Since retiring to the West Coast, specifically the Sidney area of Vancouver Island, I have been getting to know a whole new slew of bird species. While I have seen a fair number of common ravens in my lifetime, they are extremely numerous in my neighborhood and I often hear their deep-throated croaks and assorted other interesting ‘noises’. They seem to be even more numerous on Sidney Island, a small inhabited island of about 3,000 acres just a half-hour small boat ride

Tom placed his brand-new Christmas gift on the sandy shore of Boundary Bay Regional Park not far from the local airport, stood back, and then powered up the four propellers with his remote control. The white Phantom DJ-I quickly lifted off, flew high into the sky, and then headed over toward the huge mixed flock of shorebirds browsing on the flats. On the way, Tom guided the quadrotor to hover over a snowy owl resting on a large piece of driftwood and snapped a few pictures