Those spawning salmon can be vicious. This is all that we found left of some poor streamkeeper on Byrne Creek.
All posts by Paul Cipywnyk
Spawner Patrol on Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby
Yumi and I did a spawner patrol today from the confluence with John Mathews Creek to the stairs in the ravine.
Sunny, clear.
The redd at the confluence with John Mathews looked bigger.
1 dead coho about 15m u/s of the confluence with John Mathews, but it was unreachable in a deep pool. Looked small so possibly a jack or jill.
Appeared to be 1 or 2 redds just d/s of Byrne bridge.
2 live chum in sediment pond
2 live coho in sediment pond
1 live jack in sediment pond
1 dead chum, female, 62cm, not spawned, in sediment pond
redd d/s of first bend in spawning channel
1 dead chum, male, 56cm, loose milt, about 10 meters d/s of the footbridge in lower ravine.
1 dead chum, female, 60cm, not spawned, at the upper end of the washout in the lower ravine
A bit depressing to be finding chum females not spawned. . .
Also three mergansers, one male, two female in overflow pond, a couple of mallards, one heron d/s of John Mathews confluence, one downy woodpecker about halfway between Byrne bridge and John Mathews.
NOTE: It is illegal to interfere with spawning salmon. Streamkeepers have training, and permission from DFO, to patrol to observe and enumerate salmon returning to spawn, and to collect data (species, length, sex, spawned/unspawned) on salmon after they die.
Editors Canada on Plain Language
Fascism Is Worming Its Way Everywhere
So a day after Remembrance Day, someone that I follow on FB posted a Mussolini quotation, with zero qualification or explanation.
The hoary old “day as a lion vs lifetime as a sheep.”
Hello? He was a a fascist dictator.
Don’t people read ANY history?
You know all those ceremonies we had yesterday? All those men and women who died to protect our freedom and democracy?
One of their key opponents was Mussolini’s regime, eh?
Hummingbird Outside Our Front Door
This is what happens when you dialed in -3.5 stops exposure compensation on your DSLR when you last used it for a moon shot. Then you grab it to shoot a hummer from your front door and, well, kinda dark, but I kinda like it : – ).
Beautiful, Clear Remembrance Day in South Burnaby
It was sunny and clear for the always moving Remembrance Day ceremony at the Bonsor Cenotaph in south Burnaby, BC.
CP-140 patrol plane
Volunteers Patrol For Spawning Salmon on Byrne Creek
Half a dozen volunteers with the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society patrolled the creek in SE #Burnaby for spawning salmon today. It’s been a slow start to the spawning season, but we saw a couple of live ones today, and processed a couple of dead ones for size, sex, and spawning status.
NOTE: It is illegal to interfere with spawning salmon. Streamkeepers have training and permission from DFO to collect data.
If you notice a salmon carcass in the creek that’s been cut in half, don’t worry, that’s us — we cut the processed morts in half so we know they’ve been assessed, and return them to the creek where they provide essential nutrients to the food chain.
Pointing out a redd (nest of eggs) near the confluence with John Mathews Creek
They can be hard to spot even on a bright, clear, day
Another lovely redd (nest of eggs) near Meadow Ave.
Sad to find a female coho unspawned. This happens too often on Byrne Creek.
Large male chum
Resetting a dog poster. We have permission from City of Burnaby Parks to put up posters advising the public to keep dogs out of the creek during spawning season from mid-October through the end of the year. Most dog walkers are cooperative and understanding, and since they’re on the trail nearly every day, they’re some of our best “eyes on the creek.”
Trying to Turn Around Falling Book Consumption
My consumption of books has dropped dramatically over the years. Twenty years ago I’d read 100 books a year no problem, but in recent years sometimes I barely get through a book a month.
There are a number of reasons that added together have put that big dent in my consumption.
- The rise of social media, which eats up way too much of my time. Gotta put some limits there, eh?
- The end of the confining tyranny of network TV. Now with NetFlix, specialty cable channels, cable on demand, etc., it’s just too easy to find all sorts of interesting stuff to watch for hours in front of the tube, er, screen. And PVRs add to the media flow by storing a backlog of stuff I want to watch.
- An inability to say NO to volunteer commitments. I’m now down to being active on three boards, which is freeing up some personal time.
I noticed that following the injury to my ankle/foot recently, I read nearly a book a day over the last week. Hm. So it can be done!
It was also interesting to enjoy the interaction of reading. Active? I’m the kind of person who underlines, makes notes in margins. . .
With TV it’s more in one eye and out the other : – ).
Mystery of the Painful Ankle
Somehow my ankle got screwed up, and I have no idea what happened. I recall stumbling on some stairs, but it didn’t hurt at the time. Sigh.
Woke this morning with some minor pain, but by the end of the work day, much of it spent on my feet, I was feeling more twinges.
Got home, made dinner, sat down to watch the news, got up and YOW!
Nearly fell down the pain was so sharp.
What the heck?
I’ve been RICEing it this evening, and have it loosely wrapped for bed with a tensor bandage with a topical patch inside.
Sure hope it’s better in the morning, because I have another six-hour delivery shift. . .
UPDATE (Nov. 6): Well the ankle has pretty much come around, but a week of walking funny has resulted in a painful muscle in the foot. Everything is connected . . . Heading off to work with a topical patch and ankle brace.
Still Waiting for the Salmon – Byrne Creek Autumn Colors
We still haven’t seen any salmon come back to spawn in Byrne Creek in SE Burnaby yet. By past arrival averages, they are late. Sure hope they start appearing soon, but it’s still lovely in the ravine!
Tree climbing snail
This Brown Creeper seemed to enjoy playing peekaboo for a few minutes
Spiders are everywhere in numbers as it cools and the rains come.
