Spent four hours rambling Deer Lake in Burnaby this morning. I debated about lugging Big Bertha (Tamron 150-600mm lens on a Nikon D7200) and Manfrotto tripod, and while I’m sore now, I’m glad I did.
Pied-Billed Grebe winter phase?
Steller’s Jay — the backlight and crown not showing make it look like a crow.
There were lots of American Coots
American Robin
Canada Geese
Cormorant
And one of the ubiquitous mallards
I had a four-hour photography ramble around and up and down Deer Lake Park in #Burnaby.
In over 20 years of walking the trails there, I have never seen as many people as I have since Covid.
There were several large groups of over ten people doing the circuit. Unfortunately they were oblivious to other park users. Faster walkers and joggers had to stop and plead with people to give some space. In many stretches the boardwalk and trails are just a bit over a meter wide.
I’d guess that about two-thirds of the “One Direction Only” and “Maintain 2-Meter Spacing” signs had been torn down, with many tossed into the bush, and four or five tossed into the lake.
Great Blue Heron taking a fish at the mouth of Byrne Creek in SE #Burnaby this morning.
At first I thought this may be a small coho, a jack or jill, or is it another salmonid like a large trout. We rarely see trout that big on the creek.
I was impressed by how surely it handled the fish, and by the size of the swallow, though I’ve seen herons gulp rats.
UPDATE: I have confirmation that this is a coho. Nice to know spawners have started returning to the creek!
UPDATE 10/16: Thanks to the Burnaby Now for publishing one of these photos with commentary!
Took a stroll looking for salmon returning to spawn. Didn’t expect to see any, as they usually start appearing in this Burnaby creek around Oct. 18 – 25, but it was still a lovely day for a walk.
I did an overnight camping trip to Alice Lake Provincial Park north of Squamish, BC. I took the opportunity to cruise up as far as Pemberton, and poke around various place on the gorgeous Sea to Sky highway north of Vancouver.
One Mile Lake near Pemberton
Porteau Cove
Tantalus lookout on the Sea to Sky
Had the car serviced and knew it would take a few hours, so I brought a camera along and wandered Still Creek in Burnaby, BC.
I was rewarded with this Cooper’s Hawk.
Always something to see at Fraser Foreshore Park in south Burnaby, BC.
Great Blue Heron
Canada Geese
A few birds shot around Garry Point Park in Steveston, BC, today.
Snow Geese
It was a muted grey day at Garry Point Park in Steveston, BC, today, but still lovely.
Found the stone, but the sword was gone 😉