I spent several hours wandering Elgin Heritage Park in South Surrey, BC, this afternoon. It’s one of my favourite places for bird photos in the lower mainland.
Northern Flicker
Red-winged Blackbird
Anna’s Hummingbird?
Spotted Towhee
Spotted Towhee
I’m guessing Spotted Sandpiper?
European Starling
Bald Eagle
BTW, if I misidentify any birds, give me a shout. I’m always happy to learn.
We put out a box for blue orchard mason bees on our balcony, along with some cocoons, but we hadn’t seen any action. The cocoons were all holed and empty, and we feared predators like wasps had gotten all the bees.
Today I was happy to see a slow-moving, but live, mason bee. Hope to see more as the days go by. We’ve set out lots of flowers on the balcony of various species.
Master birder George Clulow led a group around Burnaby Mountain today. It was great fun, but the birds were on the sparse side, so he suggested ending the morning at Piper Spit on Burnaby Lake, which proved to have an abundance of feathered friends to observe.
Thanks to the City of Burnaby and its Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Dept. for organizing such tours!
A few photos from today’s rambles:
Kamui Mintara, or, Playground of the Gods
I’ve shot Kamui Mintara many times over many years, yet I think this may be the first for me to approach the totems from behind, move around, and deliberately expose for a silhouette effect.
Yes, they do stand upright. But I like this tilted angle.
Burnaby Mountain picnic tables
Bold blackbird!
The Wildlife Rescue Association hosted another fun Earth Day event today in Burnaby. The Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society was invited to participate, as we have for many years.
It was a lovely day with lots of kids and families attending.
MP Kennedy Stewart addresses the gathering
Chatted with employees today at the Maxxam Analytics “Day of Caring” at their Burnaby, BC, location. It’s an opportunity for Maxxam employees to learn about local NGOs that they can volunteer with.
Thanks to Karen M and Christy T at Maxxam for the invitation and handling the logistics.
We had a sunny, warm day for our chum fry release in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC, this morning. We arranged for a couple of classes of students from Taylor Park Elementary to come down and help with the release. Kids, teachers, parents, and streamkeeper volunteers all had a great time.
Thanks to our DFO Community Advisor Maurice, and technician Scott. They’re been doing this for years, and are always a pleasure to meet, even for an hour or two.
Thanks also to the volunteers at the Bell-Irving Hatchery out at Kanaka Creek in Maple Ridge, who put in so many hours collecting eggs in the fall, and raising them through to releasable chum fry and coho smolts. It’s a huge task, and we appreciate your ongoing efforts.
Such releases are truly joyful occasions. The kids love scrambling down from the tank to the creek with baggies full of fish, and even adults succumb to the adventure. Everyone feels good about giving back a little.
Mark Sloat from the City of Burnaby and I (Byrne Creek Streamkeepers) tag teamed tonight on talking about watersheds and storm drains to a group of Brownies who will be out marking street drains with yellow fish next week.
I spent nearly three hours wandering the trails in Burnaby, BC’s, Fraser Foreshore Park, at the west end estuary/wetland nature area.
Lots of birds, a few people and dogs, some work action on the river, the wooden railway bridge, and even an incinerator.
Rufous hummingbird
Song sparrow?
Varied thrush?
Northern flicker
Northern flicker
American robin
Balancing homo sapiens sapiens 🙂
Metro Vancouver incinerator
Railway bridge
Busy bee
Gorgeous fungus
Yumi and I walked up the hill from our place to the Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre here in Burnaby, BC, to take in their Celebrate Spring event.
We enjoyed the crafts, displays, performances, and, of course, the food.
Yumi with a handmade decoration for her hair. Happy girl! : -)
I attended a birding tour around Burnaby BC’s Deer Lake today led by master birder George Clulow. It was a crisp, sunny morning, and great fun. There was plenty to see, but I ended up splitting my photography efforts between birds and blossoms, since I’d decided not to shlep the heavy artillery for the two-hour walk. It’s hard getting a decent hummingbird shot without the big lens and tripod.
The heron rookery. Here’s one carrying material for a nest
Mallard couple at the east beach
American Wigeon couple at the east beach
Snoozing mallards at the east beach
Frog in the lake, likely invasive
Turtles in the lake. They all look like invasive red-eared sliders, though one may not be
Sparrow in the gardens near the Burnaby Art Gallery
