I took a three-hour ramble this morning to Deer Lake, around the lake, and home this morning.

There were lots of Tree Swallows and a few Violet-Green Swallows

Anna’s Hummingbird

Common Merganser couple

On the way to the lake I saw this crow apparently carrying nest-building material

Northern Flicker

European Starling

American Wigeon

Bufflehead couples

American Coot

Skunk Cabbage

The large and the small : – )

A couple of Northern Flickers and max-bloom blossoms in SE Burnaby, BC, this afternoon.

Lots of blossoms and burgeoning foliage on a SE Burnaby, BC, walk today.

I came across a couple of gangs of kindergartners walking in Byrne Creek Ravine Park in SE Burnaby, BC, this morning. One bunch had seen a Pileated Woodpecker at close range and were amazed.

The woodpecker was still hanging about high up in a tree, and I got a few semi-OK shots with my Canon pocket zoom camera.

I love it when kids start getting engaged with nature from a young age!

We hadn’t been out to Iona Beach Regional Park near YVR for some time, so spent several hours there today.

This Great Blue Heron let us walk up to within three or four meters — we didn’t even see it until the last second. I took a dozen shots and then we backed away and left it in peace.

There were several other herons across the pond, and eventually they all took off one after another.

Red-winged Blackbirds were displaying their epaulettes.

Violet-green Swallow. Damn they’re fast!

CSI Iona Beach Regional Park. We have come across bones and even an entire gull wing beneath a Bald Eagle’s nest at the park.

Northern Flicker

Ring-necked Ducks

Spotted Towhee

More birds and blossoms on another south Burnaby, BC, walk.

Anna’s Hummingbird

Bald Eagle

Green-winged Teal

Song Sparrow

Bewick’s Wren

Western Skunk Cabbage

I walked around Deer Lake in Burnaby, BC, this morning, and had fun shooting photos along the way.

Bald Eagle

Anna’s Hummingbird scratching an itch

Another Anna’s Hummingbird stretching its wings

Common Merganser

American Coot

Great Blue Heron

Pied-billed Grebe

Gadwall

Female and male Bufflehead

Spotted Towhee

Eastern Grey Squirrel

Crappy shot on the wing at extreme range, but looks like a Violet-green Swallow

I love taking photos in a light rain, or after rain has fallen. Bejewelled flora in Byrne Creek Ravine Park and Taylor Park in SE Burnaby, BC.

We heard a Raven on our Byrne Creek walk in SE Burnaby, BC, today, and eventually spotted it high up in a tree.

After a minute it took off, and to our surprize a hawk chased after it. I got some decent shots of the perched Raven, but the pursuit happened so quickly that I got only this ghostly shot — but I kinda like it!