logo

Menu

  • Photography Blog
  • Photo books
  • News and weather
    • Enbridge Northern Gateway
  • People in the news
  • Northwest BC Industries
  • Natural world
    • Wildlife
  • Sea
  • Lakes, rivers and wetlands
  • Land
  • Photo Services
    • Portrait photojournalism
    • Commercial photography
    • Guides and outfitters
    • Photo printing
    • Photo books
  • Bio
  • Contact

Recent Posts

  • June birding: An immature bald eagle, western tanager and more
  • Haisla Bridge Replacement Project Girder Launching Ceremony
  • A mink on a log. How I got the shot (plus some bald eagles)
  • Canada Geese overhead
  • “It’s not a costume” Racism protest in Kitimat

RSS Model making and diorama photography

  • A cold, wet winter on Arch-to
  • Dollar Store Dinosaurs
  • Star Wars #ourgreatindoors
  • The Rusty Romulan
  • Hot chicken Jedha

Archive For The “Alpha 77” Category

The view from Trapline Mountain

The view from Trapline Mountain

A small lake in a bowl at the peak of Trapline Mountain on a sunny August morning. (Robin Rowland)

GPS route to Trapline Mountain (Google Earth)

On Monday August 5, friends invited me along for a trip to Trapline Mountain to photograph the alpine. Trapline Mountain is about 30 kilometres east of Terrace, BC. You get to the mountain first by driving along the road that follows the Copper River and then taking a rough access road to the peak. At the peak is a BC Hydro microwave communications tower. The area is popular with photographers, ATV enthusiasts and the occasional campers in the summer and snowmobilers in the winter.

Black and white images

I have converted most of the images to black and white. Depending on the image I either used Photoshop or SilverEfx.

Another view from the peak of Trapline Mountain. (Robin Rowland)

Another of the mini-lakes at the peak of Trapline Mountain. (Robin Rowland)

The peak of Trapline Mountain. (Robin Rowland)

The tree line just below the peak. (Robin Rowland)

A vertical view of the lake. (Robin Rowland)

A sharp distant peak. (Robin Rowland)

 

Another view of the mountains. (Robin Rowland)

Flowers and reeds at the shore of a lake a little lower on the mountain. If you look carefully you will see a swarm of flies. (Possibly mayflies?) (Robin Rowland)

Bright plants track a small stream through the alpine. (Robin Rowland)

 

Ferns and flowers among the broken rocks of the peak. (Robin Rowland)

Colour images 

The peak of Trapline Mountain is absolutely beautiful. So I have included some colour images.

A view from the peak. (Robin Rowland)

A closer view. (Robin Rowland)

Another view. (Robin Rowland)

GPS track to the peak of Trapline Mountain (Google Earth)

 

Haaland Ave. Waterfall

Haaland Ave. Waterfall tumbles off a cliff into the Copper River.

The Haaland Avenue falls on the Copper River, (Robin Rowland)

A pole among the rocks below the falls. (Robin Rowland)

August 7, 2019 Robin Rowland
Alpha 77, alpine, black and white, Canada, flowers, mountains, nature, Photoblog, Photography, Sony RX10iii, summitBlack-and-white , British Columbia , landscape , mountain , peak , Terrace , Trapline Mountain , waterfall

“Get off my perch,” crow tells bald eagle

“Get off my perch,”  crow tells bald eagle

A crow mobs a bald eagle at the mouth of Wahtl Creek, MK Bay marina, Kitimat, BC. I was out shooting for fun along the Kitimat/Kitamaat Village waterfront when I captured the story of a fiesty crow that demanded a bald eagle get off an old log in the Wahtl Creek estuary. The crow apparently thought it was its perch, not the eagle’s.

The crow flies to the perch and finds the eagle on top.

The crow circles the eagle.

The crow circles the eagle.

The crow settles on a lower branch of the old dead tree.

The  crow leaves and the eagle takes off from the perch.

The eagle skims over the low tide estuary.

The eagle flies over the Wahtl Creek low tide estuary.

The eagle circles over Kitimat harbour/

The eagle circles around, flying right past me, so I was able to capture this magnificent close shot.

For a few moments I lost site of the eagle as it flew over Kitamaat Village, then it flew back.

The eagle has landed–back on the perch.

Almost immediately the crow comes back and mobs the eagle again.

The crow mobs the eagle, at first the eagle ignores the crow.

The crow mobs the eagle, at first the eagle ignores the crow.

The crow mobs the eagle, at first the eagle ignores the crow.

As the crow returns, the eagle looks back at it.

As the crow returns, the eagle looks back at it.

It certainly looks as if the eagle is getting annoyed with the feisty little crow.

The crow settles back down on the lower perch.

A few minutes later, the eagle decides to leave, as the crow looks up at the coveted perch.

A few minutes later, the eagle decides to leave, as the crow looks up at the coveted perch.

That’s my perch, the crow is the winner and flies up to the upper perch.

The eagle flies by me once more heading out over the harbour.

The eagle heads across the Kitimat Arm of Douglas Channel toward the mountains.

The eagle heads across the Kitimat Arm of  Douglas Channel toward the mountains.

Cameras, Sony RX10iii and Sony Alpha 77 with Minolta 500mm mirror lens.

April 21, 2019 Robin Rowland
Alpha 77, BC, birds, crow, Douglas Channel, eagle, Kitamaat Village, Kitimat, Photographybald eagle , British Columbia , crow , Douglas Channel , Kitamaat Village , Kitimat , MK Bay , photoblog , seascape , Wahtl Creek

The March equinox supermoon rises over Kitimat, BC

Most interesting shot of the night of the supermoon rising over Kitimat. Reminds me of an East Asian painting. Sony RX10iii (Robin Rowland)

The supermoon rises over a Kitimat mountain. Sony RX10iii (Robin Rowland)

A darker image. Different camera. Sony Alpha 77 with Minolta 500mm mirror lens. (Robin Rowland)

March 20, 2019 Robin Rowland
Alpha 77, Kitimat, moon, Sony RX10iiiBritish Columbia , Kitimat , Moon , moonrise , patterns , supermoon

Christmas bird count 2018 in a snow storm

Trumpeter swans, signets and canvasback ducks in the Kitimat River estuary, Dec.15, 2018. (Robin Rowland)

 

My portion of the Christmas Bird Count in the Kitimat River Estuary (courtesy Rio Tinto) was in an afternoon blizzard which cut visibility by up to about 80 per cent at times and was no help to the cameras, whether or on auto focus or manual.

A killdeer hunts for food on a patch of wetland grass as the tide rises (Robin Rowland)

 

A rare sighting of a Wilson’s snipe out in the open on the river estuary. (Robin Rowland)

 

A bald eagle overhead. (Robin Rowland)

 

Another shot of the killdeer. (Robin Rowland)

 

Another shot of the Wilson’s snipe. (Robin Rowland)

 

The Wilson’s snipe getting a last shot at a meal as the tide rises. (Robin Rowland)

 

The trumpeter swans, signets, canvasbacks and mallards. (Robin Rowland)

A great blue heron huddles against the snow storm. (Robin Rowland)

Another great blue heron. (Robin Rowland)

A loon in the choppy waves of Kitimat harbour. (Robin Rowland)

December 16, 2018 Robin Rowland
Alpha 77, birds, Christmas, Douglas Channel, duck, eagle, heron, Instagram, Kitimat, Minolta 500mm f/8 RF mirror lens, nature, Photography, seabird, snow, Sony RX10iiibald eagle , Bird , Bird photography , British Columbia , canvasback , Douglas Channel , great blue heron , killdeer , Kitimat , landscape , loon , mallard , ocean , snipe , trumpeter swan , Wilson's snipe

Moon, Mars and a meteor over Minette Bay (plus other celestial wonders)

The moon and Mars rise over Minette Bay, Kitimat, BC, as a meteor streaks over head. You can see Saturn on the far right (Robin Rowland)

This week is a stargazer’s delight. Mars is at its closest approach to Earth, and that means the Red Planet is the brightest it will be from July 27 to July 31 (the latter date is when Mars is actually the closest). Although North America missed the solar eclipse earlier this week, the moon is actually at its smallest, sometimes called a Buck Moon. The giant planets Saturn and Jupiter are high in the southern sky this week. Earlier in the month, Venus was visible as the Evening Star and for those with the proper gear it was possible to get a glance of Mercury.

Kitimat is in the midst of the summer heat wave that is gripping most of North America. Nights are mostly clear although there is some high haze from smoke in the atmosphere stemming from the forest fires in both Siberia and North America.

With all that I drove out to the Kitimat Viewpoint late Saturday July 28,  to capture it all.

Gear
Apps (for Android)
The Photographer’s Emphemeris
– told me when the moon will rise and the angle of location. Note: TPE gives moonrise at sea level. That means moonrise in Kitimat is usually between 50 and 70 minutes later depending on where it comes up over the mountains.
A compass app. To check the compass direction of the moonrise as predicted by TPE.
Sky Map. Android app originally developed by Google. Hold up you phone and see location of stars, planets, nebulae, satellite etc.

Camera
Heavy duty Manfrotto tripod
with
Sony Alpha 77, Minolta 17 to 35mm wide angle lens
Mounted with Cokin P121L Neutral density filter (to reduce the glare from the moon)

Handheld
Sony RX10iii

Jupiter and Saturn over Douglas Channel

Jupiter over the Rio Tinto aluminum plant (right) and Saturn (left)  over the mountains above Kitamaat Village, about an hour after sunset (Robin Rowland)

The late summer dusk lingers for more than hour after sunset, so even the distant mountains of Douglas Channel can be seen.  Jupiter is bright over the Rio Tinto plant at 10:50:33

Sony Alpha 77 ISO 4000 F2.8  1/2.5 of a second

Moonrise

Moonrise over Minette Bay. (Robin Rowland)

 

The moon is about to rise above the mountain (Robin Rowland)

 

The first arc of the moon peeked over the mountaintop at about 10:57:40.

The first image in the photoblog was taken at 11:00:23 and the second at 11::02:27

Sony RX10iii, handheld, ISO 4000 f4 1/1000 of a second

The RX1oiii is a high-end carry everywhere point and shoot. Moon was shot at 600mm on manual focus.

 

The moon reaches for the zenith. (Robin Rowland)

Same settings on the RX10iii at 11:06:50.

 

Mars rises

 

Mars rose to the west of the moon at 11:17:08 This image showing the moon, Mars and Minette Bay Lodge was taken 11:18:35.

Sony Alpha 77, manual focus,  ISO 2500, f5 at 2.5 seconds

At 11:23:31 same settings

 

 

I was bracketing shots, working with different shutter speeds and other settings, still on manual focus.  The meteor streak is in just two frames. This was taken at 11:37:05. (The other at 11:36:58 by 11:37:00 the next frame it was gone. I did not notice the meteor streak until I got home.

Alpha 77 ISO 1600, f3.2 at 2.5 seconds

A last look at Jupiter

Jupiter over the Kitimat mountains and the Rio Tinto plant. (Robin Rowland)

At 11:34:02 Jupiter is setting over the mountains behind the Rio Tinto aluminum plant.

Sony Alpha 77  ISO 1600  f2.8 2.5 seconds

 

July 29, 2018 Robin Rowland
Alpha 77, Android, Douglas Channel, Kitimat, landscape, moon, mountains, night, Photography, skyBritish Columbia , Douglas Channel , Jupiter , Kitimat , Mars , Minette Bay , Moon , mountain , photoblog , Photography , Rio Tinto , Rio Tinto Alcan , Saturn

Raising the Haisla Kitimat friendship pole

On  May 4, the Haisla Nation and the District of Kitimat raised a totem pole to mark the growing friendship between “township” and Kitamaat Village.   Planning for the pole began a couple of years ago when the Haisla Nation and the people of the Kitimat township held a reconciliation forum at Riverlodge.   The pole was carved over the past year under the supervision of  carver Gary Wilson  (‘Nagamo’o).   Funding for the project came from the Canada 150 fund, the District of Kitimat and the Haisla Nation.

Before the ceremony

Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders gather for the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)

Skeena Bulkley NDP MP Nathan Cullen speaks to Haisla Nation hereditary chiefs and elders before the pole raising ceremony. (Robin Rowland)

Eagle chief Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid) speaks to carver and master of ceremonies Gary Wilson  (‘Nagamo’o) and Kitimat mayor Phil Germuth before the ceremony. (Robin Rowland)

Aiden Robinson speaking to her Ma’ma’o  (grandmother) Rose Robinson, Sammy Robinson  (He’mas C’esi) amd Basil Grant (He’mas Legaix)  (Robin Rowland)

 

Unveiling and blessing the friendship pole


Carver Gary Wilson unveils the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)

Sammy Robinson begins to bless the new pole, along with  Gary Wilson (‘Nagamo’o), Allan Williams (He’mas Wakas), Verlie Nelson (C’esi’s spokesperson) Cyril Grant Jr.(He’mas Sanaxaid)  as  Harvey Grant,  MP Nathan Cullen and Kitimat Mayor Phil Germuth watch. (Robin Rowland)

Cedar boughs are used to cleanse the totem pole.  (Robin Rowland)

Sammy Robinson  He’mas C’esi and Verlie Nelson  prepare the eagle down to cleanse and bless the pole.  (Robin Rowland)

Cleansing and blessing the pole.  (Robin Rowland)

At the pole blessing,  Harvey Grant (He’mas Wiiseks), Sammy Robinson (He’mas C’esi), Nathan Cullen, Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid), Phil Germuth and Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas).  (Robin Rowland)

 

Raising the pole

Hereditary  chiefs and construction workers prepare to raise the friendship pole. (Robin Rowland)

 

The construction workers prepare to secure the pole.  (Robin Rowland)

Simon Hall (Hai’mac Gax) helps put the totem pole in place. (Robin Rowland)

Carver Gary Wilson explains the meaning of the pole. At the bottom is the snowflake, the District of Kitimat’s official symbol.  The face in the middle  represents the people of Kitimat with four multi-ethnic  faces above it.  At the  top of the pole are representations of the clans of the Haisla Nation, with the eagle, the beaver in the middle, (Robin Rowland)

Dancing

 

 

Eugene Stewart (Dlaxwdlaxwaligisc Hai’mas)  speaks to Gary Wilson speaks as the dancing begins.  (Robin Rowland)

 

Cyril Grant Jr. (He’mas Sanaxaid) leads the Eagle Clan dance after the pole was secured.  (Robin Rowland)

 

People join in the dancing. (Robin Rowland)

Children from the Haisla Community School participate with drumming and dancing. (Robin Rowland)




May 6, 2018 Robin Rowland
Alpha 77, ceremony, Haisla Nation, Kitimat, Photography, Sony RX10iiiBritish Columbia , Kitamaat Village , Kitimat , photoblog , pole raising , totem pole

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)

 

April 25, 2018 Robin Rowland
Alpha 77, BC, birds, crow, duck, eagle, Kitimat, Minolta 500mm f/8 RF mirror lens, Photoblog, Photography, rain, springAmerican robin , bald eagle , Bird , Bird photography , birds , goose , junco , Kitamaat Village , Kitimat , photoblog , rain , snow goose , storm , Wahtl Creek
Next Page »

Archives

Archives

Search

All images Copyright © 2022 By Robin Rowland. All Rights Reserved.
WordPress Themes Copyright © 2017. by Web-Dorado