Tag Archives: Saturna Island

Fresh air and The Birds

November 7, 2016 Andree Fredette

Photo above: participants in the “Round the County Sailing Race”, rounding the Lighthouse Point, Patos Island, WA. Photo taken from East Point, Saturna Island, BC, roughly 6 km away…

On Sunday afternoon, I decided to go to East Point, to get some fresh air (and oh yes, the air certainly was fresh…). Although rain was threatening, I went because someone pointed out that a major sailing race was underway in the Orcas islands. The header photo above is the best shot I could get, from 6km away…

Above: a straggler, way behind the rest of the participants…

A good breeze was flowing through and I found a large gathering of gulls, all over the rocks.

Gulls everywhere, resting while facing the wind.

Above: I think these are junior (not quite mature) herring gulls…

It was like a gull convention. Or the prelude to The Birds (you know, the Hitchcock movie…).

And more coming…

And these caught my eye, because of their red beaks…

I had to look them up today: they are Heerman’s gulls, and these waters are probably their northernmost habitat on the Pacific Northwest.

There were all kinds of Harlequin ducks, fishing around the point. Above, a lovely couple. The gulls kept trying to fly close, land next to the ducks after they surfaced, to steal whatever they had caught…

Oops, the hen dove and the drake gets to pose for the camera…

Here is a harlequin hen, at the shore…

And then there were the little ones, the sandpipers, scurrying between the gulls. They are so tiny and quick, and their camouflage colours are so efficient that they are hard to spot…

Snack time…

After a couple of hours, my fingers started to feel frozen (note to self: bring gloves, next time), so I decided to head home.

I leave you with a shot from the night before, a Saturday evening sunset minuet:

Blog, Photo Wednesday, Photography

A friend’s garden – Photo Wednesday

June 1, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: one of the outdoor “rooms” a friend created in her garden.

I explored a friend’s garden last week. An oasis, really.

This is a garden where, wherever you turn, a new treasure awaits. Few blossoms, however, hold the magical effect of Magnolia sieboldii, above. In that garden, the tree has attained a sizeable presence.

There is a clematis collection.

Here, it helps to define the entrance to the vegetable patch.

I got up close and personnal…

And around the corner, another clematis clamours for attention…

Like a piece of flashy jewelry.

And there were still rhododendrons, finishing their season…

Like this virginal white version.

And to conclude, here is an intimate look at a peony.

I can’t begin to describe the fragrance… Just imagine.

Blog, Just Because, Photo Wednesday, Photography

My garden – Photo Wednesday

May 11, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: it’s the beginning of poppy season in my garden. I have let a wide strip of them colonize a sunny corner, and they reward me year after year.

Longer days, more sunlight, warm weather. This adds up to flowers in the garden. And many jobs every day.

One worker bee, cleaning out the rosemary.

Whenever I step outside, I notice a loud buzzing in the neighbourhood… It comes from the arbutus trees, which are covered in blooms, but also from every plant that is flowering around here. Bees are everywhere. We have no shortage of bees on Saturna Island, I can vouch for that!

Above: a ~~mystery~~ white one that is now multiplying in my rock garden. (Note: a mystery no more, this white cutie is Star of Bethlehem or Ornithogalum umbellatum. Many thanks to Patrick, who helped identify this beautiful spring bloom, and warned of its tendency to multiply vigorously.)

Since we fenced the garden in front, I am discovering new plants… They were either planted by the previous owners, or are wildflowers that now have a chance to bloom (before the fence, the deer and goats would just mow everything to golf-green condition…).

Above: Little blue one, inside the fence ~~mystery~~ (Edit: mystery now resolved: this is Naked broomrape (Orobranche uniflora) a wildflower that appeared in the rock garden. A tiny treasure that is only two inches tall. I have not seen it outside the fence, anywhere on this island, probably due to deer and goat grazing.

Above: rock roses (Cistus) are starting to bloom and will keep going for a month or so. It’s a colourful party by the bird bath.

And I finish with my new “baby”, a rhododendron purchased on a whim. I found a shady spot, and piled a lot of dirt, sea soil, compost, and mulch in a good-sized mound to accommodate the rhodo. Let us hope it survives…

I salute gardeners everywhere, with my very rough-looking hands and questionable fingernails (smile). May your compost bring you good results!

Blog, Photo Wednesday

Arbutus (madrone) – Photo Wednesday

April 13, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: Lucky afternoon shot. From his perch on an arbutus high above Fiddler’s Cove, that eagle was keeping an eye on the water.

Arbutus is a fascinating tree because it is constantly changing. Its bark renews itself every year, peeling off old layers to reveal pistachio-green fresh skin.

If they are near your house, you might call them messy trees because they are constantly dropping something on the ground: bark, limbs, waxy flower buds, fruits not eaten by the birds, and dry leaves. Year round. A broom can be handy, to clear a path among the detritus.

Still, they are just beautiful. Have a look.

How is that for visual rhythm?

Another afternoon shot, focusing on the bark, curling and peeling off.

Right now, they are blooming, attracting lots of bees.

A close-up of the flower, which is waxy and heavy for its size (tiny).

Arbutus is a tree of coastal British-Columbia, the only native broadleaf evergreen tree in Canada. Its other common name is madrone, a Spanish word for the strawberry tree, of which arbutus is a close relative.

It likes sunny and dry conditions. Like rocky bluffs.

And in the fall, some years, it produces great crops of tiny fruit that are loved by the birds.

Go hug a tree, it’s good for the soul.

Blog, Photo Wednesday, Wanderings

Island Wandering – Photo Wednesday

April 6, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: A view of the point at Narvaez Bay, taken from Fiddler’s Cove, Saturna island. Can you spot the hikers?

This beautiful and peaceful spot is Fiddler’s Cove at low tide. To get there, you have to clamber down a steep trail (and remember that what goes down has to come up at the end of the excursion…).

This spot has beautiful lacy sandstone (also called tafoni). Over the years, I have watched lots of people take photos of it, because everyone finds it intriguing. How can rocks look so lacy?

Here is a closer crop of the above photo, to show you a lichen detail:

I am new to lichen identification, so this little red béret lichen crowd will remain unnamed for the moment.

And here is “big nose”, the rock that overhangs the water. It frames the horizon.

If you look carefully between the rocks at the water’s edge, you can get lucky and spy an anemone…

So the lesson is: keep your eyes open, you never know what you’ll spot.

Andrée Fredette