Ardea Herodias

Squawking because Sparrow is on the beach...

     I took the dogs to Jericho Beach today. It's Monday so I knew it wouldn't be crowded. We walked down to the beach so I could throw sticks for Sparrow, who was already in the water - Hawksley beside me near my ankle.

He lands and watches a few tosses of chase the stick.

     We climbed over the last grassy bank to get onto the sand. I heard this guy before I saw him. A Great Blue Heron! My dad asked me if I have a picture of one in flight, so I keep trying. Today I got pretty lucky. As I said I heard him before I saw him, so I got my camera ready. He SQUAWKED a number of times, really loudly complaining that we were disturbing him. We were at least a hundred yards away - and only two other people on the entire beach! He probably thought my dogs would chase him, but they know better - besides this park is chalk full of coyotes, so if someone's dog did chase, I feel like the dog's just keeping whatever it's chasing on whatever it's chasing's toes. Most dogs are just into chasing, not catching. There's a German short haired Pointer and he just stands there, leg up like a statue- for twenty minutes at a time. It's so awesome, the first time you see it it looks a little alarming, the dog is so intently concentrating on the bunny- but then nothing happens and the bunny is just sitting there five feet from the dog, eating a discarded carrot. The Pointer- pointing.
     So I stayed there on the beach right where we were so he could either fish or fly and he chose to fly to the east of us, complaining the whole way! I thought about running a moment or two of video to share the funny sound this big guy made, but I really wanted to get the photos of the Great Blue Heron in flight, like my dad requested. Here's a good one:

Complaining loudly, he flies a few hundred yards east.

     You should be able to click on the photo to make it bigger- for a closer look. There are usually two or three of them here but it was getting warm already at 9:30AM. I noticed tracks all over the beach from dozens of different birds. They must have fished early. It rained pretty hard yesterday but the sunset sky ended with pink, so sailor's delight.
     This is the place to come if you really need to see a Great Blue Heron that day. It's a guarantee practically. I look for their feathers in a few spots and almost always find at least one. They groom in the trees above the duck pond. They fish in the pond all the time too.
     I wondered if they would eat a baby duckling and watched one fishing for frogs. I decided it probably would, and decided to stop wondering before I actually saw it happen. The Herons you see here now are the adults and offspring of the colony that roosts in Stanley Park across the inlet. If you read my previous posting, I Did Not Know That, I won't have to repeat myself here and describe the huge colony...
     We usually leave the beach area and walk towards the Blackberry brambles where the bunnies are. The berries are ripe and cover the vines. Sparrow eats them right off the vine, carefully avoiding the prickles. The pug waits for us to feed him his share. Both dogs love the berries. So do we! There are tons of birds and bunnies that fill this little area. a few weeks ago Eliza and I watched hummingbird fledglings getting flying lessons. Talk about adorable. I was unable to get any footage because it was the one and only day I didn't bring my camera on our walk.

     Lately we have been going to this awesome dog beach. It isn't over used or over run, with about a hundred and fifty yards of shallow water that even Hawksley can play in. Check out this adorable video of him looking for his ball after it sank. He was able to find it again by using his feet, he communicated to me that he had it between his back feet by looking up at me and not moving them and then slowly looking back and into the water - then slowly back up to me. I felt between his back feet and there it was! Smartie! Cutie!

     I have accumulated a number of Great Blue Heron pictures and here are a few. I hope you enjoy them. I don't mind if anyone* (*except for a company or corporation, or for profit or mass reproduction) uses my photos. (So if you are going to profit off of it or publish it please ask me first.) I don't watermark them. I would like the credit for taking them, and would love to hear how and why you used them if you do! I take pictures because I enjoy seeing these sights, and want to share the nature as far and wide as I can in the hopes that people who aren't aware of how important it is will become aware. We need to protect it and support it.
     BIG GREEDY OIL are currently doing something really bad in Alberta for profit. It's called the TAR SANDS. Basically it's a really messy and dirty way of getting oil out of the ground. It uses millions of gallons of  fresh water and created huge environmental catastrophes.
     This is happening and we need to stop it. There is a huge protest going on in Washington DC about stopping a pipeline from going all the way from Alberta Tar Sands to Texas refineries. This will be a major environmental disaster in more ways than one. This isn't just a treehugger (which I am, proudly) sounding off, this is the opinion of brilliant scientists and educated environmentalists alike.
     If you enjoyed my blog, and the photos, please take a moment to look into this threat and spread the word that it is not the direction we all need to be taking. BP's oil spill has destroyed the Shrimp, Pelicans are STARVING to death. The Tar Sands project has had safety issues, and pipeline breaks or oil spills all the time. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the pictures.
     When you are done, please take a moment to click on (if you haven't already) any and all of the coloured links above to better understand the importance of this information...

Fishing off Granville Island

His long head feather is so cool!

Hello again!

Happy summer! 
There is so much that has happened since I last posted that I think today we will just start with some photos.

Stellar Jay on Bowen Island

Stellar Jay successfully begging for handouts.

I worked on Bowen Island for a day last week and  it was such a  great day. The wildlife there is all around you. Birds calling each other, deer wandering everywhere, otters playing on the docks right next to seal cubs sunning on the beach waiting for their mothers to return.

The only real predators on the island, are humans. No bears, coyotes, wolves or cougars although from time to time one will swim across and have to be relocated or in many cases hunted by the human official types. So this makes the mule deer that are prolific on these types of islands, pretty relaxed. For example I was using a palm sander to sand down a few planters, and this particular deer, whose name is Vinnie because of his torn ear, was waiting for me to be distracted enough to loot the apple bucket.

Playing shy guy at first so I turn my back and think he's gone.

Hid behind the tree until the apples were alone.

Success! Took his own apple out of the bucket! See his torn ear?

We have been going to Jericho beach a lot. There are no longer Red Wing Blackbirds everywhere, they left when the Folk Fest took over the park for the weekend. I want to find out where they migrate to during this time. There are only one or to still at the marsh, they call out and are unanswered. It sounds lonely although I am sure they chose to be where they are...

The Gray Herons are still feeding in the marsh and along the beach. We see quite a few each time we go. They fly really high and the only way to tell them apart from eagles at a quick glance is the long legs hanging out behind!

This was one of the biggest Great Grays I have ever seen.

Still trying for the wide open wing shot...

Watching seagulls eat salmon heads @ the marina

Time for a quick grooming under the arm pit.

Hunting in the marsh while the ducks nap.

I was taking pictures of this last Heron when there was a commotion overhead! The Heron was distracted from hunting as something crashed into the tree above me. A branch broke off and fell down, knocking debris from the other limbs as it fell. Eliza saw the whole thing and pointed out the culprit...

This is Heron Looking up at commotion...

This male Belted Kingfisher was the noisy chaser!

I am making an effort to get back into posting each day. It was a hard loss when the Northern Flickers had their tragedy earlier this summer. As far as I know, two females survived to fledge from Gibson's Wildlife Rescue.

From time to time there is a Flicker outside in the Birch. She calls a few times and no one answers her so she flies off. A few blocks away she has a family that she stays near, they all call to each other. I wonder if she isn't the second Mrs Flicker looking for her Mister and Sister wife...

Jericho walkabout...

Totem photo by jillC of chris'cookies!

Vancouver is a great place to meet all sorts of people. On a sunny day, after seven or eight months of rain, we are so grateful to the burning orange god that we take to nature one and all... sea to sky to bask in the glory. I really liked the documentary Zeitgeist. I really liked how it explained the things I have always thought, like how the Son and the Sun are one in the same. It's terrible that there are wars over religion and over territories. We are all one. Period, the negotiating is over. You kill this planet, you kill yourself and all of us - it's a house of cards. Like how money is bullshit but you need it to survive or do serious good in the world, like Oprah. Well, it's easier to reach a wider audience - I am very aware that little folks have made great changes since jeebus himself walked among the lepers and the whores.

Today we planned on focusing on the dogs for the morning and having a good romp and play. We left early because we knew it was going to be a hot one. I always bring my camera and got a few pictures in along the way... today we met a stranger. He was quite a character. He told us his name is Daniel and that he is from America. I asked him if I could take a photo of his drum, because it has a beautiful painting on it and he agreed.

Then I got he rest of his story as I took photos of him and his drum. Apparently he is just visiting here from the States, not sure where. He painted and made this drum and stick. He is used to riding around on horseback where he's from and said it takes him forever to get anywhere without a horse under him. He was a really nice, and interesting person. I am glad we chatted. In spite of his intoxication, he was charming and had a really wonderful energy... 

T

     I love that the first nations people communicate through storytelling and art that is all encompassing of nature and mother earth. It feels right to worship the planet and the universe and to respect it.

     I think that there is so much that we need to get back to in order to move forward. We spend a lot of time walking the dogs or out riding our bikes. We interact with people and talk to our neighbours, and often to strangers. Eliza calls it yellow dogging. It brings us closer together, and closer to nature.

     I don't think the birds would land on our hands the way they do without the piece of mind that we have and the gentleness we feel for them. 
     Eliza and I both grew up with horses & ponies on small farms. You learn about animals pretty fast from horses because you have no choice. They are big. To get it done your way, you have to first understand their nature, their way. Dogs adapt to people for the most part, but horses need to be understood and respected on a different level of intimacy.
     I asked Daniel if he had a dog, he does. He couldn't travel with it so he left it with a good friend. He said it was the only one he missed. I knew he was not talking about the friend, he was talking about the dog. People with pets seem to be more connected to each other and the planet. Animal lovers already have learned to care about something other than themselves. Something that requires their patience and actually depends on them for survival for their whole lives. Kids can grow up and in most case can live an independent life. A pet needs you forever. It's a commitment that literally means forever... you are forced to be a better person just because of that.

     Yesterday a young Page named Brigette Marcelle stood up during the Throne Speech and walked through the room carrying a stop sign that said, STOP HARPER. She was escorted from the House, and subsequently lost her job.  I saw many tweets when it happened, politicians saying she can kiss her career goodbye. Later CTV, a national news station caught up with her for a statement.

     Kiss it goodbye? I say she can kiss a big champagne bottle to celebrate the birth of her already established career as a champion for the people, and for Canada. 

I send her love and light and good energy. I hope she is the inspiration that ignites this country, then this continent into Stopping. We all need to chill out and get back to nature and have a walkabout. Like Daniel. There's a famous quote, I actually have a sticker of it on the front of my desktop. It says, "Well behaved women rarely make history."(Laurel Thatcher Ulrich)  

Brigette Depape proved that wrong. She is a very well behaved young woman. And I am proud of her. I bet she has pets. I bet she grew up with a dog.

Finally sun, so fotos!

Today was a another spectacular day on the planet, if you got to enjoy this day in Vancouver, especially.

We went out early with the dogs and headed to our favorite place. We brought a jug of crushed sunflower seeds and some shelled peanuts...

It took no time at all for them to recognize us, dogs and all and start landing for breakfast. I guess with a nest full of babies you consider doing a lot of things you wouldn't normally do for sunflower seeds and peanuts, when you are a Red-winged Blackbird.

All this time we thought it was a rarity for them to have fed from our hands in the winter. Now they try to land on me before I even have the seeds out of the jug and in my hand!

The fledglings are so cute, so awkward and their wings vibrate with anxious excitement. They see the mama land and want to do it so badly, but they are way too afraid. Which is great. The babies should be left alone by humans. We NEVER touch the birds. EVER. They land on our hand, and eat the proper safe clean food and leave when they want to.

There is a respect we have for them, and don't try to tame them or pet them at all. We just stand very still and let them eat, like we are human bird feeders.

What a palmful of sunflower seeds will get you...

One of the first sights & sounds of spring, is the spectacular and magnificent Red-Winged Blackbird. They are loud, happy and songful. At first glance you might think that the male has all the decor, all the flare and personality... but behind every successful man is a beautiful and more successful woman- in a lot of cases, so they say...

Jill's car stinks like something dead this morning so I drove her to work so I could take it in and clean it for her. We aren't sure what the heck is under the dog blankets in the backseat, but we are going to find out as soon as I post today's story. So starts today, and why we drove to the beach with the dogs in the middle of the week- I had the car. We decided to go to Jerry's Cove and see the birds. Jill left a bag of shelled sunflower seeds in the front seat so we carried those to the pond.

We often attempt to hand feed the Red-Winged Blackbirds, unsuccessfully except for 2 rare moments where Eliza fed a male, and a few months later, I fed a female. We are careful to get the proper food for the birds we feed. We do not feed the ducks bread like I did when I was a kid, apparently it's not good for them. Now we buy duck food or seeds & nuts. I reached into the sunflower bag and grabbed a palmful. I barely had my arm out stretched when the first bird landed...

She landed with no hesitation and stuffed her beak full with seeds. A few other females hovered over me waiting for their turn to land. They were very respectful of each other and took turns filling their beaks to the brim before flying off. If you want a closer look at the pictures I post, just click on them and they enlarge... This was the first close-up look at these gals we have ever had! They have a wonderful orange smudge on their shoulders, well some of them do, their markings are so beautiful.

We stood there feeding them for about twenty minutes before walking the dogs around the rest of the park.

Eliza feeds the hungry nesting mothers. We saw a few fledgling Red-Winged Blackbirds in the reeds near the bridge. We left a handful of seeds on the railing for them. It must really work up an appetite learning how to fly, and teaching someone to fly. Why are baby birds almost twice the size of their parents? Can you imagine if that were true fro everything that hatched out of an egg? Giant Eagles, turtles & alligators...

So we ran out of seeds and I have another errand added to my day. Once you start feeding a few birds, they seem to really make a point of letting you know that you now have a new responsibility. I learned to keep a balance with Bawckey, my backyard wild crow pet. Our pets are on the raw food diet, and I was giving Bawckey the leftover cat food - because it was too expensive to waste and not to name names, but Pippi (our cat) is Picki. Anyways, I would set out the cat dish and this one crow would eat it. I went away for a few weeks and when I came back, Sparrow (my dog) & I were on our way to the coffee shop, he swooped down and scolded both of us. So now he only gets fed occasionally. I save those leftovers and then every once and a while I feed him, like once a week or twice. But the bird feeders on the other hand feed a lot of different guys, so we try to keep that full. And the suet paddles are there for the Northern Flickers, and monopolized by the Starlings - who happen to be Jill's faves.

I just have a thing for the Red-Winged Blackbirds right now though. The day Eliza fed her first one, I told my mom about it and she mentioned hearing something about them in the news that day. Turns out that this particular bird has a strange phenomenon surrounding it. One that worries me and gets my head thinking about the conspiracy to hide the real facts about why, thousands of these birds spontaneously fell from the sky, more than once. Fireworks? I doubt it. And this isn't the first time it has happened... I am glad our friends at the Cove are safe for now. I shudder when I think that this happens to be located on some pretty valuable real estate. Our country is not as protected as we all like to think. Our National Parks are in jeopardy, they are over used and under funded. No one should ever have to fight to protect nature, it should be protected naturally.

If no one wants corporations polluting our water and our precious ecosystems, how do they continue to do it? I personally want to try to stop all of this planet raping from continuing in my neck of the woods. I was part of an International Greenpeace demonstration a few years ago, well more than a few now - but groups of us all over the planet were trying to get corporations to listen by just collectively boycotting one company and showing them all that we had the power and wherewithal to pull it off. A group of us simultaneously walked onto ESSO gas bars and chained ourselves to the pumps and asked folks to buy their gas somewhere else. It was the first time I had participated in something that would certainly lead to my arrest. It was an interesting study in human behavior. We were calm and peaceful, but many of the customers got really defensive. A lot of them were shouting that the climate crisis threat was all a bunch of crap made up by tree huggers like Greenpeace. It's so funny how someone can shout something at you and actually think it's insulting, "TREEHUGGER!" Anyways, I was arrested and thrown in the slammer. But that's another story.

Now to find out what died/is dead in the backseat of Jill's car... Have a nice day, if you are so inclined.