Category Archives: Nature

Marauding Merganser

I watched this common merganser swim in the overflow pond and the sediment pond in the Byrne Creek artificial spawning habitat in SE Burnaby, BC. Don’t see these in Byrne that often.

After awhile I guess it had enough of being observed and flushed spectacularly, zooming right over us. I whipped my wee Canon pocket camera up and got this shot full of motion and blur, but I kinda like it!

common merganser flight
Too bad I didn’t have a much faster DSLR at hand…

Ferns, Fungi, Flow — A Byrne Creek Walk

I scoured Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC,  for spawning salmon this morning but saw none, dead or alive. There could possibly be a few hiding in the shadows of the sediment pond — the sun is so low on the horizon that even on a sunny day it can be hard to see into the pond.

It appears that this year’s salmon run may be drawing to a close on Byrne Creek. Volunteer streamkeepers occasionally see them through the end of November, and rarely into early December. It’s been a decent year for this creek, with a combined total of chum and coho approaching 40 fish.

On the way back up the ravine I took advantage of the post-rain sunshine to get some nature shots along the trail.

Byrne Creek dew

forest in a drop of water
A forest in a drop of water

Byrne Creek fungus

Byrne Creek fungus

Byrne Creek fungus

Byrne Creek ferns

Byrne Creek ferns

Byrne Creek ferns

Byrne Creek ferns

Byrne Creek ferns

Byrne Creek flow

Byrne Creek flow