It's that time of year again when the white fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum) are blooming and I've been coming to Lighthouse Park every year but two since 2012 to see and photograph them. My favourite place to view the lilies is at Eagle Point, easily reached at the southern end of the Valley of the … Continue reading Photo essay: fawn lilies in Lighthouse Park
The Fraser River estuary is an important area for overwintering birds, perhaps the most visible of which are snow geese, which flock in their hundreds - if not thousands - to the wetlands and marshes where the Fraser meets the Salish Sea. A great place to see them is along the west dyke in Richmond, … Continue reading Vignette: snow goose-a-palooza, 16 Jan 2022
For the third (and probably final) instalment of my reflections on 2019's adventures I thought I'd mention my favourite wildlife sighting of the year. Unlike the hundreds (and maybe thousands) of flowers admired over the past 12 months, our wildlife sightings have been much rarer. (Provided the mosquito encounters are excluded...!) While we had nothing … Continue reading Reflecting on 2019: an encounter with wildlife
The second of my reflective posts was inspired by the Twitter account Wildflowerhour, a wonderful account that highlights the stunning array of wildflowers of the British Isles. I've really enjoyed following them, learning more about native British flowers and even recognizing some relatives of flowers here in BC. It's great therapy! In November, they invited … Continue reading Reflecting on 2019: a favourite find
Let's get this out of the way first. Did I find my ultimate glacier lily patch this year? No, I didn't; that is going to have to wait for another year. But did I find glacier lilies? Oh, you bet, and on a couple of hikes where I wasn't expecting to see them too. The … Continue reading The Great Glacier Lily Quest of 2019
For me, the alpine flower display is truly one of the wonders of the natural world. Over a period of only a few snow-free months, dozens if not hundreds of species flower to produce mesmerizing - and extremely photogenic - carpets of colour. But there's one particular small yellow flower that has caught my eye. … Continue reading Regarding a small yellow flower
Opinion A pleasant and easy little walk in the alpine for sure, albeit not necessarily exciting (and the microwave towers are a bit of an eyesore). The flowers definitely contribute significantly to the enjoyment of this walk, so try and time it as soon after the gravel road opens as possible. It's tricky to catch … Continue reading Paintbrush Trail, 18 Jun 2017
Opinion A short loop in the forest best done when the rhododendrons are in bloom, usually June. I'm not much of a rhododendron fan but, as ever, show me a flower in its natural habitat and I'm all over it :-) So I enjoyed it for what it was, but it's probably not worth stopping … Continue reading Rhododendron Flats, 18 Jun 2017
Andrew dropped me a line wondering if I liked the idea of a photo hike. I've always wanted to go out and explore somewhere with the aim of just taking photos, so I didn't need to think twice about my reply. He'd told me of the lame photo-walk he'd been on in Stanley Park with … Continue reading Hydraulic Creek, 8 May 2011
A couple of days after Christmas and we're clamouring to get out and do some exercise. We polled Andrew and Merewyn and I suggested Brothers Creek to go look at some waterfalls, thinking of the nice cascades we'd seen on previous hikes there. Surely the rain over the holiday weekend would have topped up the … Continue reading Brothers Creek, 27 Dec 2010
Being. Outdoors. 