Good Morning!

Here is what I see most mornings now when I go outside. This lineup of House Sparrows and about 50 of their friends and relatives are waiting for me to fill the feeder so they can have breakfast.

Red-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis)

Here's a fairly common local bird that has just begun to visit our backyard bird feeder, a Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis).I am happy that it has decided to feed here since they are difficult to photograph in the wild - jumping and hopping around very rapidly when they are foraging for insects and seeds in trees. Our backyard feeder has been taken over by House Finches and House Sparrows and this forces the little Nuthatch to seek spilled food on the ground or wait for an opportunity at the feeder.

Poseidon

The Steamship Terminal pictured yesterday is decorated on its corners and entrance by sculpted heads of the Greek God of the Sea, Poseidon, a very appropriate mythological reference. The heads were carved by George Gibson and there is an interesting article by Ross Crockford on them and the terminal building you can read by clicking HERE. Poseidon is also the god responsible for earthquakes so let's hope he continues to be pleased by his prominent location on the Victoria's Inner Harbour.

Steamship Terminal

On Sunday I went down to the Inner Harbour to take some video of the Harbour Ferry Ballet. I didn't get the video I wanted so I'll have to go back again. Hopefully I'll have a video for you next week. But, I did get some photos of the Steamship Terminal, my personal favorite of the three Rattenbury-designed buildings flanking the Inner Harbour.

Esquimalt Lagoon Beach

Usually when I am out at Esquimalt Lagoon I end up photographing the lagoon itself or the birds that are in its sanctuary. The other shore of the spit that makes the lagoon, the ocean shore, tends to have more dogs and less birds so I rarely walk over there. However, it's a nice long beach enjoyed by many people. In the photo above we are looking west with the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in the far distance on the left.