Victoria Daily Photo

Gonzales Beach

2013-06-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

One of Victoria's nicest little beaches is Gonzales Beach, just below the hill capped by the Gonzales Observatory. Here's what it looked like last Sunday - surprisingly uncrowded despite the warm weather. The huge boulder pictured above is what is known as an "erratic" meaning that it is unlike the other nearby rocks. This erratic and others along Victoria's coastline were carried here by glaciers during the last ice age and dropped on the shore as the ice melted.

On the left, one Gonzales Beach resident uses driftwood to communicate a nice yogic reminder.

Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia)

2013-06-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

These Caspian Terns (Hydroprogne caspia), no doubt hearing of my frustration with my latest birding adventures, contrived to pose in perfect stillness while I clambered ever closer. In fact aside from one's distress at an encroaching seagull (left) they hardly moved for a half an hour while I crept closer and closer. I have seen Caspian Terns on Esquimalt Lagoon before but never so close up. Technically these photos are an improvement on my latest bird photos (these, at least, are in focus) but aesthetically I still have a long way to go. The photo on the left nicely shows the dark underside of the wing that is characteristic of these terns and gives some indication of their size in comparison with our ubiquitous seagulls.

Crown Brodiaea (Brodiaea coronaria)

2013-06-18T00:01:00.000-07:00

While out at Cattle Point last week I was pleased to see this brightly colored wildflower scattered quite thickly among the dry grass above the shoreline. This is Crown Brodiaea (Brodiaea coronaria).

Lets Go!

2013-06-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

If I was a heroine in a novel I would jump aboard and go have an adventure. - Fern

Fathers Day

2013-06-16T11:31:00.001-07:00

It is the hands of our fathers that shape and hold the structure of our lives. Thank you to all the Dads out there who make such a difference every day. - Fern

Cadboro Bay from Cattle Point

2013-06-15T00:01:00.000-07:00

I visited Cattle Point on the eastern shore of Victoria to see if there were any shorebirds there. It's a beautiful viewpoint, especially for looking north towards Cadboro Bay, which view is pictured above. I didn't see any shorebirds aside from a few Black Oystercatchers but thanks to a friendly birder who alerted me, I was able to add a new species to my life list, the Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata). The photos below are only suitable for identification. My only excuse for such poor photos is that the Rhinoceros Auklets were so far offshore as to be little more than black dots to the naked eye and not much larger through a 500mm supertelephoto lens. However, in the photos below the distinctive white eye plumes and projecting horn at the base of the upper bill are clear identification features.

Cattle Point seems to be a good place in general to view some of our urban wildlife. The photo below shows a Northern Otter, a Crow and two Canada Geese sharing a bit of rocky shoreline, quite unconcerned by a photographer and a class of primary school students roaming around in the near vicinity.

The Hands of Time 3 - Performing with a Fan

2013-06-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here's another of the series of small sculptures that have recently been installed in downtown Victoria. This one is called "Performing with a Fan" and references Victoria's Chinatown, the oldest in Canada. Fans are often used by performers in Chinese Opera and the placement of this sculpture in the heart of Chinatown (on Government Street between Fisgard and Pandora) just outside the McPherson Playhouse is very appropriate.

Vic West Annual Skateboard Competition

2013-06-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

The Annual Vic West Skateboard Competition took place last Saturday, June 8. There were lots of enthusiastic competitors of all ages and genders. It's fascinating to watch the incredible tricks these kids can do with those little bits of plywood on wheels.

Pale Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon)

2013-06-12T00:01:00.000-07:00

I like to know the names of the various kinds of life that share this environment with us and regular visitors here will know that I am an enthusiastic if inept birdwatcher. I also like to identify our local flowering plants, especially when they bloom so joyfully in spring. Insects seem to be a bit harder for me to identify so I am happy when I can put a name to an insect species I have not identified before. The photo above is of a Pale Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) photographed "puddling" on some damp sand at Agate Beach on Cordova Bay in Saanich. My field guide informs me that these butterflies "puddle" when they sit on some damp sand or earth and suck up moisture and mineral nutrients that they need for breeding.

Vic West Skate Park

2013-06-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

A wonderful place to take pictures.

Magic

2013-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Isn't this a nice effect? I bought the mirror in fact, I see in it's depths a whole series of photos.... - Fern

Will You Take a Dollar For That?

2013-06-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

Just like Christmas lights in December or chocolate at Easter, the arrival of Swap-n-shop at Western Speedway means summer is here! I love to see what is laid out on each table; what is treasure and what is junk? - Fern

Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi)

2013-06-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Bird photography continues to be a challenge, in terms both of technique and equipment. This lovely little Olive-sided Flycatcher (Contopus cooperi), for instance, persisted in perching on an inaccessible snag (technique problem) just a little too far away for even my longest lens (equipment problem) to capture him well. Nevertheless I spent a delightful hour watching him catch insects in the air, at which he was very adept. He would sit on this snag peering alertly in every direction (he can swivel his head right around to look backwards) and when he sighted an insect he would dive down on it and return to his perch to eat it. Below, he is dining on a bumblebee (left) and a dragonfly (right).

Rides - Oak Bay Tea Party

2013-06-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again when the carnival midways pop up in various locations around Victoria. Last weekend these rides graced the Oak Bay Tea Party at Willows Beach. This weekend the midway will light up Esquimalt for Buccaneer Days.

The Hands of Time 2 - Holding a Railway Spike

2013-06-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here's another of the Hands of Time public art sculpture series, this one showing a hand holding a railway spike. It projects from the bottom of a lamp post on Wharf Street, located near the former downtown terminus of the E & N Railway and reminds us of the history and impact of the railroad on Vancouver Island.

Hands of Time 1 - Carving a Canoe Paddle

2013-06-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I posted a photo of a small sculpture that recently appeared on the Inner Harbour Causeway wall. It is only one of a series of twelve sculptures of hands engaged in various activities that have been installed here and there in the downtown area and nearby. This one is located in Lime Bay Park southwest of the Songhees (Westsong) Walkway. It depicts hands carving a canoe paddle to recall the local First Nations Lekwungen culture. The canoe paddle was designed by First Nations Artist Clarence Dick. All of the sculptures are by Crystal Przybille and over the next few weeks we'll take a look at all of them.

Making Lunch

2013-06-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a sight I see fairly often when I am on the seashore near some rocks. Local seagulls have learned that if they drop tightly closed clam shells onto a rocky outcrop from a height, the shells will break open and the inhabitant can be eaten. Our gulls do this very purposefully and I consider it a kind of tool-using that indicates considerable intelligence.It seems to me something that, though they probably learn it from observing other gulls, perhaps their parents, they must still apply some of their own intelligence to it to get it right. If they drop the clam from too high then lower-flying nearby gulls may swoop down and steal the morsel. If they drop it from too low then it will not crack the shell. Considerable trial and error practice must take place before the technique is perfected and the clam is dropped from high enough to crack the shell but from low enough so that the gull can drop down and eat it before his neighbours do. Seagulls are smart birds.

Free!

2013-06-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

I am always so fascinated by the variety of things left curbside with a free sign on them and this is a perfect example. It really could read "Seemed Like a Good Idea" or "Back to the Drawing Board" couldn't it?? However it was gone the next time I went by so someone saw some potential I guess. - Fern

The Tacofino Truck

2013-06-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Victoria, following in the footsteps of Vancouver and Portland, OR is now home to a plethora of food trucks. This is one of the newest additions with the original hailing from Tofino. We had delicious tacos in the sun - nothing better!

Do You Think This is My Best Side?

2013-06-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Western Painted Turtle posing poolside at the Abkhazi Garden.

Water Lilies - Abkhazi Garden

2013-05-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

My brother and my daughter and I have a ritual annual luncheon every spring at the Abkhazi Garden here in Victoria. The Abkhazi Garden is small but exquisite and well worth an hour's stroll around before lunch at the former residence of Georgian Prince Nicholas Abkhazi and his wife, Peggy Pemberton Carter, whose labour of love the garden was. For me it has most of the beauty of the Butchart Gardens without the Disneyland atmosphere and crowds. The menu is limited to a few choice items but they are invariably beautifully prepared and served.

Otter Trio

2013-05-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

This trio of Northern River Otters (Lontra canadensis) was hanging out on shoreline of the Westbay Walkway for a couple of days last week. They seemed quite unconcerned about passersby who stopped to watch them at their fishing. When they had enough of the small fish that were in abundance then they crawled out onto the rocks to scratch and groom themselves and each other, as can be seen in the short video below.

I Am Here

2013-05-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

This beautifully executed small sculpture mysteriously appeared set into the wall of the Inner Harbour Causeway recently. It is just life size and attached to the wall at eye level so that the mirror reflects the viewers image. It appears to be cast in bronze. I don't know who is responsible but this is very nice.

Later: Thanks to visitor Mike Laplante's comment I now know the artist is Crystal Przybille and the work is one of a series of twelve called The Hands of Time. This information and more from an article in the Victoria Times Colonist. And more information can be found on the city's website, victoria.ca.

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

2013-05-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

Regular visitors here will know that I am always happy to add a new bird or wildflower species to my life list. In order to do so my personal criterion is that I have to have a photo that is good enough for clear identification. Here are two photos of a Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicesis). Although I have seen Red-tailed Hawks before I have not previously been able to capture a definitive photo. The photo of the Raven I posted yesterday was taken during my most recent excursion to Pkols, formerly known as Mount Douglas Park. The Raven photo was a real bonus because I made the trip there especially to see if I could photograph some raptors. They like to hover in the updrafts near the summit. In addition to this Red-tailed Hawk I also saw several Turkey Vultures and a Bald Eagle. This hawk harassed the eagle until he left the scene. The summit of Pkols is two humped; these photos were taken from the eastern hump looking east. It's a beautiful spot to sit and watch the parade of clouds over the strait and I'll probably spend more time this summer sitting there on the sun-warmed rocks while the raptors soar past.

PKOLS

2013-05-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Above is a local bird, the Common Raven (Corvus corax), that I have not featured here before, mostly because they only hang out in fairly dense forest and because they seem shy and wary of mankind. I have often heard their remarkable deep croaks and calls when I have been out in the wilds but generally they move when I try to locate them. Thus I was particularly happy when I was able to locate the raven pictured above and that he stayed in one spot long enough for me to grab a few quick photos. Raven is a very important animal in the mythology of local First Nations people so it seems fitting that my first meeting with Raven should be on the same day that I learned the traditional name for the area where I saw him. Mount Douglas Park is now to be known as PKOLS, the name given to it by the people living here before the arrival of European colonists. The new wooden plaque atop the mountain reads:PKOLS

LOCATED IN WSANEC TERRITORY AND ON THE BORDER OF LEKWUNGEN TERRITORY, THIS HAS BEEN, AND REMAINS, AN IMPORTANT MEETING PLACE FOR MANY NATIONS. THE RECLAMATION OF PKOLS TO REPLACE THE COLONIAL NAME MOUNT DOUGLAS RECOGNIZES THE NATION-TO-NATION AGREEMENTS NEGOTIATED HERE AND SUPPORTS ONGOING EFFORTS OF INDIGENOUS AND SETTLER PEOPLE TO RESTORE BALANCED RELATIONSHIPS TO THE LANDS THEY CALL HOME.

I am sure that Raven approves.

See also "A people's Geography of BC" in today's "Tyee."