Today was my last day in Los Angeles at the end of a one-week visit to see my sister and her family. I’ll gradually add previous days to this blog as I have time, but here are a few shots from Manhattan Beach where I spent a couple of hours before my flight at LAX.
This sea lion was following a group of surfers near the pier. This was no one-off — the lion repeatedly rode the waves and swam back out for more.
Pelican in flight
So according to an article entitled “No more free water for bottlers in BC” in Business in Vancouver, and another in the Globe & Mail, BC will start charging commercial bottlers for water now taken freely from the commons, put in plastic bottles, and sold.
Yes, our water will now be sold to commercial bottlers for $2.25 per million litres. Ouch, that’s gotta hurt.
That means bottlers like Nestle will now pay 0.00022 cents per litre. In case you have trouble seeing the decimal point, that’s “point zero zero zero two two” cents per litre.
Er, how much does Nestle charge for a litre of bottled water?
I’ve been asked to take part in two presentations at the SEP 2015 British Columbia stewardship community workshop in May.
One will be on event and documentary photography, with an emphasis on using photos for effective communication and engagement, be it in paper publications or online. The other is a panel on engaging youth in stewardship activities. Should be fun!
SEP 2015 will take place in Port Alberni, BC, May 15-17, 2015.
More information about the workshop will be posted to this website as details firm up.
For awhile this morning it looked like the sun would break through in SE Burnaby, BC. Yet by mid-afternoon, the fog reigns.
The sun breaking through Byrne woods behind our townhouse complex mid-morning.
Mid-afternoon in Ron McLean Park near our place.
Yet starting from just a few blocks north, it’s sunny with blue skies.
I spent a couple of hours down in White Rock, BC, this afternoon shooting photos and rambling along the beach and pier. Lovely afternoon!
Here’s a Flickr collection of some of today’s shooting:
We took an overnighter down to Washington State last weekend. While it was foggy and drizzly, we still enjoyed some ocean expanses and fresh air at Deception Pass State Park.
Yumi on the beach
Deception Pass bridge
West beach looking north-ish
West beach looking south-ish
North beach
North beach bluff
Thanks to the Richmond Review for running one of my heron photos in its Jan. 2, 2015, edition. You can see it in the Richmond Review eEditions online. Click the Jan. 2 issue, and go to page 3.
I spent nearly four hours “shooting” birds and scenic views in Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC, this afternoon. I got thoroughly chilled but the shots were worth it. Here are a couple to get this post going.
In my experience, herons usually appear completely disinterested in people. I did not call attention to myself in any way to get this shot. Walking around the tree a couple of times attempting to get an unobstructed view likely piqued its interest.
There were several Stellar’s Jays feeding from stumps where people had left seeds. These shy birds can be hard to photograph, but as I stood silently for over an hour in the same spot, they gradually became more comfortable with my presence.
What I just wrote brought me up short. “These shy birds…” Huh?
I have also experienced them being very aggressive in seeking food, when camping in the BC interior, so I’m not sure why the Jekyll and Hyde personality shifts.
There are several nature walks coming up over the next few months in Burnaby, BC, parks. You can sign up here:
I have been on walks with birder George Clulow (check out his excellent nature blog here), and with species-at-risk specialist Pam Zevit (South Coast Conservation Program). I don’t think I’ve had the opportunity to participate on a tour with Greg Ferguson yet, but here’s one of the interesting things he’s working on – The British Columbia Swallow Conservation Project.
Here are a few wildlife shots I like from my photography in 2014. I’ll add more over the year-end as I look for them:
This is one of my most-commented-on photos posted to Facebook. A heron shot in flight yesterday at Garry Point Park in Steveston, BC
Coyote near Tunnel Mountain campground in Banff National Park
Deer near the town bridge in Banff, Banff National Park
Moose in Jasper National Park
Raven in Columbia Icefields parking lot
Coyote just off Bow Valley Parkway in Banff National Park near Castle Mountain
Male sockeye cruising up the Adams River in BC
Red-winged blackbird, Burnaby Lake Park, Burnaby, BC
Male wood duck, Burnaby Lake Park, Burnaby, BC
Goldfinch, Elgin Heritage Park, South Surrey, BC
Gull carrying shellfish to drop and break, Birch Bay State Park, WA
Aerobatic heron, Birch Bay State Park, WA