Another photo ramble at Stewart Heritage Farm in south Surrey. It’s one of my favourite places in the lower mainland to take photos.
Category Archives: Nature
South Burnaby Ravine Forests Show Major Cooling Effect
I was happy to see that water temperatures have eased in Byrne Creek in southeast Burnaby.
Today I got readings of 10/11 C in the ravine, and a high of 13 C at the downstream end of the sediment pond. That’s off from 17+ a few weeks ago, which was getting high for the health of salmon and trout.
It was also interesting to note that the air temperature in the thick, tall woods of the ravine was 15 C, while the air temperature standing on the median of Southridge Drive, a four-lane road running past the ravine, was 24 C.
Another example of the natural services provided by woods and forests!
Today’s Cornucopia – Yum!
We got ten cobs of fresh corn at HMart today for, I think it was $5.98. A minute or two in boiling water and it’s fantastic, not even any salt or butter, just natural sweetness.
Snail Mesmerizes Cat
Choco wanted out on the balcony to lap fresh rainwater off of leaves. When I went back a few minutes later to check on her, I found her mesmerized by a snail.
Raining Rodents in Burnaby
I heard a light thud on the roof, or perhaps a window, and looked out to see a rodent on the walk in front of our door.
Dropped by a raptor?
I put on a pair of disposable medical gloves (rodents can carry parasites) and put it in a box. I know a biologist who uses desiccated beasties for teaching, so it’s double bagged and in the freezer.
Nature Tour of Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC
It was a sunny, hot, blue-sky morning for a nature tour of Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby. Thanks to Pamela Zevit of the South Coast Conservation Program who led the informative tour, and who brought along a show-and-tell kit of cool animal stuff!
Met the Otter at Deer Lake Again
After our Deer Lake canoe shakedown cruise two days ago, we were going to canoe Burnaby Lake, but discovered there was a regatta in progress. So it was back to Deer Lake where we saw the otter again, and what appeared to be a juvenile bald eagle.
This little fella was hanging around right where we saw him/her two days ago.
Hide and seek among the lily pads
This kingfisher was too far away for a good shot with my teeny pocket Canon PowerShot 520HS, so rather grainy in this blowup.
I am loath to take my DSLRs and big lenses canoeing!
Canoeing Burnaby’s Deer Lake
We dusted off the canoe and went for our first spin this year. Just been too busy to get out with Yumi both working full time and taking classes.
It was a lovely morning for a shakedown cruise, and we paddled leisurely around the lake a few times.
Heading out with Yumi in the bow
Yumi is always in the bow, seeing as I outweigh her by about 100 pounds : -)
Lots of Canada Geese on the beach and lake
Metrotown skyline
This furry water beastie approached us, coming quite near before turning away
Otter?
Some years ago Burnaby designated the west end of the lake as a no-go wildlife area. People, please respect this haven.
A cormorant and three herons
You can clearly see the importance of this small area of urban biodiversity
An escort of mallards
A visit from a damselfly
Yumi doing her best to keep invasive Himalayan blackberries in check : -)
This pretty mallard was pretty used to people, perhaps overly so!
Gliding toward Arthur Erickson’s Baldwin House
Back ashore at the east beach
Lovely Afternoon Walking Campbell Valley Regional Park
We fed the chickadees and enjoyed a multitude of other flora and fauna in Campbell Valley Regional Park, part of Metro Vancouver’s wonderful parks system.
You can see some of my photos in a Flickr album.
Goshawk vs Snake Fight — in Tokyo?!
I just saw an NHK (if you’re Canadian think CBC) clip of a snake trying to snatch a goshawk chick from a nest way up a tree — in Meiji Jingu park in Tokyo. Mom GH intervened…
I used to walk through Meiji Jingu a couple of times a week on the way to work when I lived in Tokyo. I would get off the train a few stations early to fill my lungs with somewhat naturally filtered air and enjoy this haven in a sea of concrete and pavement…
But I never imagined a goshawk/snake fight in this green oasis in a metropolitan area of some 25-30 million people!
I’m attaching this Google Earth capture, just to show how isolated this island of biodiversity is in one of the largest metropolitan centers on Earth.
The red marker is Meiji Shrine and its park. The surrounding grey area is all buildings, concrete, and pavement. The other green areas to the right are other parks, and the Imperial Palace.
