I watched this heron in Burnaby‘s Fraser Foreshore Park for about an hour today. It was patiently fishing, and got a little fish or two, when it suddenly stabbed at something on the shore and came up with a small mammal.
It swallowed the beast whole, and you can see the heron’s distended neck in the third photo.
Not sure what the prey is, a large vole?
Distended neck as the prey slides down…
I took a one-hour loop in Byrne Creek Ravine Park this afternoon in SE Burnaby, BC. I was happy to see lots of salmon fry, and possibly trout fry. I took water temperatures at three points in the lower ravine, and they ranged from 14.5 – 15 C, so not too bad for fish. Other volunteers with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers had recorded temps as high as 17 further downstream.
Aside from lots of fry, I also saw thirsty wasps and bees. Some wasps were rolling and collecting mud.
Lots of fry in the pool upstream of the wooden footbridge
Wasp rolling mud on the bank of the creek
One of several bees seeking hydration
I like how the sun and moving water created this dappled appearance
I shot over a hundred photos of birds, dragonflies, damselflies, etc., around the Burnaby Foreshore Park ponds over lunch.
Went down to one of my favourite photo places, Garry Point Park in Steveston, BC.
Lunch!
This little fella had a thorough dust bath in the dirt and then flew up into a tree to dust off the dust
My sister is in town for a few days, so we took a walk around Deer Lake in Burnaby. Then I parked myself on a bench and hung out with some chicks, while my sister took another, faster lap.
Zoom.
OK, a gosling 🙂
Caught a couple of little beasties visiting our balcony garden.
This wee one was smaller than the fingernail on my pinkie
Yumi and I walked around Colony Farm Regional Park this afternoon. We saw lots of bees and damselflies, which are easy to shoot compared to the swooping swallows!
Back by popular demand! 🙂
As part of the City of Burnaby’s Environment Week celebrations, I’ll be presenting a slide show on “Beautiful Byrne Creek” at the Tommy Douglas Library in SE Burnaby on June 4, at 7:00 pm.
Yes, you too, can become a streamkeeper just like me! 😉
Similar to last year’s presentation, I will give an overview of Burnaby watersheds, and then focus on Byrne Creek and what sorts of activities volunteer streamkeepers do to help protect and restore natural habitat in the urban environment.
I’ll have lovely nature shots of the creek and ravine park, posters, streamkeeper handbooks and equipment, etc.
Suitable for all ages!
Hope to see you there.
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.
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