Several SEHAB (Salmonid Enhancement & Habitat Advisory Board) members had a productive meeting today with 2 Department of Fisheries Directors, 2 Regional Managers, and the Stewardship Planning Coordinator.
We met via Teams to report out on the last SEHAB meeting, bringing forward concerns from BC’s streamkeeper and stewardship volunteer community on issues such as groundwater access for volunteer hatcheries, the salmonid fry salvage policy and adult salvage (fish stranding when drought affects watersheds), enhanced networking opportunities, DFO research into the 6PPD-Q chemical in vehicle tires that is known to be lethal to Coho salmon, and some planning looking forward to the province-wide streamkeeper/stewardship conference in 2025, etc. Whew!
One of the key issues was the likelihood of drought affecting watersheds across BC again this year. The outlook is not good for fish, for agriculture, for forestry, for fires. . .
Despite the cold, windy weather, I got lots of bird photos at Fraser Foreshore Park in south Burnaby, BC, today.
Anna’s Hummingbird
Nice to see Bald Eagles hanging out at last year’s nest.
Girls are attracting a lot of attention at the Fraser Foreshore Park ponds. Two Wood Duck males and a female, and two Ring-necked Duck males and a female.
My first ramble with my new (to me) Nikon D500 DSLR body.
I’ve always wanted one of these tanks that are great for wildlife/action photography. Yes, the D500 is old, but it’s still a superb performer that got a Gold rating from DP Review.
Got the body, two batteries, charger, manual, and original strap for less than half of what a D500 body cost new at its introduction.
Oh, yes, and 81,000 shutter activations, with a rating of 200,000, so lots of life in it yet. . .
Byrne Creek blossoms
Varied Thrush in Byrne Creek Ravine Park
Kinglet in Taylor Park
Wind-blown clouds viewed from Taylor Park
And later. . . Sora the Cat asking if I’m ready for cuddly/sleep yet . . .
Ran across this photo tonight. My partner Yumi captured me getting ready to roll to document a community event that I’d been hired to shoot in the Edmonds area of Burnaby, BC, back in 2018.
I love this shot because I look so stoked and ready to put my heart into this gig. . .
Not to mention my Samurai Photographer T, eh? 🙂
And here’s a link to some of the photos I shot that day.
We’re sad that TV Japan will no longer be available via cable. We’ve had a subscription here in Canada for many years at around C$18/month.
It’s the channel we watch together the most (my partner is Japanese), and it likely takes up the most PVR recordings.
It’s got amazingly photographed documentaries and nature shows.
Heart-warming family shows like Kazoku ni Kampai with Tsurube, and travel/history/geography/geology fave Tamori.
Morning talk show Asaichi that explores interesting places in Japan, good food, and social and health issues.
The quirky Instruction Manual Theatre.
Natural Grandeur of the East with its mind-blowing nature videos.
Somewhere Street that travels the world to document cities and their historical sites and local food. . .
Kokoro no Tabi in which we follow a crusty old dude who cycles around Japan to visit sites suggested by letters from viewers for sentimental reasons. . .
“My late mother loved walking a path to a beach near . . . .”
“The best years of my life were in elementary school in . . . where we’d climb a hill . . . ”
They are moving to an online streaming service — at US$25/month, or nearly C$40/month. Sigh. That’s over double. . .
We’ll probably cough it up, but sometimes “progress” sucks, eh?
This is the corner of my desk next to my computer stand, where I spend most of my time in my home office.
That’s cat rub. Two generations of cat rub.
Our beloved late Choco, and our current Sora, both like(d) to sit on my lap when I’m on my computer, and reach out and rub their gums and teeth on the corner of the desk to my left.
This does not upset me. I just love them more.
This was my late mother’s desk, at which she was incredibly productive over a long professional career.
She loved cats, too. I can imagine her smiling, looking at this, eh?
I followed and watched this Northern Harrier for about an hour at Centennial Beach in Delta, BC, this morning. I’ve got a sore neck and back, but got a few decent photos out of the near 200 that I shot of this raptor!
Russian leaders are becoming increasingly unhinged.
Medvedev has threatened “nuclear retaliation” on Europe and the West if Russia returns to its 1991 borders.
In other words, he is saying that if the Russian dictatorship is forced to live within its borders, and stop invading other countries, it’s going to unleash the nukes.
It’s fascinating, but scary, at how afraid Russia’s oligarchy is of freedom and democracy.
At how Russia’s oligarchy can think of nothing but empire.
At how Russia’s oligarchy is still flogging the “Nazis in Ukraine” line, when it was the oligarchy’s fave leader Stalin who signed a pact with Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Do not fall for Russian propaganda. They are experts at it. Have been for centuries.
The oligarchs want to keep their mansions and billions. It’s not politics, it’s lust.
As I’ve said before, look at where people are moving to. I see lots of Russian immigrants, and other former Soviet bloc immigrants in Canada. How many Canadians are clamouring to move to Russia?
I love this shot because I look so stoked and ready to put my heart into this gig. . .
Not to mention my Samurai Photographer T, eh? 🙂
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cipywnyk/albums/72157671261331878/