birds

The restorative power of a really long walk

As I type this, the Fitness app on my watch is reporting that I have completed:

  • 31,878 steps
  • 25.31 km

This is not just higher than my average daily going-out-and-aboot, it’s way higher. Was I tied to a runaway horse? Yes! Well, no. I decided to go for a walk to Burnaby Lake, to take photos of birds and soak in nature for awhile.

Weirdly, I chose to start this at 7 a.m. (I got up and had breakfast at 5:30). I got there shortly after 8 a.m., spent some time at Piper Spit, took about 350 photos, then continued to walk the entire lake loop and back home, returning just after 11:30 a.m.

A few observations on this early morning trek:

  • It was chilly starting out–only 2C. By the time I was back, it was up to 8C and fairly comfy.
  • Despite the chilly start, I only felt a little cold while snapping pictures at Piper Spit, since there was a breeze coming off the lake and my hands were naked while holding the camera.
  • Speaking of Piper Spit, there were only two people there, both at the far end of the pier with absurdly gigantic telephoto lenses on their cameras. I believe they were taking photos of the recently-returned swallows.
  • Speaking of Piper Spit even more, a lot of birds were snoozing at 8 a.m. and most were farther away from the pier, possibly because there was a noticeable lack of free food supplied by the public.
  • Even though I walked over 20 km as part of the trip there and back, it felt entirely manageable, as I broke it down into chunks, stopping and taking what were effectively breaks when I saw things to take pictures of.
  • The weather was perfectly decent, with little wind, and the sun eventually came out. I wore my lined hoodie and t-shirt and this was quite adequate. I also wore pants.
  • I didn’t see as many birds as I had hoped, but I still saw a bunch, plus two bunnies! No squirrels, though. Maybe it was too early for them.
  • I am very glad I went out.
  • Going early was aces, as the kids say. It’s already light at 7 a.m. and the only people around are joggers and people walking their dogs and wishing they were still in bed. So peaceful and still.

I will post select pics in a follow-up post. Yesterday was bad, but today did a lot to erase the bad, or at least smear it around so it’s less easily identifiable.

Burnaby Lake, March 26, 2022

Apart from a few light showers here and there, the weather held up and the light was actually pretty good for a cloudy day.

Here are a few photos I took.

Northern pintail x2
Coot under good lighting to catch every weird detail
Mountain bluebird. First time I’ve seen one, woo!
Mountain bluebird couple hanging in the drizzle.
I was wondering if I would see a goose going berserk. I was not disappointed.
Sandhill cranes grazing and keeping clear of that goose.
Piper Spit
Looking down Still Creek

Campbell Valley Regional Park, Saturday, March 5, 2022

First, a few observations about the park in list form:

  • It’s very big
  • The perimeter trail has little to see and is near enough to the roads that the buzz of traffic is a distraction
  • It’s apparently prone to flooding and unsafe conditions. I wanted to check out the abandoned Langley Speedway, but the trails approaching it from the north and south were a) closed due to unsafe conditions on the boardwalk and b) flooded. We could have braved the flooded side, as a few branches and logs had been placed to make it passable, but it was getting late and we didn’t feel like dealing with getting our toes wet at that point.
  • Horses! We saw horses, as they can ride on some of the trails.
  • Bikes! We saw a few bikes, as they are allowed on the perimeter trail (another reason to avoid, perhaps).
  • Birds! They tended to be clustered in a few areas and while there weren’t oodles of them, there were enough to make the trip out not be a bust
  • “Patriots”! A bunch of yahoos were gathered at an intersection near to the park and were waving flags and crying about having no freedom boo hoo because sometimes you’re required to wear a mask to keep yourself from infecting others (or getting infected) with a highly contagious virus that has killed millions of people. Meanwhile, Russia has invaded Ukraine because Putin is a bloodthirsty psychopath and maybe Ukrainians have more concerns about actual freedom than the idiots waving their stupid signs and annoying motorists.

Anyway, the weather was nice and I got some shots. Here are a few!

This squirrel’s belly fur freakily lines up with the railing it’s standing on
This is where we turned back, our hopes of seeing the speedway dashed. Others were more willing to risk getting a bit damp.
Junco giving me the eye
Evergreens providing a splash of color amongst the yellow and brown
Chickadee hanging out
Spotted towhee with those red, red eyes
Mallard apparently swimming by herself

Photos from Stanley Park, Saturday February 12, 2022

A perfunctory title. Here are a few images I took on Saturday.

The surf at English Bay
Pair of bald eagles flying near English Bay
Seagull with things to say
Chestnut-backed chickadee near Beaver Lake
Wood duck address at Lost Lagoon
Seaplane taking off in the harbor. The HA on the tail wing amuses me.
The barge. A plan to remove it has been made. When it will happen is another question.
Ships in the bay
Light and shadow on the seawall