Category Archives: Photography

Friday’s Ferry Ride

Commuting from the islands to Victoria is a regular event for most of us. Some people take the ferry often enough that they lose their sense of wonder at the landscape.

Leaving Swarz Bay, island views in the distance. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Not me. I pay attention to details. The lovely beach with logs strewn about, shown above.

Cormorant Reunion, near Swarz Bay. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And the cormorants who hold reunions on the ferry traffic buoy near the Swarz Bay terminal, on Vancouver Island.

Cormorants get-together on buoy. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And details on the venerable Mayne Queen ferry itself…

Mayne Queen Ferry lifebuoy. Photo by Andrée Fredette

On older ferries, the pictograms can be quite puzzling.

Pictogram on Mayne Queen Ferry. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Perhaps letting people know that this is not a garbage can…

Rusty links, story of my life. Photo by Andrée Fredette

I did write that the ferry is a venerable piece of equipment. It is over 50 years old, and despite regular maintenance, is showing its age.

 

Ferry wake, dramatic sky, Friday afternoon. Photo by Andrée Fredette

On a sunny afternoon, sitting on the back deck of the ferry offers up absolutely beautiful views of the wake, and the dramatic sky. On the right, the lumpy shadow is Salt Spring Island.

And arriving on Saturna, the ferry disturbs the birds that were perched on the dock pilings… But before they took off, I was able to get these shots, through the car window.

Cormorant, waiting. Photo by Andrée Fredette

The standard cormorant, first.

And a gull, of course.

 

Seagull, waiting for the ferry. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And I will close with my favorite shot of the day: a detail of the lighting on this 50+ year old ferry.

 

Lighting detail on the Good Old Queen. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Flowers, intimately – Photo Wednesday

Above photo: winter clematis in bloom. A real winter treat. Scented too!

Today’s garden visit is an intimate one. Up close and personal.

Meet crocus.

Crocus blossom. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Should you need to get closer, I am glad to oblige.

Crocus stigma. Photo by Andrée Fredette

That is the stigma. I had to look it up.

 

Crocus with visitor. Photo by Andrée Fredette

And the bees are out… in February. This is certainly a mild winter!

 

Bee on Winter Heather. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Time to get out in the garden and do some weeding. And enjoy the buzzing activity.

A walk in the woods: Lilliput world!

Above: one of the forests in which I wander, and its emerald carpet of mosses. A magical world…

Forest path, into the green. Photo by Andrée Fredette

 

I take a walk in the woods almost every day. These days, the air is moist, the ground is alive with mosses. And there are treasures everywhere!

 

Moss cushion in the sunlight, close-up. Photo by Andrée Fredette

A moss cushion in the afternoon sun, enjoying its position on a very wet rock.

A drop, almost ready to fall off the moss. Photo by Andrée Fredette

That was a very wet spot, really. It was dripping in the late afternoon sun. I tried to capture a drop, about to fall off the moss, but not quite yet…

 

Moss close-up. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above: a moss close-up.  I have a new toy: a set of diopter filters (magnifier-like filters, in different strengths, and you can stack them to increase magnification). These are my first attempts are seeing how much of this mini-world I can get into focus.

 

Moss in bloom, January on Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Blooming club moss, above.

And then, there are the lichens… A whole new lilliputian world has opened up, through my lens.

Cladonia pixie cup and other lichens on a log. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above: on a log, an entire miniature habitat where competitors reach for the moisture and nutrients.  The tall ones are “pixie cup” Cladonia lichens, along with other lichens whose names are still a mystery to me, and some moss.  (Note: I found a great lichen reference page here. Please have a look, if you are intrigued by lichens.)

 

Pixie cup lichen (Cladonia) macro shot, Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above: macro shot of Pixie cup lichen (Cladonia) and its “warts”… With the diopter filters, the depth of field is so shallow that hand-held shots are a “no breathing allowed” moment…

 

Jelly tooth mushroom (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum), Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Once your eyes get used to the very diffuse light, you notice all kinds of details in the mosses. Above: a jelly tooth mushroom (Pseudohydnum gelatinosum), and it is a very gelatinous thing. Almost glows in the dark, that tiny one!

 

 Bright orange mushroom, Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

After the rains, there is a great deal of mushroom variety. Little ones, mostly. Like the orange guy above. Sorry, I have no idea about ID!

Coral mushroom (Clavulina) peeking out of the forest litter, Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above, in the darkest part of the forest, some coral mushrooms were peeking out of the forest litter. Maybe Clavulina cristata

Little grey cap mushrooms, all lined up for a dance. Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Delicate little “grey caps”, all lined-up for a dance.

Witches' Butter (Dacrymyces chrysospermus), a yellow jelly mushroom on Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette

Above: Witches’ butter mushrooms (Dacrymyces chrysospermus) on a fallen log.

Tender Duo

And this lovely duo, basking in the afternoon light, in the clover…

To close this post, a shot of the seasonal creek that makes its way to the ocean, near my house…

Winter rains feed a seasonal creek on Saturna Island, BC. Photo by Andrée Fredette