Nicolas Demers
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figureoutthesea.ca
Nicolas Demers
@figureoutthesea.ca
1K followers 630 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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#ArtAdventCalendar Day 7:

A shot of my 'hood, Vancouver's West End, from Burrard Bridge with the sun going down.

-- Vancouver, December 2024

#photography #UrbanPhotography
View of Vancouver's West End from Burrard Bridge. Apartment towers rise over trees and a beach. There is a ferry dock with a ferry approaching. Mountains in the background, half-hidden by golden glouds. Only the tops of the towers are in the light. Trees are golden-brown and mostly bare
December 7, 2025 at 5:17 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: let's do both themes!

- A Ruby-crowned Kinglet frolicking and foraging in a wash of spring blossoms (Vancouver, March 2025)

- And a Mallard TECHNICALLY #OutOfWater (Reifel Bird Sanctuary, February 2025)

#photography #birds
A Ruby-crowned Kinglet climbing on a pussy willow twig. In the background are blurry branches and pink flowers A female Mallard walking on solid greenish ice
December 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
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#ArtAdventCalendar Day 6:

Let's take a short break from birds! Here's a morning view of downtown Vancouver, taken from the south side of False Creek

-- Vancouver, December 2020

#photography
A view of many urban towers under a mostly blue sky, half in shadow and half coloured gold from the rising sun. A body of water in the foreground reflects these towers in a slightly wibbly way
December 6, 2025 at 4:15 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #movement

A Mallard duck having a vigorously splashy bath

-- Burnaby Lake Regional Park, September 2023

#photography #birds
A male Mallard duck on the water, twisting and splashing around
December 6, 2025 at 4:06 PM
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#ArtAdventCalendar Day 5:

A gorgeous Pelagic Cormorant in its full breeding outfit: a green-purple sheen over much of its body, two large white patches by its rump, and a little red "mask" around its eyes and bill

-- False Creek, Vancouver. April 2025

#photography #birds
A Pelagic Cormorant on the water. Its plumage is iridescent purple over much of its body with some greenish patches. One of its two white rump patches is visible
December 5, 2025 at 4:49 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #Borbs

Song Sparrows are very good at getting round, especially when fluffing themselves up against a cold snap

-- Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, February 2025

#photography #birds
A very floofy Song Sparrow on a lichen-covered branch. Its body is facing me, but it is looking camera right. There are a few bits of snow on its beak
December 5, 2025 at 4:41 PM
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#ArtAdventCalendar Day 4:

An almost-mature Bald Eagle soaring overhead. Maybe 3 years old? I understand they get their adult colours at age 4 or 5

-- Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, October 2025

#photography #birds
A Bald Eagle soaring overhead against a solid blue sky. The head and tail are mostly white, while the wings and body are mostly brown
December 4, 2025 at 4:50 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #Songbirds

A sample of common songbirds around my neck of the woods:

- American Bushtit
- Song Sparrow
- House Finch
- Spotted Towhee

#photography #birds
A male American Bushtit hanging on to the end of a pine branch A Song Sparrow hanging on to a vertical branch and looking out A male House Finch surrounded by pink cherry blossoms and blue sky. He has a blossom in his beak A male Spotted Towhee on a wooden fence
December 4, 2025 at 7:44 AM
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#ArtAdventCalendar Day 3:

A fierce and shiny warrior taking a break from fighting all the other hummingbirds around the feeders

-- Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, November 2025

#photography #birds
A male Anna's Hummingbird on a wire fence. His gorget is half pink, and the background is a sort of uniform brown grey
December 3, 2025 at 4:58 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #LookingAtYou

Wood Ducks are even more dazzling when seen head on!

-- Burnaby Lake Regional Park, April 2023

#photography #birds
Closeup of a male Wood Duck seen head on
December 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
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#ArtAdventCalendar day 2:

A Sandhill Crane doing a big stretch with its ginormous wings.

-- Burnaby Lake Regional Park, April 2024

#photography #birds
A Sandhill Crane standing in shallow water. Its head is down, butt up, and its huge wings are spread
December 2, 2025 at 5:15 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #Stripes

I just so happened to photograph an American Bittern this weekend. Their stripey plumage makes for A+ camouflage in their natural habitat!

-- Reifel Bird Sanctuary, November 2025

#photography #birds
An American Bittern in "compact" mode (neck fully retracted) standing around and glaring at the world. It is surrounded by brown grasses and reeds
December 2, 2025 at 4:57 PM
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Okay let's do this! #ArtAdventCalendar, inspired by @jayispainting.earthskyart.ca

Let's start at the beginning, with the bird that got me obsessed with birding: the White-crowned Sparrow.

-- Vancouver, April 2020

#photography #birds
An adult White-crowned Sparrow surrounded by new pink spring buds
December 1, 2025 at 7:01 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #Reflections

A male Wood Duck calmly swimming along

-- Burnaby Lake, May 2024

#photography #birds
A male Wood Duck swimming along, seen in profile. The water is calm and his reflection is clear. The rest of the water is a muddle of blue and greenish-brown from nearby reeds and trees
December 1, 2025 at 5:02 PM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #BerriesAndBeaks

American Robins round out their diet of worms and bugs with some yummy berries. Likewise, though their thick beaks are excellent for cracking seeds, House Finches do often enjoy softer fare

#photography #birds
An American Robin holding a small orange berry in its beak. It is standing over a cluster of similar berries, and in the background you can see yet more berries on bare branches. The rest of the background is grey is muted A female House Finch leaning way over to sample some small red berries. It is surrounded by bright summer greenery A female House Finch is leaning down to eat some small reddish berries. The light is yellow, and coming from behind the bird
November 30, 2025 at 8:51 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #MorningLight

A juvenile White-crowned Sparrow contemplating the sunrise

-- Vancouver, September 2020

#photography ##birds
An immature White-crowned Sparrow on a wooden bench, illuminated by low golden morning light
November 29, 2025 at 3:29 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #HeadShots

Here is a Canada Goose with some elm seed accessories. Very dapper!

-- Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, May 2024

#photography #birds
A closeup of a Canada Goose with a couple elm seeds dangling from its bill
November 28, 2025 at 5:17 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay: let's go with #Sparrows

There's the relatively shy Savannah Sparrow, the extremely shy Lincoln's Sparrow (inexplicably showing up in downtown Vancouver) and, quite rare on the West Coast, an American Tree Sparrow

#photography #birds
A Savannah Sparrow seen at about eye level, perky and facing camera right A Lincoln's Sparrow up in a tree, in the shade An American Tree Sparrow on the gravelly ground
November 26, 2025 at 12:53 AM
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#BirdOfTheDay: #warblers

Here's a Blackpoll Warbler, immature or nonbreeding female. And far out of its normal range: it should have benn on its way to the Caribbean but somehow found itself in the trees right outside my window!

-- Vancouver, BC. November 2024

#photography #birds
A Blackpoll Warbler -- a small bird with mostly olive colouring, a more yellow chest, partial white eyerings and darker grey wings with sharp white wing bars -- is up in a tree looking down A Blackpoll Warbler -- a small bird with mostly olive colouring, a more yellow chest, partial white eyerings and darker grey wings with sharp white wing bars -- is up in a tree looking out A Blackpoll Warbler -- a small bird with mostly olive colouring, a more yellow chest, partial white eyerings and darker grey wings with sharp white wing bars -- is up in a tree spreading one wing wide A Blackpoll Warbler -- a small bird with mostly olive colouring, a more yellow chest, partial white eyerings and darker grey wings with sharp white wing bars -- is up in a tree with wings partly extended and head twisted around
November 24, 2025 at 5:58 PM
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#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