Last light today at Porteau Cove on the Sea to Sky north of Vancouver. This was just before 6pm.
Days are getting short. . .
Category Archives: Nature
Salmon, Birds Galore at Burnaby Lake
Whew, what an amazing day!
I did our monthly recycling run to the Still Creek Environment Centre in Burnaby, and on the way home I parked near the Cariboo Dam and walked to Piper Spit and back on Burnaby Lake.
Unfortunately it was overcast, but there were still plenty of chum salmon to be seen around the fish ladder at the Cariboo Dam.
American Coot near Piper Spit
Crows were harassing a hawk. I thought they had driven it off, but as I left the spit I took one more look at the tree I thought it had hidden in, and it was still there.
Female Wood Duck. What a cutie!
And her boyfriend nearby.
Green-Winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Spotted Towhee
Red-Winged Blackbird
Three colorations of pigeons
Steller’s Jay
Black Slug
The Famous Mandarin Duck of Burnaby Lake
The famous Mandarin Duck of Burnaby Lake.
I don’t get out to Piper Spit that often but on the way home from the monthly recycling run to Still Creek, I decided to stop at the Cariboo Dam on the Brunette River in #Burnaby and walk to the spit and back.
Glad I did, for it’s the first time I’ve seen his royal highness 
.
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Chum Salmon Spawning in Byrne Creek, Burnaby
Saw three pairs of chum salmon spawning in Byrne Creek in SE #Burnaby today. Wonderful to be seeing more fish. Keep on coming!
Female flipping sideways to dig a nest in the gravel with her tail. Color temperature off due to weird light under bridge, didn’t bother to correct it.
Chum Salmon Sashimi in the Wild
Volunteer streamkeepers found and assessed this dead male chum salmon on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby today. We spotted racoon tracks a ways further up the creek.
Volunteers Spot Byrne Creek Chum Spawners
Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society volunteers spotted four chum salmon in the creek today in SE #Burnaby that have returned to spawn. Great to see them coming back this year!
Autumn Colours on Byrne Creek in Burnaby
A few shots taken on my patrol to look for spawning salmon today on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby. Unfortunately there was some sediment flowing into the spawning habit so visibility was poor. I reported the flow the City.
Taking the Air, Watching Birds at Fraser Foreshore Park
It was a lovely morning to ramble about in Fraser Foreshore Park in south Burnaby, BC.
Downy Woodpecker couple
Black-capped Chickadee
Northern Flicker
Spotted Towhee
Steller’s Jay Bellying Up to the Bar
Looks like we may be developing a new “regular” at our balcony feeder.
A Steller’s Jay appeared a few days ago, and it, or one of its kin, was back today. It’s fun to watch it grapple with the feeder, which is designed for smaller birds.
Spawner Patrol Orientation on Byrne Creek in Burnaby
Byrne Creek Streamkeepers had a spawner patrol orientation today in SE #Burnaby, BC, to show some new volunteers the area that we patrol.
Due to human intervention and ongoing development, the area in which salmon spawn on Byrne Creek is limited. It can be covered on foot in about an hour.
Salmon usually start returning to spawn on Byrne Creek around mid-October, and we weren’t disappointed, spotting three in the sediment pond, all likely coho.
There’s nothing like seeing these majestic fish in an urban area to get volunteers inspired and reinvigorated. This is my favourite time of the year, as I try to get out on on the creek as many times as I can, sometimes three or four times as week, as work and other commitments allow.
Volunteer streamkeepers have training from the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation, and permission from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the City of Burnaby, to patrol the creek and enumerate spawners.
Please, if you see salmon, maintain a respectful distance, do not walk in the creek, and keep dogs leashed. The eggs the fish lay in the creek won’t hatch until spring, so it’s important to stay out of the creek.