We saw two Pileated Woodpeckers on our Byrne Creek walk in SE Burnaby, BC, today. Love these spectacular birds!
Sora-Chan Photo Shoot
Between the two of us, Yumi and I shot 110 photos of Sora basking in the sun today. Here are a few of the better ones:
This and following are Yumi’s shots. Great eye!
Byrne Creek Spawner Patrol Still Comes Up Empty
Yumi and I did a spawner patrol on Byrne Creek in southeast Burnaby, BC, and still did not see a single salmon. That puts them nearly ten days late compared to the usual first sighting each year. But we still enjoyed the lovely colours!
This big shelf fungus almost matches one Yumi found a few years ago.
Steller’s Jay
Kidney Pan Moon
As I was waiting for my ride to work this morning around 6:25, the moon was playing peekaboo.
There was just enough fog in the air that my Canon pocket cam had trouble finding focus.
Streamkeepers Install Dog Posters on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby
Volunteer streamkeepers make dog posters that the City of Burnaby’s Parks Department gives us permission to zap-strap to trees to remind dogs to stay out of the creek during the salmon spawning season, and until salmon eggs hatch in the spring.
Byrne Creek Streamkeepers volunteers Maho and Yumi have created several whimsical posters that impart the information with humour.
We’ve been doing this so long on Byrne Creek that dog walkers start asking us in the fall when the posters will be up!
They’re also a conversation piece, and we chatted with several walkers about them today.
Byrne Creek Spawner Patrol, No Fish, Fishing Heron
Yumi and I did a two-hour patrol of Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC, today, looking for spawning salmon. We were skunked again. With the recent rains, chum and coho should be moving up the creek from the Fraser River any day now.
But it was still a lovely ramble, and we spotted a Great Blue Heron successfully fishing in the creek.
Tagged tree down! Many years ago, volunteer streamkeepers laid out a system of numbered tags along the creek to which we reference data collection and activities. This tree has toppled, so we’ll move the tag to another nearby.
Let’s play Spot the Streamkeeper : – ).
Even with hi-viz vests on, you can lose your patrol partners even on this urban creek in the middle of the city.
OK, here’s an easier one!
Office Assistant Getting Noisy
Grumble, meowk, grumble, meowk, grumble. Jeez she’s gotten so talkative!
Hard to get any work done with the critic behind my shoulder. 
Will you pay attention if I scratchez the back of your office chair?!
Great ‘Conservation Connections’ Forum Today
Thanks to the South Coast Conservation Program for organizing an excellent Conservation Connections workshop today.
Enjoyed all the speakers from BC Forestry, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (yes that’s just one ministry there : – ), Metro Vancouver, City of Surrey Sustainability Office, Fraser Valley Conservancy. . .
Great stuff!
Hundreds of Surf Scoters at White Rock, BC, Pier
Yowza! Tons of these gorgeous waterfowl near the pier in White Rock this evening . . .
Follow the leader. . .
White Rock Pier Evening
We had an errand to run out in Langley after work, so we took the scenic route home to Burnaby via White Rock. Lovely evening at the pier, if a bit cold and windy.
