I spent a few hours rambling the environs of the Historic Stewart Farm in south Surrey, BC, today.
Shot Anna’s Hummingbirds feeding, and non-native European Starlings feeding their young.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Violet-green Swallow
European Starlings
Monthly Archives: June 2021
Harvesting Balcony Potatoes
Today I harvested the potatoes I had planted in a half barrel by our garage, and in two reusable grow bags on our balcony.
Strangely the barrel produced little, but the small balcony bags were great. I’ll have to figure out why this happened.
I’d used fresh planting soil in the balcony bags, but had reused the soil in the half barrel, so there may have been a nutrient difference.
Temps to Break 40C in Burnaby
The plan today:
Up at 5:00am and get some stuff done.
Crank all the windows open until 7:00. Then batten down the hatches and hunker down while the temperature steadily climbs to ~42C (107F) here in Burnaby, BC, peaking between 2:00 – 4:00pm.
Thank you tall trees of Byrne Creek Ravine Park that keep us shaded until noonish.
Supposedly it will be back down to 30C by 10:00pm, and a bearable 23-25 overnight.
Check in on vulnerable family, friends, and neighbours.
Stay safe, all. . .
UPDATE: And watch out for pets, too. Sora the Cat quickly figured out that an ice-water filled bed warmer is a great place to hang out :-).
UPDATE 2: As of mid-afternoon it now looks like we’ll top out around 36C instead of over 40. Whew!
The Fan Club
It’s in the mid-30s C in Burnaby, BC, and we don’t have air conditioning, so the fans are out, and even Sora the Cat is ennervated.
No demands for play today, eh? : – )
Water is Life
Water is life.
The other day when we were camping at Nairn Falls Provincial Park just south of Pemberton, BC, we drove up the Pemberton Meadows Road to the bridge across the Lillooet River.
There was a wee puddle just across the bridge, and in the 34C heat several species of butterflies and moths were sharing it.
Osprey, Bald Eagle Having a Tiff at Birkenhead Lake
We drove up to Birkenhead Lake while we were camping at Nairn Falls. An Osprey had caught a fish and a Bald Eagle was chasing it. Also spotted a Downy Woodpecker in a cavity nest.
Osprey at One Mile Lake, Pemberton
We camped for two nights at Nairn Falls Provincial Park near Pemberton, BC, and walked One Mile Lake a couple of times. I was happy to see the Osprey again, and this time share the experience with my wife.
Even the birds appeared to be feeling the 34C heat. . .
Deas Island Regional Park
We went to Deas Island Regional Park today, another gem in the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks system. It was our first time there though we’ve visited many Metro parks for decades. Lots of wildlife, too!
When you’re driving through the Massey Tunnel, you’re passing underneath this island.
Some interesting history here. . . John Deas was a “free black tinsmith” who established a cannery in 1873 that for a short time was the “leading producer on the Fraser River.”
Yumi hanging on to Big Bertha while I adjusted a shoelace.
Barn Swallow
Bald Eagle
Rufous Hummingbird
Juvenile Robin
Spotted Towhee
Song Sparrow
Yellowjacket
Sand Wasps
Great Horned Owl
It was in a swampy area and we couldn’t get around for a better shot.
Wee Hummer in SE Burnaby, BC
I came across this wee Anna’s Hummingbird near Taylor Park in SE #Burnaby. It looked tiny and I wondered if it was perhaps a juvenile. It also looke sleepy. . . I hope it wasn’t ill. . .
Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker and More in Burnaby
A few more birds shot during my Fraser Foreshore ramble in south Burnaby, BC, this morning.
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Bald Eagle
Red-winged Blackbird
Spotted Towhee