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!

I took a couple of hours away from the office to zip up to Alice Lake Provincial Park to take some photos today.

Driving north on the Sea to Sky Highway

Heading out counter-clockwise around the lake

Mergansers hanging on the beach

  Stream tumbling into the lake

 In the summer these tables would all be full. Today, I saw only three other people over the entire loop around the lake.

Roots and rocks embrace

We took an overnighter down to Washington State last weekend. While it was foggy and drizzly, we still enjoyed some ocean expanses and fresh air at Deception Pass State Park.

Yumi on the beach

Deception Pass bridge

West beach looking north-ish

West beach looking south-ish

North beach

North beach bluff