Vancouver Island : Aug 17-28, 2024

Part 2

August 21: Nanaimo BC

I visited Neck Point Park, where a birder at one of the viewpoints told me I *just* missed a breaching humpback. I hung around for more than an hour but they didn't jump again. Afterwards, I stopped by the Morrell Nature Sanctuary.

Shack Island	pIMG_9432.JPG	Purple Sea Stars	Leather Star
cIMG_9438.JPG	Belted Kingfisher	pIMG_9451.JPG	pIMG_9452.JPG
BCZ0409 "Stingray"	pIMG_9465.JPG	pIMG_9466.JPG	BCY1218 "Kata" on left, BCZ0409 "Stingray" on right
pIMG_9470.JPG	Gloucous-winged Gull	Might be "Wisp", who was seen travelling with the group later in the day.	pIMG_9487.JPG
BCZ0409 "Stingray"	BCY1218 "Kata"	pIMG_9492.JPG	pIMG_9504.JPG
pIMG_9511.JPG	pIMG_9519.JPG	pIMG_9520.JPG	American (Northwestern?) Crow
pIMG_9529.JPG	pIMG_9530.JPG	pIMG_9536.JPG	pIMG_9539.JPG
A Prickly Pear Cactus in Canada!	(Abandoned) wasp nest tucked in the rocks	pIMG_9547.JPG	cIMG_9550.JPG
Eastern Grey Squirrel	pIMG_9561.JPG	Gnome community	pIMG_9567.JPG
cIMG_9572.JPG	cIMG_9575.JPG	pIMG_9576.JPG	cIMG_9584.JPG
cIMG_9586.JPG	pIMG_9590.JPG	pIMG_9599.JPG	pIMG_9600.JPG

August 22: Nanaimo to Port Hardy BC

The morning started wet and gloomy, but turned into a beautiful day as I headed north along the east coast of Vancouver Island to Port Hardy. I tied down and got fueled (expensive, as they had to truck in fuel from Montana due to a refinery outage in Alberta), but on a suggestion of the airport staff, took off again for a scenic flight around Hanson Island to spot some whales.

pIMG_9612.JPG	pIMG_9613.JPG	Downtown Nanaimo	Neck Point and Pipers Lagoon
Nanoose Bay	Johnstone Strait abeam West Thurlow Island	West Cracroft Island	pIMG_9627.JPG
Parson Island shrouded by fog	Blackfish Sound and Swanson Island	Beaver Cove	Alert Bay Airport
pIMG_9649.JPG	Alert Bay	pIMG_3428.JPG	Steller's Jay
A 49m long wind turbine blade	cIMG_9663.JPG	cIMG_2569.JPG	Foster Island
Crib Island and Angular Island	Owl (left) and Swanson (right) Islands	Cedar Island	Swanson Island
pIMG_2579.JPG	pIMG_2581.JPG	Farewell Harbour, Berry Island	Farewell Harbour Lodge
pIMG_2589.JPG	Humpbacks with Dall's Porpoises	pIMG_2601.JPG	Looking north across Parson Island in foreground
pIMG_2611.JPG	pIMG_2616.JPG	Telegraph Cove	pIMG_2639.JPG
Those antennas look very close to the runway!	Green Islet	Looking up the Nimpkish River	Port McNeill Airport, setting up for drag racing
Port McNeill	pIMG_9698.JPG	Port McNeill Ferry Terminal	Cockpit of a Dash 8
Grumman Goose	cIMG_9702.JPG	pIMG_9706.JPG	World's Largest Burl ?
cIMG_9718.JPG	cIMG_9719.JPG

August 23: Prince of Whales cruise

Another whalewatching cruise, this time with Prince of Whales out of Telegraph Cove. Despite a sunny forecast, it was very foggy even at our 1:30 departure time. The naturalists identified the orcas as the A50 family plus A55 and A80, and the humpbacks as "Ridge" (BCX1249) and "Freckles" (BCY0727).

Juvenile Bald Eagle	pIMG_9728.JPG	pIMG_9731.JPG	pIMG_9732.JPG
pIMG_9736.JPG	pIMG_9738.JPG	pIMG_9739.JPG	cIMG_9742.JPG
Canada Geese	Another World's Largest Burl (this one in fiberglass for protection)	cIMG_9753.JPG	pIMG_9759.JPG
pIMG_9762.JPG	cIMG_9765.JPG	cIMG_9768.JPG	cIMG_9770.JPG
Sea Otter	cIMG_2648.JPG	Red-necked Phalaropes	pIMG_9793.JPG
pIMG_9795.JPG	pIMG_2652.JPG	pIMG_9799.JPG	Orca research facility
pIMG_2654.JPG	cIMG_9803.JPG	Rhinoceros Auklet	pIMG_9824.JPG
pIMG_2658.JPG	pIMG_9828.JPG	pIMG_2690.JPG	pIMG_9836.JPG
pIMG_9843.JPG	pIMG_2705.JPG	pIMG_2706.JPG	pIMG_2715.JPG
pIMG_2716.JPG	pIMG_9850.JPG	pIMG_9852.JPG	pIMG_9856.JPG
A50 "Clio"	pIMG_9868.JPG	pIMG_9870.JPG	A72 "Bend"
pIMG_9886.JPG	pIMG_9889.JPG	pIMG_9895.JPG	cIMG_2748.JPG
pIMG_9902.JPG	pIMG_9904.JPG	pIMG_9906.JPG	pIMG_2749.JPG
pIMG_2753.JPG	pIMG_2757.JPG	pIMG_2758.JPG	cIMG_9918.JPG
pIMG_9920.JPG	Common Murres	pIMG_9926.JPG	Fork-tailed Storm Petrel
pIMG_9928.JPG	pIMG_9931.JPG	pIMG_9934.JPG	pIMG_9938.JPG
pIMG_9941.JPG	pIMG_9946.JPG	pIMG_9948.JPG	pIMG_9957.JPG
Ghost ship in the mist	Pacific Loon (?)	pIMG_9964.JPG	pIMG_9977.JPG
pIMG_9981.JPG	pIMG_9986.JPG	pIMG_0001.JPG	pIMG_0008.JPG
pIMG_0010.JPG	pIMG_0012.JPG	pIMG_2762.JPG	cIMG_0017.JPG
pIMG_0024.JPG	pIMG_0030.JPG	pIMG_0038.JPG	pIMG_0041.JPG
pIMG_0047.JPG	pIMG_0049.JPG	BCY0727 "Freckles" with calf	pIMG_2765.JPG
pIMG_0068.JPG	pIMG_2768.JPG	pIMG_2774.JPG	pIMG_0073.JPG
pIMG_2775.JPG	pIMG_0076.JPG	pIMG_0077.JPG	pIMG_2778.JPG
pIMG_0079.JPG	pIMG_0083.JPG	pIMG_0091.JPG	pIMG_0093.JPG
pIMG_0097.JPG	Blue Whale jaws	pIMG_0119.JPG	Nimpkish River
pIMG_3460.JPG	cIMG_0128.JPG