My favourite Jericho Fence. some Redwings, some Rabbits and a Good Day.

Yesterday, we biked from Yaletown to Jericho Park.  The new and controversial bike lanes along Point Grey Road (that I didn't really support because I thought the old ones were perfectly fine) turned out to make the trip much smoother and safer.  I loved them; it was hard to stop gushing as we rode along.There are only a couple of fences in this post to share with TexWisGirl's Good Fences meme, but this is one of my favourites.  It spans the pond at Jericho.  Looking over its left side, one sees the area that the Parks Board is encouraging to become a marsh.  

 Looking over the right railing, one sees the cleared portion of the pond, and the ocean and marina in the distance.

The Redwing Blackbirds appreciate that fence too. 

 To give you a more complete perspective, here's a winter shot taken a few years ago.

Standing on the bridge, I admired the view to the park's entrance, as Bill locked up our bikes.

 Can you imagine my happiness when the Redwings landed in the grass beside us,

 and in the bushes around us, 

 and then, right in our hands?!

 What have you got for me today?

 Just dog treats?

 No seeds?  Well, then, I'm outa here!

 No bird landed twice.  We had one chance to get it right, and that was it.  We kept moving along, hoping one of them would appreciate the tiny salmon treats, but these birds know what they like.  Bill took the camera, thinking I might have better luck.  I am embarrassed about these pictures and that shirt, but they tell the story :)

Here, birdie..  birdie..  birdie.....

 Hello.  What do you have here?

 You mean, that's it??

 Aw, these are Black Jack's best treats.  Give them a try!

Sorry, Lady.  You're going to have to do better than that! 

 We moved along, trying new birds and new spots.  This one landed in Bill's hand..

 but left disappointed.  Though we had no takers, we were both euphoric at this first-ever opportunity to see and feel a Redwing in our hands.

 We walked by the pond and past the bushes to this point where the ocean beckons. 

 Saving the ocean visit for another day, we walked around to the left..

 where Black Jack was remembering the rabbits.

 Sure enough, 

 she was treated to a vision..

 that required a few time-outs to settle her down.

 The sun shone..

 through sweet, though somewhat chewed up, ears.

 There are eagles and owls and coyotes in the area, but still the rabbits appear to thrive.

 Blackberry bushes make the perfect hiding place..

 as humans and dogs must tread carefully to avoid scratches.  (Don't rabbits get scratched?)

 We continued along this path..

 looking for hummingbirds that I heard but didn't spot yesterday.  This American Goldfinch was very high in a tall tree.  Cropped shots  give just a taste..

 of its beauty.

 Black Jack settled nicely on Bill's knee.  There was a bit of a shade and a very nice lady gave Bill some seeds in the hopes that we would have better luck with feedings.  That wasn't to be.  We had had our one chance and the word spread quickly that we came up short, but we have saved the seeds for our next trip.  We were both touched by that lady's kindness.

 We returned to our bikes via this lovely path, one of my favourites.

This is the remains of a tree felled years ago by a beaver.  I remember watching that tree trunk whittle away before my eyes, until one morning, it toppled.  The beavers have been discouraged by a variety of methods that I don't want to investigate too closely.  We didn't see any yesterday.  The feather?  Someone's sense of humour, I guess.

 We saw a few geese, 

 and one turtle..

 and some lovely reflections before heading back along the bike route that I couldn't stop admiring and appreciating.  

We stopped at the entrance to the Burrard Bridge and I took this photo of a sign..

 explaining..

  some of the work still to be completed.

Bill took photos of me to keep my sister happy.  It's a struggle to be comfortable under that big lens..

 but I love them both so this smile is for them, and for you, too, for not laughing too much :)

 After supper, we were back out again.  It is a time of year that begs to be enjoyed.  Tupper paid us a visit.  Just a short one as there were too many people around..

 for her to feel at ease.  She flew around us a lot.  I used my small lens so this is tiny, but I include it because we both noticed that she crosses her feet when she flies.

 She soared beautifully through a pale pink sky, but didn't settle any more.  

 These roses near our apartment were..

 begging to be noticed.  Black Jack and Bill were happy to oblige.  That was our day.  Thank you for sharing in its happiness.  Remember those fences?  You can see many more by heading over to Theresa's Good Fences meme.  Happy Thursday, everyone!