I’ll be doing a presentation on the history and development of Burnaby watersheds, and talking about what volunteer streamkeepers do, at the Metrotown Public Library branch in #Burnaby, BC, on Sept. 19 at 7:00pm.
You can register at the link below:
Category Archives: Fishing
Salmon Spawning in Foyer
Looks like the salmon run in our foyer is off to an early start. Another of Yumi’s lovely creations.
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.
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.”
Kanaka Creek Return of the Salmon
Yumi and I headed out to Maple Ridge for the Return of the Salmon at the fish fence at Kanaka Creek Regional Park. It was a lovely day for the fun event.
Glorious male chum in full spawning regalia
Thanks to all the KEEPS volunteers!
Ross Davies regales folks with nature tales, and explains the salmon life cycle
Yumi with a bunch of kids, checking out aquatic bugs
Metro Vancouver Parks display
The fish dissection was educational albeit a tad gruesome : – )
That wee ball is the lens from a chum salmon’s eye
A bear nonchalantly ambled by, ignoring the hundreds of people
Watershed Watch Salmon Society booth.
Defend the Heart of the Fraser!
Adams River Salute to the Sockeye 2018
We spent a few days up at the Salute to the Sockeye festival the last few days at the former Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park.
The park was recently officially, and rightfully, renamed Tsútswecw Provincial Park. (I’ve read news reports that family of the late Haig-Brown — one of Canada’s most famous environmentalists and nature writers — supports the renaming).
This year is a dominant run, and though it’s been slow shaping up, it was still awesome. I think this is the third or fourth dominant run that we’ve taken in — they happen every four years, with slower runs in between.
Watching Evening Light Change at Porteau Cove
A lovely stop coming home from Squamish on the Sea to Sky highway on BC’s beautiful coast.
Fraser River Discovery Centre Hosts Indigenous Salmon Fishing, Drying Tours
The Fraser River Discovery Centre in New Westminster, BC, had several tours today sharing First Nations fishing and fish-preserving techniques.
It was interesting learning about the cleaning, filleting, and wind-drying process to preserve salmon, and we got to try our hands out sharpening Indigenous tools.
An exercise sorting cleaning, filleting and wind drying into proper order.
Wind-dried salmon
Sharpening tools
Checking out the BC watersheds map, with a focus on the mighty Fraser River
The protected White Sturgeon
Yep, these massive, ancient (both in terms of time on Earth, and lifespan) fish come from such tiny eggs. Amazing!
Good To See Clean, Drain, Dry
I was happy to see these reminders for boaters to clean their watercraft to help contain the spread of invasive species. These were on the Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, just steps from the hotel where I attended the Editors Canada national conference.
Belcarra Solo Picnic, Invasive Species Presentation in Anmore
The Invasive Species Council of Metro Vancouver was giving a presentation to the Anmore Garden Club, and I thought I’d head out early and spend some time at Belcarra Regional Park.
Cute Canada Goose family:
Sockeye sandwich with mixed vegetables
ISCMV presentation.