I cycled to school today, for an extra rehearsal in preparation for a Remembrance Day assembly on Tuesday. On the way home, I stopped just once, to stand for a few moments in one spot by Lost Lagoon. It felt like a bit of a parade, as mallards, one Hooded Merganser, a couple of swans, an American Coot, and a racoon made their way by me.
Before I left the school, I took a few pictures by the river. I really wanted to post one picture of a seagull taking off, but Blogger is refusing it. I understand that I have reached my limit, but even after deleting a couple of the other pictures, it still won't accept my seagull. I wonder if others have encountered this and gone the route of paying for extra storage space.
So, just two photos by the school. This grass which is growing in the traffic roundabout..
..and this Hooded Merganser (I think), on the other side of the river. I don't know why they always stay on that side, but I liked the warm reflections in the water, and hope you can find the tiny Merganser.
Now, for the Lost Lagoon parade. First, the Hooded Merganser, willing to come just a bit closer than the one in North Van.
One of many Mallards.
There were a few swans, but this one seemed determined to be photographed. Its black foot and its flexibility caught my eye. I admit to knowing very little about the Mute Swans in Stanley Park, but I do know they are not native to BC, and that they are pinioned, a procedure which means they will never be able to fly again. The point is to limit them to the one small pond at Stanley Park, and not allow them to mix with native species. I am bothered quite a bit about that. Why bring them into the province and then disable them? Maybe, someone can explain.
I do not know why they seemed more active than usual. Mating behaviour? Frustration at not being able to fly? Putting on a little show for me in the hopes of getting a handout?
Trying to fly?
The American Coot.
This is a different swan. Something endearing about its pose.
One of many Mallards.
There were a few swans, but this one seemed determined to be photographed. Its black foot and its flexibility caught my eye. I admit to knowing very little about the Mute Swans in Stanley Park, but I do know they are not native to BC, and that they are pinioned, a procedure which means they will never be able to fly again. The point is to limit them to the one small pond at Stanley Park, and not allow them to mix with native species. I am bothered quite a bit about that. Why bring them into the province and then disable them? Maybe, someone can explain.
I do not know why they seemed more active than usual. Mating behaviour? Frustration at not being able to fly? Putting on a little show for me in the hopes of getting a handout? 
Trying to fly? 
The American Coot.
This is a different swan. Something endearing about its pose.
The racoon walked by, approaching with a wary look, but not choosing to keep a distance.
More Mallards, bottoms up.
The view as I looked across the pond. 
That's if for today. I'll be out of touch for a couple of days until I figure out the photo limit. Have a good week and thanks for reading.
My guess re the Mute Swans would be that they were brought in when Stanley Park was still a zoo and many non-native animals were imported? I wonder if they would instinctively fly south at this time of year if they were able, and that is the cause of their frustration/activity.
ReplyDeleteI am also nearing my maximum on my blog and have been debating paying for more. There are, apparently, hosts with more space but I don't really want to change. One question I have is whether it is more economical to pay for extra space on blogger or simply to pay for one's own website.
I'll be interested in knowing what you find out about the blogger space.
Hi - not related to your post, but something you might enjoy... an owl in a box.
ReplyDeleteYou can use Flickr to host your photos...just insert a URL instead of a file when you insert a photo.
ReplyDeleteI know the band will make you proud!
ReplyDeletePhyllis
Thanks for the comments, everyone.
ReplyDeleteJean
1.I am increasingly disturbed by the fate of the Mute Swans at Stanley Park. The more I learn, the more I feel I need to, at the very least, write some letters, but there is more investigating to do first.
2.For once, my procrastination paid off! One day, the cost to upgrade storage (Picasso) was $20, and the next, it was $5 for the same amount of storage. It seemed like a very good deal, so I went for it. It did take close to 48 hours for the new storage to kick in. Eventually, I will have to look into archiving some of my earlier posts, but I will procrastinate a bit longer on that one:)
Carole, I loved that story. Thank you!
dp, thanks for the suggestion. I do have a Flickr account, but I made the mistake of deleting some pictures, thinking I could then post some new ones and stay within the storage limit. The pictures disappeared from my blog as well, something I should have realized would happen, but it put me off.
Phyllis, the kids did well, just as you predicted. Thanks for your encouragement:)