John Harvey Photo

January 2013

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images I swear, I am not a "birder"


Lone Oak Tree With ACrow
I was really happy to find the Reifel Bird Sanctuary a few years ago - a nice place to see ducks, Sandhill cranes and other not so common birds.  I've heard a lot about Boundary bay, but I haven't had much luck actually seeing birds there it always seemed so far away.  I finally found a "reliable" place - the parking lot at the end of 72 street.  I've been twice in the last few weeks and see a few birds. My first trip out was just after new years - I was still ill but Nara was feeling better.  It turned out to be quite foggy and cold so you couldn't see very far, but even with a short view distance, there was still a few raptors to see.  I had a two year old on my shoulders so I didn't take very many photos.


Nara Eating Yogurt On My BackpackGreat Blue Heron In The Frost

A few weeks later, in better weather we went out for another walk.  I've seen lots of large lenses before (here is a photo from Hong Kong), but I rarely see them in Vancouver.  Turns out there are lots of big lenses in Vancouver, and they are all at Boundary Bay.  From the parking lot to the start of the walk I saw probably six different lenses each worth more than five thousand dollars.  I saw one gentlemen with two cameras - one, a 300mm f2.8 is at least three thousand, the other was 500mm+ and probably well over six thousand.  I don't have that kind of lens so my photos are small.  I also have a child with me so I can't wait to see a key action moment.

Northern HarrierShort Eared Owl
 
I am not a birder.  That said, I did see what I would normally call a "little brown jobby" that I didn't recognize.  This little guy was in the water just at the foot of the dike - just a few feet away.  It was bird I'd never seen before.
 

Ruby Crowned KingletRuby Crowned In The Frost

Vancouver Aquarium

 
Dolphin? What Dolphin?
About a year ago I took Nara to the Aquarium to see what we could see.  I got a lot of surprises - while Nara loves her Baby Beluga book, she very quickly got bored looking at the real beluga and dolphins.   My theory at the time is that she couldn't evaluate the relative rareness of things - fish in tank were just as rare as Beluga's in tank.

Nara And The Artic Char

One year later, principal still hold?  Yup.  She really liked the frogs, fish and monkeys.  Dolphins weren't even worth watching while she ate crackers.  The beluga's didn't have a baby (the song is Baby Beluga) so she quickly lost interest.  Sharks and a sea turtle got 30 seconds of attention.   The sleeping sea otters - those she liked. 
 
Nara With Red FrogsGreen Tree SnakeBullfrog Floating In Tank

Nara had a great time at the Aquarium.  Going early helps (the crowds were thinner at the start).  Probably her favorite overall was the large pacific tank (what was once the beluga tank).

Claira Eating Solids

 Mom Feeding Claira Her First MealClaira And Her First MealClaira is somewhere past 6 months so we decided to start feeding her solids - or at least baby cereal with milk.  So far (now in February) she isn't too keen on eating - we only get a spoonful or two into her before she shuts her mouth and doesn't want to open it.  She loves drinking water from a cup - she will gladly open for that, but food on a spoon is mostly food on the face.

Granville Island

Pigeons On Wooden BeamWe are lucky to live close enough to walk down to Granville Island.  Nara really likes to see the birds at the pond so every time we go down we at least stop by to see the birds, even if we don't feed them.  The birds of course are spoiled for food - it seems there is a continuous flow of kids trying to throw food at the birds.  I don't understand why this isn't a thousand birds in this tiny pond.

Crow Watching Over Ducks
 
Claira And Nara Upside Down On Disk SwingClaira can't really sit up on her own, but she does enjoy interacting.  We went over to the playground and it turns out there is enough space on the disk swing for both kids lying down. 

Claira And Nara On Disk SwingClaira In The Stroller
 
 
 

Swimming!

Song Time At Start

We have taken Nara swimming since she was about 9 months old.  The lessons are "Parent and Child" so I don't often get a chance to take photos.  My Dad happened to be in town so he brought my camera over and kindly took photos of Nara and I swimming.

Watching The Kids Before Class

Nara Doing Humpty Dumpty

Nara quite really enjoys various types of boat rides.
Boat RideGoing For ANoodle Boat RideStarting AMat Run
 
The class usually ends with a trip down the slide.  Nara is quite good at "monkey climbing" - holding onto the side of the pool and moving herself along toward the slide.

Nara Playing With StarDoing The Monkey Walk
 
  Thanks Dad for the photos!


Song Time At Start
Person: John, Nara
Going For ANoodle Boat Ride
Person: John, Nara
Tags: swimming
Claira And Her First Meal
Person: Claira
Doing The Monkey Walk
Person: Nara
Starting AMat Run
Ruby Crowned In The Frost
Species: Regulus calendula (Ruby-crowned Kinglet)
Tags: bird, Boundary Bay
Nara Playing With Star
Lone Oak Tree With ACrow
Tags: Boundary Bay, fog, lone tree, tree
Nara With Red Frogs
Tags: Vancouver Aquarium
Nara And The Artic Char
Tags: Vancouver Aquarium
Crow Watching Over Ducks
Species: Corvus caurinus (Northwestern Crow)
Nara Eating Yogurt On My Backpack
Person: Nara
Tags: Boundary Bay
Claira And Nara On Disk Swing
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: playground, swing
Great Blue Heron In The Frost
Species: Ardea herodias (Great Blue Heron)
Tags: bird, Boundary Bay, frost
Claira In The Stroller
Person: Claira
Claira And Nara Upside Down On Disk Swing
Tags: playground, swing, upside down
Ruby Crowned Kinglet
Species: Regulus calendula (Ruby-crowned Kinglet)
Tags: bird, Boundary Bay
Pigeons On Wooden Beam
Species: Columba livia (Common Pigeon, Rock Dove)
Northern Harrier
Species: Circus cyaneus (Northern Harrier)
Tags: bird, Boundary Bay
Green Tree Snake
Tags: Vancouver Aquarium
Short Eared Owl
Species: Asio flammeus (Short-eared Owl)
Tags: bird, Boundary Bay
Boat Ride
Person: Nara
Tags: boat, swimming
Bullfrog Floating In Tank
Tags: Vancouver Aquarium
Watching The Kids Before Class
Person: Nara
Mom Feeding Claira Her First Meal
Nara Doing Humpty Dumpty
Person: Nara
Tags: multiple frame image, swimming, triptych
Dolphin? What Dolphin?
Tags: Vancouver Aquarium
Tags: Boundary Bay(7), bird(5), Vancouver Aquarium(5), swimming(3), swing(2), playground(2)
People: Nara(8), Claira(3), John(2)
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2023 to 2005 > January 2013

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