A Pilot’s Eye.
A Conservationist's Heart.
After burning out from a life of high-stakes situations, I found my savior in a pear tree: A 3-Gram marvel who changed my life.
Discovering my 3-Gram Cure
My life began hidden in a sheepskin basket at -30 degrees in Moscow. My parents were spies: landscape documentarians who taught me the power of quiet attention.
I spent the next four decades overcoming extreme situations. I was the penniless nineteen-year-old who built a helicopter from wrecks. I was the man who crawled into a burning vehicle on the Trans-Canada to pull a family to safety, and the failed entrepreneur who became a #1 salesman by out-reading the manuals.
Then, I discovered Sweetiebird—a three-gram marvel. She moved too fast for the distracted eye, but my "Spy’s DNA" wouldn't let me look away. I watched as she built a home from a few strands of spider silk and a handful of lichen, rearing her hatchlings in a world I never knew existed.
That's how it began. I traded high-stress adrenaline for a 4K lens, documenting over 130 nests to build the world’s largest library of hummingbird footage. This obsession became an award-winning film and a primary contribution to the BBC and PBS.
Filming these tiny miracles is how I overcame burnout.
Figuring Out the Mechanics
At nineteen, I was the youngest commercial helicopter pilot in Canada. I had the license, but no seat. When the industry shut me out, I refused to leave. Finally, a hangar boss pointed to three wrecked chassis and a toolbox. He gave me a manual and an ultimatum: "If you can build a helicopter that works, you can fly it."
I followed the manual. I mastered the mechanical details because my life depended on them. I assembled the craft, proved the systems, and flew that helicopter all summer. It was my first proof that any complex system—no matter how broken—can be mastered if you pay enough attention.
I eventually walked away from the cockpit when I realized I was becoming too daring. In a helicopter, cocky is a death sentence. I had the self-awareness to ground myself before the machine did.
Take-Action DNA
In the North, our boat came upon the seal hunt. While my instinct was to look away in horror, my instincts wouldn’t let me. I forced myself to document the reality, sending the visceral photography to Greenpeace.
In 1980, my "take-action" instinct was tested on the Trans-Canada Highway. I came across a vehicle engulfed in flames with a family of four trapped inside. I smashed the windows and pulled all four out, an act that earned me the Governor General’s Medal of Bravery.
For me, both were the same instinct. I've always believed that no matter how tough a challenge, there is a way out, if you pay attention.
The Youngest Pilot: Figuring Out the Machine
At nineteen, I was the youngest commercial helicopter pilot in Canada. I had the license, but no seat. When the industry shut me out, I refused to leave. Finally, a hangar boss pointed to three wrecked chassis and a toolbox. He gave me a manual and an ultimatum: "If you can build a helicopter that works, you can fly it."
I followed the manual. I mastered the mechanical details because my life depended on them. I assembled the craft, proved the systems, and flew that helicopter all summer. It was my first proof that any complex system—no matter how broken—can be mastered if you pay enough attention.
I eventually walked away from the cockpit when I realized I was becoming too daring. In a helicopter, cocky is a death sentence. I had the self-awareness to ground myself before the machine did.
Documenting the Invisible
At my lowest point, I was stuck in a high-pressure sales culture that didn't fit. I was burnt out and looking for a way to stay grounded. That’s when I looked into a plum tree and spotted a nest the size of a walnut.
Watching a mother hummingbird navigate a storm with more precision than any machine I had ever flown was a wake-up call. It was a "3-gram cure" that forced me to slow down. That shift in perspective gave me the clarity to walk away from a toxic environment and start over.
I eventually took a job with a reputable window firm on Vancouver Island. By applying the same "pilot’s eye" I use behind a 4K lens—unwavering patience and a focus on the smallest details—I’ve spent years as their top salesman.
World's Largest Hummingbird Film Library
I have now filmed over 130 hummingbird nests, capturing behaviour so intimate and rare that film crews, biologists, and global audiences to use my work to understand these tiny aerial athletes.
My award-winning documentary The Bird in My Backyard has been featured worldwide, nominated and won film awards and my footage appears in collaborations with BBC Wildlife Films, Netflix crews, and international film festivals.
Get Your Hummingbird Kindness Kit
Most people put out a feeder and watch from a distance. Download the kit to get my top tips on how to keep hummingbirds healthy, safe, and raising families in your garden.
Keynotes & Workshops
Today, I take the "Pilot’s Eye" out of the garden and onto the stage. Whether I’m delivering a keynote to high-performers or leading a workshop with thermal cameras, the goal is the same: to help people navigate "The Blur."
I share the technical discipline and the unwavering focus I’ve learned from over 16 years behind a lens. These are the same tools that allow a person to find clarity and direction in a high-pressure world where everyone else is burning out.
Accomplishments & Highlights
Creative
Achievements
TEDx speaker
Filmed 130+ hummingbird nests across 16 years
Winner of multiple international film festival awards
Cinematographer + contributor to BBC Wildlife Films
Featured in major publications and interviews worldwide
Builder of the world’s largest personal hummingbird behaviour archive
Toastmasters Magazine profile
Conservation
Achievements
Co-founder of the Canadian Orca Rescue Society
Instrumental in campaigns that helped close 19 harmful fish farms
Advocate for salmon habitat restoration
Community educator bringing wildlife awareness to schools
Courage
Achievements
Medal of Bravery recipient
Vital Link Award for lifesaving emergency response
Helicopter pilot who survived a crash and led a multi-day wilderness rescue
Sales leader responsible for multimillion-dollar organizational growth
Kindness Kit
You don’t need a pilot’s license or a high-speed camera to experience the "3-Gram Cure." I’ve shared some of my most requested field notes in one simple guide so you can host more hummingbirds.
GET THE HEARTBEAT
Ever wondered what it’s actually like inside a nest? I’ve spent 16 years bringing you up close to 130 nests and 250+ birds I’ve come to know by name. Subscribe to the Hummingbird Heartbeat for an intimate look at the nests and the stories you won't see anywhere else.
Documenting 16 years of backyard miracles to protect the forest we share.
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