Archive For The “Instagram” Category
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 winter full moon rises over Kitimat BC’s iconic Mt. Elizabeth, November 25, 2015.
The moon rises over Mt. Elizabeth, shot for the sky. Sony A7II, using old Vivitar manual Minolta mount 85 to 205 zoom, 1/100 sec, f3,5, ISO 5000, Shutter priority (Robin Rowland)
The moon over Mt. Elizabeth, shot for the moon, a bit noisy, better in black and white. Sony A7II, Vivitar 85 to 205mm, ISO 5000, 1/250 f3.5, Shuter priority (Robin Rowland)
The moonrise begins. Sony A77, Sigma 170-500 at 180mm, 1/30 f5.0, ISO 4000, Shutter priority (Robin Rowland)
Mt. Elizabeth at dusk as I was setting up. Taken at 1649. Alpha 55, Tamron 70 to 300mm at 135, ISO 6400 1/125 at f4.5, Shutter priority (Robin Rowland)
The Photographers’ Ephemeris called for Moon rise at 1654 hrs (at sea level, of course). The first hint of moonrise (on a very cold night) came at 1728.
Another view of the hint of moonrise to come. The sky is dark enough at this point that you can see stars in the sky, before the bright moon floods them out. Sony A77 with Sigma 170-500mm (on tripod) at 180mm, 0.4 sec at f5, ISO 4000 program mode.
The cold November moon, over Kitimat, shot for moon exposure at 1749. Alpha 77, 170 to 500 at 200mm, shutter priority 1/2000, f5.6, ISO 4000. (Robin Rowland)

A pile of log slash stands on the route of the Pacific Trail Pipeline, the first route to Kitimat, BC, to see preliminary construction. The 480 kilometre natural gas pipeline will deliver gas from Summit Lake, B.C. to the proposed Kitimat LNG facility site at Bish Cove on Douglas Channel south of Kitimat. (Robin Rowland)
The Pacific Trail Pipeline and its route was originally approved by British Columbia in 2006, as part of an earlier project to import, rather than export, natural gas.
The proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline will follow a similar route to the Pacific Trail Pipeline, but as opponents of the Gateway project pointed out during the Joint Review Panel hearings, PTP has the original and optimum route through the rugged mountain territory. The clearing of the right of a way has led to false rumours that the work is for Northern Gateway.
A Pacific Trail Pipeline sign is seen on the Houlte Forest Service Road near a washout on Houlte Creek, where the pipeline cross the mountains.(Robin Rowland)
The pipeline route near Hunter Creek on the Upper Kitimat River Forest Service Road was cleared a year or so ago and there is already new undergrowth. (Robin Rowland)
The right of way along the Little Wedeene Forest Service Road was cleared this year. (Robin Rowland)
A twisted stump beside the road shows the scars of slash burning and rot. (Robin Rowland)
The slash pile is at the site of a quarry near the Little Wedeene River, which will harvest glacial aggregate for use along the pipeline route. (Robin Rowland)
Part of the quarry site borders on an wetland which was also cleared. (Robin Rowland)
A jumble of branches at the quarry site. (Robin Rowland)
A stump beings to rot away at the quarry site near the Little Wedeene. (Robin Rowland)
A stump at the quarry site shows scars of slash burning, rot and fresh growth of ferns. (Robin Rowland)
The final burning of the slash piles was postponed at the height of the summer drought June, July and early August.
A couple of old stumps at the quarry site. (Robin Rowland)
The route of the Pacific Trail Pipeline (Chevron/Woodside/Pacific Trail Pipeline)

On a warm Kitimat sunny afternoon a couple of days ago a beautiful blue dragonfly was circling my back yard. So I decided to find out if I could get a shot of the speedy creature as it circled and whizzed and looped and dived. Camera Sony Alpha 6000, Sony E-mount, 55 to 210, set at 210, ISO 1600, Shutter 1/2500 at F13. The only one that worked was actually the third frame I shot, got a couple of hundred more (thanks digital) but only one other one came close and at 1/2000 was just a bit too slow so it was a bit blurry.


A bouquet of carnations with two maple leaf flags honouring Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was left on the Kitimat Cenotaph prior to Tuesday’s Remembrance Day ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
In Kitimat, as happened across the country on November 11. 2014, there was a larger turnout than usual at the Remembrance Day service, as people reflected on the recent events, the deaths of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent, as well as the fact that Canadian Forces are in action against the Islamic State in Iraq.
A veteran waits quietly for the ceremony to begin. (Robin Rowland)
As in previous years, the fly past over the cenotaph came from the wild, migrating geese.
A cub leader and her troop were part of the parade to the cenotaph. (Robin Rowland)
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Girl Guides at the cenotaph with Canadian Rangers and Army cadets in the rear ranks. (Robin Rowland)
Generations of Girl Guides at the cenotaph in Kitimat (Robin Rowland)
The Guard of Honour–a Canadian Ranger. (Robin Rowland)
The Guard of Honour–an army cadet. (Robin Rowland)
The Guard of Honour–a Mountie (Robin Rowland)
Members of the Royal Canadian Legion lowered flags during the two minutes of silence. (Robin Rowland)
One of the veterans at the Remembrance Day ceremony (Robin Rowland)
The spectators at the Remembrance Day Ceremony. (Robin Rowland)
RCMP Corporal Chris Manseau lays a wreath as the Royal Canadian Legion’s wreath party watch. (Robin Rowland)
A new tradition…
For the past several years, there’s been a tradition that began at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa, people leave their poppies at the cenotaph. Here in Kitimat, people are now pinning their poppies to the wreathes that were laid at the cenotaph a few minutes earlier. (Robin Rowland)