Yumi and I went down to White Rock, BC, to check out the Christmas Lights near the pier. Blustery, cold, and busy, but twas great fun!
Mushrooms and Berries on Byrne Creek in Burnaby, BC
A couple of shots from a Byrne Creek Ravine Park ramble.
I think these may be poisonous Blushing Fibrecap?
Nature in the City – Still Creek in Burnaby
Our car was in for an airbag sensor recall at Toyota off of Willingdon in Burnaby, and I wandered the area with a camera as I waited.
Foggy views of Still Creek
‘Naturally Burnaby’ Book Launch
Honoured to be one of the photographers participating in this project! Thank you City of Burnaby.
Photograph taken from City of Burnaby social media.
City of Burnaby – Local Government
Last night at Council, we proudly launched the Naturally Burnaby book!
Contributing photographers were present to receive a heartfelt thank you for their incredible contributions.
We are delighted to announce this stunning 96-page photographic soft-covered coffee table book is available for purchase. Each page is filled with inspiring natural images that celebrate the unique landscapes and vibrant flora of our beloved city.
Only $25, get your copy today and immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Burnaby, right in time for the holiday season!
Also available at the Burnaby Village Museum, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts , Burnaby Art Gallery
Downy Woodpecker, Bold Chickadee at Fraser Foreshore in Burnaby, BC
I heard this woodpecker long before I spotted it at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC, today.
I’m thinking Downy Woodpecker, as it was on the small side.
There were also lots of bold chickadees looking for handouts. They will land on you if they think you’ve got seeds.
Pretty Hawk at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC
I spotted this pretty little hawk at Fraser Foreshore Park when it tried to catch something on the forest floor, and the motion caught my eye. Sharp-shinned?
Also a Cormorant taking a small fish in the river.
Winter Tires? Of Course!
Ordered winter tires and wheels from Canadian Tire tonight. Their website is flaky, kept kicking me off at various points in the process. I think it took three tries to actually check out and get a confirmation email.
Anyway, I’m a firm believer in winter tires.
I’m also a believer in having them mounted on an additional set of wheels.
Yes, there’s the initial expense, but if you keep tires mounted, the cost to swap them is much less than having to remount tires on wheels every season.
If you take your car in for servicing, the shop will often swap your tires for free as part of regular maintenance, as long as they are already mounted on wheels. They have to take your wheels off anyway to check brakes, etc.
Or if you have a spare hour or two, you can swap them yourself.
Just make sure the nuts are tight. And check them again a week or two after the swap. . . You could always invest in a torque wrench.
More Salmon Spawning Action on Byrne Creek in Burnaby, BC
Found a gorgeous male Coho on a spawner patrol on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC, this morning. Unfortunately not spawned, as his milt sacs were full and firm.
Also got some video of Chum spawning in the creek.
The Healing Powers of Passion
Well, at least temporarily distracting powers of passion. . .
I’m getting increasingly creaky. I’ve had scoliosis and a fused back with supportive surgical steel rods installed along my spine from major surgery since I was about 14. Yep, the rods are still there at 65. . . .
And over the last few years the hips and knees have begun complaining more often.
Friends five to ten years ahead of me in life say I should start getting on joint replacement lists now, because it will likely take five or more years to actually get a surgery slot. . .
And then, when I get excited, the aches temporarily dissipate.
Patrol for spawning salmon? Start out sore, gradually feel better, start seeing salmon spawning, and. . . what pain?
Well, heading back home up the ravine, yeah, that pain.
Same for nature and wildlife photography. The excitement and the endorphins kick in and I’m good to carry cameras with big lenses and tripods for hours. . . and it’s not until I’m home much later that I’m reaching for the Ibuprofen. . .
It’s a progression. I’m dealing with it. It’s life, so no point in getting upset about it.
Life just is. How you choose to react to it is up to you.
Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby Seeing Best Salmon Numbers in Years
Volunteers with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers in SE Burnaby, BC, are happy to be seeing one of the best returns of spawning salmon in the creek in many years.
Volunteers have counted over 60 spawners so far, with about 90% of those being chum.
Yumi and I have also been checking out other creeks in the lower mainland of BC, and there are tons of chum everywhere. We also visited the Tenderfoot Hatchery north of Squamish, BC, a few days ago, and were blown away by the number of chum in the area.
Video here: https://youtu.be/7YKntHUkAdQ
Some are saying there may be a relation between the shutting down of fish farms resulting in vastly reduced sea lice numbers on juvenile pink and chum salmon for this year’s abundance of chum spawners. . .
Effect of government removal of salmon farms on sea lice infection of juvenile wild salmon in the Discovery Islands
Abstract
In response to a federal government order, the number of salmon farms operating in the Discovery Islands region declined from eight in 2020, to one in 2022. Over this period, 1627 juvenile pink (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) and chum (Oncorhynchus keta) salmon captured at sites throughout the study area were examined for sea lice. The average number of sea lice per juvenile salmon declined by 96% over the study period. Such a substantial decline was not witnessed in similar samples from the nearby Broughton Archipelago. The decline could not be attributed to chance sampling, and only a small proportion of it was associated with environmental fluctuations.