ca
1K followers 620 following 1.9K posts
Web developer, gay, atheist, humanist, feminist, geek. Love volleyball, sci-fi, photography, birbs. He/him.

Vancouver, BC

"Either we'll figure out the sea, or we'll keep finding beautiful places."

https://linktr.ee/npdemers
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figureoutthesea.ca
#BirdOfTheDay: #Mr&Mrs

Here are Hooded Mergansers swimming together, Wood Ducks preening together, and House Finches cheeping together

#photography #birds
A Hooded Merganser couple swimming along. Browning vegetation in the background is reflected in the water A Wood Duck couple on a branch, with only water in the background. They are both vigorously preening themselves A male and female House Finch up in a tree, surrounded by greenery. They are looking in the same direction, about camera right
November 23, 2025 at 5:55 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #GroundedGulls

A very unimpressed and wind-ruffled Ring-billed Gull

-- Iona Beach Regional Park, August 2023

#photography #birds
A Ring-billed Gull stalking a muddy beach, with a lot of ruffly feathers
November 21, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: a smorgasbord of local #Thrushes:

A Varied Thrush, an American Robin, a Hermit Thrush, and a Swainson's Thrush

#photography #birds
A Varied Thrush on a rock with water in the background. It is backlit by the sunset, looking very gold An American Robin on a wooden post, it back to me but head turned to look to the left A Hermit Thrush on a twig surrounded by reddening fall foliage. Its back is to me, showing off its reddish tail and rump, and its head is turned to the right A Swainson's Thrush hiding in a green bush
November 20, 2025 at 5:45 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #Round birds.

A Golden-crowned Sparrow gazing at the sunset, full of herbs and veggies -- ƛ̓éxətəm (Tlahutum) community gardens, November 2022

A Dark-eyed Junco taking a break from demolishing some seed pods -- Reifel Bird Sanctuary, January 2025

#photography #birds
A Golden-crowned Sparrow on a wooden fence. The light is a bit dim and golden from sunset A very fluffy Dark-eyed Junco sitting on some bare branches, surrounded by seed clusters of some kind, which is has clearly been eating
November 19, 2025 at 7:45 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay theme: #StareDown

Here is a female Wood Duck trying to hypnotise me

-- Reifel Bird Sanctuary, June 2023

#photography #birds
A closeup of a female Wood Duck looking at me dead on. Background is greyish
November 17, 2025 at 10:13 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay theme: #ShadesOfGrey

- an Eastern Kingbird at ƛ̓éxətəm (Tlahutum) Regional Park (Aug. 2023)
- a Hooded Crow in Vienna (May 2023)
- a White-breasted Nuthatch in Ottawa (January 2025)

#photography #birds
An Eastern Kingbird, a small bird with white chest and throat, and dark grey wings and head, is sitting atop a bush, with muddled bokeh green in the background A Hooded Crow -- a regular-looking crow with light grey back and belly is standing on the grass, its back to me but turning its head to the right A White-breasted Nuthatch (white face, dark slightly upturned bill, patterned grey wings) is clinging to a bare tree with its tail up
November 17, 2025 at 12:50 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay #CootsAndMoorhens

Various views of American Coots, including their sexy coot feet and one instance of Coot Drama(tm) where they're chasing each other just because. Plus one Eurasian Moorhen in Prague

#photography #birds
Close up of an American Coot head and bill Closeup of an American Coot's sexy feet An American Coot flap-running over shallow water An Eurasian Moorhen calmly swimming surrounded by debris
November 16, 2025 at 12:39 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay hey let's do both!

- A swan calmly swimming along on the Danube near Vienna, in the late afternoon (May 2023)

- a Tree Swallow being all smooth and shiny and aerodynamic (Reifel Bird Sanctuary, May 2024)

#photography #birds
A Mute Swan out on the water A Tree Swallow on a swallow-sized post, being very shiny
November 14, 2025 at 6:37 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #DucksOutOfWater

Here's a Mallard resting comfily on a bed of leaves

-- Reifel Bird Sanctuary, November 2022

#photography #birds
A male Mallard sitting on a bed of brown fallen leaves
November 13, 2025 at 6:35 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: One of four American Avocets. I saw one the previous November, and it may have told some friends. Or these are four new fools that lost their way, probably coming from Oregon / Idaho. Not a bad spot to winter, though! -- Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Sep 2023

#photography #Birds
An American Avocet walking in shallow water. It is a slim shorebird, mostly white with some black on its wings. The elegant black beak is upturned at the end
November 12, 2025 at 7:16 PM
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#BirOfTheDay #BirdsOnTheGround

Here's an American Coot, and maybe my first good photo of their sexy coot feet

-- Burnaby Lake Regional Park, March 2022

#photography #birds
An American Coot walking on the ground
November 11, 2025 at 6:34 PM
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Some digital art based on my bird photos

#DigitalArt #birds
Digital art of a Sandhill Crane in water, spreading its wings Digital art of a Song Sparrow on a wooden fence, round and poofed out
November 10, 2025 at 9:34 PM
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I see your kingfisher and raise you an Anna's Hummingbird, with the most delicate and ethereal little poop

#birds #photography
An Anna's Hummingbird against a solid blue sky, leaving a little trail of sparkling poop in the air
November 10, 2025 at 6:37 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay theme: #StandingOnThings

Here's ae statue of Diana, Goddess of the Hunt. In addition to hunting dogs, she was often represented with chubby pigeons. True story!

-- Jardin des Tuileries, Paris. May 2022

#photography #birds
A marble status of a woman with a lean dog at her side, on a tall pedestal. A grey pigeon is on her head. The sky is greyish and overcast
November 9, 2025 at 11:22 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay theme: #takeoffs

Here's a male Common Goldeneye taking to the air. The "running on water" stage never fails to crack me up it's kind of adorable

-- False Creek, Vancouver. March 2024

#photography #birds
A male Common Goldeneye sort of running on water with his wings spread A male Common Goldeneye flapping his wings, still running a bit on water but the contacts are more intermittent A male Common Goldeneye truly airborne now
November 8, 2025 at 7:17 AM
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Homer Simpson with his hands in 2 vending machines
November 8, 2025 at 7:03 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay it looked like these two House Sparrows (an adult male and female) were #fighting pretty viciously, each trying to twist around the other and bite the back of its head. Never seen anything like it

-- Reifel Bird Sanctuary, June 2024

#photography #birds
Two House Sparrows wrestling on a wooden walkway
November 8, 2025 at 2:24 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay #lunchtime

An adolescent male Common Goldeneye having a hearty breakfast of... something with far too many legs. But I'm sure it's yummy!

-- Vancouver, March 2020

#photography #birds
An immature male Common Goldeneye, its white plumage a bit grey and muddled, is out on the water holding some shrimpy thing in its bill. The light is low and golden
November 6, 2025 at 7:34 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay

Here are two #CloseUps of Sandhill Cranes, members of the family that resides in the Reifel Bird Sanctuary most of the year. One three months old colt, and one adult with its red "mask" and striking orange eyes.

-- Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. September 2024
Closeup of a three-months-old Sandhill Crane, with pale beige beak, dark eyes, and soft brownish plumage on the back of its head Closeup of an aduld Sandhill Crane, with dark grey beak, orange eyes, that striking red "mask", and pale grey plumage on its head and neck
November 5, 2025 at 6:04 PM
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Post a bird announcing Dick Cheney is dead 🪶
A male Yellow Warbler up in a tree singing, surrounded by green foliage and deep blue sky
November 4, 2025 at 10:19 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: a Great Blue Heron on the Vancouver downtown seawall, ambling along and catching its balance on some tricky #rocks

(Also covers the secondary theme of #longbeak)

-- Vancouver, September 2023

#photography #birds
A Great Blue Heron on some barnacle-covered rocks near the water, appearing to slip a little and spreading its big wings wide to steady itself
November 4, 2025 at 5:57 PM
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I WILL STAB THE WORLD IN ITS FUCKING EYE

#birds #AngryBirds
A male Anna's Hummingbird sitting on a wire fence, glaring in my general direction
November 2, 2025 at 6:09 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay

I've seen Horned #Grebes around here a few times before, but always in their drab winter outfits. The "horns" in their name refers to their gold-ish split crest, contrasting so beautifully with their red eyes and soft black heads

-- Vancouver, BC. June 2025

#photography #birds
A Horned Grebe out on the water in full breeding plumage: two gold crests over the red eyes, dark chocolate brown head, and medium brown body A Horned Grebe out on the water in full breeding plumage: two gold crests over the red eyes, dark chocolate brown head, and medium brown body A Horned Grebe out on the water in full breeding plumage: two gold crests over the red eyes, dark chocolate brown head, and medium brown body
November 1, 2025 at 6:16 PM
figureoutthesea.ca
#BirdOfTheDay

A Virginia Rail!

It looks like I stood still long enough for this extremely shy marsh bird to emerge a little bit, before it retreated back into #hiding in the reeds. This is the only shot I could get

-- Lost Lagoon, Vancouver. September 2023

#photography #birds
A Virginia Rail, mostly hidden amongst a bunch of reeds. All we clearly see is part of its face and bill, and one striking red eye
October 31, 2025 at 4:40 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay

I call this piece "The Gull With The Pearl Earring I Mean Golf Ball"

The local gulls seem to always be playing with all sorts of junk. Don't know if they carry it here, or it makes its way in naturally

-- Piper Spit, Burnaby Lake. January 2024

#photography #birds #gulls
An immature gull (maybe Glaucous-winged?) standing in shallow water, holding a dirty golf ball in its bill An immature gull (maybe Glaucous-winged?) standing in shallow water, holding a dirty golf ball in its bill
October 29, 2025 at 10:16 PM