Low Flying Eagles

And Other Wildlife

Sat Jun 11th

A few minutes after this picture was taken and 100m further down the road, this Bald Eagle zoomed down to a group of Otters on a rock getting ready to enjoy a large flat fish for breakfast, sending the Otters diving into the water and making off with their food.  I had no time to set up the picture and fortunately the camera was on an automatic setting.  










The highlight of the week was the arrival of the Kitsilano branch last Friday and young Sebastian.  We wondered what Jack would make of somebody else getting much of the attention.  He was curious, gentle and wanted to be part of the action. 

We think they are likely to be good mates.  This time he didn't cry as soon as I picked him up!  Great fun.

On the Admin front, I finally managed to switch my Apple Region from UK to Canada.  Not an easy task.  Several calls to Apple support, Music and Apple TV subscriptions cancelled and residual subscriptions periods allowed to lapse and the change was made.  You would think a global player like Apple, with a vast customer base, where at least some people are likely to move around, would make the process easier.  It was only necessary to make the change so we can access Canada only App Store apps and updates.  

Relieved to have made the change I was surprised that some 60 of the 100+ movies we had purchased from Apple had disappeared (we stopped buying DVD's several years ago).  Now I understand international rights issues around movies, music, sports et al, but Apple could not explain why some of the movies had disappeared or why I had to buy the same movies again in Canada.  Their only solution was to cancel the new Canadian Apple Music and TV subscriptions, set the region back to the UK and fill an Apple device with 60 downloaded movies, before switching back to Canada and reinstating local subscriptions.

They would not refund the lost movies, there was no way of escalating the issue, it was clear I am on my own and they had no solution.  Rubbish, though that was not the word I used at the time.

Overlooking the Salish Sea and with Vancouver now open again to cruise ships, we have been conscious of their passage through the Georgia Straits, the other name for the Salish Sea.  The Celebrity Eclipse glided past against a clouded setting sun on route to a US coastal port.  One hundred and twenty two thousand tons and 2,850 passengers.  Last year there were no cruise ships just the tug-towed barges delivering gravel, timber or wood chips.

One of the local  Grey Whales was back during the week.  Off Bonniebrook Beach at about 17.30, I caught up with it twenty minutes later passing Gospel Rock, an outcrop just above Gibsons, on my way in to collect some live Spot Prawns.  A local delicacy with the season due to finish within the week.   The boat in the harbour that sells them had shut up shop for the day, so I had a pleasant hour on Gospel rock photographing the whale and two juvenile Bald Eagles.  





Tuesday saw the arrival of the Norfolk Cronks following their stay in Toronto and visit to Niagara Falls.  The next couple of weeks we're dashing around Van Island on a whale watching excursion, up in Whistler and mooching around Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast.  

Friday was an early start to get up to Earls Cove for the second ferry across to Powell River, then onwards to Comox on Vancouver Island.  We got off to a good start until I realized fifteen minutes into the journey I'd left my camera, Mac and lens at home.  The others carried on up the Coast while I rushed back to gather up the missing rucksack.  We assumed we'd miss our planned 0825 ferry and the connection to Vancouver Island.  Not helped when we got stuck behind a 60kmh tipper truck who had no sense of our urgency for the last 30k.  How unreasonable is that!

In practice we should not have worried.  We arrived with twenty minutes to spare and were only one car behind the Norfolk branch.  The first ferry was only 30% full.  Surprising as the second and third ferries out of Langdale to Horseshoe Bay had been cancelled, meaning those needing to get to Vancouver Island had to go via the top of the Coast at Earls Cove. 

This is written after an awesome day's whale watching.  It deserves a blog in its own right!  More pics below.

Juvenile Bald Eagle off Gospel Rock

Otters on Bonniebrook Beach

The underside of Gibsons Wharf

In need of TLC - Gibsons Marina

Local Black Tailed Deer Communing with geese on the beach








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