Walkabout local patch Vaulen

A quick walkabout around a local patch 10mins walk down the hill. It's got some nifty fjord view with awesome potential for cloudy sunrise shots, moody evening clouds and morning fog. Even the waters hold quite interesting subjects like fish frys, shirmps, crustaceans and the like. The shallows are also spawning grounds in mid-late summer.

Spawning fish at Vaulen (could it be Salmon)

Salmon (pronounced samon or laks) is a big thing for those not living in Norway. Locally it's just another part of the wildlife especially for those not involved in the salmon farming industry, government players marketing the salmon to the world or a fishing kaki.

I prefer mackerel myself and have not ventured to fish salmon out of it's natural habitat, so far I have not even been tempted. It's a big regal fish that I think should be left to do it's thing without hindrance.

The other day while out birdwatching and filming shrimps at the fjord near the house I heard some loud splashing in the shallows. Turned around and saw what looked like tails. Is it salmon? It's the right season for a salmon run ... but in the fjord? They normally run up pristine rivers for spawning and those are plentiful slightly further south and north of here.

Maybe I should bring my rods over and try a few casts ... maybe not.

Grey Heron at Vaulen

Grey Heron ... when I first saw them after moving here I said, "Are you here too?".  Back in Miri you see them occasionally at Kua;a Baram Wetlands but not in great numbers.  I saw my first big colony at Kuala Selangor Nature Park.

It's also very common here. Always a nice thing to see it hunt by the shore, ever so patient and deliberate in it's stalking style. I think I have a video recording of it stalking prey in Egersund, that was a big yawn inducer if you are not a birder.

Lately I've been made aware of it's more sinister side which I never expected. There've been several well recorded cases of Grey Heron preying on ducklings and baby waders. Some have been posted on Youtube.

Initially it seemed out of character for a bird of such grace and calculated stalking style but then you realise that this is nature, if you can swallow it, it's food.

Imaging at Vaulen Beach

Vaulen Beach is located only a stone's throw away down the hill from the house. Popular with residents in the area during the warmer months, in winter only dogwalkers come aroudn to walk their charge during the day.

It has perfect view East and NorthEast however with the amount of light pollution from nearby houses and streetlights the location is not on the top spot of most nightstalkers. I have attempted shooting here a few times but always get frustrated with the excessive lights. Also being popular with dogs and their walkers during the day, walking around at night around here carry certain risks. I brought back dog poo into the garage on one occasion courtesy of the front tire of the car.

Looking Northeast.

Star Adventurer pointed East.

Radio tower across the fjord.

Foggy Nights Stars from Vaulen

It's been foggy the past week, which makes the surroundings errily strange and funky in someways. I have been meaning to capture streetlights in heavy fog one of these days but haven't quite managed to do so just yet. Took the opportunity yesterday to pop by Vaulen beach on the way home from the post office.

With almost clear sky higher up, the fog added quite a rather nice atmosphere to the captured images. Some of the heavy LP in the area seemed nicely muted by the thick fog. I might have to go back to take advantage of the fog these next few days.