Spent an hour or two taking photos at Burnaby Lake this morning. It was a lovely half-summer half-autumn day with crisp sunlight and a bit of mist for atmosphere.
Category Archives: Nature
Whidbey Island Camping
Whidbey Island in Washington State has become one of our favorite camping destinations. There are several state parks on the island, which, depending on time at the border, takes about two-and-half to three hours to reach from our home in Burnaby, BC.
Yumi scanning the ocean at Deception Pass State Park west beach
Seal pup on rocky outcropping near the west beach at Deception Pass State Park
Sunset at Deception Pass State Park west beach
Interesting patterns on parks pass lockbox
Love the grainy detail on the handle on a beach BBQ box
The wharf at Coupeville, a funky town mid-island
Our campsite at Deception Pass State Park.
We’ve grown to love Whidbey Island ever since we “discovered it” several years ago. Lots of nature, wonderful state parks, lovely beaches, a variety of wildlife, yet all accompanied by easy access to groceries, shopping, etc.
And the state parks are quiet. We marvel at how even on busy weekends campers are near totally silent by 9:30 and definitely by the 10:00 pm quiet time.
Mason Bee Condo Destroyed in Burnaby Park
Someone destroyed a mason bee condo that my wife and I volunteer to take care of in Ron McLean Park in SE Burnaby, BC.
Mason bees are beneficial pollinators and are no threat to anyone.
This is so sad. I cannot comprehend such wanton destruction. There was even a sign that explained the program, and that mason bees are no threat to anyone.
I am including the “food” category in this blog, because without pollinators like mason bees, we would have little or no fruit and many vegetables.
Lovely Day on Duffy Lake Road Loop in BC
Gorgeous day today on the Duffy Lake Road loop. Burnaby > Whistler > Pemberton > Lillooet > Lytton > Hope > Burnaby.
I try to do this loop at least once every couple of years. You can do it fairly comfortably in a day, with several stops here and there along the way.
Duffy Lake
Seton Lake
Cool beetle near Cayoosh Creek
Spruce Sawyer, I’m told. That looks right.
Lots of big aquatic bugs in Cayoosh Creek
Google Maps has the trip at 580km and about 8 driving hours
Spectacular Moon Over Burnaby, BC, Tonight
Wow.
Green Heron, Wood Ducks at Burnaby Lake
Several photographers were excited about this Green Heron, at Piper Spit at Burnaby Lake, in Burnaby, BC, today.
Wood ducks are gorgeous — males so flamboyant, females pretty, both sexes shy. Here’s one from Piper Spit at Burnaby Lake today. I had an errand to run in north Burnaby, so I brought the camera along for a stop at the lake on the way home.
Streamkeeper Training in North Vancouver
I attended a one-day streamkeeper training course in North Vancouver hosted by the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation. We covered modules 2, 3, and 4 from the Streamkeepers Handbook.
I figured it was about time I had a refresher, since it must be around ten years ago that I originally took the training.
It was a lovely, sunny day, and a great group of people.
You can check out some photos I took in this Flickr album.
Injured Gull Caught, Delivered to Wildlife Rescue
Good deed of the day accomplished. While we were checking out lighting stores in Richmond BC, Yumi spotted a seagull that appeared to have a broken wing. We observed it for a few minutes, and it was definitely dragging its right wing, and when approached, stayed on the ground.
I called the Wildlife Rescue Association in Burnaby, and described the situation. They said it would be great if we could get it into a box and bring it in.
I grabbed a pair of work gloves and an old towel from the trunk of the car, and kept an eye on it, making sure it didn’t stray onto busy Bridgeport Rd. while Yumi went in search of a box. Yumi was back in a few minutes and after a short chase and trapping pincer movement, it scooted into the box and we had it secured.
We drove directly to the WRA, getting there in about half an hour, and deposited the patient. We kept the box covered with the towel to keep it dark and relatively quiet, and the gull made the trip with little noise.
Hope it makes it.
We were so focused on the rescue that I forgot to take any photos!
UPDATE: Aug. 20. I’m sad to report that I contacted the WRA today to check on the gull, and it had to be euthanized. Apparently the humerus was beyond repair. Sad to hear, but at least it didn’t have a potentially long, suffering death.
Cool Birds at Fraser Foreshore Park
I wandered Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC, taking photos today. I encountered what eventually FB friends explained to me was a “fancy pigeon” with fluffy feet, likely gone feral, and what I think is a Rosefinch.
CORRECT: Apparently the Rosefinch is not usually found in NA, it’s vagrant from Asia to Alaska, so this is more likely a house finch, just not in its brightest colors.
Urban Sprawl — Are Humans Less Efficient Than Slime Molds?
“History suggests humans, in contrast to ants and slime molds, rarely optimize growth, particularly when multiple objectives such as profit, equity, and ecological integrity come into conflict.” And since we aren’t quite as good at this as slime molds are, there is the distinct possibility that we should plan for the worst rather than assume we’ll fix the problem ahead of time. – Dave Levitan | August 5 2014
Thanks to Pamela Zevit for posting this quotation, and the article it came from, on FaceBook. Pam posts links to a steady stream of articles that make one sit up and think.