01 November 2023
01 May 2013
30 November 2012
Wood Ducks !
The tide is high
and rain
drumming on the roof
a dismal day
made brighter
with the
wood duck's visit
at 11/30/2012
25 April 2012
Osprey in the Cove
It's not often we see
an osprey on the inlet
but today was
a real bird day -
loons in the morning,
a grouse in the afternoon
and an osprey before dinner
swooping over the island
scaring the geese
looking for a meal
of goose egg omelet
which he didn't get
...yet
at 4/25/2012
Grouse Message
tipped his head
at the underbrush
at 4/25/2012
24 April 2012
10 April 2012
Duck Tail 2012
Can you spot the duck with the transmitter tail? Hint: front right center... |
Diving for mussels under the dock |
Male goldeneye duck with transmitter tail April 2012 |
Flock of goldeneye ducks - Indian Arm BC 2012 |
The goldeneyes are late leaving the coast this year...but should be gone any day now.
For more information on the ducks with transmitter tails, read previous post and also visit the Sea Duck Joint Venture.
at 4/10/2012
23 January 2012
River of Crows
of crows
streaming
from Vancouver
to Burnaby
silhouetted black
against
a twilight blue sky
every day
at four o’clock
day’s work is done
streets are cleaned
turf beetles found
garbage checked over
and sorted
and follow
each other
eastward
and rest
wires
street lights
and traffic lights
along the way
wings flapping
they lift
and continue
east
to their roosting spots
high in treetops
along Still Creek
near Grandview
at Boundary
all night
clustered
protected
chattering about the day
companions
a social group
and in the morning
a commute back
to the east end
the west end
shaughnessy
main street
kits
they poke
and prod
and clean
the city
and then…
again …
at four o’clock
lift off
and return
to their
nightly roost
Colleen MacDonald 2007
at 1/23/2012
16 October 2011
Morning on the Fjord ~ October 16 2011
I took my socks off
face up to the sun
before the rains come
at 10/16/2011
21 July 2010
merganser parade
at 7/21/2010
19 May 2010
Oystercatchers!
at 5/19/2010
22 April 2010
02 March 2010
Queen of the Olympics
at 3/02/2010
Olympic Reflection
we who live
in Vancouver
are back at home
sitting still
realizing
how tired we are!!
the blur that was the Olympics
a tide of people
moving and swaying
and headed to
the Closing Ceremonies
does it really have to end?
The Olympics was so very
at 3/02/2010
14 February 2010
Olympic Family Photo
at 2/14/2010
11 February 2010
Olympic Torch comes through Belcarra
What a Wonderful Village We Live In
at 2/11/2010
11 December 2009
05 December 2009
04 December 2009
20 November 2009
belcarra morning
is on its way to
of winter ducks
out front
for bread
at 11/20/2009
03 November 2009
01 November 2009
Goldeneye Ducks back in Vancouver November 1 2009
like clockwork,
the Goldeneyes are back
in Vancouver
It's November 1
and the Winter Ducks
have returned to Burrard Inlet
and Indian Arm
We cycled around Stanley Park today
and discovered a huge raft of winter ducks:
Barrow's Goldeneyes
Common Goldeneyes
and Scoters
putting on a show just off
Siwash Rock
circling
flying
diving
doing all their duck things!
come on down and see them!
at 11/01/2009
08 August 2009
three crow babies
at 8/08/2009
16 July 2009
Diana's Seagulls
at 7/16/2009
20 June 2009
Cycling in Turkey
at 6/20/2009
31 March 2009
gossip
went for a walk
today
got caught up on
all the
gossip
there’s a great horned owl
near the tennis courts
spotted last week
might have a nest
the Barred owl is about
this year’s eggs
might be hatching
any day
there’s a couple of
house finches
watching the walkers
along Marine Avenue
you might see them
when you go past
two kinds of chickadees
are up there
in the cedar tree
looks like they’re fighting over
a territory
--what was that noise?
oh – that’s a crazy bluejay
quite unusual
(I wonder if that’s
politically correct these days)
the chickadee stump
seems to have disappeared
maybe came down
in that last wind
big one, wasn’t it?
there’s a seagull nest
near Twin Islands
and a pigeon guillemont nest
further up the inlet
and there’s the goose nest
on Whiskey Cove Island
and others about
and don’t forget the eagles
looks like the juveniles
are building this year
yup –
lots going on
in the neighbourhood
these days
keep your eyes open
for that owl
won’t you?
at 3/31/2009
23 March 2009
swans on the bay
there's a flock of swans
at 3/23/2009
10 March 2009
24 December 2008
farron's snowflake
Farron looked out her window at the snow-covered world. Her eyes followed a large
snowflake as it swayed and circled
down
down
down
and disappeared into the icing sugar lawn.
"Where do snowflakes come from?" she asked her mother.
"Well,” Mommy began, "they come from the clouds. The clouds gather moisture and . . . "
Farron wondered what was on top of the cloud. Mommy's voice went on "... and when it gets
cold rain turns to snow..."
Maybe someone lives up there, Farron thought. She closed her eyes and snuggled deeper into her pillow as Mommy's voice faded.
Farron opened her eyes and sat up. Where was she? Everything was white. In front of her, beside her, above her. Everywhere. A face peeked out from behind a white tree: "Hello Farron. My name is Serena. I hear you want to learn how we make snowflakes."
Farron nodded her head -- yes.
"Well, come on!" Serena led the way through the cloud. Faces appeared in the mist.
"Hello everyone. I’ve brought Farron to see how we make snow."
Out from the clouds popped workers covered in snowflakes. They had snowflakes on their
clothes, snowflakes on their heads, and even their boots were covered in snowflakes.
“Farron,” said Serena, “everyone is busy today making snow, but you can watch them work
and ask questions."
Farron went to every part of the snow cloud. She watched as raindrops burst into snowflakes. Each one was different. There were double-diamonds and pointed stars, small clusters and large lacy snowflakes. Buckets of snowflakes were stacked at the edge of the cloud ready to be tipped and scattered. Farron watched the buckets tip and snowflakes fall over the side of the cloud.
Farron peeked over the edge. "Mommy, I'm up here," she called out.
"I don't think she can hear you," Serena said to Farron, "but you could send a note to tell her
where you are."
Farron reached into a bucket and picked a snowflake. She wrote her name on a piece of paper and tied it to the snowflake with gold thread. She threw it over the edge andwatched as it fluttered and swirled
down
down
down
to the ground.
Feeling tired, Farron sat down and rested against the white cloud bank. It reminded her of her big white pillow at home. Her eyes closed. She felt like she was floating
down
down
down
just like a snowflake.
Her eyes opened. She sat up. There was Mommy, right beside her. "Where's Serena?" she asked.
"Who's Serena?" asked Mommy.
“From up on the cloud. That's where they make the snow. Serena took me there. I saw it.” Farron jumped off the couch and peered out the window.
"Mommy, where's the snowflake I sent you?"
"Snowflake?" Mommy asked.
"The one with the note," Farron frowned. "Oh, it must still be outside,” she jumped up. "Let's go get it."
"Farron, you must have had a dream when you fell asleep. A snowflake can't have a note on it!"
"Yes there is! I wrote it. I saw how they make snow!"
Farron pulled on her boots as her mother got their coats. They went out onto the front lawn. They looked all over.
"Where is it?" worried Farron.
"Well, Farron, I really don't think we're going to find a note."
"No, no, it IS here. I wrote it. I threw it down."
Mommy started walking towards the house. Farron plunked down in the snow. She rolled on her back and looked up. On the sagging branch of a cedar tree weighted with snow, a sparkle caught her eye.
"Mommy, come here." She reached her hand out towards the glint. It sparkled again.
Farron pointed, "Mommy -- LOOK!"
It was tiny and hard to see, but there
... tied with a glint of gold thread to a snowflake was a note:
...............................................................................................................................© Colleen MacDonald 2006
at 12/24/2008
29 July 2008
11 May 2008
crows' nest
Have you ever wondered how crows build their nest?
They even do it to music, electronic funk, no less!
and here's some words about these busy crows:
a pair of crows
built a nest
this week
they flew past my window
sticks and branches
in their beaks
over the rooftop
and into a cluster of trees
next to the house
I followed their path --
trained a telescope on the spot
and watched as the nest was formed
nestled in the boughs of a tall cedar.
I found my digiscope
and attached it to the telescope
fitted on the camera
and started filming.
day by day
the nest grew
the crows added more sticks
bits of moss
a piece of paper
and a plastic bag was tucked between the layers of sticks
and then one day the building stopped
and the sitting began
excited,
I waited anxiously
for the eggs
to hatch
and then one day I was out in the garden
and heard the deep krawk of raven
circling nearby
and heard the frantic cries of the crows chasing
it off
not our nest
I hoped
looking high into our tree
as raven swooped in
and the crows screamed
and then just as quickly
the raven flew off
and through the telescope
I watched as the crows tossed out bits
of shells
I hoped there was at least one egg left
but the crows flew off and never came back to the nest again
at 5/11/2008
24 December 2007
22 December 2007
o christmas tree !
at 12/22/2007