Mist and Brightness: Beaver Lake, Stanley Park

On another post-rainy day, we cycled over to Beaver Lake, tucked in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

Once you bike or better yet, saunter down a short, hard packed fine gravel path through the woods, you’ll reach messy mini-wetland of Beaver Lake.  It’s not particularily scenic spot since you’re surrounded by old growth trees and rotting logs in damp soggy water and soil.

Old growth temperate rainforest trees. Stanley Park, near Beaver Lake. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J. Chong

Easy path by Beaver Lake. Stanley Park, Vancouver BC. Photo by J. Becker

Wood and mallard ducks like to hang out.  Not surprisingly, plump Douglas squirrel or two plus an ever-present stellar jay bird, spotted towhee birds and sparrows.

Stellar jay knew where to get fed. Beaver Lake, Stanley Park. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J. Chong

Chestnut-back chickadee. Beaver Lake, Stanley Park. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J.Chong

The darling dark-eyed junco bird in this blog’s header photo,  was perched among rain-dew dropped branches.  Birds are particularily friendly here and sometimes unafraid, since they are eager for seed treats which park naturalists plead these wild birds shouldn’t be fed.

Douglas squirrel feasting on seeds. Beaver Lake, Stanley Park. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J.Chong

Beaver Lake, Stanley Park. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo J.Chong

Spotted towhee. Beaver Lake, Stanley Park. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J.Chong

Though the day was grey, a post-rain morning cast a rich, vibrancy to plant life and animals hopping about the wetness.  Wild tree mushrooms seemed to sprout even bigger and plumper.  Tree bark shone wet and as if there was sap running through branches on this day after Christmas during our visit.

Stellar jay –abit aggressive for seeds. Beaver Lake, Stanley Park. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J. Chong.

Wild tree mushrooms in temperate rainforest. Stanley Park, Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J. Becker.

Unlike some joggers who were splashing along the sodden paths, we didn’t know what to see nor expect in this tiny wetland sanctuary in the middle of the city’s urban heart throb.

Female wood duck. Beaver Lake, Stanley Park. Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J.Chong

Light fog hangs over Beaver Lake after several days of Dec. rain. Stanley Park, Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J.Chong

Leaving Beaver Lake. Stanley Park, Vancouver BC 2020. Photo by J. Becker.

Featured banner photo is a dark-eyed junco bird.