Wildlife Calendars
Birds and Insects of the Okanagan 2022 Calendars are now available.
Common Loon on Okanagan Lake from Lakeshore Drive by Blythe Nilson.
Leafcutter Bee on the UBC Okanagan campus by Bob Lalonde.
Get Your Calendar
- Proceeds support: undergraduate education, offsetting costs for such things as lab supplies and printing for students involved in research projects
- Cost: $25
- Where to buy: UBC Okanagan Bookstore or from the Department of Biology Office, SCI 155.
About the Calendar
In the year 2020, the UBC campus in Kelowna became virtual because of the COVID-19 crisis. Faculty and students operated remotely from their homes, in Kelowna, the Okanagan Valley, and across the world.
In celebration of this, rather than celebrate just the campus’ birds and insects, the 2022 calendars showcase photos taken at various locations in the Central Okanagan.
Behind the Scenes — how it’s shot and by whom
Equipped for Avifauna
If you want to capture a rare sighting of sandhill cranes at Robert Lake, you need patience, timing, and the right gear. Here’s the go-to photo equipment used by UBC biology professors Bob Lalonde, Blythe Nilson and Ian Walker when they go birding:
Bob’s photo of a Cicada expanding its wings is a springtime feature of the Pine Trail. The Campus hosts two species of these noisy insects. They will spend up to a decade underground before coming to the surface to look for a mate and then die.
Lalonde
Uses a Canon EOS digital rebel, Canon 400mm f5.6 L series lens, and monopod. This setup sets a good compromise between quality and portability, he says. “The L series lenses are all excellent and the 400 mm is one of the most affordable. Digital rebel cameras are not full-frame, but the sensor is excellent and the smaller size provides an added ‘crop factor’ that turns a 400 mm lens into a 560 mm lens. There are more expensive and sharper alternatives, but none of them are as light and handy!”
Ian’s photo of the American Avocet going into a “broken-wing” display is pretty good evidence that these spectacular birds are attempting to breed on Robert’s Lake! Robert Lake and the adjoining landfill are one of the few places in British Columbia that these birds breed, making Robert Lake a Mecca for birders!
Walker
Principally uses a Nikon D5000 camera body equipped with a Sigma 150-500 mm f/5-6.3 lens. The lens incorporates auto-focus and vibration reduction, and is much less expensive than any comparable Nikon lenses, he says. “This kit provides somewhat greater magnification, but it is distinctly heavier and bulkier than Lalonde’s setup. Few people will have my tolerance for lugging this lens all day in the field.”
Blythe’s photo of an adult Bald Eagle shows a common sight on the Okanagan Campus for those willing to take a walk along the Pine Trail to the Conservation Area next to the Municipal Landfill. Eagles nest here every year!
Nilson
Uses a Canon Rebel T1i with a Canon 100-400 L series Mark II lens.