This is kinda cool

On the weekend, I popped over to the wildlife sanctuary to work with my new-to-me Canon T3 camera and a Sigma 18-250 lens.  I also took my "point and swear" bridge camera, a Sony DSC-HX99.  The sanctuary had recently added smaller gauge wire to some of the pens, making it harder for me to focus through the wires, so I wanted to practice different settings that 'should' minimize the bars of the pens while maximizing the focus on the bird or animal behind the bars. I also wanted to compare the efficiency of the more expensive Canon & lens to the less expensive but still versatile all-in-one Sony. 

Here's my subject, Elsa the snowy owl, who was found near starvation in 2013 and has never been able to fly well enough to be released back to the wild.  This first photo, taken on my Canon, shows you the gauge of the wire in her pen:

In this shot, with my Sony point-and-swear, I attempt to mask the wire and focus on Elsa.  It is somewhat successful, but you can still see the shadows of wires in front of her:

And this one, with my Canon and the Sigma lens (f 7.1, 1/400 sec, 250mm, ISO 1250) is almost as if the wires weren't even there!  With a bit more skill, I could probably have fine-tuned it so that even the slight blur wouldn't show. 

Pretty cool, eh?  

(None of the photos has been edited/retouched in any way except to add my signature in the corner.) 

Enos Lake - my type of hike

Last Friday, my hiking partner and I chose a hike that we had not done since September 2020 - Enos Lake in Nanoose Bay.  This would be our third hike there.  Last summer and fall, the trails were closed due to the fire hazard, and then atmospheric rivers of rain made late fall and early winter hikes there ill advised.  It had been far too long since we'd been there. 

As hikes go, it is an enjoyable length for us, with just the right amount of challenge - offering some cardio on the moderate elevation gains and descents, forest trails, ponds, meadows, bluffs, views, and lakeside spots for lunch. There are loops and cross trails and lots of options allowing for longer or shorter distances, but we covered 4 miles and took about three and a half hours including stops for lunch, photography, and just inhaling the beauty around us. 

We began from the parking lot on Fairwinds Dr.  Wandering down a trail (which somehow becomes twice as steep on the return trip!), we crossed a little bridge and turned right at the t-intersection, heading into a route sometimes referred to as The Enchanted Forest Trail.

The trail of soft dirt with some roots, crosses Fairy Creek a couple of times, rustic bridges or boards and logs making the crossing easy.  There was only one mucky section this day, in an area swampy enough to sprout Skunk Cabbage, also known as swamp tulips, bear's salad bar, and several other names.  Whatever you call it, it's bright yellow popping up in early spring is always a welcome sight. 

Both times we'd visited before had been in the fall, when the creek was quite dry, so we had never seen the lovely little waterfall alongside the trail.  We caught our first glimpse of it through the trees, and then followed some little side trails to get a closer look.

It tumbled quite a ways down, levelled out, and then tumbled again.  One could almost imagine little woodland fairies sliding down the last section of falls into the clear little pool below, giggling and chattering as they play.

Continuing on, we spotted the first blossoms of the red currant bushes (edited: actually, I think these are probably salmonberry blossoms. Both are in bloom right now, and they look very similar), native to the island. We soon saw the first glimpses of Lake Enos and chose a lower trail that skirted the bottom of a hilly section before climbing up to join the upper trail across the mossy bluffs. 

From the bluffs, we passed a pond, rounded the end of the lake, and headed along a trail down the other side.  Eventually, as we knew we would, we ran out of trail at a lovely little spot where a fallen log offers the perfect lunch spot by the water's edge, a canopy of evergreens overhead, and perfect solitude in which to listen to the many birds, the frogs, the splashing of ducks.  

Our beautiful, very solitary lunch spot on the lake.

The lake is home to an evolutionary phenomena where two species of fish have devolved into one.  An article in the Times Colonist in 2016  tells how the three-spined stickleback (a little fish common to coastal BC) has two distinct populations, with different sizes and habits. One type Benthic) lives closer to the shore, feeding on aquatic plants and insect larva. The other, smaller species (Limnetic) live in deeper water and fed on plankton.  But back in the 1990s, someone introduced the signal crayfish to Enos Lake, who then disturbed the deep water species, eating the eggs and preventing others from hatching.  So what did the deepwater stickleback do? They started interbreeding with the inshore sticklebacks, lived closer to shore, and changed their diet until finally the inshore and deepwater subspecies merged into one single hybrid species, sometimes referred to as the Enos Lake Stickleback. The implications are far reaching as it has since affected both plankton life and insect life in the region. 

We didn't see any little fish, though we did see lots of little insects. And out in the water on a small island covered with sedges and reeds, we could hear birds enjoying the spring weather.  Zooming in, I spotted two little brown singers, wrens I think, picking away at seeds on the sedge. 

To our knowledge, there is no trail that circumnavigates the whole lake, so we headed back the way we came.  Back to the end of the lake, we stopped once more to admire the view:

We then continued back up to the pond, but took the trail to the opposite side where we followed it alongside the pond, stopping frequently to watch the many ducks - mallards and hooded merganser and even some ring-necked ducks. 

View of the pond - and two of the very few people we saw all day.

Ring-necked ducks (no ring around their necks, but they do have rings around
their very funny looking beaks). Mallard in background. 

Hooded merganser - more often seen in ocean bays.

Hummingbirds were zipping around though none let me get a photo of their brilliant colours - just one silhouette against the sky. 

We took a different trail back, to come out to the left of the first Fairy Creek bridge where we had previously turned right.  Wandering back up the trail to the car, we spotted several little wooden creatures perched in trees. Wooden owls have shown up on trails all over the island, and most were likely from the same carver, but this little guy that I posted the other day was different from the typical owls and ended our delightful day with yet another smile as we headed home. 

Compared to our previous week's hike to Ammonite Falls, with its many stairs and dozens of people, there's no doubt in my mind that this is the better choice.  The falls may be much smaller, but the journey so much better! 

(Note:  Nearly every review and summary of the Enos Lake hike mentions something we also found:  the trails are very confusing and the maps are not very accurate as they omit a  lot of the cross-trails. The trails themselves have no markers, and maps are infrequent.   We also discovered at least one of the maps has the 'you are here' pin at the wrong trail intersection!  Our first hike here was the only time in years of hiking together that we have had to use our compasses to find our way back to the car.  Fortunately, there are several trails that lead out to residential areas so, while you may not end up back where you parked your car, you are unlikely to have to spend the night in the wilderness.) 

Snow Geese!

 The herring are spawning here, which means lots of wildlife activity and beautiful milky teal seas.  It also means that I'm out there with my camera as it only lasts a very few days.  No time to process the photos or write the words, but here's a shot of some snow geese that flew overhead today on their way back up north. More to come. 

Morrell Nature Sanctuary hike

 Last Friday, my hiking buddy and I went to one of my favourite places in Nanaimo, Morrell Nature Sanctuary.  Here there are many kilometers of easy, well maintained and clearly marked trails through forest, alongside creeks and a pond, and along a beautiful lake.  I've been here more times than I can count, and every time see something new - a plant I've never noticed, a mushroom, a tree, a bird.  I've been herein every season, every month of the year.  And it never fails to delight me. 

Morrell Sanctuary is owned by the Nature Trust of BC, after being donated by William Morrell in 1973.  It is leased and managed by Morrell Sanctuary Society of Environmental Education, and many local school children experience science lessons, biology lessons, environmental lessons in its 278 acres.    And  it is always a place of peace, of solitude, a place to commune with nature. 

The sanctuary has something for all ages and abilities - a gnome house trail for the young, some wheelchair accessible trails, many benches on which to rest, a covered picnic shelter, interpretive signs, viewing platforms, bluffs.   And yet it has somehow maintained a sense of  nature at its finest - everything blends into the natural environment so the human-made parts are hardly noticeable. It resonates peace.

The online information on it tells me there are 11 km or nearly 7 miles of trails, but it is also connected by trails and hydro right-of-ways to other parks and hiking trails in the region which can give the avid fit hiker many more miles to traverse.

On Friday, we started on the Yew loop across from the parking area, then continued on the Deer Fern Trail where I once saw a twin-headed deer fern. 

Twin-headed deer fern

We came to a side trail and headed out to see where it went. It met with the hydro lines, from which we could have gone left to Extension Ridge or right to Westwood Lake had we chosen.  We walked along it for a short distance, marveling at the fact that there were still pockets of snow along the route - we've not seen any in our home communities (one to the north and one to the south of Nanaimo) for a few weeks now.  

After a short while, we returned to our original trail and continued on through the sanctuary - Deer Fern Trail to Bob's Trail to the Beaver Pond Loop.  The pond, which had been completely full of grasses and reeds in the fall, was once again mostly clear and the reflections on this sunny day were wonderful.

I watched a couple of ducks feeding in the brush.  They were barely visible, but I had to try to photograph them because I had never before noticed the beautiful brown-on-brown pattern on the female mallard's feathers.  I saw in it a pattern I had often seen in indigenous art without understanding from whence it came. 

From the Beaver Pond trail we headed up to the fire lane and over to Morrell Lake.  There, a whole flock of ducks raced up to meet us.  I know this is where volunteers often toss seed for them, and I guess they were hoping we were those volunteers.  They let me take a few photos, and then seeing we were empty handed when it came to treats, they waddled en  masse back to the water. 

We took the lower lake trail to its far end, watching three female hooded mergansers swimming rapidly across the lake, too fast for my camera to capture.  They reminded me of the time a couple of years ago when we had seen a mama hooded merganser with a very large brood of  12 babies, only half of which I captured in a photo.

On the other side of the lake, we could see various hydro trucks, and overhead a helicopter's blades sliced the air with its throb, throb, throb. Soon it appeared hauling a large piece of metal pylon.  The trees were blocking our view, and by the time we got to the edge of the lake it was just a pinprick in the distance, flying into the sun.  If you look hard, you may be able to see it just to the left of the brightest part of the photo.

At the end of the lake, I photographed more reflections and beauty.  We found a bench where we sat to have our lunch. 

It was sometimes noisy with the helicopter flying back and forth, but interesting to watch as hydro poles, electric pylons, and empty tow chains flew overhead. 

After lunch, we headed back along the Lower Lake Trail, and decided to take the firelane back to the Beaver Pond Loop and explore Tranquility Trail and  Vi's Walk trail, two trails we hadn't done before.  There we saw a tree hollowed out by woodpeckers.  The square or rectangular holes are the signature mark of the pileated woodpecker, one of my favourite birds.

Other than the ducks, the only other wildlife we saw were two red squirrels, though the next day a fellow hiker posted a photo of a pine marten she saw there - lucky her, I've never seen one!  The sanctuary also has the occasional bear or cougar sighting.  Thankfully, I've not run into these.  Most of my wildlife encounters here, on previous visits, have been with birds, including barred owls, western tanagers, and various woodpeckers.  

I'm looking forward to returning again soon.  Friday's hike was just over five miles, and took us four hours due to the many stops to admire nature, to breathe deeply, to watch squirrels and ducks and helicopters, and - of course - to take photos. 

Aptly named! 

Well, that wasn't so bad....

 Like many others, I recently found myself saying "Thank goodness this year is over!  Good riddance, 2021!"

And then I started going through photos for an end-of-year blog and realized - I didn't have such a bad year.   Sure, I miss live concerts and festivals, street markets and parades, craft fairs and garage sales.  I miss in-class learning with Elder College and local arts centres.  I miss seeing old friends and family too far away to visit in these covid-times.  But so many things brought me great joy. Despite covid, despite rainstorms called atmospheric rivers, despite floods, summer heat domes and winter snow storms, and severe damage to main highways, and vet bills and car bills and rising costs of living....I still had a pretty good year.  Isn't that right, Maggie?

Every year is a good year fer me, Mama! 

I hiked and camped with a friend I've known since we were six. Dozens of hikes, all over this beautiful island on which I live.  Hikes along coast lines and in forests, by waterfalls and lakes, up mountains and through valleys.  Familiar hikes and new hikes, easy trails and harder ones. On sunny days and on rainy ones.  We hiked and camped. And camped and hiked. And every day was a great day.

Sally and I at Christie Falls, Ladysmith BC

Elk Falls, Campbell River

Notch Hill, Nanoose Bay

Paradise Meadows, Strathcona Park

On our hikes we saw birds of all sizes, we saw seals and sealions, we saw little critters like mice, vole squirrels and raccoon. We saw beautiful flowers and magnificent trees.  We are so blessed to share a world with such natural diversity. 

I spent a week in the northern part of the island, in an ocean front cabin with my sister-in-law, and we explored towns like Port Alice and Alert Bay and Port Hardy. We saw whales and sea lions and beautiful inlets.  I wandered those beaches too, and photographed eagles and listened to the waves and watched the sunrise and the sunset.

Alert Bay

Orca - one of  many whales that cruised our coast this year

Sea Lions

Sunset at Cluxewe Resort, near Port McNeill

In October, I got to meet up with my daughter who flew up from California while I took the ferry over to the mainland for a weekend together, during which we also visited the colourful Fisherman's wharf in Steveston and met up with my brother and his partner.  Nothing beats family time, especially when you've been parted for awhile.

Family time!

Kiddo at Boundary Bay Park

Fishermans Wharf, Steveston BC

And then, of course, there is my shadow, my fur kid, my beautiful companion.  Maggie can no longer do the hikes, and prefers to stay home with a sitter than to camp or vacation in new surroundings.  But together we went to all the local parks,  and we wandered the beaches, and we moseyed around the neighbourhood every day.

Rathtrevor Park

Craig Bay

Eaglecrest Beach

And on the beaches we explored tidal pools, watched seals and herons and otters and other delights of nature:

Jellyfish resting on shiny stones 

We enjoyed the spring flowers and the fall leaves, 

We dressed for the weather when it rained, and we paddled in the water when it was warm out.  And sometimes we just sat, and thought, and breathed deeply.  

We goin' walking in the rain, Mama?

Me and my buddy, enjoying a rest

And for all those joys, and for all that beauty, we give thanks for another year on this beautiful earth.

So farewell, 2021.  Thanks for the ride.  And welcome, 2022 - may we share as many pleasures with you as we have with your predecessor.  

Happy New Year, everyone.  

(If your year wasn't as joyful as mine,  if you faced the loss of loved ones, of your home, of your income and livelihood, if you suffered from the fires, floods, covid, and transportation disruptions, then may this year's end ease your sorrow and stress, and may 2022 bring you peace and comfort.)