Mushroom Season on the West Coast

When the rains arrive in the autumn, mushroom season erupts on the west coast and Vancouver Island.  The following is a collection of my recent mushroom images from Vancouver Island and Gabriola Island, captured with the Canon EOS R3 and R5 cameras and the Canon RF 100mm f2.8L IS macro lens.  

Most of these images consist of anywhere from 5 to 30 individual photos stacked together using PhotoShop or Helicon Focus software in order to capture as much detail as possible.

More mushroom and other fungi images can be found on my web site:  Mushrooms and Fungi Gallery

Brown Bonnet Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Brown Bonnet Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Waxy Laccaria Mushrooms, Roberts Memorial Park

Witch's Hat Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Banana Slug and Stropharia Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Brown Bonnet Mushrooms, Gabriola Island

Brown Bonnet Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Brown Bonnet Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Witch's Hat Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Brown Bonnet Mushrooms, Gabriola Island

Brown Bonnet Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Short-Stemmed Russula Mushroom, Roberts Memorial Park

Waxy Laccaria Mushroom, Roberts Memorial Park

Elfin Saddle Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Questionable Strophoria Mushroom, Gabriola Island

Mushroom Emerging from Moss, Gabriola Island

Questionable Strophoria Mushroom Emerging, Gabriola Island

Black Bears of Quinsam River

During the month of October we made several visits to the Quinsam River near Campbell River on Vancouver Island.  Thanks to friends Blair, Ralf, and Takao, I learned that black bears congregated along this river during the autumn salmon run, and that the area was reasonably accessible to photograph the bears. 

Due to some unforeseen events, we weren't able to get up to Campbell River until after the beginning of October, after salmon fishing season had opened, so there were a lot more people than bears along the river.  On our first visit, the only bear we saw was near our campsite in Elk Falls Provincial Park, which borders the Quinsam River.  On two subsequent visits we finally ventured upstream from the Quinsam River Hatchery, beyond where fishing was allowed, and finally got to see a few black bears.

Here are a few photos from our second and third visits to the area - I hope you enjoy them.  

Black Bear with Salmon
Sony A1, FE 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens

Black Bear with Salmon
Sony A1, FE 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens

Black Bear with Salmon
Sony A1, FE 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens

Black Bear, Quinsam River
Sony A1, FE 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 GM OSS Lens

Black Bear, Quinsam River
Canon EOS R3, RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L IS Lens

Black Bear, Quinsam River
Canon EOS R3, RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L IS Lens

Black Bear, Quinsam River
Canon EOS R3, RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L IS Lens

Black Bear, Quinsam River
Canon EOS R3, RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L IS Lens

Black Bear, Quinsam River
Canon EOS R3, RF 100-500mm f4.5-7.1L IS Lens

These and other bear photos can be found on my web site: www.imageswest.ca/gallery/Bears

Loughborough Inlet and Stafford Estuary Conservancy

Loughborough Inlet is a deep fjord in the Coast Mountain Range of mainland British Columbia, situated midway between Knight Inlet and Bute Inlet north of the Discovery Islands.  The scenic inlet is approximately 35 kilometres long, and the Stafford River estuary is located at the head of the inlet.

During the 20th century, the head of the Loughborough Inlet was subjected to intensive resource extraction, including clear-cut logging and salmon fishing, which lead to the degradation of the Stafford River estuary and a serious decline in salmon runs.

The Stafford Estuary Conservancy was created in 2007 to protect the estuary and 742 hectares of upland and foreshore immediately surrounding the mouth of the Stafford River, and promote recovery of the ecosystem.  The grasses and sedges of the estuary now provide a valuable food source for black and grizzly bears in the spring.

The following images were made while on a tour with Wild Waterways Adventures out of Campbell River.

Loughborough Inlet, British Columbia

Stafford River Conservancy, British Columbia

Waterfalls, Stafford River Conservancy

Grasses and Sedges, Stafford River Estuary

Waterfalls, Stafford Estuary Conservancy

More images from Loughborough Inlet and the Stafford Estuary Conservancy can be found on my web site:  Loughborough Inlet and Stafford Estuary

Wildflowers on Observation Mountain, Grand Forks, BC

We recently returned from a trip to Grand Forks in the southern interior of British Columbia.  During our stay there, we took some time one afternoon to hike up one of the scenic trails on Observation Mountain, which overlooks Grand Forks.  Fortunately, our visit coincided with the blooming of large numbers of Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) flowers.

These images were captured with the Canon EOS R5 and RF 14-35mm f4L IS lens.

Arrowleaf Balsamroot Flowers on Observation Mountain, Grand Forks

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) 

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) 

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) 

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) and Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) and Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) 

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) and Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa)

Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata) 

Salish Sea Herring Spawn and Marine Mammals

On March 5 of this year, we braved the unseasonably cold weather and headed up to Comox, BC for a four-hour boat tour with Wild Waterways Adventures, in search of Biggs orcas and other marine mammals.  Our trip took us south to the Seal Islets north of Hornby Island, where we found a group of harbour seals hauled out on a small sand bar.

Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina)

Harbour Seals (Phoca vitulina)

We then headed south through Lambert Channel between Denman and Hornby Islands, where we stopped for a few minutes to observe the seiner MV Nita Maria conducting a sample catch for the Pacific Herring Test Fishery near the south end of the channel.

MV Nita Maria

MV Nita Maria, Herring Test Fishery

MV Nita Maria, Herring Test Fishery

After watching the gulls flocking around the boat for a few minutes, we turned and headed east towards the south end of Hornby Island, where we found a large colony of California Sea Lions hauled out on the rocks at Toby Island.

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus) and Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)

California Sea Lions (Zalophus californianus)

After a brief stop at Ford's Cove on Hornby Island for hot chocolate and snacks, we headed west past the Chrome Island lighthouse and turned north up the west side of Denman Island, but by then the weather had started to deteriorate and we didn't find much in the way of wildlife aside from a number of seabirds.  We headed back to Comox, cold but smiling, without having sighted any orcas but the trip was very enjoyable and informative all the same.

If you're looking to get out and see some of the fascinating marine life of the Salish Sea, I highly recommend Jen and Reuben at Wild Waterways Adventures.