Author Archives: Robin Rowland

A soggy day in Kitimat harbour as the spring migration comes north

On Thursday, April 19, was a soggy, to say the least, with wind-driven, cold, pouring rain when I went down to Kitamaat Village and Kitimat harbour to photograph the spring bird migration.  The highlight were the snow geese I saw both at MK Bay  (above) and at the Kitamaat Village soccer field. (Robin Rowland)

A bald eagle, drenched in the pouring rain, at the mouth of Whatl Creek near MK Bay Marina. (Robin Rowland)

A crow takes off from the sea grass in pouring rain near Kitamaat Village. (Robin Rowland)

Snow geese feed at the Kitamaat Village soccer field (Robin Rowland)

A snow goose at the Kitamaat Village soccer field. (Robin Rowland)

Snow geese fly past MK Bay. (Robin Rowland)

An Oregon junco on the waterfront. (Robin Rowland)

Mallards take to the wing as a bald eagle passes overhead (Robin Rowland)

 

A gull passes two bald eagles in the low tide puddles of Whatl Creek near Kitimat Harbour (Robin Rowland)

Two bald eagles in the low tide puddles of Whatl Creek near Kitimat Harbour (Robin Rowland)


Raindrops fall on the head of an American robin who posed on a log beside my car just as I was getting ready to leave. (Robin Rowland)

 

A rainy night in Vancouver

The rainbow crosswalks on Davie St. in Vancouver’s westend gay village on a night of heavy April rain. (Robin Rowland)

 

A freighter anchored in Vancouver’s English Bay is seen through fog and heavy rain. (Robin Rowland)

Bald eagles battle over a duck

Two bald eagles battle over a duck at Kitimat harbour. Images taken off the shoreline of Kitamaat Village.

A bald eagle flies over Kitimat harbour (Robin Rowland)

(Robin Rowland)

Another bald eagle watching from above. (Robin Rowland)

Splash!  The first eagle swoops down and grabs a duck (hard to see in this image) (Robin Rowland)

The second eagle heads skyward with its eye on the first (Robin Rowland)

The first eagle is heading away with his catch (Robin Rowland)

 

The second eagle swoops down to attack.  (Robin Rowland)

 

But the attack is unsuccessful and the first eagle escapes with its meal still in its talons. (Robin Rowland)

New Year’s Day at Minette Bay

Photos from the annual local photographers’ walk around Minette Bay. The deepest cold passed, leaving ice everywhere. There was a heavy overcast and occasional fog.

A female bufflehead duck in the tidal flats of Minette Bay. (Robin Rowland)

Previous New Year’s walks

January 1, 2017
January 1, 2016

A snowy Remembrance Day in Kitimat, November 11, 2017

A near blizzard did not stop the people of Kitimat turning out for the Remembrance Day service on November 11, 2017.

Building a snowman before the Remembrance Day service (Robin Rowland)

 

Laura Mckenzie and Linda Lewis checking the wreaths prior to the service (Robin Rowland)

 

An RCMP officer leads the colour party (Robin Rowland)

 

The colour party (Robin Rowland)

 

The RCMP march to the cenotaph. (Robin Rowland)

 

The invocation, left to right, Dwight Magee, Royal Canadian Legion, Rev. Dr. Dona Lethbridge, Legion chaplain, Marg Bogaert, Royal Canadian Legion. (Robin Rowland)

 

Cubs and scouts at the Remembrance Day service (Robin Rowland)

 

Lucy Beatty of the Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary lowers the flag during the two minutes of silence (Robin Rowland)

A moment of silence. (Robin Rowland)

 

Veteran Jason Parrill lays a wreath on behalf of Canada. (Robin Rowland)

 

Anne Berrisford lays a memorial wreath  for Captain (Chaplain)  D. Schmidt. (Robin Rowland)

 

A cub lays a wreath. (Robin Rowland)

 

Mayor Phil Germuth lays a wreath. (Robin Rowland)

 

The wreaths (Robin Rowland)

A Mountie salutes during the playing of O Canada. (Robin Rowland)

Birds in the fog on a sunny morning in Kitamaat Village

Fly past. A bald eagle passes some mallard ducks in flight over Kitimat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

 

A flock of mallards fly over Kitimat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

A “murder of crows” fly toward Kitamaat Village from the Kitimat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

 

A crow comes in for landing on the shores of Kitamaat Village. (Robin Rowland)

 

The beach at Kitamaat Village as the tide begins to recede with the sun shining on the fog in Kitmat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

A pair of bald eagles find perches on a old snag on the Kitamaat Village waterfront. (Robin Rowland)

 

A sparrow hides in the long grass and wildflowers in the Kitamaat Village seawall (Robin Rowland)

The calm after the storm: Kitimat River in flood

Tuesday, October 25, 2017 was a beautiful sunny afternoon after four days of storms, snow on Saturday and three days of heavy rain which reached more than 200 millimetres (about eight inches).  The late fall sun was out but the Kitimat River was higher than usual. (Robin Rowland)