A birding first for me. . .
I was out at Iona Beach Regional Park near YVR when I saw a bird whose profile looked different.
It turned out to be a Northern Shrike. Cool!
A birding first for me. . .
I was out at Iona Beach Regional Park near YVR when I saw a bird whose profile looked different.
It turned out to be a Northern Shrike. Cool!
Happy that community came together.
Happy that new voices took leading roles, not just “environmental activists.”
Happy that Burnaby Council responded to the public outcry.
Happy that the City will take a new look, and consider other alternatives to removing parkland for an organic waste processing facility.
Yes, the initial aim to process more of our local organic waste locally was, and is, a good idea.
Just not on rare and sensitive habitat that has been almost completely wiped out on the lower Fraser River.
And not by un-dedicating parkland that was specifically dedicated for its unique values.
We share this Earth. It’s not only for people, and parks are not only for human recreation. Parks, the more natural the better, have value beyond playing fields.
I hope that we have all learned through this process.
(If you’re new to this blog, scroll down, down, to see several of my posts on the proposal to build an organic waste processing facility in unique habitat. . .)
Spotted these Northern Flickers at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC, this morning.
I took advantage of the sunny day to look for salmon fry in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC, today — and success!
Volunteer streamkeepers were hoping that some eggs in the gravel survived a major kill in the creek on Jan. 25 (see my blog post about the kill here.)
I think these are chum fry.
I had a chance to drop by Royal Roads University where I did my MA in Professional Communication years ago. It was a gorgeous day despite the cold wind.
Hatley Castle
Lagoon and migratory bird sanctuary
Turkey Vulture soaring overhead
I got out for my daily perambulation earlier today than usual. Walked around Taylor Park and Byrne Creek Ravine Park in SE Burnaby, BC.
Birds were getting active on a sunny morning!
This Red-tailed Hawk was hanging around near Taylor Park Elementary. It wouldn’t let me get close enough for a good shot, but I could see that it had what appeared to be a YVR relocation tag. There’s a program to move raptors away from the airport for their, and of course, airplane safety.
I asked around my birder buddies, and several put me in touch with the folks running this program. Thanks!
Steller’s Jay
Steller’s Jay and Northern Flicker
Several Northern Flickers were making their presence known by hammering on street lamps.
Sun coming over the hill at Taylor Park
A few more shots from this morning’s Deer Lake photo walk in Burnaby, BC.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Male and female Bufflehead
I counted at least a dozen Double-crested Cormorants at Deer Lake in Burnaby, BC, this morning.
I wonder if the history of the designation of the parkland that the City of Burnaby wants to build a waste-processing facility on has been lost. A 2004 Report to Council refers to the area as environmentally sensitive.
The March 31, 2004 report is entitled “Acquisition of Environmentally Sensitive Lands Burnaby Fraser Foreshore Park.”
The report clearly states that “these environmentally significant lands have been transferred into City ownership for park and conservation purposes.”
The report speaks to three years of working with DFO to reestablish salmon rearing habitat and other work to “enhance the natural landscape to maximize wildlife values. . . ”
The report also states that “the meadow area is classified as a Tidal Freshwater Marsh as it is subject to daily tidal inundation. This wet grassland type is a relatively rare habitat type in Burnaby and the surrounding region. Since European settlement, 75% of the wetlands in the Lower Mainland have been lost. . . ”
As for the issue of habitat compensation, which is often problematic and difficult to fully achieve, the reports states “. . . it is important to note that larger natural areas have greater value than smaller segmented parcels as they are more resilient to environmental impacts.”
I hope this key report will be fully considered before the City of Burnaby continues to push the recent proposed project.
The report can be found on the Heritage Burnaby webiste here:
Amazing citizen presence at Fraser Foreshore Park in #Burnaby, BC, today, speaking out against the City’s plan to turn a significant chunk of park and off-river fish habitat into a waste facility.
It was so cool because none of us knew the others were coming!
There were at least three separate groups who had all been in touch with media. Some coordinating with CityNews, some with CBC TV.
And. . .
We were blessed with circling Bald Eagles, and a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, throughout most of the interviews.