We took an evening stroll through the eastern end of Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby this evening. Ran across a lot of spit bugs and a beetle with some hitchhikers.
All posts by Paul Cipywnyk
Ridding DSLR Sensor of Stubborn Spot
I’ve had a stubborn spot on the sensor of my Nikon D7100 for awhile now. I could not remove it simply by blowing air at it.
I did some reading online (in particular this detailed article), and went out today and bought a pack of Sensor Swabs preloaded with Eclipse fluid. I was a bit hesitant, but followed the instructions.
The first swab didn’t do it, but a second swabbing appears to have dealt with the annoying spot.
A Few Birds Near Victoria, BC
Though I wasn’t birding, I did get a few shots on my recent trip to Vancouver Island.
Towhee on Mt. Tolmie in Victoria
Hummingbird on a wire near Jordan River
Checking out the photographer
Gull with Trial Islands in background
Cormorants at Swartz Bay ferry terminal
Cool Clouds on Swartz Bay – Tsawwassen Ferry Run
It was a lovely early evening run from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen. The clouds were amazing.
SEHAB Meets in Port Alberni, BC
SEHAB, or the Salmon Enhancement and Habitat Advisory Board to the Dept of Fisheries and Oceans, met for 1-1/2 days of meetings in Port Alberni, BC, on May 18-19.
Board members meet three times a year to collate and discuss successes and concerns from streamkeeper groups around BC, and share them with DFO Pacific Regional Headquarters.
SEP 2015 BC Streamkeeper Workshop in Port Alberni
The SEP 2015 (Salmonid Enhancement Program) workshop in Port Alberni, BC, on May 15-17 was a huge success. These events happen every two years, rotating among a variety of communities in British Columbia, organized by the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation, Department of Fisheries community advisors, and stewardship groups.
Lovely Mayfly Near Port Alberni, BC
Spotted this lovely mayfly hanging on to a railing on the old steam train near Port Alberni, BC.
Heron, Gull at White Rock, BC, Pier
Got some nice shots today at the pier in White Rock, BC.
Liftoff!
The heron kept shifting its head from side to side to locate prey
Grooming gull
Computer Getting Whiny
Fan noises on my tower computer have reached annoying levels, so I pulled the side panel and spent some time dusting with compressed air and a Shop Vac. The whiny sound has been cut at least in half, but it’s still noticeable. It may be time to try a new CPU fan soon, as I think that’s the one that’s most irritating.
It wouldn’t be too bad if it were a steady sound, but the fan responds to load, so it’s constantly rising and falling in pitch.
Hatchery Coho Smolts Die in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC
Well, I was hoping it wouldn’t happen.
I was hoping it wouldn’t rain, because rain flushes all the crap off our roads and into our creeks. Gasoline, oil, antifreeze, metals from brake-lining dust…
But today one of our volunteers from the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society observed 130+ dead coho smolts in the sediment pond, near where they had been released just two days ago. See photos in previous post.
Anger. Sadness. Frustration.
We’ve had years where we’ve counted over 700 dead smolts, or a mortality rate of over 25% of those released, and I’m sure we always miss many morts. Mother Nature cleans up damn quick when a smolt buffet is set for all the birds and beasts who love fish.
The weirdness is that indigenous fish appear to be fine. You’ll see fry and trout swimming about unaffected by the pollutants that kill the coho.
You can see live fry on the right-hand side of this photo
This one was barely alive. It sat on the bottom barely moving, then turned a few circles, and banged its head into the concrete wall of the sediment pond.