I watched this Great Blue Heron fishing at Fraser Foreshore Park in Burnaby, BC, this morning. Eventually it took a Crayfish.
Category Archives: Nature
Beautiful Garter Snake in Byrne Creek Ravine Park
I spotted this beautiful garter snake on the paved trail in Byrne Creek Ravine Park in SE Burnaby, BC, today. It was sunning itself and let me approach quite closely before easing into the bush.
A few people walked past while I was shooting so I introduced them to the snake, reassuring them that it was harmless.
Overnight Camping Trip to Manning Park – Moose, Beaver ‘n Birds
We took an overnight camping trip to E.C. Manning Park, staying at the new Hampton camground. Nice new washrooms with showers, eh? 🙂
We hiked around the area several times over the course of the two days. Here are a few shots.
Cool to see a beaver in Lightning Lake
It was fun watching these Clark’s Nutcrackers. The juvenile kept begging for food though it was surrounded by buds. The adult would pick one and feed the juvie. . .
We walked the Beaver Pond trail, and at one point I spotted what appeared to be a large beast off in the distance. I fired off several shots from long range, but it wasn’t until we got home that I realized it was a moose. While apparently sightings are not common in the area, there are a few now and then.
A brilliant Red-breasted Sapsucker
A Gray Jay, aka Canada Jay
The bridge on the Canyon Nature Loop
Barred Owl Family Chows Down in Burnaby
On our morning walk we came upon a Barred Owl and three fledglings feasting on something that we couldn’t quite make out.
We watched for a minute and moved on to leave them in peace.
Upset Robins Lead Me to Barred Owl
I heard several Robins upset about something in south Burnaby, BC, so I figured there was a raptor nearby. Sure enough, spotted this Barred Owl in the woods.
Something is Watching Me in the Forest
I noticed I was being watched in the forest on a Byrne Creek walk in SE Burnaby, BC.
I see you. . . Do you see me?
Aha! There you are.
Removing Invasive Ivy on Byrne Creek, Burnaby, BC
Yumi and I put in three hours of sweat equity into helping to pull invasive English Ivy this morning in SE Burnaby with the Lower Mainland Green Team and the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society, with support from the City of Burnaby Planning and Parks departments.
There were about 40 volunteers who worked for over three hours, including a break.
Our streamkeeper volunteers have partnered with the Green Team several times over the years, and it’s gratifying to see the cleared area steadily expanding. Perhaps the City of Burnaby can provide some native plant species to plant in the fall.
It’s great partnering with the Green Team for they provide a registration/sign-in system, tools, and drinks and snacks.
Red-Tailed Hawk Day
We saw Red-tailed Hawks twice today.
First in Queensborough in New Westminster, where there was one that had caught a small bird, perhaps a Starling. And then again on Marine Drive in south Burnaby as we were visiting a garden shop. There were two hawks being chased by crows.
You can just make out that the hawk is clutching a small bird in its talons
The pair over Marine Drive in south Burnaby
Spotted Sandpiper, Flickers, Waxwings, Heron on Byrne Creek in Burnaby, BC
We took a long walk all the way to the Fraser River and back today, taking about three hours including some bird watching along the way.
Spotted Sandpiper in the Byrne Creek spawning habitat. First time I’ve seen one here.
Cedar Waxwing eating salmonberry
Great Blue Heron in flight
Purple Finch
Northern Flicker
Rufous Hummingbird
Mallard
Violet-green Swallow
Coho Smolt Kill in Byrne Creek, Burnaby, BC
Sadly we expected this with the rain last night right after releasing 3,700 smolts in Byrne Creek yesterday with elementary schoolkids.
We suspected this would happen as it has happened following releases many times over the years. If it rains too soon after a release before the smolts migrate to the river, they get killed by road wash — a chemical in tires identified by research in Washington State that coho are particularly susceptible to.
We counted a couple of dozen dead smolts today, but the place we usually see the most morts — the sediment pond — was too murky to see anything. I’ll go back later in the day when it has cleared.
As I was there, I saw a smolt throw itself out of the pond onto a sandy bank, before flopping back in the water. There was one mort floating on the surface, and there were several up on the banks in the artificial spawning channel.
