John Harvey Photo

September 2017

Go to Slide Show Smaller Images And some clever quip...


Birding at Reifel Bird Sanctuary

Nature Vancouver organizes walks and lectures in Vancouver.  On this Sunday morning, they organized a walk at Reifel Bird Sanctuary out in Ladner.  The walk started when they open at 9am.  I arrived a few minutes early (it's about a 45 minute drive from where I live) and was surprised to see a line up of cars at the gate.    The manager at the sanctuary was unlocking the gate, but I could tell it was going to be a busy day.
Lesser Yellowlegs WalkingLesser Yellowlegs With Rings

Kids like the Sanctuary because of the endless streams of mallards looking for bird food.  Grown ups like it because interesting birds show up to rest there as they continue their migration to places much south of here.  At this time of the year, Yellowlegs (small birds on unreasonably long legs) were common in the ponds.

Harrier Over The ReedsYellowlegs Walking In West Pond

There are resident birds that are here most of the year.  Peregrine falcons and Northern Harriers are common predators year round here.  When we walked out to the ponds, they were surprisingly quiet until we saw Peregrine flying quickly by, hunting it's next meal.  Small shore birds were wary.

Peregrine Falcon
 
Yellowlegs Trying To Nap
The birding target of the day was Stilt Sandpiper that normally doesn't show up here.  Normally Stilt Sandpipers migrate south on the other side of the rockies, but somehow one had been mixed up in the wrong flock and came down the pacific side.  When all the birds are sleeping, it's tricky to spot but once they start feeding, it's easier to see.



Stilt Sandpiper With YellowlegsLong Billed DowitcherGreater Yellowlegs

We started our walk shortly after 9am and were done before noon.  It was a good day!

Face Paint!

Claira has Gymnastics on Saturdays around lunch time.  Nara broke her arm in the summer so she can't do gymnastics this fall.  While Claira is in class, Nara and I have been going out on little activities.  So far, we are two for two where the activity included face paint.

Nara Happy With Her FacepaintNara With Blue Whale SkeletonNara Having Flowers PaintedNara With Flowers Face Paint

After Chinese class, we sometimes go out for a treat.  On ice-cream place we like in Chinatown stopped opening in the evening so we picked a new place - Soft Peaks in Gastown:

Nara Trying Soft PeaksClaira Not Clean Face

JS Harusame & JDS Kashima Visit

The big military ports in BC are on the Island so we don't often see militiary ships in the harbour.  Two Japanese training ships are doing a world tour and stopped in Vancouver.  They organized an open house where the public could step aboard and take a look.  It was a rainy day, but we decided to check it out.
 
Three Destroyers At Burrard Dock In The Rain

Canon Facing Condo Under ConstructionKids Out With Big GunsRising Sun Flag WIth Vancouver

Walking Down GangplankFour Cranes At Shipyard

Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival


We have been to the Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival twice before - once in 2015 and once in 2013.  As the kids get older, it's easier - staying up a little late isn't such as big deal and the excitement of carrying a lantern is larger than the fear of being out in the woods at night (with large crowds).  This year we skipped the procession and arrived just as things were getting set up and the crowds were a little lighter.
 
 Claira Sees GiantNara High Five Giant
 
 The Lanterns in the forest are always fun to explore - some are the same from previous years, others are new and novel.

Claira Swinging LanternJar Lanterns With Kids
 
Lanterns very in scale from coloured jars with tea lights up to large instalation pieces.  

Pig LanternSalmon Lanterns

Knitted StreamPainted LeavesMessage Boats In Aquariums
 
 
 
Salmon Stamped LanternSingers In Forest
 
Fire To Be ExtinguishedThis year we could stay later for the performance after the lanterns.   We got a spot on the rope line to the left of the show and the kids sat on my shoes rather than the wet grass.  The performance was a story using shadow puppet style projection and live actors to tell a store about polution and inevitably, a fire.  The show was done with a reasonable sized cast and lots of action to keep the kids into it.



  Fire SpinningFire Staff FightingFire Walkers Coming Back
 





Yellowlegs Trying To Nap
Species: Tringa melanoleuca (Greater Yellowlegs)
Altitude: 3m (9 feet)
Location: Go To...
Salmon Lanterns
Altitude: 57m (187 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fish, lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Singers In Forest
Altitude: 51m (167 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: performance, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Walking Down Gangplank
Tags: military, public tour, ship
Lesser Yellowlegs With Rings
Species: Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs)
Altitude: 10m (32 feet)
Location: Go To...
Nara High Five Giant
Altitude: 68m (223 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lantern, performance, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Peregrine Falcon
Species: Falco peregrinus (Peregrine Falcon)
Location: Go To...
Tags: bird in flight, food in flight, multiple frame image, Reifel Bird Sanctuary, triptych
Knitted Stream
Altitude: 59m (193 feet)
Location: Go To...
Claira Swinging Lantern
Person: Claira, Nara
Altitude: 51m (167 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Nara Trying Soft Peaks
Person: Nara
Tags: face paint, ice cream
Canon Facing Condo Under Construction
Tags: construction, crane, military, public tour, ship, Vancouver
Long Billed Dowitcher
Species: Limnodromus scolopaceus (Long-billed Dowitcher)
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Nara Having Flowers Painted
Claira Sees Giant
Person: Claira
Altitude: 68m (223 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival, sunset
Painted Leaves
Altitude: 57m (187 feet)
Location: Go To...
Salmon Stamped Lantern
Altitude: 51m (167 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Stilt Sandpiper With Yellowlegs
Species: Calidris himantopus (Stilt Sandpiper)
Tags: Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Greater Yellowlegs
Species: Tringa melanoleuca (Greater Yellowlegs)
Altitude: 5m (16 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Fire Walkers Coming Back
Altitude: 53m (173 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fire, performance, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival, stilt
Claira Not Clean Face
Person: Claira
Pig Lantern
Altitude: 57m (187 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: lantern, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Message Boats In Aquariums
Altitude: 52m (170 feet)
Location: Go To...
Fire Staff Fighting
Altitude: 53m (173 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fire, performance, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Yellowlegs Walking In West Pond
Species: Tringa melanoleuca (Greater Yellowlegs)
Location: Go To...
Tags: pond, Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Rising Sun Flag WIth Vancouver
Tags: flag, Japan, military, Vancouver
Nara With Flowers Face Paint
Person: Nara
Tags: face paint
Lesser Yellowlegs Walking
Species: Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs)
Altitude: 4m (13 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Nara Happy With Her Facepaint
Person: Nara
Tags: face paint
Kids Out With Big Guns
Person: Claira, Nara
Tags: Japan, military, public tour, ship
Nara With Blue Whale Skeleton
Person: Nara
Tags: bone, Museum, skeleton, whale
Fire To Be Extinguished
Altitude: 53m (173 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fire, performance, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival, stilt
Three Destroyers At Burrard Dock In The Rain
Tags: dock, military, public tour, rain
Fire Spinning
Altitude: 53m (173 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: fire, performance, Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival
Jar Lanterns With Kids
Altitude: 59m (193 feet)
Location: Go To...
Four Cranes At Shipyard
Tags: construction, crane, Vancouver
Harrier Over The Reeds
Species: Circus cyaneus (Northern Harrier)
Altitude: 1m (3 feet)
Location: Go To...
Tags: Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Tags: Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival(11), Reifel Bird Sanctuary(7), performance(6), lantern(6), military(5), public tour(4)
People: Nara(6), Claira(4)
From: John Harvey Photo > Blogs for 2023 to 2005 > September 2017

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