Stanley Park, Vancouver (Part 1, The Waterfront)

On October 23rd my wife and I spent a day at Stanley Park in Vancouver, one of our favorite places for photography.  We took so many pictures that I am doing a number of different blog posts of our visit there, the first group of pictures of the waterfront and harbor where we spent most of the day.  The day was very foggy to begin with and though it cleared for a while the fog rolled in again in the afternoon.  The fog, however, made for some of the best pictures we've ever taken there.  I intend to do a separate post on the autumn color we photographed there, but some of it is shown in these photos as well.  Color, fog, sunlight, birds, shipping, totem poles - it was an amazing day.

Stanley Park, Vancouver

Whenever we have a chance we head for Vancouver and for Stanley Park.  Few cities are privileged to have such beautiful and extensive green space as Vancouver does.  With sport facilities, family activities, bike and walking paths, a beautiful drive, a long seawall, an aquarium, trails, lakes, streams, birds, waterfowl, small animals, great views of English Bay, the surrounding mountains, the Vancouver skyline and harbor, this park has everything.

These pictures were taken at various times and during different seasons in the park, but give some idea of the many reasons we have for visiting the park as often as possible.  Certainly no visitor to Vancouver should  miss the park.  If possible, one should take bikes and bike along the seawall, a several hour walk otherwise.  The one caveat is that the park can be very busy during the summer with parking at a premium and every sunny bench occupied.

It is an especially good place for bird-watching.  The walking and bike path along the seafront are good places to watch for waterfowl, as are the two lakes, and there are many songbirds to be seen also.

Herring Gull

Common Merganser

Barrow's Goldeneye

Mallard

Blue Heron

Double Crested Cormorant

Wood Duck

Bufflehead

Mute Swan

American Coot

Chestnutbacked Chickadee

Rufous-sided Towhee

Fox Sparrow