The wildlife, habitats, and history of Boundary Bay

I spent three years creating thousands of photographs in and around Boundary Bay for two books writen by local author and naturalist Anne Murray. I did this in my spare time while I was completing my Ph.D. in forest ecology at the University of British Columbia. It was great to be able to take a break from office work and get outside to experience this wonderful place.   Sunlight breaks through January storm clouds in the salt marsh of Boundary Bay. Boundary Bay is a dramatic and diverse coastal landscape that connects British Columbia with Washington State. This area is probably best known as an important habitat for migrating birds following the pacific flyway. Scenes of spectacular natural abundance are common during the spring and fall migration as birds such as Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, and Snow Geese gather in flocks of thousands. This abundance is supported by a very productive ecosystem made up of extensive mudflats, eel grass beds, salt marshes, and agricultural fields. The area has been designated a Canadian Important Bird Area and a Hemisphere Reserve for shorebirds. Thousands of snow geese fill the sky over Westham Island. A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay is your guide to wildlife and habitats and will help you find and appreciate the many natural wonders of Boundary Bay. It is not only a guide to locations and species, it connects what you can see in Boundary Bay with important ecological concepts. It will help you understand bird migration, life in the intertidal, nocturnal wildlife, geology, and much more. Tracing Our Past - A Heritage Guide to Boundary Bay is the story of a landscape and the people who transformed it. It is your guide to the history of this coastline, from the last Ice Age to the challenges facing us in the modern day. Both books cover the whole Boundary Bay watershed just south of Vancouver, and include the Fraser River estuary, Burns Bog, Delta, Surrey, Langley, White Rock, Blaine and Point Roberts. Glacial erratics in Drayton Harbor, Washington. The links in the right column will lead you to more information about the photographs in these books. You can order prints of your favorite Boundary Bay images, see a map showing where the images were made, see galleries with some of my favorite images from the books, see more images not included in the books, and read some advice about how to make your own photographs in Boundary Bay. Anne's web site has Boundary Bay news, species lists, and more information about Boundary Bay. Here are what revewers are saying about A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay: "A Nature Guide to Boundary Bay is one of those rare local guides that informs you about the broader world as well as your own backyard. Everyone in southwestern British Columbia should have this book on hand." - Richard Cannings, writer and naturalist   "David Blevins... has an inventive eye for grand vistas, tiny subjects, and everything in between." - Hugh Griffith (read the full review) Here are what revewers are saying about Tracing Our Past - A Heritage Guide to Boundary Bay: "Well researched, well written,and intelligently presented,a beautifully illustrated local history not to be missed by anyone with an interest in how this area got to be the way it is." - Derek Hayes, historian and author

Boundary Bay Return to the main Boundary Bay page Order the books Order the book online direct from the publisher Fine Art Prints Order prints of your favorite Boundary Bay images Photographing Boundary Bay Advice for making your own photographs of Boundary Bay. Images from the Nature Guide Some of my favorite images from the book. Images from Tracing our Past Some of my favorite images from the book. More Photographs Some of my favorite images from Boundary Bay that did not make it into the books. Map of the images See where some of the images were made.