Around Victoria

Our trip to Victoria was to help Phil celebrate his 60th birthday. Phil is Mary Ann's brother, and has lived in British Columbia for years.  We don't see him often, so the opportunity to visit was not to be missed. We travelled with Mary Ann's mother Bea, and her niece Aimee and son Simon.

Phil and Susan at brunch.

We had a nice brunch at a restaurant on Cordova Bay.  A beautiful spot on the east side of Victoria.

Victoria is a lovely city, with a population of approximately 400,000 in the Greater Victoria Area. One thing I've noticed about Vancouver Island is the respect the residents have for the environment.  Beacon Hill Park is only a few blocks away from downtown Victoria, yet is clean and well kept, and is teeming with wildlife.

Another example.

But what has the locals excited is the return of nesting Blue Herons.  They had been absent for the last few years because of the aggressive eagle population, but have returned to Beacon Hill Park this spring.  The pine trees were full of nests.

The squawking of the chicks reminded me of Heron nesting grounds in Florida.

The notion that these birds have chosen a downtown location to nest is absolutely amazing to me.

[Photographer's Note: I only had a 80-200mm lens with a 1.4 teleconverter on a full frame camera, so I wished I had more glass with me.]

The find was unexpected, and very rewarding.  I could photograph these birds all day.

I've got one more series of photos from the trip, so stay tuned...

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Thanks for reading...

Mark