This Great Blue Heron let me get within a few meters of it as it patiently fished just of the river trail at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC.
Monthly Archives: November 2021
Red-tailed Hawk at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby
I watched this magnificent Red-tailed Hawk for nearly half an hour at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC, today. At one point it dove to the ground and tried to get something in the tall grass, but came up empty-handed, er, taloned : – ).
Kinglet, Thrush, Sparrow in Byrne Creek Ravine Park in Burnaby
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, Fox Sparrow in Byrne Creek Ravine Park in the rain in SE Burnaby, BC.
The Kinglet would not sit still, flitting about in the bushes, and I had to push the ISO to 6,400 to get a half-decent shutter speed.
Nya Nya! : – )
Varied Thrush
Fox Sparrow
Belted Kingfisher, Varied Thrush in Byrne Creek Ravine Park
As I was patrolling for spawning salmon this morning, a Belted Kingfisher exploded down the length of the sediment pond on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby, BC.
I’d heard it cackling, but it still took me by surprize, so this is the best shot I got.
Zoom! Looks like a fighter jet!
This Varied Thrush in Ron McLean Park sat still for about five seconds : – )
Lots of Steller’s Jays in Byrne Creek Ravine Park
There were three or four Steller’s Jays rooting around in moss on tree branches in the lower ravine in Byrne Creek Ravine Park in SE Burnaby, BC, this morning.
Elated to See Coho Spawning in Byrne Creek in Burnaby
Yay! Saw a pair of spawning Coho salmon in the lower ravine today.
We’ve been getting so few spawners back that this is a wonderful sight to see. Especially with Coho, since many of the few females that come back to our creek die before spawning.
I spotted the female first. You can see her white, abraded tail, worn down from digging her redd (nest for her eggs). And you can see the redd, the bright patch of cleaned gravel and cobble.
I suspected there must be a male nearby, and then the female spooked and ran about 10m d/s to hide under a log. I took another quick look, not wanting to disturb her again, and was elated to see the larger, wine-dark colour of a male beside her!
The female with her tail abraded from digging in the gravel/cobble. You can see the redd, or nest of eggs, to the right.
A few mintues later when she hid under a log with the larger, darker colored male
Updating Quake/Go Kits, Car Kit
Taking a lesson from the flooding and refreshed our quake/disaster Go bags today.
They are backpacks that we keep at the front door with changes of clothing, rain jackets, toques, heavy socks, mittens, emergency sleeping shelter (a reflective sleeping bag that weighs a few ounces), flashlights, extra batteries, granola bars, chocolate, water, Life Straw personal water filter, fixed-blade knife with a fire-steel in the handle, first aid kits, etc. . .
His and hers.
Oh, yeah, also a Zip bag full of cat food and a small carrier.
We also keep some gear in the car at all times, but I should probably upgrade that. . . So I just ordered some emergency gear to update the quake kits and pad the car kit from Mountain Equipment Company.
Fraser Foreshore Flooding in Burnaby, BC
On the way home from a meeting today I thought I’d take a peek at Fraser Foreshore Park in SE Burnaby, BC.
Yowza, sure was a lot of water! And the mouth of Byrne Creek was about as high as I’ve ever seen it.
With the winds still strong, I didn’t tarry. . .
Northern Flicker on Our Balcony
We were watching TV when this Northern Flicker checked out our balcony feeder. We’ve neve seen one at the feeder before. Grabbed this shot with my cell phone.
Old Photo of My Uncle Paul
As I come across more old photos, this looks like my Uncle Paul.
As I recall the story, he suddenly collapsed and died during recess in the yard of a one-room schoolhouse in Saskatchewan.
I think it was an undiagnosed heart issue.
There’s another photo that I remember of my paternal grandmother stricken with grief at his funeral as his coffin was carried out of the tiny prairie church.
Such raw pain etched on her usually stoic face . . .
She was one of toughest pioneer women I’ve ever known, dedicated to work, family, and church, and yet so accepting and loving of us all.
I was named after him.
I love that in this photo he is holding books and a trophy, for I have always loved reading, writing, and editing.
