First Coyote
A nearly blind coyote wanders the First St beach, and then swims a circuit of the Cove before disappearing towards the Eastern Gap. Thanks to Michelle for the tip.
Fourth Saw-whet
A northern saw-whet owl perches in a tree on Fourth Street. Thanks to Peter N for the tip and Peter H for the tripod assistance.
Climate Change Schedule
A balmy 22°C October day shows the inadequacy of the winter schedule: a crowd of people Island-side prevents the passengers of Ongiara from disembarking. With only one boat running, some tourists had waited for three boats to try to leave the Island. Click image to view larger.
Wicket 9
We knew it was coming. A sign directs both tourists and residents to the same ticket booth for scanning of prepaid fares, an untenable solution during the summer months. The new ticket system includes about ten wireless hand scanners and five wired scanners, why only one wicket was operational is an interesting question. Also interesting […]
Pokémon Ferry Day and Night
Also from the New Reality Department: the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal is a new destination for players of Pokémon Go. The top image, taken around 4:45p, shows people milling around outside the ferry docks, all playing Pokémon Go. The bottom image, via Instagram, shows the scene at midnight. The original Instagram post can be found […]
The New Reality
A huge lineup of people files onto the William Inglis on a summer Saturday evening. The lineup, beyond the capacity of the ferry, stretched around the waiting shed and halfway to the old firehall.
Raccoon Jenga
Juvenile raccoons act like Jenga pieces after being rudely awakened from a summer snooze.
Harbour Jam
The Wm. Lyon Mackenzie, leaving Centre Island dock, attempts to thread her way through a traffic jam of water taxis. Eight taxis were attempting to get into the dock (six visible here) at the same time, a serious concern for paddlers attempting to cross the increasingly busy approach. Click image to view larger.
Green Mother
A rare Canada Goose mother sitting on a nest pokes her head up through the greenery near Doughnut Island. 2016 has been a great year for ducklings, but we have very few goslings and absolutely no cygnets. The total number of nests was down significantly this year, and the last (failed) mute swan nest was just abandoned […]
Eyefraction
The eyes of a great egret sit far out on the sides of its head, enough to show visible refraction through the cornea. The highlight on the lower-right side of the eye is light passing through, but not into, the eye. Click image to view larger.
Fluff Season
A toad on Third St. looks unimpressed at having to push its way through large piles of fluff.
Red Eye Delight
The piercing red eye of a mature black-crowned night heron, perched in a tree by Doughnut Island.
Slider Damage
A red-eared slider displays a large gash in its shell, most likely caused by a boat propeller. Experts say that the shell will repair itself in time, and that the turtle otherwise looks healthy. Click image to view larger.
Business End
Water temperatures in the lagoons have hit around 6°C, and the northern pike are again cruising the spawning grounds.