Newcastle Island Raccoons

I'm lucky to live just a few minutes from the Brechin boat ramp. Launching the kayaks from this ramp puts me just minutes from Newcastle Island. On this day (2017-06-28), Sabrina and I paddled along the shore of the island keeping an eye out for the inevitable wildlife that comes to dine on the shellfish the low tide leaves bare. It's an "all you eat buffet for raccoons".

Raccoon stays ahead of the kayak...

Eventually this raccoon got tired of us, and found a tree branch to climb away on...

Oyster Catcher having a low tide meal...

Seagull every bit as greedy as the island raccoons...

The beach was pockmarked where the raccoons had dug for oysters, mussels and clams...

He's giving us a little snarl as the kayaking scraping against a nearby barnacle-encrusted rock disturbs his repast...

Long Beach - A trip in February

It's February. Not a good time of year to travel to the west coast of Vancouver Island, you'd think. WRONG! In our mind, ANYTIME is a good time for a visit to Ucluelet, Tofino and Long Beach.

Follow the rest of our trip report on the captions to the pictures...

• 2014-02-01 
48.923, -125.537

Compulsory stop at the water rushing past islands of rocks near Wally Creek.
Parking and access has been made easy.
However, DON'T attempt to walk about the rocks if they're wet!

Once we arrived in Ucluelet, we had enough time for a short walk
along the Wild Pacific Trail to the lighthouse at Amphitrite Point.

A good view of what is known as the "Graveyard of the Pacific"

Amphitrite Lighthouse on the Wild Pacific Trail

At the End of Royston Road

A while ago, I posted Royston's Red Railing to my blog, A Postcard from Vancouver Island.

I liked the colour and the perspective of this little pier at the end of Royston Road, where it intersects with Marine Drive, and I thought I'd share some of the other pictures taken around the same time.

The view here is of Comox (Port Augusta as it was known in earlier times - circa 1860).

Little pier at the end of Royston Road (2011-08-10)

A view of the Salish Sea from Royston (2011-08-10)

Sailing school in Comox (2011-08-10)

Park at the end of Royston Road (2011-08-10)

Chillin' Parliament at Clover Point Park in Victoria

We were down in Victoria on this particular November because.... Well, does one need a reason to visit Victoria?!

Anyway, the day's meanderings eventually, somehow, lead us to Clover Point Park. It was November. The sun was out. All was right with the world. Time to take some pictures.

Enjoy...

Seagulls sunbathing at Clover Point Park (2012-11-14)

Houses along Victoria's Dallas Road
as seen from Clover Point Park (2012-11-14) 

When is beach "stuff" not worthy of a
quick CLICK? (2012-11-14)

The houses of Hollywood Crescent from
Clover Point (2012-11-14)

Path through Hemer Park

This Vancouver Island post takes us to Hemer Provincial Park in October.  On the day these photos were taken (2012-10-22) the leaves had started turning colours and some blackberries were making a valiant effort to ripen.

Viewing platform at the edge of the Hemer Park marsh

Hemer Provincial Park, an easy drive south of Nanaimo is located on Holden Lake.

Holden Lake

A set of trails, about 11 kilometres in total, takes walkers (and the occasional jogger, some horse-back riders, and plenty of pooches) along the shore of Holden Lake and through some marsh areas. The marsh areas are particularly interesting in the late spring as there's an abundance of flowers in bloom. The wild roses fill the air with a wonderful fragrance and the water Irises but on a great yellow show as visitors watch the numerous Trumpeter Swans on the marsh.  

There's a viewing platform at the edge of the marsh, approximately 1 km from the parking lot. Stop here for the roses and watch ducks, Trumpeter Swans, Bald eagles and Turkey Vultures.

Path through Hemer Park

Vancouver Island in Pictures, Post #01

Let's start this blog off with a few recent pictures of Vancouver Island.

You can't go too far wrong by starting off with images from the Long Beach area; in this case, three pictures from Florencia Bay.

The quintessential West Coast beach scene; drift logs and fine sand

Beautiful sandy beaches, so typical of Long Beach

Strolling along the beach, I'm accompanied by the persistent "peeeep", peeeeep" of a pair of Oyster Catchers

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