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John Lee

@johnleewriter.bsky.social
256 followers 145 following 1.8K posts

Independent feature writer, content creator and copywriter (www.JohnLeeWriter.com). Huge Christmas fan (www.VancouverChristmasGuide.com) and co-author of the brand new book "Freecouver: 101 Free Things To Do In And Around Vancouver" (www.freecouver.com)

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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 10h
COVID wasn't all bad. Check out this amazing Peter Mullan piece, created during lockdown: www.facebook.com/NationalThea...
facebook.com
46K views · 763 reactions | 'Fill yer beaks' After switching the food in his back-garden bird feeder, an idyllic lockdown experience is threatened after the birds make it clear they’re none too happy with the change. A showdown ensues, and as the fight escalates beyond his control the lines between man and beast begin to blur. Peter Mullan directs and stars in a surreal and hilarious new short from writer Douglas Maxwell. Filmed in isolation in Glasgow Scenes for Survival is a National Theatre of Scotland project in association with BBC Scotland, Screen Scotland, BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine project and Scotland’s leading theatre venues and companies, with support from Hopscotch Films UK | National Theatre of Scotland
'Fill yer beaks' After switching the food in his back-garden bird feeder, an idyllic lockdown experience is threatened after the birds make it clear they’re none too happy with the change. A...
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 16h
And the winner is.... www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Backpack edges past Dancing Queen to win the Fat Bear Week title
Bear known for sitting in solitude won tournament celebrating the animals’ ability to eat large amounts of fish
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 19h
The wonder of insects: www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Insects play critical role in ecosystems beyond just providing food, new research shows
Insects provide protection, sanitation and even shelter to vertebrates, making them a priority for conservation efforts
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Tim Thomas @timofnewbury.bsky.social · 20h
Won an auction for an Olivetti lettera 32 typewriter on eBay. Arrived safely and it works well (needs a new ribbon). Happy to discover from typewriterdatabase.com that it was manufactured in 1967 in Italy. Happy also that the money will go to East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. each.org.uk
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Rebecca Bollwitt @miss604.com · 29/09/2026
Hope to see you at Semiahmoo Shopping Centre on Saturday. I’ll be at Black Bond Books for their author extravaganza with @theaaronchapman.bsky.social @evelazarus.bsky.social @johnleewriter.bsky.social Susan Cormier, Christy K. Lee, and many more local authors 📚 #booksky
miss604.com
Book Signing at the White Rock and South Surrey Culture Crawl
We join a roster of talented local authors at Black Bond Books for the White Rock and South Surrey Culture Crawl on October 3rd, signing copies of FREECOUVER.
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Vancouver Christmas Guide @vanchristmasguide.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A vintage #London Underground #Christmas advert
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hope to see you all in White Rock on Saturday!
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Jocelyn Anderson Photography @jocelynanderson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A Sandhill Crane calls at other Sandhill Cranes that are passing by overhead. I can tell this a male as they throw their head back 90 degrees while calling, while the females throw their heads back 45 degrees.
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
New 'genetic conservation area' in #Cambodia aims to save the Siamese crocodile from the brink of extinction www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Saving the Siamese crocodile: Cambodia moves to protect one of the world’s last wild populations
Indigenous communities play crucial role, as ‘genetic bank’ area of wetland offers hope for critically endangered reptile
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Guardian photo essay covers the critically endangered native ponies of a remote Hebridean island -- and the locals who look after them: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
theguardian.com
The endangered native ponies of Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides – a photo essay
Fewer than 400 Eriskay ponies remain. One of the rarest native breeds in the world, their plight is unique because the community living on their tiny Hebridean island are fighting for them. The ponies...
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Behold B.C.'s annual hot pepper eating contest: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Similkameen Sizzle festival shows off bountiful produce from Interior growers, has contestants sweating | CBC News
People from across B.C. and around the world arrived in Keremeos, B.C., Saturday afternoon to compete in the Similkameen Sizzle's annual hot pepper eating contest. The annual Similkameen Sizzle festiv...
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This is really sad: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Crows are being given naloxone after suspected drug overdoses in Prince George | CBC News
The increased toxicity of the illicit drug supply has prompted public warnings in the north-central B.C. city.
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Images from this year's #Porthcawl Elvis festival www.theguardian.com/music/galler...
theguardian.com
All hail the King: the Porthcawl Elvis festival – in pictures
The largest gathering of Elvis fans in Europe is held annually every September in the seaside town in south Wales
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Among my favourite FREECOUVER discoveries was the brilliant BC Golf Museum. One of the museum's co-founders is about to give a Tea & Talk event at the Old Hastings Mill Store Museum (also in our book) on the topic of Vancouver's Lost Golf Courses. Check it out:
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Bird banders scramble to deal with surge in migrating saw-whet owls in Northern B.C. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Record-breaking owl migration in northern B.C. leaves researchers scrambling | CBC News
A boom in mice and voles may have helped produce an unusually large wave of young saw-whet owls near Mackenzie, north of Prince George.
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Vancouver Christmas Guide @vanchristmasguide.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
#ChristmasCatMax pronounces it "fra-gee-lay"
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Todd Temkin @toddtemkin.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Lukka & Eldfara. If these two knock on your door and insist you come out and play in the rain, what are you answering? Patagonia problems.
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explore.org @explore.org · 26/09/2026
Sit down Saturday.
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Vancouver Christmas Guide @vanchristmasguide.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Looking for the perfect #Christmas gift? Check out this satirical Canadian board game: www.e-upgames.com
e-upgames.com
Making Board Games Great Again!
Take control of the Pentagon! Twenty American cities are up for grabs. Send in the National Guard. Put your opponents On ICE. The last one standing is the winner!
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Dannyboy wildlife @dannyboywildlife.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
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Rebecca Bollwitt @miss604.com · 25/09/2026
By donation day + free admission night at the Vancouver Art Gallery next week for its 95th anniversary. Online/advance registration required.
miss604.com
Vancouver Art Gallery Celebrates 95 Years
The Vancouver Art Gallery is celebrating its 95th anniversary this October, marking nearly a century as an integral part of Vancouver's cultural life.
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Mr Natural @neilmatheson66.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
George Callaghan (b.N.Ireland, 1941) Autumn Road through the Glens. oil and acrylic on canvas.
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Vancouver Christmas Guide @vanchristmasguide.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
#ChristmasCatMax is always daydreaming about the holidays...
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Many of #Vancouver's paid attractions have monthly admission-free days. Check out this handy #FREECOUVER round-up of our favourites: freecouver.com/2026/06/free...
freecouver.com
Free or Pay-What-You-Can Days at Top Local Attractions - Freecouver
A great selection of museums, galleries and more in Vancouver and beyond offer designated special days where you don’t have to pay the regular price for admission. These are a great way to visit some ...
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Looking for another reason to love Margaret Atwood? Here you go: www.theguardian.com/books/ng-int...
theguardian.com
‘Birdwatching is close to rapture’: Margaret Atwood on why she has given C$1m to avian research
Award-winning novelist celebrates late partner’s love of birds with gift to establish the Graeme Gibson chair in avian biology
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@Above96th @above96th.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I realized when I saw this stunning Red-bellied Woodpecker that I hadn't seen many recently. Curious what other Central Park birders have experienced. 🥰🥰🥰 #Woodpeckers #CentralPark #birdsseenin2026
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Dannyboy wildlife @dannyboywildlife.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
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Vancouver Christmas Guide @vanchristmasguide.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
We loved catching "Dial 1 for UK" at North Van's Presentation House Theatre last night! Engaging, innovative, funny and touching -- plus a great performance from writer/actor Mohit Mathur. There are only 4 more shows left -- catch it if you can! www.phtheatre.org/dial-1-for-u...
phtheatre.org
Dial 1 for UK Sept 24 – 27, 2026 - Presentation House Theatre
Fresh from a hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe, West End performer Mohit Mathur delivers a laugh-out-loud comedy with a poignant reality check.
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Michael Warburton @michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
SIMON PEGG impersonating all four Beatles in 10 seconds. Seriously impressive.
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julielfrost.bsky.social @julielfrost.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A female redstart found in a small mixed flock this week. #Birds #Nature #Warblers #Wildlife #BirdsOfBluesky
A female American redstart, a warbler, sits on a thin branch next to a tree trunk. She has a gray head and mostly white underparts with orangish spots at her wings. A bit of the bright lemon yellow on her tail is visible.
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Michelle Cozens @measureofcalm.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
A different eastern phoebe from the one I posted the other day. I seem to be seeing a lot of them lately. #eck #birds
A bird is perched on a gray, lichen-covered branch. The bird is facing the camera with its head tipped up and to the right. In the background, a brownish leaf hangs from above and the rest of the background is blurred greenery.
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Suffolk Detectorist @sdetectorist.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
With a few very rare exceptions the only coin minted from around the 760's to 1279 was the silver penny. Fractions would be achieved by cutting the coin, in half for a halfpenny, and quarters for a farthing (aka fourthing) From 1279 under Edward I round fractions were produced.
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Manhattan Bird Alert @birdcpk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The Barred Owl after evening flyout last week on a tree in the Central Park Ramble. 🦉 🧡
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Great idea for all golf courses! www.theguardian.com/environment/...
theguardian.com
Skylarks and sandwich terns among new birdies on reserve created from ‘boring old golf course’
National Trust has transformed Sandilands in Lincolnshire into a nature reserve with wetlands and wading pools
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womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Karen Pleass, contemporary Irish textile artist #womensart #Autumn
Pictorial textile artwork featuring a landscape with a central small white house among hills in purples and blues
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Very cool! www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
cbc.ca
Kamloops man finds rare mastodon tooth on Interior B.C. lakeshore | CBC News
A man from Kamloops, B.C., has unearthed a prehistoric fossil, marking only the third such discovery in British Columbia.
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RSPB @rspb.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's the first astronomical day of autumn! 🍂 Crisp air on your cheeks, the smell of damp earth...dew sparkling in cobwebs. A Robin singing as golden leaves crunch underfoot...and cold hands wrapped around a hot drink. What do you think of when you think of autumn? #AutumnEquinox
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Jocelyn Anderson Photography @jocelynanderson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It was just this male Belted Kingfisher and me on the boardwalk for a bit on this rainy morning.
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Jocelyn Anderson Photography @jocelynanderson.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
A Green Heron closeup. This one still has a few downy feathers on the noggin.
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@Above96th @above96th.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It continues to amaze me how hummingbirds can just fly in place! This Ruby-throated Hummingbird seemed to be sizing up its approach to the purple salvia in Central Park's Conservatory Garden. 🥰🥰🥰 #Hummingbirds #CentralPark #birdsseenin2026
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Steve Gale @stevewg.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Colley Hill, Surrey: coffee break from birding the steep scrub. Love the plaque on the bench I’m sitting on
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Greg Morse @gregmorsedphil.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Morning. Found this while I was searching for something else. Worth a glance for the photos at least. This one is by the excellent David Christie #sixties #railway www.amberley-books.com/blog/2017/06...
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Need some images of alpaca herding in the mountains of #Switzerland? Of course you do: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
theguardian.com
Alpabzug! Swiss mountain alpaca herding – in pictures
Each autumn the traditional alpabzug (descent of herds) sees farmers in Switzerland move their livestock from mountain pastures down to valley barns. In the Griesalp area above Kiental around 70 alpac...
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Rebecca Bollwitt @miss604.com · 22/09/2026
Our next FREECOUVER book signing event is coming up during the White Rock & South Surrey Culture Crawl. @johnleewriter.bsky.social and I will join a roster of talented local authors at Black Bond Books in Semiahmoo Shopping Centre Oct 3 including @theaaronchapman.bsky.social @evelazarus.bsky.social
miss604.com
Book Signing at the White Rock and South Surrey Culture Crawl
We join a roster of talented local authors at Black Bond Books for the White Rock and South Surrey Culture Crawl on October 3rd, signing copies of FREECOUVER.
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Vancouver Christmas Guide @vanchristmasguide.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Eby calls an election. You know who to vote for...
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Ian Denton @iand777.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Today's #BirdOfTheDay theme is #Redheads, any bird with a Red on its head/beak. Here we have a charming Goldfinch, enjoying a bath this morning and gradually splashing the camera lens. 🦉🌿 @robcrank68.bsky.social
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Charlie Ludwig @chuck4242.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
My first educational video. This is something I’ve been wanting to do now that I’ve improved my video capturing abilities. So I present a Green Heron hunting. #Birds #Birding #Wildlife #Nature #Photography #Animals #ECK #Video #Videos #Educational
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
2026 images from the world's largest bird photography competition: www.theguardian.com/artanddesign...
theguardian.com
Winners of bird photographer of the year 2026 – in pictures
Photographers from all over the world entered more than 24,000 images into the world’s largest bird photography competition, with an image of a northern gannet bursting through the ocean’s surface tak...
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John Lee @johnleewriter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Behold New Zealand's Bird of the Year: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
The black robin, once down to just a single breeding pair, wins NZ bird of the year
Fondly known as the ‘goth’ of New Zealand’s bird world, the black robin now has a population of 350 adults thanks to a pioneering breeding programme
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Bard on the Beach @bardonthebeach.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
A hearty thank you and congratulations to all the people who made the 2026 Season happen. From the work that was visible on the BMO Mainstage and in the Douglas Campbell Theatre, to the patrons who attended our performances, to the financial support from our Members and Sponsors. Thank you.
The Company of The Merry Wives of Windsor on the BMO Mainstage posed and smiling.The Company of Macbeth on the BMO Mainstage posed and smiling.The Company of Goblin:Oedipus posed and smiling in the Douglas Campbell Theatre.The Company of Antigone posed and smiling in the Douglas Campbell Theatre.
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