Birdhouses and Beavers

Flowers along the harbour front in North Vancouver responded enthusiastically, yesterday, to the recent rain, and didn't seem to have suffered too much from the wind storm.

Jonny and Jewel's nest fared a bit worse, but I think this picture shows Jewel sitting on eggs, so at least the main structure is still osprey-worthy. As I was taking this picture, a lady told me the story of this particular nest. It was apparently first built on a crane, and the workers carefully moved it to the platform. They were really happy when Jonny and Jewel agreed to the small shift in location.

I once read that water droplets on flowers make excellent photographs, and that good photographers carry a spray bottle with them. I have never tried spraying flowers, but there would have been no need for that yesterday.

For as long as my school has been at its waterfront location in North Vancouver, I have noticed and admired the birdhouse project. On occasion, I have posted pictures of some of the houses, but yesterday, I spent a little more time checking out the artists and the write-ups.

This boathouse was created by Horst Lemke. There was a little plaque for each artist, with various explanations about bird behaviour. Horst said that the entranceways are 1 and 1/8th of an inch, so that wrens and chick-a-dees can enter, but not predators like starlings.

Here is the plaque describing the project, begun in 2005. Not all of the birdhouses are shown in this post, but I hope to take pictures of the others in the future. There was clearly a lot of effort expended to arrange the houses so beautifully, and if ever you are in the area, it would be well worth your time to take a look at each one.

It wasn't clear if both of these houses were done by the same artist. I think at least one of them was done by Graham Eagle. Graham described the ability of birds to mimic sounds in their environment and to incorporate the sounds into their birdcalls.

This was done by Sarah Groves. She said that the distance from the entrance to the floor is important, to keep young birds safe while parents are hunting for food.

Noemi Koikowska did this one. I looked up some information about her. She was born in Poland in 1983, but has lived in Canada for more than sixteen years. One of her art themes is the exploration of femininity. She mentioned that chick-a-dees are territorial, and will not allow other chick-a-dees to nest in their area. However, other species are welcome.

Graham Eagle also did this one.

Strangely, I could hear chick-a-dees and swallows around yesterday, but couldn't see a single one in any of the birdhouses. In fact, in all the time I have been enjoying this park area, I have never once seen the houses being used. Most likely, I just haven't looked at the right moment, but I plan to keep a closer eye out from now on. I did see this robin yesterday. I wonder if the larger birds ever feel sort of left out when they look around at all the houses designed for more petite species.

Bill Thomson did this one. He is both creative and environmentally conscientious. His little plaque described the abundance of swallows in the area, and their ability to catch insects in their wide mouths. I try and try to catch photos of swallows, but am rarely quick enough to be successful. Ship Rock caught a beautiful swallow sequence lately. I'll keep trying.

This was done by Elizabeth Evans, who describes her curiosity about birds' response to colour.

Jacqui Berglund did this one. She explained that the loudest bird vocalizations are in the Spring, both to attract a mate, and to intimidate predators.

Monique Berglund did this very realistic impression of a human dwelling. She likes to place her houses near shrubs, so the birds will have a lookout and a perch.

So, nine (or ten, if the first picture is two houses) of the fifteen shown so far. Five or six to come soon.

After school, I joined Robert on the shoal, hoping to see Lawrence, the osprey. He didn't make an appearance, but the seagulls were fun to watch. We both commented on their amazing flying ability. The weather, although less rainy and windy, was still feeling quite unsettled, and that made for dramatic skies and water.

This seagull (I wonder if it is the same one) insisted (again?) on showing its tonsils. (I'm still wondering if birds have tonsils.)

Lawrence and Olivia's nest wasn't looking too bad after the windstorm. Perhaps, there were just a few bits missing around the edges. Still, I saw no sign of the ospreys. Hopefully, they have found a spot with protection from the wind, and will return to the nest as soon as the weather settles. They will have to do that pretty soon. My "lovebirds" seize every opportunity to take advantage of the their absence.

Black Jack and I walked at Jericho Park last evening. The light was beautiful, and these yellow birds (goldfinches?) were flitting around the trees at the entrance to the park. It was a struggle to catch them still for even a moment, and this was the best picture I could manage.

As we walked over the bridge, two beavers put on quite a demonstration of affection for each other.

I'm not sure if I caught them mating, or whether this is some sort of courting ritual.

When I use the "single-point-focus" on my camera, it is always something of a surprise to see how the background comes out. This mallard hopped onto the bridge railing as if to say, "Look at me. I'm just as interesting as those beavers." I had to admit, he was stunning in the light of the setting sun.
That was yesterday, as I saw it. The long weekend is coming, and the weather looks fairly promising. Hope it will be a good one for all of you!