On the Raptor Trail

After the dark, damp, steep hill of the Watershed Park, we were ready for something flatter and drier. We chose the north end of Boundary Bay Regional Park, walking down the dyke to the end of the Raptor Trail, and back on the trail across the dunes to our parking lot, a loop of about 5 or 6 kilometres.

In the summer, this area is uncomfortably hot and dusty; at this time of year, though, it's just right, away from the winds of the shore, open to the sunlight. The sand is still partly overgrown with green grasses and lichens. The trees are bare, making dramatic gestures against the sky, and exposing the raptors (hence the name of the trail) to our view. A sign near the parking lot says to watch for northern harriers and red-tailed hawks; we saw several ospreys, besides. And of course, the usual herons, eagles, and crows.

Sky, sand and sticks

Hawk against a white sky

Most of the birds were flying too high or too fast for our slow cameras. The insects are still in hiding; besides dogs, the only other signs of animal life were these leavings:

Rabbit pellets. All around. No wonder there are hawks here.

And one snail shell.

In a little clearing sheltered on both sides by banks of dry blackberry canes, reindeer lichen thrives.

Reindeer food. Maybe the rabbits eat it?

A closer view.

Tree branches support other green-white lichens:

I think this is staghorn lichen.

And I can't identify this ribbony lichen. It would make a great hair scrunchie, though.

Brown leaf lichen, with moss.

Some of the tiny plant life, tomorrow.

Brand-new old favourite

Beach and jetty, at Iona Beach.

Iona Beach Regional Park. Marsh, logjams, quiet ponds, sandy beach, muddy river banks, dune meadows, concrete jetties. And sewage lagoons; what more could anyone want?

We've been intending to visit for a long time. Yesterday, we finally made it. And I'm stuck for words to describe it; maybe just a hearty "Wow!" will have to do.

A few bird shots, for starters:

One of the ponds, with goose. We saw buffleheads, mergansers, shovellers, as well as the usual mallards and geese on the water.


Three ducks over the river. North Shore mountains in the background.


Canada goose.


Beside the sewage lagoon, a pair of sleepy geese.


Rufous hummingbird.


Same hummingbird. Because I couldn't decide which photo to use.

In this area, between the sewage lagoons and the park proper, a narrow trail leads through and around deciduous forest, blackberry thickets, patches of Scotch broom, banks of purple-pink flowers. The grass is studded with pinpricks of white; two different miniature white flowers. And everywhere, small birds were singing. Redwing blackbirds called in the dried grasses, robins provided rhythm with their repeated "Cheer-ups", birds I couldn't recognize trilled, chirped, whistled. Chickadees, of course, were dee-dee-deeing in the background. Laurie saw a bright yellow bird, unidentifiable. Overhead, tree swallows did acrobatics.

Something about it all seemed so familiar, so right, like a fleeting memory of paradise. I got shivers down my spine.

Tree swallows, by the river bank.


The pilings along the bank are outfitted with swallow nest boxes. One had a long line stretched to a post on the dunes.


Swallow, wings akimbo


Nesting mallards.

Back at the parking lot, there have to be crows.

More Iona photos (I've still got oodles to sort), tomorrow.

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Sidetracked! Bioblitzing Boundary Bay

This was not in the plans: the air around home was bad today, and Laurie's lungs were protesting. The best thing we know to do for that is to head to the shore.

So we "blitzed" the Boundary Bay beach, instead of my vacant lot.
On the beach, we found seaweeds, crabs (dead and alive) seagulls and mallards, and millions of small snails. (I have the species written down somewhere; I'll find it soon.) More or less the usual.

Coming back, we cut across the dunes. We had not been there in the spring time before; the dried beach grasses we expected were still scarce. Instead, we found these:
I have never seen these. Does anybody know what they are? Here are two more views: these are all taken from an ant's-eye viewpoint. I had to lie full-length on the sand to get them. It was silky-soft and warm, down there out of the wind.



This one looks familiar. I think I can find it in my books.

Sourgrass sprouts and tiny moss.

The moss, close-up:
More moss, with lichen, on a log:
And tiny yellow and white lichens (I think) on a burnt log:
A miniature blue flower:
And some of the grass-like plants that will cover the dunes later in the season:
Farther up the beach, close to the slough, we found silverweed:
And over the slough, violet-green swallows chased mosquitos. A beautiful end to the walk, but almost impossible to track with a camera. I got a bit of video and this photo:

Supper-time. Tired and happy. And feeling good!

And tomorrow, if it's not pouring rain, the vacant lot.

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Link to Flickr Blogger Bioblitz Photo pool.