Sunday, March 3, 2019

The Birds Are Back

One of the joys of living in a semi-rural area is having forests, meadows, and small lakes and ponds all around, right outside my door. Moreover, I live on a peninsula which is about two and a half kilometers wide, so in every direction, the ocean also is near at hand. The whole peninsula is criss-crossed with hiking trails, and there are small parks with beach access all around its perimeter.

These are all things that I really like about living here. Another nice aspect is that the community is quite small -- about 5,000 -- and friendly. There are several residential neighbourhoods, but overall, it is a mixed use area that includes farms, a small commercial "town center," and some industries such as an oyster farm and a timber-sorting facility.

The Oyster Farm in the Late Afternoon
One of my regular road walks takes me down to the oyster farm. There is public beach access right next to the oyster farm on the bay. I snapped the photo above yesterday on my walk.

Only two and a half weeks ago, our backyard was still full of snow. Although Vancouver Island does not get much snow compared to the rest of Canada, we live up on the north side of a large hill. So we get a little more snow than many other Islanders (which is fine with me).

A Snowy Yard
Weather permitting, I go out and hike on the nearby trails several times a week. With a number of days of sunny weather, most of the snow has vanished. I was delighted to hear many birds twittering and calling in the forest last week. The birds are back, having returned from their winter migration. I hadn't realized that I had missed their singing until I heard it again.

We live with wild animals all around us. Some of the animals I have frequently seen or heard right in our neighbourhood include: deer, rabbits, owls, eagles, hawks, raccoons, seals, sea lions, and several kinds of ducks and geese. Of course, there also are ravens, seagulls, hummingbirds, and many other types of birds.

My son spotted a cougar at the entrance to the trails last winter. I have seen bear tracks and bear droppings, although I haven't seen an actual bear here yet. I have been told that pods of whales swim by from time to time. I believe there are foxes and coyotes here as well, as I have seen their droppings.

In addition to going on forest walks, I also love to walk on trails by the shore. On one of our recent walks, Rob and I were able to walk out to an island that is only accessible at low tide. It was exciting to explore a new place, although we didn't stay long as the tide was coming in and we did not want to be trapped there.

Low Tide
A Sunny Afternoon



















If you look closely at the photo labelled "Low Tide," you can see that the beach was covered with clam shells.

Our geriatric dog, Kate, is always thrilled to join us on our walks. When she was younger, she ran circles around us. Now we have to stop and wait for her.

Standing on the Edge     
In the photo above, Kate and I are standing at the edge of a small cliff. The trees are hanging out over the edge.

A Stand of Garry Oaks
The photo above shows a stand of gnarled Garry oaks. They are growing in an exposed location, where the ocean winds blow.

Driftwood
Big Old Tree



















The forests here are filled with big trees. They are not ancient forests, however, but second or third growth trees. Everywhere there are huge stumps and other signs of past logging activity. Trees have been logged on Vancouver Island for about a century and a half.

The Pond
The final photo that I will leave you with is one of the pond. This is the same pond that was covered with ice in recent photos that I posted. The other day when I took this picture, there were some very noisy ducks having arguments over at the far end of the pond.

16 comments:

  1. Spring appears to have reached your corner of the world! Such a contrast to the bitter cold that has returned here. What a joy to be able to go out and explore nature from your own backyard!

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    1. Joanne, yes, winter is much shorter here than in every other part of Canada that I have lived. Daffodils started coming up in our back garden in January, only to be covered by a big dump of snow. But I see that they are still thriving out there, apparently none the worse for it.

      Jude

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  2. Hi, Jude - You have captured our corner of Vancouver Island perfectly! Please book in July 20 for a Bloggers' Meet Up. Janis and Kathy will be here then to explore our island in its summer glory.

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    1. Donna, that will be awesome to meet Janis and Kathy! I have put the date in my calendar.

      Jude

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  3. Hi Jude! You do live in a beautiful area...but still a tad cold for me (I can tell from your still winter clothing in the photos!) I can always tell the Canadian's who winter here in our area because even when I'm dressed like you are in the photo, they are running around in shorts and t-shirts. Of course with that said, I'm planning on enjoying a bit of nice weather when I'm up visiting Vancouver Island in July. Hope you can make the meetup at Donna's. ~Kathy

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    1. Kathy, that’s so true about Canadians and clothing. When we went to Portugal in October, we were running around in tee shirts and shorts, while the locals were bundled up in scarves and winter jackets. I am looking forward to meeting you in person in July!

      Jude

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  4. Such beautiful scenery and wonderful wildlife you have right in your backyard, Jude. Thanks for sharing your descriptions and photos.

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    1. Natalie, it really is a beautiful area. Some of the retirees who move here call it “paradise.”

      Jude

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  5. You live in such a beautiful area! Everything sounds so wonderful... except for the snow. I'm looking forward to exploring Vancouver Island this summer. And, very much looking forward to meeting you IRL.

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    1. Janis, I am an outdoorsy sort of person and I love it here. However, the winters can be long, dark, and rainy, and we do get a bit of snow. But I even like the rainy season! I’m looking forward to meeting you this summer!

      Jude

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  6. It looks idyllic. We had spring for a couple of days, but it has retreated again.

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    1. Anabel, our spring seems to come and go too. We have had couple of weeks of sunny weather, but the nighttime temperatures have been down around -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees Fahrenheit).

      Jude

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  7. These photos and post truly capture the beauty of your area, Jude. I’m glad the sun is back and that you get to enjoy some hikes again. And, brave Kate as well. So much wildlife right at your door stop. Now that makes me jealous! It must so cool to see a cougar.

    Enjoy spring and bird song! Last night, I heard the birds as well, thinking that they must be extremely happy, singing after dark! A wonderful time of the year is upon us!

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    1. Liesbet, I have never seen a cougar. My son spotted a young one on a winter evening at the parking lot for the trail head only two blocks from our house. As the animal was crouched at the edge of the trees and it was getting dark, at first he was not sure what he was seeing. But then the cougar started to stalk Kate (who was off-leash) and he got a better view. There are numerous cougar sightings every year right in this area.

      As for Spring coming, I think it’s wonderful. However, I do admit that I love every season of the year.

      Jude

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  8. What a wonderfully beautiful area this is, with so much to offer in the way of wildlife (even a cougar spotted), and walks and forest and ocean. How very lovely.

    Peta

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    1. Peta, thanks for commenting. Yes, it is a lovely area and I feel very lucky to live here. I really love the outdoors, and appreciate having the wild animals all around. Although, some local people complain about the deer eating their gardens.

      Jude

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