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
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
Crows don't like anything they perceive as a threat. I've been woken up by a murder of crows harassing a raccoon, seen them chasing away bald eagles and pestering seagulls (usually for food). This morning as I walked in to work, I saw a large bird swoop between a couple of trees closely followed by … Continue reading Crows and crows
Vancouver has a good number of small parks, and one Sunday I found myself looking at the map and noticing one I'd often wondered about – Fraser River Park. Right on the north arm of the Fraser in south Vancouver, it's a small patch of land set aside for a riverside park. It's in the … Continue reading Fraser River Park, 3 Feb 2008
In Britain the Robin is often depicted on the front of Christmas cards, and is viewed as a quintessential winter bird. Think of the old rhyme: When the North wind doth blow, and we shall have snow What will the robin do then, poor thing? He'll sit in a barn, to keep himself warm And … Continue reading Of Robins and Robins
A couple of hours walking the dykes down at Boundary Bay. No snowy owls yet, but plenty of eagles. More to come... Distance: 4 km? Elevation gain: none Photos on Flickr
The last day of 2007, and it turned out to be a fine one. We opted for a less snowy destination, figuring that we'd be seeing in the new year on snowshoes (except that didn't happen...). I had a quick look at the Hiking Guide to the Big Trees of British Columbia by Randy Stoltmann … Continue reading Stanley Park, 31 Dec 2007
A beautiful day in Vancouver, which I often refer to as `soaring eagle' days as it is on days like today that eagles are most often seen in flight. Today lived up to its name, and walking in to work I caught sight of a soaring bald eagle, much like this one: Mostly it was … Continue reading Big and small
Being. Outdoors. 