The construction drags on, seemingly endlessly, on both the Granville Street and Cambie Bridges. As June draws near, I’m increasingly disheartened knowing I may be unable to observe some of the most visible gull nests. If I’m lucky, the work will be done before mid-June. Or perhaps this is an obstacle that will force me to look elsewhere and find new nests.

Iona Beach

I spent yesterday at Iona Beach. The weather was unsettled, with heavy rain at times. Out on the north arm, the sky and sea merged into a burnished white, erasing the horizon and leaving me stranded. On a slowly forming sandbar, twelve Caspian Terns rested, preened, and debated with one another in their beautiful, raucous voices, their blood-orange bills seemingly illuminated from within.

Trifolium incarnatum (Crimson Clover)

Last year (or perhaps the year before) I discovered a patch of Trifolium incarnatum (aka Crimson Clover) growing in a neglected field under the Cambie Street Bridge. While it is an introduced plant that escaped from cultivation (like both White (T. repens) and Red Clover (T. pratense)), it’s still interesting to see.

Fallen nest

Walking home the other week, I discovered this nest beside a pathway. If I had to guess, I’d say it it might have been made by a sparrow.

Glaucous-winged Gull landing

From last month, a first-year Glaucous-winged gull touching down on the beach at Jericho. The dark barring on the undertail coverts catches my eye… but maybe that’s just me?

Killdeer

This beautiful Killdeer was on high alert – there was a nest nearby, and it was getting suspicious about my presence. Unfortunately, the nest was in an extremely open location near main pathways and didn’t last long. Hopefully the pair found a new, less obvious spot.

Espresso Macchiato

This may surprise you, but I absolutely love Tommy Cash. This song (which won 3rd place in at the beautifully absurd Eurovision Song Contest) has been stuck in my head for weeks, and hopefully it’s now stuck in yours too…

Until next time…

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