Reflections on a Year in Nature Photography (2025) + My First Sighting of 2026

Some years are measured in numbers — the total number of species, kilometers traveled, or photos taken. But this past year taught me something deeper: how much beauty hides in the everyday moments between milestones.

2025 was an amazing year full of new adventures and exciting species documented. I was fortunate enough to photograph nearly 340 different wildlife species (237 of which being birds) from all around the world - from the southern tip of Point Pelee to the jungles of Southeast Asia… from the lakes of the Gatineau Park to the rocky coastlines of Scandinavia… from amongst Quebec red pines to rows of scotch pines along the Gulf of Riga… 2025 was a special year to remember.

Below I’ll share some thoughts and photos from throughout the year (in no particular order) along with an unexpected and special first sighting of 2026.

Common Yellowthroat - Port Hope, ON

Bald Eagle - Dog Lake, ON

Common Eider - Iceland.

The year was full of exciting lifers but also many common and familiar species that I was lucky enough to constantly observe in new light day after day. It’s always fun to chase lifers but this year I did feel my perspective shift somewhat. When in the past I may have gone out looking for a particular new species and been disappointed when I didn’t find it, this year I found myself going home excited to see it another day…

Spotted Sandpiper - Mud Lake, ON

Yellow Warbler - Ottawa, ON

Mallard - Rideau River, ON.

You only get to see and photograph a new species for the first time once in your life. While it’s incredible to have big days seeing multiple lifers in the same outing, I’ve come to learn this year that there is equal value in slowing down and savouring the experiences of these special encounters and spreading them out over time.

Red-breasted Nuthatch - Algonquin Park, ON.

Eastern Bluebird - Chelsea, QC.

Hermit Thrush - London, ON

Ornate Sunbird - Singapore.

It can be easy to rush through days checking off species after species - hurrying from one spot to the next. Focusing on the number and dwelling on potential missed opportunities to have seen something else. It can also be just as easy to fall into the trap of comparing our photos to others… seeking perfection in our images; the perfect light… the perfect subject… the perfect background… We can stress about controlling the outcomes of our goals - wanting them to be perfect and not being satisfied if they are anything less.

We constantly strive for perfection in an imperfect world but the truth is when we open our minds to embrace and appreciate the imperfect, we really do find ourselves surrounded in beauty. I think that the intentionality of photography and going out with my camera has gradually made me realize this over time.

Barred Owl - Ottawa, ON.

Purple Sandpiper - Reykjavik, Iceland.

Red-winged Blackbird - Thousand Islands National Park, ON.

Wood Duck - Mud Lake, ON.

In reflecting on my year of photography, I have found that many lessons I’ve learnt while out in the woods with my camera can also be applied to the rest of my life. We live in a world that encourages us to always chase more… more lifers…more contest wins… more achievements. Often our achievements are seen as measures of our own success and self-worth and can easily blind us on our journey to reaching them.

Long-tailed Macques - Singapore.

Gray Catbird - Mud Lake, ON.

Bison - Montebello, QC.

Long-tailed Tit - Near the border of Belgium & France.

Don’t get me wrong, I think having ambitions and goals is a beautiful thing. Challenging ourselves to achieve great feats can take us to incredible places - I’m grateful to have built a wonderful life with the help of my competitive spark and desire to chase my passions. What I think I’ve really realized this year though, with the support of photography, is that the outcomes we pursue are ultimately small pieces in the puzzle of our lives. If you’re lucky and get a photo of a rare bird you were chasing but didn’t enjoy the countless hours of preparation, searching, and being in nature leading up to that point, you’re missing out on arguably the best and most significant part of the whole experience.

The same can be said for many other aspects of our lives. It’s easy to get caught up in the cycle of thinking that once you achieve something you’ve been chasing, you will be happy - only to realize that you want more and immediately move onto chasing the next thing.

Great Tit - Gulf of Riga, Latvia.

Common Loons - Outaouais, QC

Eastern Kingbirds - Gracefield, QC.

Hooded Merganser - Rideau Canal, ON.

In 2025, happiness snuck into my life in the slower and quieter moments between milestones; from the smell of pine needles on rainy days to the conversations and laughs with loved ones on the trail - even when there were no birds to be seen. My fondest memories from the year aren’t from the final moments of the goals I reached, but from the unplanned experiences along the way.

Just like in birding, there are infinite variables in our lives that are outside of our control that can influence the outcome of a given situation. Sometimes the bird will land on the branch right in front of you and sometimes it will fly away. At the end of the day, all we can do is show up as ourselves with intention, effort, and integrity.

Scarlet Tanager - Wheatley Provincial Park, ON.

Black and White Warbler - Gatineau Park, QC.

Great Crested Grebe - Lac du Héron, France.

European Greenfinch - Suomenlinna, Finland.

The first week of January, 2026, saw me going out on multiple outings in Ottawa’s Greenbelt to search for an elusive Black-backed Woodpecker that had been sighted on multiple occasions by others in the recent days. After a few unsuccessful attempts that would have made me feel frustrated in the past, I found myself feeling hopeful that one day if I ever saw one it would feel even more satisfying after all the attempts.

After my last unsuccessful search for the woodpecker, I was driving home, thinking the day was over, when I noticed a large white shape in the distance off of a country road. It could have easily been brushed off but I pulled over and grabbed my binoculars only to realize that it was a Snowy Owl way off in the distance. Full of excitement, I reached for my camera and set off through the field and bushes in waist high snow to get a little closer to it so that I could take a photo. I had only ever seen a Snowy Owl once before when I was a kid while cross country skiing in the Gatineau Park with my dad. This was my first opportunity to take a photo of this magnificent creature. I spent the next few minutes alone in the field watching the owl stare back at me through my lens while the sun was setting.

Snowy Owl - Ottawa, ON.

I won’t stop chasing lifers in 2026, but I’ll continue to focus on my presence along the way. I’ll take moments to slow down and appreciate the beauty in the overlooked, imperfect, and seemingly unimportant things that are constantly presented right in front of me on a day to day basis. I’ll keep my mind open so that I can enjoy the journey that I’m living and trust that the results will unravel as they are supposed to. New lifers will come and new achievements will be accomplished; both expected and unexpected - and when they arrive along my path, I’ll be sure to take time to enjoy and celebrate them.

In the meantime, I’ll keep having fun out there searching… and remember that even if one lifer flies away, there may be another Snowy Owl waiting just around the corner.