Along the Coast

Continuing to browse through the May 2010 folder that yielded yesterday's post, I came across this one taken the same day. The photo is taken from Fort Rodd Hill (you can see the gun emplacement on the right of this photo) looking westwards and shows the proximity of Esquimalt Lagoon, created by that long spit of land that cuts across the water in this photo. Esquimalt Lagoon is a bird sanctuary and one can almost always depend on seeing a half dozen different species of duck, blackbirds, swans, geese, herons, shorebirds, seagulls and terns as well as the occasional otter. The lagoon is only a few minutes drive from Fort Rodd Hill. Much of the forest in the right center background belongs to Hatley Park, another splendid place to visit and see the wonderful gardens and Hatley Castle. Directly behind me as I took this photo was Fisgard Lighthouse. This catalog is just to indicate how rich and varied is this section of coastline that lies on edge of the Greater Victoria area.

Devonian Park

Westward along the coast from Hatley Castle lies a mixed forest of fir, cedar and maples called Devonian Park. When a photographer enters the forest, what he stalks is light.

Sometimes one catches the light...

...and sometimes one is caught.

Hatley Castle Autumn

I went out today bent on capturing some autumn color and I got enough for several days posts. I'll ease into it with a photo of a place we've seen before, back in June, Hatley Castle. That other photo was the opposite side of the castle. Here we see the seaward side of it from across Esquimalt Lagoon. And yes, that is a swan, a Mute Swan to be precise, one of a flock whose ancestors escaped from Beacon Hill Park in ages past.

Hatley Park

Overlooking Esquimalt Lagoon is Hatley Castle, built by James Dunsmuir as a residence about 100 years ago. James was the son of Robert Dunsmuir, who earlier built the city of Victoria landmark,Craigdarroch Castle. After James died, Hatley Castle became the home of Royal Roads Military College and in its most recent incarnation, it has become Royal Roads University.I actually went out there to see some of the province's largest trees, Douglas Firs that are over 250 years old. However, I got sidetracked by the castle's formal Italian, Rose and Japanese Gardens and between the heat and the floral overload I never made it to the forest. Next time! Below are a couple of shots from the Japanese Garden.

Below is a flower that was blooming in another Hatley Park Garden called the "Bog Garden." If anyone knows what this spectacularly colored flower is, kindly let me know.