Ah, the wildflower report.... Brought to you by - wait for it, all will be revealed later! With the exception of my jaunt up to the peak of Mount Thurston at the beginning of July, I decided against chasing glacier lilies this year. Last year's display on the Pushki Lake trail was so amazing that … Continue reading 2022 in review: Wildflowers
Wildlife sightings are always anticipated every year, and I have to admit that I look forward to seeing bears most of all. 2022 was a decent year for bear sightings and by far our best year for grizzlies, constituting five of our nine bear sightings. I don't think we've ever seen more than one grizzly … Continue reading 2022 in review: Wildlife
I know, I know - another vignette. I promise there's a hike report coming soon! A couple of weeks ago I stopped in at Camosun Bog, a tiny remnant bog ecosystem on the edge of Pacific Spirit Park, to capture the bog laurel (kalmia) in bloom, having seen some photos on Twitter. The laurel was … Continue reading Vignette: Camosun Bog, 29 May 2022
Most people go to Whytecliff Park for the beach, to scramble over the rocks at low tide to get to Whyte Islet, or to go SCUBA diving in the sheltered bay. And sure, we do enjoy wandering over to the islet - at least when the rock is dry, unlike today. But there's a spot … Continue reading Vignette: Whytecliff Park, 15 May 2022
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
Being. Outdoors. 