tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49029987604906690902024-03-13T10:59:34.550-07:00Think big...no, even biggerTimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-90384772749731174342022-09-10T01:40:00.002-07:002022-09-10T01:47:28.829-07:00Eat or (one day) be eaten<p>Before I developed a passion for the creatures of the ocean, before I discovered what exciting predators spiders could be, before I collected charismatic crayfish from a local lake, grasshoppers occupied my desire of discovery. They were the first creature I had ever studied up close. As a six year old in the Okanagan, I spent hours each day, stalking them, capturing them, and keeping them in a 4-litre ice cream bucket padded with fresh grass where I'd watch them continue their life cycle of mating, laying eggs, and ultimately dying.</p><p>Capturing them required a strategy to combine stealth to get within striking distance, and a quickness of hands. This difficulty setting contributed to a ranking system I developed to classify grasshoppers and locusts.</p><p>What I called grasshoppers were the lowest tier. They were the smallest of the bunch, and also the most common. Their clear wings could typically only carry them in a straight line that curved right or left, and not more than 5 metres. It was easy enough to flush one out, run to where it landed and pounce. While they technically were flying, it was the "hop" that determined their direction, so I called them grasshoppers.</p><p>Locusts were what I called the species that could truly fly (I didn't find out until later that locusts were defined more by their swarming behaviour, but let's just let that 6-year old's definition stick for the next few paragraphs). Their strong flight easily beckoned my 6-year-old self into running after them. The most common locust species is a large, grey species that can fly long distances. It's large size is also what makes it easiest to catch, as their momentum tends to (but not always) carry them in a predictable direction. Their open wings reveal a black wing with a yellow band.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnqLzu_sI3BmQRZ0ewFcG9SbszXGZazRXcVhzCh9zOoWslTWn9CFAEVvhdk-70bapgzpBB3nv8XgQ2nl5wwFN_a9EfkPDNJUth8uwQ2JSyc5NY4czWcKxNohoFkc2J2XU6YkxIvbDrV6S9lHQIea5sbJaN2Y7UBYy3JEj0UJa6V9cbmSKRIcfw0uLcQ/s3004/20220905_183733.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2165" data-original-width="3004" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUnqLzu_sI3BmQRZ0ewFcG9SbszXGZazRXcVhzCh9zOoWslTWn9CFAEVvhdk-70bapgzpBB3nv8XgQ2nl5wwFN_a9EfkPDNJUth8uwQ2JSyc5NY4czWcKxNohoFkc2J2XU6YkxIvbDrV6S9lHQIea5sbJaN2Y7UBYy3JEj0UJa6V9cbmSKRIcfw0uLcQ/w640-h462/20220905_183733.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carolina locust</td></tr></tbody></table><br />While the carolina locust was abundant, it's flights were relatively quiet. In the dry Okanagan heat, it was instead another type of locust that would break the silence in the hot summers. These smaller locusts (there were several different species) would hover in a courtship flight, all the while producing a crackling sound technically called a crepitation. The crackling sounded similar to rapidly ticking sound of those large radial sprinklers. Their wings would typically have colour on the proximal (closer to body) regions, and be clear on the outer edges. The wing colour could be yellow (rank 3), red (rank 2) or even blue (I'd cheer).<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0_7FOd5FFZVtPmDIGVMixd-kF_pLHqmd_sErWk5anaaf6rMD7QTNXgY-4URaBRspfMsGvhqm0ynFUIOxeAlujGfPHFDDYOAPrKIoIfWngtfELW8bIx3SwQrY7f5s1hAjZ7bqOs8BQxsgpUR-5YxpZUEuRMEfUaKPDLGw9xTDNbyWvNAT0izPwa2WEA/s679/20220825_165354.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="464" data-original-width="679" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0_7FOd5FFZVtPmDIGVMixd-kF_pLHqmd_sErWk5anaaf6rMD7QTNXgY-4URaBRspfMsGvhqm0ynFUIOxeAlujGfPHFDDYOAPrKIoIfWngtfELW8bIx3SwQrY7f5s1hAjZ7bqOs8BQxsgpUR-5YxpZUEuRMEfUaKPDLGw9xTDNbyWvNAT0izPwa2WEA/w640-h438/20220825_165354.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unsure of species, maybe one in the <a href="https://bugguide.net/node/view/4994">Trimerotropis </a>genus</td></tr></tbody></table><p>These smaller species were also more agile. Maybe as an evolutionary advantage to respond to their boisterous cackles while in flight, they would leap away well before I could get in striking distance. My only strategy was to chase them in flight, and hope that they landed on a lawn where they'd be without a firm footing from which to make their next leap.</p><p>There were other species of grasshoppers that were exceptionally rare to catch. I came across just a handful of odd-looking <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/371916-Acridinae">slant-faced grasshoppers </a>which were well camouflaged amid the tumbleweed. Even getting one to jump, it would be easy to dismiss it as a part of a plant that broke off.</p><p>So back to the name, "locust", which I'll now describe more accurately. One of more destructive behaviours of some species of grasshoppers is swarming across an area, and leaving destroyed crops in its wake. This swarming behaviour is only in about 17 species of grasshopper, which are properly called locusts. In densities of 12-24 grasshoppers per square metre in an acre, they can eat as much as a cow. Whether it be the pharaoh who wouldn't let the Israelites leave, or today's wheat farmers, these swarming grasshoppers can strike fear in the damage they can cause; they are most formidable for what they eat.</p><p>Their abundance is also what might turn them into an important food source for humans. People in many parts of the world already eat grasshoppers as a readily available source of protein, and as we inevitably run out of grazing land, the human population will be increasingly dependent on insect sources of protein. I myself have eaten a grasshopper, back when I went through a survivalist phase. "Nutty" is how I'd describe the taste.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8udIAKsg01IbCxqczKI4Fndl3XbRB4DilVAN9bC1TKX4NbyhLl1E1NCzim1IrzgHxckT3A7Nx8rUIvNorhe_MOPNnRUCvlU1ydkSigtxA4uOM5O_drO1ur24NbA2eE00rSYxpTNKOpD5YAUmBbF0xg-muDNBJhzgln1QLNeFWulCR4eFQMUgHOcRInA/s445/165_6564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="445" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8udIAKsg01IbCxqczKI4Fndl3XbRB4DilVAN9bC1TKX4NbyhLl1E1NCzim1IrzgHxckT3A7Nx8rUIvNorhe_MOPNnRUCvlU1ydkSigtxA4uOM5O_drO1ur24NbA2eE00rSYxpTNKOpD5YAUmBbF0xg-muDNBJhzgln1QLNeFWulCR4eFQMUgHOcRInA/w640-h378/165_6564.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p>Today, when I see grasshoppers, I still try to challenge myself to catch them. I'm bigger, and more cunning I tell myself. Yet it hasn't gotten any easier.</p></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-53658174305655707772021-12-29T22:57:00.003-08:002021-12-29T22:57:31.628-08:00backyard birds<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The seed's been out in our new feeder since Christmas, when our daughter found seed in her stocking for the feeder, but the birds only noticed it today. It was non-stop activity for the entire afternoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8RVOu_u4XizVNSGxlUjKgaiA87MYEppDVNo1f8jZvcwvpN9dTWubwpKsbL_51UXJZvPaJfNOAtpTJpvgPlRE11mOUzz6LAtYa_kkooHLL2Dk9tP3Dbcf-U0kgTFpvIXTVMB-8q4tCgi0Dm-zGxdOwb9XEU67voNXSh6FDfl9NIHUhi62jropi__Q57g=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8RVOu_u4XizVNSGxlUjKgaiA87MYEppDVNo1f8jZvcwvpN9dTWubwpKsbL_51UXJZvPaJfNOAtpTJpvgPlRE11mOUzz6LAtYa_kkooHLL2Dk9tP3Dbcf-U0kgTFpvIXTVMB-8q4tCgi0Dm-zGxdOwb9XEU67voNXSh6FDfl9NIHUhi62jropi__Q57g=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dark-eyed junco</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1vWbvBrruh5KpyS3xiW71fjUnDsNrl5OepSQucrtaPetNRfSnlL92NI6RCEJRI6RpMMDSdgT-I8G46uDRTkOtVv6_k6eqniT_xb0S9tQQQe6jbVBd8Jwu7hJKukZ1TXvyqla1cFvwQ0nRJdqVXyqsgVz2KKMwF560FOobnjwBt_rQ_NDKK8ZuD-7DbA=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1vWbvBrruh5KpyS3xiW71fjUnDsNrl5OepSQucrtaPetNRfSnlL92NI6RCEJRI6RpMMDSdgT-I8G46uDRTkOtVv6_k6eqniT_xb0S9tQQQe6jbVBd8Jwu7hJKukZ1TXvyqla1cFvwQ0nRJdqVXyqsgVz2KKMwF560FOobnjwBt_rQ_NDKK8ZuD-7DbA=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">has the chest feathers of a female house sparrow, but the head striping doesn't match</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQBc9bIbS41JxC0EE7Xyi-0TL-uqbbgZiD7NAqYslsksQpIw2CzjRFQad6ZOESsxmizETVJyqjT8UexEtuZM091njHu9nS87pCMgP3wnjjhgwpNhhdl9GejfzL1lU9DTXw4NATLWD8Ogq8CMyE8DyebTu-ACUj_42y_Ab3usoAcyG59kwJ6X53KAgvdw=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQBc9bIbS41JxC0EE7Xyi-0TL-uqbbgZiD7NAqYslsksQpIw2CzjRFQad6ZOESsxmizETVJyqjT8UexEtuZM091njHu9nS87pCMgP3wnjjhgwpNhhdl9GejfzL1lU9DTXw4NATLWD8Ogq8CMyE8DyebTu-ACUj_42y_Ab3usoAcyG59kwJ6X53KAgvdw=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">male and female dark eyed junco</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw53W8Ca0X2z7V3qcvvg5AeHagHRLHL90AhhG5o8moRO_8OH_49mRnk9wsrVFUeoyQlnTMAiwFy5RIcaPcd_bqtWzFU4s6BWNr4zxGxegqrbG7AQJ71BwXDG2_ZEdJRD-_9w_0sLWnN8HtqqbkImUkoRq7iiFM1dZ5BLmiuza22ixcVxqUt6cMauEl1w=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1920" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw53W8Ca0X2z7V3qcvvg5AeHagHRLHL90AhhG5o8moRO_8OH_49mRnk9wsrVFUeoyQlnTMAiwFy5RIcaPcd_bqtWzFU4s6BWNr4zxGxegqrbG7AQJ71BwXDG2_ZEdJRD-_9w_0sLWnN8HtqqbkImUkoRq7iiFM1dZ5BLmiuza22ixcVxqUt6cMauEl1w=w640-h396" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the prettier visitors, a house finch</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcL1qDeR9dyxVLKk5cO8Zzm3uXm0CdUTKoVNncjKcUrh1Ccr_Re7bUa5nOV3iKNwWHcpi1JhxrzsqTHo51SmWf-v_mu0fAGrcIqgoA-hacwWmgHn2F04lhDsWAcwHc5trc038XJMvX2YKIAFtxNIVFsKlCwp6Qn1NUkfT6z_s63-9dGEbgFREG9DXpDg=s1920" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="1920" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcL1qDeR9dyxVLKk5cO8Zzm3uXm0CdUTKoVNncjKcUrh1Ccr_Re7bUa5nOV3iKNwWHcpi1JhxrzsqTHo51SmWf-v_mu0fAGrcIqgoA-hacwWmgHn2F04lhDsWAcwHc5trc038XJMvX2YKIAFtxNIVFsKlCwp6Qn1NUkfT6z_s63-9dGEbgFREG9DXpDg=w640-h384" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the small chickadees were the most timid</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> I think it was our childhood subscription to Chickadee magazine that conditioned me to believe chickadees live in naturally snowy climates, so I was satisfied to have snapped a photo while the snow is still around. <p></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-17783561569038534942021-08-02T23:34:00.000-07:002021-08-02T23:39:22.716-07:00Largest snail in Canada<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fBhYnADgY3Q/YQjjne1aHQI/AAAAAAABRvc/ICSbE9xmxAwZPOkg8WhViiQn_0roRcIIQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/20210802_224105-707641.jpg"><img border="0" height="478" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_6992088688924171522" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fBhYnADgY3Q/YQjjne1aHQI/AAAAAAABRvc/ICSbE9xmxAwZPOkg8WhViiQn_0roRcIIQCK4BGAYYCw/w640-h478/20210802_224105-707641.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div id="yiv7479128761"><div class="yiv7479128761yahoo-compose-assist-image-card yiv7479128761ymail-android-inline-img-container yiv7479128761ymail-card yiv7479128761pending" contenteditable="false" id="yiv7479128761yMail_cursorElementTracker_1627969286809">Well, the largest one you might find without diving. It's a Lewis' moon snail, and it lives in the lower intertidal area of mud flats. I found this shell in Parksville last week, and although it is half the diameter of the largest moon snails, its body would've enveloped my whole hand. </div><div id="yMail_cursorElementTracker_1627972046651"><br /></div><div id="yMail_cursorElementTracker_1627972046755">Moon snails are predators, typically feeding on clams by drilling a hole in their shells and consuming the clams from their insides. </div><div id="yMail_cursorElementTracker_1627972344826"><br /></div><div id="yMail_cursorElementTracker_1627972344963">More commonly found than the shells (at least in my case) are moon snail collars, a coil of mucous and sand about a foot in diameter that contains their eggs. </div></div>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-89479064512309049112021-06-27T22:21:00.000-07:002021-06-27T22:21:07.684-07:00Another low tide day at Boundary Bay<p>It wasn't the lowest tidal day of the month, but snorkeling around Boundary Bay was downright pleasant amid the searing temperatures today.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxNh-CXC-dwDp-HRU8T6WgC0-Jv6DSQjwobZ7Wye4bguSfKITmpLvpCib4N7Mpb9kpjgti4SYo2uENuXIs-Yg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H04OWuWRHL8/YNlVIr48h4I/AAAAAAABQps/k1WnmubZUFYM2ZN2aTs_tPcEsjaCuIEhgCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150718.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1850" height="414" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-H04OWuWRHL8/YNlVIr48h4I/AAAAAAABQps/k1WnmubZUFYM2ZN2aTs_tPcEsjaCuIEhgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h414/P1150718.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-35IBvp90bjs/YNlVIUznmwI/AAAAAAABQpk/CiJHLw6gDTAPrO4RUbLn_QCBxNu0NXiNACLcBGAsYHQ/P1150715.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3968" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-35IBvp90bjs/YNlVIUznmwI/AAAAAAABQpk/CiJHLw6gDTAPrO4RUbLn_QCBxNu0NXiNACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/P1150715.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the fortunate sand dollars that happened to find a stream of running water as opposed to the others drying out in the slightly higher sand embankments</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AxiT7ARzGSU/YNlVHm-MszI/AAAAAAABQpo/5xFlmj9cARM-lqH71BzlSweojGCfINpvQCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150702.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1321" data-original-width="1893" height="446" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-AxiT7ARzGSU/YNlVHm-MszI/AAAAAAABQpo/5xFlmj9cARM-lqH71BzlSweojGCfINpvQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h446/P1150702.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many cockles were also high and dry...this one lucked out in a pool</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ivLFYV-yPEU/YNlVHc9MsdI/AAAAAAABQpg/udlCp8bryVUxo7XW7xaSqo6vddFPy7k8wCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150685.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3968" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ivLFYV-yPEU/YNlVHc9MsdI/AAAAAAABQpg/udlCp8bryVUxo7XW7xaSqo6vddFPy7k8wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/P1150685.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Metal structures next to the cairn colonized by many species of anemone</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_IDwPl0N2Ps/YNlVHfHvfPI/AAAAAAABQpc/_s6erFXqqrII7Oiwdgio8tVuWOMvMcdGwCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150670.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3968" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_IDwPl0N2Ps/YNlVHfHvfPI/AAAAAAABQpc/_s6erFXqqrII7Oiwdgio8tVuWOMvMcdGwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/P1150670.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tN04QeW1FDU/YNlVHDhCESI/AAAAAAABQpY/qAKtPKcZnFEdl8Z4MouVwe4FAtnAcSN0wCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150667.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3968" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tN04QeW1FDU/YNlVHDhCESI/AAAAAAABQpY/qAKtPKcZnFEdl8Z4MouVwe4FAtnAcSN0wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/P1150667.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QgrxGm8CluE/YNlVHUZMzlI/AAAAAAABQpU/jTaJ-0FHu_Yn5saLpIA17F39T5Ub8UtQwCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150654.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3968" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-QgrxGm8CluE/YNlVHUZMzlI/AAAAAAABQpU/jTaJ-0FHu_Yn5saLpIA17F39T5Ub8UtQwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/P1150654.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plumose anemone, the only species I could identify</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fpvjjftRbDo/YNlVGlU1TKI/AAAAAAABQpI/UTiihRFH1uoNwp8zjO75KU1lhqQOnyJWACLcBGAsYHQ/P1150649.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="1628" height="466" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fpvjjftRbDo/YNlVGlU1TKI/AAAAAAABQpI/UTiihRFH1uoNwp8zjO75KU1lhqQOnyJWACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h466/P1150649.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't think I've seen this species of jellyfish before</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z0kxWoWlVwg/YNlVHB25N4I/AAAAAAABQpM/90-x2TZ0ge43gp44wQFUYq-dIWOwUVoEQCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150640.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3968" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z0kxWoWlVwg/YNlVHB25N4I/AAAAAAABQpM/90-x2TZ0ge43gp44wQFUYq-dIWOwUVoEQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/P1150640.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kelp crab</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FXpj4TPfCtU/YNlVHGdCVNI/AAAAAAABQpQ/i6W61AEoiSsC2MF5uwuRSDeIR5mNsh8_gCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150636.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2232" data-original-width="3968" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FXpj4TPfCtU/YNlVHGdCVNI/AAAAAAABQpQ/i6W61AEoiSsC2MF5uwuRSDeIR5mNsh8_gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/P1150636.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dungeness crab</td></tr></tbody></table>The shallow ponds of water were hot. In addition to the clams and crabs that succumbed to the heat, there were also fish casualties as well.<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XN8ug0sR4GA/YNlaBJaWOVI/AAAAAAABQqI/EhM2MewE3ZAwiaDnsjN7_SUA_dkTzkEVgCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150696.JPG"><img alt="" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="2950" height="116" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XN8ug0sR4GA/YNlaBJaWOVI/AAAAAAABQqI/EhM2MewE3ZAwiaDnsjN7_SUA_dkTzkEVgCLcBGAsYHQ/P1150696.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The above fish clearly were freshly dead. One might think it's the hot temperatures alone that kill the fish, but it's more likely suffocation that did these fish in. Hot water has a less capacity to hold oxygen, and I can safely say that this water was at least 40 degrees.<p></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-17399211578479983262020-11-15T22:39:00.001-08:002020-11-15T22:39:50.720-08:00Capturing predator/prey relationship<p>To capture wildlife in photos or videos, getting to the wildlife is usually the first obstacle. With a bit of research in understanding where the animal might be, it's a matter of just going to the same place. Sometimes, you get lucky on the first try, and other times you need multiple attempts just to see the animal.</p><p>Capturing their behaviour is the next challenge. Hunting behaviour requires both the predator and prey not being distracted by a human, so normally requires some stealth on the part of the observer (us). </p><p>Wildlife films have made us accustomed to witnessing a successful hunt, but in reality, many hunts end up empty handed. Last week, I saw seals catch wild fish for the first time, and today, I witnessed another predator prey interaction.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8UGpomjFEl4/X7IbB-y50mI/AAAAAAABHFg/ZQY0S5cxBf0kebNBOzUy3cPPt92AkXS3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1768/IMG_7859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1768" height="378" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8UGpomjFEl4/X7IbB-y50mI/AAAAAAABHFg/ZQY0S5cxBf0kebNBOzUy3cPPt92AkXS3QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h378/IMG_7859.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>It started off as another quiet day of birding at Boundary Bay. After about an hour, I started settling for photos of sparrows, lest I leave empty handed. As we drove away, I noticed parked cars along 72nd St, with several photographers aiming their cameras at what I initially thought were eagles atop telephone poles. In fact, it was a red-tailed hawk, whose gaze seemed fixed on the tall grass below.</p><p>It pounced down into the grass, and I had no idea whether it succeeded until it started flying off, vole in beak.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pVHTPatDR44/X7IbBxJ21wI/AAAAAAABHFc/iBI2E_94gD0iCdQFIBL-hAzVBNlo4F0eACLcBGAsYHQ/s1591/IMG_7864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1338" data-original-width="1591" height="538" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pVHTPatDR44/X7IbBxJ21wI/AAAAAAABHFc/iBI2E_94gD0iCdQFIBL-hAzVBNlo4F0eACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h538/IMG_7864.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jhgudr_iZ4w/X7IbB0TgMZI/AAAAAAABHFk/GmN61umeY1AoEhv4dXBB9KkeW2LlQ7gigCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7865.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jhgudr_iZ4w/X7IbB0TgMZI/AAAAAAABHFk/GmN61umeY1AoEhv4dXBB9KkeW2LlQ7gigCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/IMG_7865.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9TC3PU775s/X7IbCLJHRFI/AAAAAAABHFo/HMI5COHR36kPS5TxZDaFjYKtMh5tQ8lXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/IMG_7866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1217" data-original-width="2048" height="380" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y9TC3PU775s/X7IbCLJHRFI/AAAAAAABHFo/HMI5COHR36kPS5TxZDaFjYKtMh5tQ8lXwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h380/IMG_7866.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1l9PN6bQDQ/X7IbCE2Ji9I/AAAAAAABHFs/pXs06fOrT48mfyth29YDaE4XiWyElo6GQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1820/IMG_7869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="1820" height="372" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M1l9PN6bQDQ/X7IbCE2Ji9I/AAAAAAABHFs/pXs06fOrT48mfyth29YDaE4XiWyElo6GQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h372/IMG_7869.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>It wasn't until I looked at the images afterwards that I could confirm that the hawk's hunt was successful - all this happened in the span of a few seconds. An unexpected reward at the end of what could've been an uneventful outing had we left just a few minutes earlier.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com03388 72 St, Delta, BC V4K 3N2, Canada49.0688789 -123.024950249.068171891104363 -123.02602308360596 49.06958590889564 -123.02387731639405tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-68123774164747010712020-11-14T16:09:00.004-08:002020-11-14T16:09:46.075-08:00River otters at Terra Nova pond<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fz3yiypxi_w/X7BxW61ukaI/AAAAAAABG4g/CYUSR_NUehwGj27QPIoAGjFhdIXXIBIzgCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7735.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Fz3yiypxi_w/X7BxW61ukaI/AAAAAAABG4g/CYUSR_NUehwGj27QPIoAGjFhdIXXIBIzgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h382/IMG_7735.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of river otters in the Terra Nova pond<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0Terra Nova Adventure Play Environment, 2340 River Rd, Richmond, BC V7C 1A1, Canada49.173570000000012 -123.19897720.37608183909262 -158.35522699999999 77.9710581609074 -88.042727000000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-20383217541672243372020-11-10T01:07:00.006-08:002020-11-15T22:00:08.854-08:00The life that salmon sustains<div class="separator"><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For the last month or so, we've been visiting salmon streams to witness salmon spawning, but have been largely unsuccessful seeing them in smaller streams where I could plunk down a camera. Today, we visited a sunny, but cold and windy Squamish to try our luck there. The activity by the river confirmed the presence of salmon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yKUAMgW4o10/X6pPvkOG5xI/AAAAAAABGxI/X79YDBdo-zc0Q-t6_2S1JsMqFIkCR_wrgCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7622.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yKUAMgW4o10/X6pPvkOG5xI/AAAAAAABGxI/X79YDBdo-zc0Q-t6_2S1JsMqFIkCR_wrgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h386/IMG_7622.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">First stop was at Brackendale Eagles Provincial Park. November to December are the best times to see hundreds of bald eagles, feasting on salmon. We were a little early in the season, and we saw few eagles, though the gusty winds might have had something to do with that. We did see some unexpected visitors - harbour seals. Here they are, about 5 km away from the ocean.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-99csMLSSnCg/X6j-gv3uJBI/AAAAAAABGt4/4DKXsi2CeE05tGbbaeANAj-3XhJKtA4nQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7676.CR2" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-99csMLSSnCg/X6j-gv3uJBI/AAAAAAABGt4/4DKXsi2CeE05tGbbaeANAj-3XhJKtA4nQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/IMG_7676.CR2" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were at least three in the water. It was certainly unusual to see them swimming amidst such strong currents.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='532' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzPLpUBSMTsbqTDoSk8sJd7ucaylYu7Kwyr-wDfsTvl4SluLx_Ypc0czrKrpnOqGmUI66e3_QABjZwpFV-f2Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8oiK_baqtTM/X6kDLjhsjZI/AAAAAAABGuU/RDBcnMgAy-gV4ZE9rw7NByPz4zzEkH5rACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7687.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="428" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8oiK_baqtTM/X6kDLjhsjZI/AAAAAAABGuU/RDBcnMgAy-gV4ZE9rw7NByPz4zzEkH5rACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/IMG_7687.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No need for the seals to steal fish - there were plenty to go around<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9L52ij0OH-8/X6j-fRZTK6I/AAAAAAABGtk/y-kFc-csWREtO20H4wWfofIZqkZ_qgQswCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7711.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9L52ij0OH-8/X6j-fRZTK6I/AAAAAAABGtk/y-kFc-csWREtO20H4wWfofIZqkZ_qgQswCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/IMG_7711.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caught one!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3F7m2jLTXow/X6j-gmqfy_I/AAAAAAABGt0/HicO5vR3VdcipPCe3KZ8Q3LW-elb1scZQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7648.CR2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3F7m2jLTXow/X6j-gmqfy_I/AAAAAAABGt0/HicO5vR3VdcipPCe3KZ8Q3LW-elb1scZQCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7648.CR2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3Rl-V4mYJUk/X6pQhhoLolI/AAAAAAABGxQ/2io0jF0uoEAmTLs8TPJEmn5klRyIKs4OwCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7648.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3Rl-V4mYJUk/X6pQhhoLolI/AAAAAAABGxQ/2io0jF0uoEAmTLs8TPJEmn5klRyIKs4OwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h426/IMG_7648.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ycTLJ5NDDhQ/X6j-fox-agI/AAAAAAABGto/FaGBjlcPl0QtE1F26L0Ww4UMhBtGItqPACLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7663.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="3404" height="174" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ycTLJ5NDDhQ/X6j-fox-agI/AAAAAAABGto/FaGBjlcPl0QtE1F26L0Ww4UMhBtGItqPACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h174/IMG_7663.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Herons<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l53a28qgPD4/X6kQg8j8_uI/AAAAAAABGuo/nV6tK3My5nc2uPQMzw1S71AH-jOrH_BcwCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7655.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="813" data-original-width="1917" height="272" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-l53a28qgPD4/X6kQg8j8_uI/AAAAAAABGuo/nV6tK3My5nc2uPQMzw1S71AH-jOrH_BcwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h272/IMG_7655.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Merganser (m)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ObxinA8oeiA/X6pO7CV6QHI/AAAAAAABGxA/XjGUV5sZ7FEyzUAMSNTQqmeFhvRlAISbgCLcBGAsYHQ/IMG_7673.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1574" height="414" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ObxinA8oeiA/X6pO7CV6QHI/AAAAAAABGxA/XjGUV5sZ7FEyzUAMSNTQqmeFhvRlAISbgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h414/IMG_7673.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Common Merganser (f)<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br />I'm curious what the mergansers were after...maybe salmon roe trickling past? Or maybe they're permanent residents, going after small fish that reside in the shallows.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Next, we visited to the Mamquam Spawning channels. We walked past a golf course to find clear water providing great visibility of the spawning salmon. Most were chum, but I saw a couple of pinks as well.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="532" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kG2_kjfWDTc" width="640" youtube-src-id="kG2_kjfWDTc"></iframe></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/kG2_kjfWDTc">Link to video, since the video isn't showing up on mobile devices</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com1Unnamed Road, Squamish, BC V0N, Canada49.731872 -123.12683949.726324141515256 -123.13542206884766 49.737419858484749 -123.11825593115235tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-31464463527994238022020-07-07T01:52:00.001-07:002020-07-07T01:52:50.445-07:00Went crabbing...technically a success<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This past weekend, we took advantage of the summer low tides to take our kids out exploring the muddy beaches.</div>
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I had mild ambitions of snorkeling for crab, but with young kids in tow, the best kinds of plans are those that are flexible.</div>
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With a spade in hand, we were on the lookout for large holes in the sand. The larger, the higher our expectations, and this hole was as wide as a thumb. We dug down to elbows, yielded this creature, a horse clam.<br />
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Inside the clam, we found not one, but two pea crabs.<br />
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We've seen pea crabs pretty frequently in larger bivalves, and even in store-bought kiwi mussels. They stow away in the clams as protection. They offer the clams nothing in return, and may even irritate them in a way that retards the clams' growth, so they are regarded as parasites. Females will live in the same host for life, while the males (which make up about 17% of the population) will migrate between clams, seeking to mate.<br />
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Apparently, pea crabs are fully edible, but it would take even my adventurous tastebuds a bit of coaxing to down one of these.<br />
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Here, you may observe the sexual dimorphism between the male (left) and probably gravid female (right).Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-81389048209689583432020-01-01T22:47:00.002-08:002020-01-01T22:47:57.876-08:00New Year's Day owlingA dry, sunny day has interrupted what has been a mostly wet week. It so happens it was the first day of the decade as well, which meant lots of people enjoying a walk on the Dyke Trail on Boundary Bay. The short-eared owls were also putting on a show...at least a half-dozen individuals prowled the marshes.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcTro8TkAbQ/Xg2QYCKcLcI/AAAAAAAA7f0/A-0QWSUayM8dWkn-o0FdtYHsOML2Qe_0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/IMG_6634.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1600" height="385" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VcTro8TkAbQ/Xg2QYCKcLcI/AAAAAAAA7f0/A-0QWSUayM8dWkn-o0FdtYHsOML2Qe_0ACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/IMG_6634.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out the juvenile bald eagle</td></tr>
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No, your monitor's not fuzzy. For some reason, every photo came out fuzzy, at every aperture level, and it's not a focus issue. Yes, this is a cheap lens, but it's the same cheap lens I've always used, and today was worse than usual. I'll have to run some tests to see what part of the hardware is at fault.</div>
Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0Boundary Bay Dyke Trail, Delta, BC V4L 2N7, Canada49.059311747493126 -123.0247631285888649.056710747493128 -123.02980562858886 49.061912747493125 -123.01972062858886tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-44117545299023854722019-10-04T00:05:00.001-07:002019-10-04T00:05:28.954-07:00No fear of wasps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyFbo9nIxx3vWAFwmmkZ2ncoAC6qkE0gfa8aHPtR57-zAOAaLWPpvmnCxgmJcbb1W6sGujGFce0TDRze0dBDA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
This is not one of the more common species, it seems, as browsing on bugguide yielded no exact matches for dark, short head with pale yellow legs (though the physical variation within species makes matching to still photos difficult). What we do know is that this one hunts flies, and that 2 year olds (this one, anyway) have no innate fear of wasps.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-31251471565424054702019-05-08T23:18:00.004-07:002019-05-08T23:19:48.606-07:00Spring, a time for eggs hidden in plantersSpring, a time of year symbolized by eggs. Birds of all sorts busily build nests, lay eggs and incubate as soon as they can to maximize the growth of their family before they migrate.<br />
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Canada Geese stake out nesting sites during this time, and their fearless demeanor make them fairly comfortable nesting in manmade structures such as planters or parking lot islands.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GNZQ4GruM04/XNO7iAW3qnI/AAAAAAAAyfE/K6gNIfWzZDUwS0BCFmprmrIXUSWigER9wCLcBGAs/s1600/SingleEgg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="677" data-original-width="706" height="613" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GNZQ4GruM04/XNO7iAW3qnI/AAAAAAAAyfE/K6gNIfWzZDUwS0BCFmprmrIXUSWigER9wCLcBGAs/s640/SingleEgg.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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At our office, a goose selected a planter outside one of our windows as a safe place to create a nest and lay eggs. It is definitely safe, since it's on the fourth floor. But...well, it's on the the fourth floor. We consulted <a href="https://www.wildliferescue.ca/" target="_blank">Wildlife Rescue</a>, who told us that geese do survive four storey drops, but it would in fact be the glass barrier that would prevent them from getting to ground level. They recommended we wait until the eggs hatch, (28 days after being laid) at which time they'd send someone to move the family.<br />
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So now, we knew that we'd have a closeup view of the goose for close to a month. The nest was right outside one of our windows, and our IT team set up a webcam to enable viewing by our staff.<br />
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The goose laid her first egg March 27, but she'd disappear for a day before coming back and laying another. While she was away, she'd obscure the eggs with debris, but the next morning, we'd observe another egg laid. She repeated this until she laid her fifth egg, on April 3, at which time she started incubating. We thought this would be it, but we counted a sixth egg soonafter. Many birds will lay their eggs one at a time, and only start incubating once the last has been laid to increase chances the chicks will hatch at roughly the same time.<br />
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On May 1, exactly 28 days after incubation began, all six eggs hatched.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zA5UYOdZ_I4/XNO7iNsDGPI/AAAAAAAAyfI/-4wULRKViI808dSwMy98tKJR3f2e-oW4ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zA5UYOdZ_I4/XNO7iNsDGPI/AAAAAAAAyfI/-4wULRKViI808dSwMy98tKJR3f2e-oW4ACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5227.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Wildlife Rescue came by the same afternoon, and relocated the family to Deer Lake in Burnaby.<br />
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During the last month, we saw the gander only a handful of times, and in the final couple of weeks, we didn't see him at all. We did see a lone goose sitting in the grass at ground level, but we couldn't tell whether he was the gander for this mother, or for some other family (there were at least a couple other goose families around in our building complex). Wildlife Rescue doubted he was it, as they should be communicating a lot more frequently.<br />
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Wildlife Rescue said that this is a very busy time for geese. Downtown Vancouver is especially busy, since there are few roofs there that provide safe ways for goslings to get to ground level.<br />
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Since we had ample footage, I put together a video with all the action. There's a 2 minute and 10 minute version, depending on how much of a goose fan you are. The 10 minute version has a lot more footage of the rescue operation.<br />
2 min:<br />
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10 min:<br />
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<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-47010967409801308982019-01-13T23:51:00.001-08:002019-01-13T23:51:18.225-08:00Carnivores in RichmondCarnivores are interesting, and it's not just because I am one. They need to use a combination of physical strength, mental acuity, speed, and all round evolutionary ingenuity to overcome another animal, just to survive. Commonly, they risk their own safety just to eat, and have to overcome some amount of fear that the victim could fight back, causing an injury that could eventually lead to death by not being able to hunt.<br />
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Humans are understandably cautious around other carnivores. They threaten our own safety, or the safety of our pets and livestock. In cities such as Vancouver, large carnivores get pushed out to the boundaries where forest meets subdivision. In Richmond, coyotes might come to mind as one of our largest carnivores, hanging out on the ocean side of the dyke in the tidal marsh. What if I told you that coyotes weren't the largest? "Humans, of course," you'd grin. "No, even bigger." "In present day?" "Yes, in present day".<br />
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Until a whale or dolphin swims into Richmond (which I'm sure has happened, just not in recent memory), I submit to you, the sea lion.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt5T3q9klPc/XDw0UqfKbBI/AAAAAAAAvO4/ofpaR8FNOWs7QQok1tY9YC4eAY3dc2v-gCLcBGAs/s1600/20190112_104704%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="943" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Rt5T3q9klPc/XDw0UqfKbBI/AAAAAAAAvO4/ofpaR8FNOWs7QQok1tY9YC4eAY3dc2v-gCLcBGAs/s640/20190112_104704%25280%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This one in Steveston was a California sea lion, I suspect, as they have longer snouts than the larger stellar sea lions. The males tip the scales at almost 800 pounds (the steller sea lions are gargantuan, at over 2000 pounds), making them much larger than a typical 250 pound black bear on the North Shore. Yet despite this size and sharp teeth, we somehow disassociate them from being predators. Lacking feet, we think of them as awkward on land. With most of their sleek body hidden underwater, we don't realize how large these animals actually are, and their capability to inflict harm. Years of seeing them perform tricks alongside humans have acclimatized us into thinking that they want nothing more than to hear applause for their comedic timing. And if I said the word "seal", the cartoon image in your head would surely include a multicoloured beach ball. We think of them as tame, resulting in unfortunate encounters like <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/3467486/sea-lion-little-girl-richmond/" target="_blank">this</a>, which happened not far from where I took the above photo.<br />
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To be fair, attacks on humans on land are rare. But given their size and speed, this largest carnivore that frequents our city boundaries demands a healthy respect.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com13080 Moncton St, Richmond, BC V7E 6P4, Canada49.124560050280614 -123.191794807501249.123261050280611 -123.1943163075012 49.125859050280617 -123.1892733075012tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-47419776985570754372018-12-06T21:06:00.001-08:002023-08-02T12:26:12.001-07:00There are humans in this photo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBu6AGLheDk/XAn7fd-iq5I/AAAAAAAAuPI/QLw0fe6ggOwOIppqwR-lMMKnEpn7c5lDACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4120.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="47" data-original-width="94" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sBu6AGLheDk/XAn7fd-iq5I/AAAAAAAAuPI/QLw0fe6ggOwOIppqwR-lMMKnEpn7c5lDACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4120.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A photo of the International Space Station. Yesterday, it made in appearance above Vancouver for about 4 minutes, peaking almost directly overhead. Looking at it through a 300mm lens, it zooms from one end of my field of view to the other in about five seconds. It occupies about 40 of the 97 pixels in width of my original photo.<br />
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Until someone lands on the moon, this will be the furthest a human being will ever be in one of my photos. At about 400 km away and 109 metres wide, taking this photo is like taking a photo of a football field in Portland, Oregon (if the earth's curvature weren't in the way). Oh, and it's travelling through space at 27,000km/h, so it'd span the distance from Portland to here in about the time it took you to read this far (just under a minute).<br />
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There are a few reasons why manmade satellites like the ISS aren't always visible. The shadow of the earth gets in the way except just before sunrise or after sunset. But also, many satellites aren't easily visible to the naked eye unless their solar panels are oriented in just the right way to reflect sunlight. And of course in Vancouver, clear skies are often a challenge.<br />
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You'll have a chance to see it tomorrow (the 7th) night for about 6 minutes as well.<br />
https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/view.cfm?country=Canada&region=British_Columbia&city=Vancouver#.XAn-z2hKiUk<br />
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We have a Canadian on board at the moment, Quebec-born David Saint-Jacques. Bonjour, monsieur.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-90784059121095204112018-11-25T22:42:00.000-08:002018-11-25T22:42:08.607-08:00The beaver moonTerra Nova park has long been home to beavers. The stumps of young sapling bordering the pond have been chiseled to an irregular point, providing the first evidence. On one side of the pond is a lodge, obscured by cattails from most vantage points for privacy. A 3 metre tree is now growing out of the lodge, suggesting that the beavers have been around quite a few years.<br />
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I've never seen the beavers during the day, and I was suspicious whether they were still around, as I hadn't noticed any fresh stumps around the pond (plus there was a tree growing out of the lodge...wouldn't the beavers at an active lodge be a bit more fastidious with their landscaping?).<br />
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So I wasn't realistically thinking I'd spot any beavers on Friday night, when I visited the park. It so happened that Thursday night marked the first full moon in November, known as <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/beaver.html" target="_blank">the beaver moon</a> because beavers are busily constructing their lodges in preparation for winter. Surely, having completed their Beaver Moon work, they'd be sharing a few beers with their buddies down by the lodge, not sauntering about in the cool barely-above-freezing temperatures.<br />
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While it was indeed a fullish moon, clouds shrouded direct moonlight. Despite that, the clouds illuminated by a moon from above and the urban lights from below provided enough background to show silhouettes of silent owls drifting past. It was when my eyes were skyward that I was startled by a splashing in the water, as loud as a large rock being thrown in.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaver splash, a big "plunk"</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4p6moOdfY_Y/W_slEZ7VzWI/AAAAAAAAuCw/NaoL3Hg63S86sXxnlLHUXR43vl-rwvXOwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4p6moOdfY_Y/W_slEZ7VzWI/AAAAAAAAuCw/NaoL3Hg63S86sXxnlLHUXR43vl-rwvXOwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1058.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Beaver creating tracks in the floating <a href="http://rockpaperlizard.blogspot.com/2018/10/fall-was-temporarily-nice.html" target="_blank">Azollapalloza</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of it's nearer approaches</td></tr>
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The beaver swam around in circles, splashing periodically to alert his family of this unwelcome guest. He eyed me for probably 5 minutes before he tired of me and disappeared.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view at night</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thought the sound behind me in the dark was a person, relieved to see this little guy</td></tr>
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The beavers have been expanding their range over the last few years. The stumps by the pond were brown, suggesting they were years old, but as I trekked along the dyke, following the occasional sounds of splashing in the ditch next to the dyke, I came across some fresh stumps.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ujosN0Q13JM/W_slFL1t77I/AAAAAAAAuDc/xPuS_WkBhhITPu2W2BhU7qw_Fz927IupACEwYBhgL/s1600/20181124_162510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="896" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ujosN0Q13JM/W_slFL1t77I/AAAAAAAAuDc/xPuS_WkBhhITPu2W2BhU7qw_Fz927IupACEwYBhgL/s640/20181124_162510.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A diameter of about a 30 cm</td></tr>
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This tree and about three others in the vicinity were about 5 meters away from the ditch, and seemed a lot fresher (see the woodchips on top of the fallen leaves). The top of the tree had already been gnawed off, probably taken for the edible leaves. Some of the trees near the ditch were partially damaged, but were now protected with chicken wire. Looks like the parks maintenance people will have to move further inland.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com22340 River Rd, Richmond, BC V7C 1A1, Canada49.172818885527327 -123.1981351354064649.171521385527328 -123.20065663540646 49.174116385527327 -123.19561363540646tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-381102937241020592018-11-10T21:59:00.002-08:002018-11-10T21:59:51.641-08:00Boundary Bay-supporting animals of the sky, and of the water.The skies were as blue as could be today. The warm sun invited us to to join it outside for just a few more days before a forecast of rain befalls us for the coming week.<br />
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First stop was Boundary Bay, looking for, you guessed it, owls.<br />
We usually have good luck spotting them out there, or rather, spotting a crowd of photographers, who have done the impossibly difficult job of finding the owls.<br />
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They were looking at this. See it yet?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photographing with a smartphone through a pair of binoculars isn't too bad</td></tr>
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Cropped:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long eared owl</td></tr>
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Long-eared owls are a little atypical of their raptor brethren, seeming to prefer dense thickets such as these. How then end up there, or how they can easily fly out is something I'd like to see one day.<br />
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Here's a video of the same owl, from one of the wildlife enthusiasts in the crowd pictured above:<br />
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The marsh flats of Boundary Bay support the owls with populations of rodents. It is also the entry point of a 25 km journey for a population of salmon.<br />
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Every November to January, chum, coho, and steelhead salmon swim upstream into the tributaries of the Serpentine river. Many of them target Tynehead Regional Park in Surrey, where there's a hatchery releasing fry into the river each spring. It's been <a href="https://chut7.blogspot.com/2014/11/salmon-in-city.html" target="_blank">four years since I visited</a> to see the salmon run.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bvdFoTk78cs/W-e7Lr9pvHI/AAAAAAAAtvE/LzSU2c-mRqsgsbG2Ej-FOqNTB1p0-fYBQCLcBGAs/s1600/20181110_143642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bvdFoTk78cs/W-e7Lr9pvHI/AAAAAAAAtvE/LzSU2c-mRqsgsbG2Ej-FOqNTB1p0-fYBQCLcBGAs/s640/20181110_143642.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Before seeing any live fish, we saw (and smelled) the dead ones. There actually weren't too many clogging up the shorelines, indicating the run is either light this year, or that we were early. A parks person we spoke with remarked that while it did seem lighter this year, a heavier rain could bring more in later.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coho in beautiful spawning colours, resting up before continuing her journey upstream</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She is the swimming dead. Resting in an eddy near shore, she's done with spawning, and awaiting her fate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A male chum, investigating whether the nearly dead female could be coerced into mating.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">male chum and a busted lip</td></tr>
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<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com216205 100 Ave, Surrey, BC V4N 2K1, Canada49.183421189494659 -122.7730661641235249.180826689494658 -122.77810866412352 49.18601568949466 -122.76802366412352tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-23146063319558653342018-06-02T23:13:00.002-07:002018-06-02T23:13:23.973-07:00Looks like debris but doesn't behave like debrisWhile snorkeling in Napili Beach in Maui last month, I saw a bit of debris that floated a bit oddly. It moved to and fro in time with a current that simply didn't exist. As I stared downwards through about 15 feet of water it entered a gap in the rocks, and ejected sediment. An octopus! It was the first time I've seen one in the wild. I dove down to take a look.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dark shape on the right. It's open siphon is near the top right. Likely a "day octopus" (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_cyanea" ping="/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_cyanea&ved=0ahUKEwiIv-je6rbbAhXVKH0KHbVCD0EQFggpMAA" style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">Octopus cyanea</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: left; white-space: nowrap;">)</span></td></tr>
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In the absence of weights, I am so buoyant with a full breath of air that I have to expend large amounts of energy with my arms just to keep my head underwater. That makes my body crave air even more. To maximize my bottom time, I've realized it's more important to stay relaxed. I keep only a third of air in my lungs prior to a dive, which makes me only marginally positively buoyant at the surface, and neutrally buoyant at 15 feet. But with less stored air, it also means I can only stay underwater about 30 seconds or so (and 15 seconds or so is just to get down to that depth).<br />
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The beach that day (and probably most days) was crowded with sunbathers, and there were plenty of snorkelers in the water as well (this is one of the better snorkeling beaches, as it's sheltered by deep rock faces that attracting fish and turtles). Despite all the snorkelers, few seemed interested in the octopus. "Where is it?" "I'll point it out," I offered, as I dove down pointing at the den. A few seemed to stick around and politely look at what I pointed at for a minute, another stating "I don't see it", but all moving on. It was, after all, probably too deep for most casual snorkelers.<br />
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After a while, I just watched from the surface, as it seemed more inclined to leave it's den when a human wasn't buzzing by with a camera outstretched. And then, I noticed this:<br />
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It had an arm outstretched into a neighbouring crack. A second octopus was in the other crack!</div>
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As with most solitary creatures, mating tends to be a cautious affair. Neither animal has the social experience to predict whether it will be hurt or eaten. So mating tends to be an "as-far-as-possible" activity, with the male extending an arm to a female, positioning a sperm packet into the mantle (the head) of the female. The mating I see in documentaries tends to have the octopus out in the open, with mating not lasting for more than a few minutes, so it was interesting to see them in dens going at it for over an hour (I'd hang out at the beach then revisit). As for whose home turf this was, I didn't stick around long enough to find out.</div>
Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com0Kapalua Coastal Trail, Lahaina, HI 96761, USA21.000859697415837 -156.6674898904907420.997153697415836 -156.67253239049074 21.004565697415838 -156.66244739049074tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-6378890863802978062018-04-04T00:24:00.001-07:002018-04-04T00:24:46.140-07:00A Canada Goose that wasn't really Canadian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The snow geese are making fewer appearances in Richmond these days, so I didn't expect to see them when I tried to appease my son to look for them in Terra Nova.</div>
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At first, we saw them in a vacant field fenced off from the public, and I thought that would be our best view of them. The geese then started swarming a more luxurious patch of grass.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oDRwdYBDNQ/WsRyuWYVNdI/AAAAAAAAm4E/v8ZEdLztEc0RSIS0vLCZLKkwJumvUXFwACLcBGAs/s1600/20180402_183751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="1600" height="484" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oDRwdYBDNQ/WsRyuWYVNdI/AAAAAAAAm4E/v8ZEdLztEc0RSIS0vLCZLKkwJumvUXFwACLcBGAs/s640/20180402_183751.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is one of the wealthier areas of Richmond; the dense lawn these geese are fertilizing is cropped short, golf-course style. Their visit to this patch must be rare - residents were outside on their balconies, snapping videos.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoetF-Sxknc/WsRyuc92MLI/AAAAAAAAm4A/8a-LW9ZxQfgeVHTrFU-UjxKTooZ1-Ou8ACLcBGAs/s1600/20180402_183506-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1600" height="340" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WoetF-Sxknc/WsRyuc92MLI/AAAAAAAAm4A/8a-LW9ZxQfgeVHTrFU-UjxKTooZ1-Ou8ACLcBGAs/s640/20180402_183506-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then we saw this bird, not like the others:</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5kPjHHNH1A/WsRyuYyHppI/AAAAAAAAm38/cS5-OfiCj4ISU7KAJ7PwI23ntngydjCJwCLcBGAs/s1600/20180402_185115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="778" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m5kPjHHNH1A/WsRyuYyHppI/AAAAAAAAm38/cS5-OfiCj4ISU7KAJ7PwI23ntngydjCJwCLcBGAs/s640/20180402_185115.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"Canada Goose", I confidently educated my son. He repeated after me. We followed behind it to get a better look, as it not only seemed out of place, but to my eye unusually smaller than a typical Canada Goose. The neck seemed scrawny compared to its white companions.<br />
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Later, upon Googling, I realized it might not even be a Canada Goose. I had no idea there was such a thing as a Cackling Goose, <a href="http://www.sibleyguides.com/2007/07/identification-of-cackling-and-canada-goose/" target="_blank">nor did most of the birding world before 2004</a>, when it became officially recognized as a separate species from the Canada Goose. The Cackling Goose has a smaller body and shorter neck are the more obvious differences from the Canada Goose, as is a steeper head and shorter beak if you should get close enough to see.<br />
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They nest in the tundra, which might explain why it's flocked with the snow geese. Lucky for us, since we never would've given it a second look had it flocked with Canada Geese.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com16039 Pearkes Dr, Richmond, BC V7C 5R1, Canada49.169827140242383 -123.1923016905784649.16966514024238 -123.19261669057846 49.169989140242386 -123.19198669057846tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-25402441349065635372018-02-15T00:18:00.001-08:002018-02-15T00:18:59.420-08:00HootWhile I've seen quite a few different species of owls now, never have I heard one hoot. That's not to say I haven't heard owls before...just that the ones that I have heard were squacking or shrieking. In fact, only a few owl species in BC actually hoot. So a few nights ago, when I heard hooting through the walls of my house, I had to investigate.<br />
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Outside our home are several tall conifers. We noticed a source of hooting in the tree right at our back door. In fact, in the blackness of the tree, I could see some lighter-coloured movement that must've been the owl. But it wasn't the only one. A nearby tree was also responding with hooting; they were calling to each other! I saw an owl fly off, but there was still hooting at that tree, which meant there must've been three owls initially! The owls continued calling to each other for quite some time, so after I was satisfied with as good a photo as I could with manual focus and a 50 mm lens, I ran back inside to grab a longer lens. By the time I emerged the second time, the owls were gone.<br />
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Here's an excerpt of two of them calling to each other<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mEbsAJqRk3tfNDU6xwB_4xHLo4dh8YhS" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/open?id=1mEbsAJqRk3tfNDU6xwB_4xHLo4dh8YhS</a><br />
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The call, combined with a sasquach-like photo makes me fairly certain they were great-horned owls.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q5-3l9Ap1RQ/WoVBteCZ1CI/AAAAAAAAlM8/BO3zIPZZZ4MztFTuhZ2vygZiBrQUwB9PwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_2536.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="686" data-original-width="1159" height="378" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q5-3l9Ap1RQ/WoVBteCZ1CI/AAAAAAAAlM8/BO3zIPZZZ4MztFTuhZ2vygZiBrQUwB9PwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_2536.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-67798819782928434602018-02-14T23:35:00.003-08:002018-02-14T23:35:56.848-08:00Our last snowfallAs coincidence would have it, the arrival of another flock of snow geese came the day before we had an actual snowfall. Got some closeup video of the geese feeding, and some interesting group behaviour, including the moment when they all notice a pair of bald eagles approaching.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1YNFTmG8Fs4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="500" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1YNFTmG8Fs4?feature=player_embedded" width="800"></iframe></div>
<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com15040 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC V7C 1B8, Canada49.169760558584727 -123.1700685002746249.168463058584727 -123.17259000027462 49.171058058584727 -123.16754700027462tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-41552679414374396672018-01-15T22:55:00.001-08:002018-01-15T22:57:39.231-08:00fastest animal in the worldLand: cheetah<br />
Water: sailfish<br />
Air: peregrine falcon<br />
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I've seen the falcon a few times, but never this close.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tc5biRvBoVI/Wl2hHiU8ZJI/AAAAAAAAkGQ/mohvTlS2Lf0V-tostsGgQBoO7Xpx5EMyACLcBGAs/s1600/20180115_110012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1586" data-original-width="1600" height="633" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tc5biRvBoVI/Wl2hHiU8ZJI/AAAAAAAAkGQ/mohvTlS2Lf0V-tostsGgQBoO7Xpx5EMyACLcBGAs/s640/20180115_110012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our local transit authority was trying them out as a deterrent for pigeons that were roosting near the stations and causing problems with droppings and triggering the track intrusion alarms.</div>
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What was most interesting was how alert they were. They'd be continually scanning the sky, not looking in a single direction for more than a second.</div>
Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-65028686983964486992017-12-30T23:33:00.000-08:002017-12-30T23:33:29.623-08:00Urban wildlife interactions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://rockpaperlizard.blogspot.ca/2017/12/hello-and-thanks-for-all-fish.html" target="_blank">Rock Paper Lizard</a> posted yesterday about a mystery of how river otters made it into a pond about 2.5 km inland from the nearest natural body of water. While river otters are much more adept at traversing land than their "sea" cousins (their versatility on land is one of their distinguishing traits), navigating the mostly paved overland route in Richmond would've been catastrophe. Apparently, they're <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=0V9dt43cQ3M" target="_blank">happy to muck around the exits of storm sewers</a>, but it seems an especially bold maneuver to swim upstream of kilometres of concrete piping on the off chance there might be gold at the other end.</div>
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Having never seen river otters before, I decided to see if they were still around, today being the first blue-skied day in nearly a week.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GIzyMKn7mpc/WkiP7IyB7pI/AAAAAAAAjnY/60iBZyvG6wMpR02SmEIMyXWDOrdHzfktgCLcBGAs/s1600/20171230_114405.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GIzyMKn7mpc/WkiP7IyB7pI/AAAAAAAAjnY/60iBZyvG6wMpR02SmEIMyXWDOrdHzfktgCLcBGAs/s640/20171230_114405.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the first creatures we saw upon arriving at Garden City Park was a bald eagle. Not exactly rare, in Richmond, but unusual to be perched still, next to the pond for at least half an hour.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lmUOCpuRvu8/Wkh_nJzw80I/AAAAAAAAjmU/ey2lsTWIB6Q6d4l1T2K7MRhLoKuYvJuSgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lmUOCpuRvu8/Wkh_nJzw80I/AAAAAAAAjmU/ey2lsTWIB6Q6d4l1T2K7MRhLoKuYvJuSgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0896.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We meandered around the small pond...we figured if the otters were still around, there wasn't exactly a lot of hiding space, and they'd be easy enough to spot. And before long, we did!<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUAqFm1QkY0/Wkh_oclvBOI/AAAAAAAAjms/45HoAIgEz5crbJ2kl474o83gvupSrDQDwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0995.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="498" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUAqFm1QkY0/Wkh_oclvBOI/AAAAAAAAjms/45HoAIgEz5crbJ2kl474o83gvupSrDQDwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0995.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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They'd swim around in the murk, diving periodically for perhaps 30 seconds at a time. They'd swim on top of each other at times, clearly enjoying each other's company.</div>
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The otters made their way towards the other end of the pond, and we followed. We then noticed the bald eagle diving down.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_bUSQOJ9MP8/Wkh_nACv7OI/AAAAAAAAjmQ/tV115FylzXkxd_MkhXEPdn3zs8Fckcn5gCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0917.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="713" data-original-width="1000" height="456" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_bUSQOJ9MP8/Wkh_nACv7OI/AAAAAAAAjmQ/tV115FylzXkxd_MkhXEPdn3zs8Fckcn5gCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0917.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Initial thoughts were that it was diving for fish, but then we witnessed the target of it's attack.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zQhVO4Y7_Lo/Wkh_nNOKV3I/AAAAAAAAjmY/CPl-fhLEfjYodVaFc0gQrbVKcsTWVECeQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1207" data-original-width="1600" height="482" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zQhVO4Y7_Lo/Wkh_nNOKV3I/AAAAAAAAjmY/CPl-fhLEfjYodVaFc0gQrbVKcsTWVECeQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0918.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The otters were on the bank. Upon seeing the eagle, they retreated into the water, at least until the eagle returned to its perch.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8HNjkSzKM4/Wkh_n39hU8I/AAAAAAAAjmg/9Zovy1s7D8UxD0KUhmNWMq5LnXSPLRa1QCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="890" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-L8HNjkSzKM4/Wkh_n39hU8I/AAAAAAAAjmg/9Zovy1s7D8UxD0KUhmNWMq5LnXSPLRa1QCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0947.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And the reason for the interest from the eagle - fish! If I could talk to an otter (or more specifically, if it were willing to talk back), I'd like to learn how fishing is even possible in water whose visibility is about two inches. In the summer, <a href="http://chut7.blogspot.com/2009/06/abundance-of-wildlife-in-richmond.html" target="_blank">the pond is literally bubbling with fish</a>, so with that density, I suppose that even bumping into them would be a reasonable technique.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-clEmJ005Du8/Wkh_nxAmevI/AAAAAAAAjmk/vfO9XjgkB_sVGhuks7tQDDYj-w-QhTOZACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="1029" height="360" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-clEmJ005Du8/Wkh_nxAmevI/AAAAAAAAjmk/vfO9XjgkB_sVGhuks7tQDDYj-w-QhTOZACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0959.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We weren't the only ones who had noticed the eagle. As is usually the case, gulls and crows will mob any type of raptor they see.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1RM2gGYODdQ/Wkh_nvV0U7I/AAAAAAAAjmc/DddrPT21yQMDBY7zPCmzbVoz3Tf3PpukACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1RM2gGYODdQ/Wkh_nvV0U7I/AAAAAAAAjmc/DddrPT21yQMDBY7zPCmzbVoz3Tf3PpukACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0937.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
The eagle would only take so much of the intimidation before it set off.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUU4ICNDpNk/WkiLeKKn0KI/AAAAAAAAjnM/aVi6H5mDSegZrVFF3AxuuDIRdzyKxw1VQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="874" data-original-width="1349" height="414" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OUU4ICNDpNk/WkiLeKKn0KI/AAAAAAAAjnM/aVi6H5mDSegZrVFF3AxuuDIRdzyKxw1VQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0925.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Having been in the park for at least a week and a half, these otters have definitely gotten accustomed to people. And with me watching for about a half hour, they became a bit more inquisitive.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awCqlXVsnC8/Wkh_oRLX23I/AAAAAAAAjmw/7UKpgcJyYNMob-LcJzPtJp3FdFYatWmAgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="1600" height="418" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awCqlXVsnC8/Wkh_oRLX23I/AAAAAAAAjmw/7UKpgcJyYNMob-LcJzPtJp3FdFYatWmAgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MQ0HIr7wsU/Wkh_ojO088I/AAAAAAAAjm0/DGHwyB2c33M_FBv2pHnI8egFLc7LbYVXgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="1248" height="286" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4MQ0HIr7wsU/Wkh_ojO088I/AAAAAAAAjm0/DGHwyB2c33M_FBv2pHnI8egFLc7LbYVXgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1003.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another distinguishing feature of river otters is that they'll swim on their front, vs sea otters typically floating on their backs.<br />
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In an urban setting, it's rare to see inter-species interactions, unless they are with the human or domesticated-animal variety. I'm continually impressed at their resourcefulness, in spite of our efforts to control our environment.<br />
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The otters have been feasting on this small pond of fish for at least 10 days now...it's probably the biggest windfall this family has ever seen...hopefully, they'll remember this in future years to make an annual return.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com3Garden City Park, 6620 Garden City Rd, Richmond, BC V6Y 1T6, Canada49.165465800000007 -123.122886843.47469980000001 -133.4500353 54.8562318 -112.79573830000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-87035482866048944812017-12-12T00:37:00.002-08:002017-12-12T00:38:05.880-08:00Our first snowfallSnow geese are an annual visitor to Richmond, to the delight of some, and the disdain of school janitors.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/eQ6ni_znlAs/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eQ6ni_znlAs?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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We've been hearing them squawking overhead for the last few weeks, but last week, we checked out the flock gathering at the school. While sights of the field inundated with birds is common, normally there might only be between a dozen to a hundred birds landing at once. Never have we seen a flock of thousands of birds landing at once. It was quite a treat, standing in the midst of such commotion.<br />
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The flock was quite uniform - I saw only a single ring-billed gull and a blue morph as part of the flock.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1HO1AC4Kk0/Wi-UZMDFCPI/AAAAAAAAiwk/lex1YOrmUv8f-Cx6_0jhJI8UvRK9-RdgACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v1HO1AC4Kk0/Wi-UZMDFCPI/AAAAAAAAiwk/lex1YOrmUv8f-Cx6_0jhJI8UvRK9-RdgACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1925.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ring-billed gull - it walked around for a few seconds with its wing spread, though with no apparent sign of injury</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">blue colour morph</td></tr>
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In a world where it seems every species is in decline, it's comforting to see some wilderness finding success in spite of humanity. Snow geese are increasing at the rate of 5% per year (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_goose" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>), giving hope that our children's children might be able to enjoy this form of wildlife.<br />
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At one point, something spooked them, and we felt the wind of thousands of beating wings frantically ascending at once. There was no point in trying to dodge the bits of mud and mostly-digested grass dropping off their feet as they took to the skies.<br />
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And like the snow that falls around our city, it can disappear quickly, leaving only a bit of sludge behind.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-7216174180481203612017-12-11T22:38:00.002-08:002017-12-11T22:38:14.167-08:00Christmas Cactus 2017I seem to never learn from my mistakes. Replanting plants that seem to be outgrowing their pots has always been risky business. Generally speaking, if I can keep a plant alive for 6 months, it'll last 6 years. That is, until I transplant it. Then, the difference in soil kills the plant.<br />
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This happened to my venus flytrap a few years back. It died within a few weeks of getting moved to some new peat moss.<br />
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And now it's starting to happen to my Christmas Cactus, which I transplanted for the first time this past summer. It budded, but only five flowers emerged. Leaf/branch segments on one side of the plant began dropping off. I wonder if this is the beginning of the end, or if it's just focusing it's new growth on a different part of the plant for the coming year.<br />
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I couldn't bring myself to pose the pitiful little plant for it's annual portrait. But a rare December sunlight illuminated the last flower on the plant, and out of respect for tradition, I needed to capture it's brief beauty.<br />
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<br />Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-68443395098078096222017-08-25T23:19:00.003-07:002017-08-25T23:40:24.384-07:00The Great American Eclipse(two solar postings in one month!)<br />
I first heard about this maybe a year or so ago, but did nothing about it. With young kids, plans are often last minute. Last month, we decided we could finally commit, so we scrambled for a hotel room or campsite. Naturally, they were all booked up, at least online. There were a few vacancies provided by first-time AirBNBers wanting to take full advantage of price gouging. We found places in Portland, so we secured those first, but later on a whim, I decide to phone around at various hotels inside totality. Surprisingly, it took less than five calls to find a hotel that still had rooms at reasonable rates; they were reserved for non-internet customers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Oklahoma - there was certainly an eventful excitement in the air</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An hour before totality, people would park next to open fields with picnic blankets</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We chose to watch from a park, where eclipse festivities brought locals and tourists out in the hundreds.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the moment we were waiting for - totality! A star appeared just left of the sun, which unfortunately wasn't capturable with the camera settings I used</td></tr>
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And here's the exuberance of a crowd immersed in the shadow of the moon.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting to totality was fine...getting out was a 7 hour trip, normally only 4 hours.</td></tr>
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We had just over a minute of totality from where we were, in Woodburn, Oregon. There are few natural wonders that are as grand as a solar eclipse, and everyone in our group agreed it was entirely worth the drive.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com1Woodburn, OR 97071, USA45.143731 -122.8553723999999645.0989335 -122.93605339999996 45.188528500000004 -122.77469139999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4902998760490669090.post-43500286023873904352017-08-07T16:22:00.002-07:002017-08-07T16:22:36.187-07:00SunspottingCan't get much bigger than this (aside from the accidental capture of a far-off universe in a night photo):<br />
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This is the first time I've photographed the sun as a subject. Only used a UV filter, and dialed back exposure to -2 stops. That little dot is a sunspot, about 11 times the size of the earth. I needed to take multiple photos with the sun in different positions just to confirm that it wasn't a speck on my lens.<br />
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The smoke from forest fires has made midday feel like a third world country with lax pollution controls. A week ago, when the smoke began blowing in, it triggered memories of coal smoke from villages in Tanzania and the pervasive smog in Beijing. Fortunately for us, this should scrub out the first rainfall, which some weather reports are calling for in about a week's time.Timhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06455752000373769998noreply@blogger.com4