Christmas Bird Counts 2015

Posted on November 3, 2015 by Krista

This is the first notice of Christmas Bird Counts so mark your calendars!

The count dates and contact information are as follows:
Comox CBC –- Sunday Dec 20 –- Carol Muirhead : caroljmuirhead at shaw dot ca or call 250-331-0511.
Little River-Powell River Ferry CBC — Wednesday Dec. 30 –- Art Martell : amartell at shaw dot ca or call 250-334-2979. Meet at the Little River ferry terminal by 0945 for the 10 AM sailing. All are welcome.

Remember to sign up for 2 or 3 — the opportunity comes only once a year. Many of our members take part in all counts held in our area.

The Deep Bay CBC will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 16. Please contact Bill Stewart at bmstewart at shaw dot ca or at (250) 338-1855 if you would like to help on this count. More details will be provided as the date gets closer.

The Campbell River CBC will be held on Sunday, Dec. 27. Each year in the past several Comox Valley birders have gone up to help on this count, so if you would like to do so please contact Luisa Richardson at (250) 923-9918. More details to follow at a later date.

Posted in Birds, News | Comments Off on Christmas Bird Counts 2015

BC Nature eNews November 2015

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Botany
Upcoming Events
  • Harrison Camp – Nov 26 – Nov 29, 2015 – Last Chance – 2 spots available – Please email for more information or visit this link
  • Awards Deadline January 29,2016. Meet with your Club executive and nominate a worthy club member today! All details in this Link
  • Resolutions Submission – February 26, 2016 deadline – visit link
  • Club Support Grants 2016 – deadline February 28, 2016. Please go to 2016 form download
  • Mitlenatch Camp – May 8-11, 2016 Preliminary Information available at this link
  • AGM 2016 – hosted by Comox Valley Naturalists – May 12 – 15, 2016
  • Rene Savenye Scholarship deadline – June 3, 2016. Application Link
  • FGM 2016 – Prince George, September 2016
BC Nature 2015 Annual Appeal
Its that time of year again, in the middle section of the BCnature Fall magazine, there is a letter outlining our annual appeal for donations.
With a membership of just over 5,700, comprised of 53 clubs, we are a force to be reckoned with! With a host of volunteers and only one paid employee we are a pretty lean organization. We rely heavily on your generosity this time of year to continue our conservation efforts and financial support of our projects such as IBA. Every $ helps! Please donate today!
Issue 47
Date November 2015
When will Spring be back?
BCnature Fall Magazine is available
The BCnature Fall Magazine is now available for download in the “members only” area. If you do not have your password or access name, please email the office for your information (). For those that receive the magazine via Canada post mail, your name as it is written and your password (top left corner) are your access to the members only area.
Last Chance for your say on South Okanagan Similkameen Protected Areas Framework
After over two years of no negotiations regarding a national park in the SOS, the Province in mid August released its Intentions Paper. This is a framework for long-term protection of these critical lands. National park status is proposed for two areas (White Lake Basin/VAseux and Chopaka/Kilpoola south of Highway 3), with a provincial conservancy in between. The release of the Paper is good news and the Province is asking for our views on their proposal, what else should be considered, and reasons for these. The deadline for public comment is Oct. 31.
The website for the proposal and comments Link For backgrounder information, please view the link on our website – http://www.bcnature.ca/
Interesting Sites and News Tidbits
Calling all Bat Afficiendos – Bananas to Bats: The Science Behind the First Bats Successfully Treated for White-Nose Syndrome Read the News Here
About Town
“The Real Thing” – The Natural History of Ian McTaggart Cowan – Various Locations and dates for the launch of this fantastic book :
Saltspring book launch November 3rd at 7 p.m. at the Bateman Gallery, Artspring, Ganges
Vancouver book launch November 7th from 1:15 to 4:30 p.m. at the UBC Beaty Biodiversity Museum
Victoria book launch November 18th at 7 p.m. at the Royal BC Museum
BirdLife International has released the 2015 Red List for Birds.
From Bird Studies Canada According to the latest assessment of birds, 40 species have been reclassified at a higher threat level. Link Here
Twenty-four of these species are now considered to be at a higher risk of extinction (either Vulnerable, Endangered, or Critically Endangered). Among these are the Atlantic Puffin and Horned Grebe, which have both been uplisted to Vulnerable – a higher threat category than their 2014 classification as Least Concern.
The status of another 16 species has been upgraded from Least Concern (the lowest level of threat) to Near Threatened. Included in this group are North American species such as the Cassin’s Auklet, Razorbill, Common Eider, and Red Knot.
Visit the BirdLife International website to learn more about the new Red List assessments.
Call for Volunteers – BC Coastal Disturbance Project
We are looking for people interested in volunteering to participate in the BC Coastal Disturbance Project. This recently launched project has 2 main aims; 1) to determine the extent of disturbance to birds on BC’s South Coast caused by a wide range of recreational user groups, including kite surfers, boaters, hunters and dog walkers, and 2) intervention and education through targeted questionnaires, signage, and workshops. We then wish to follow up with another quantification of disturbance levels in 2017/2018 to determine the effectiveness of the intervention activities. To participate in this project we are asking volunteers to keep track of the numbers of each user group and the resulting disturbance experienced by birds, as well as the date/time/location of their walk/outing. The time commitment is not very large (10-15 minutes per outing), and the skill level requirement isn’t much more that telling apart a duck from a sandpiper! We can provide more information and the data collection protocol to those interested in helping. Together we can reduce, or even prevent entirely, the frequency and extent of disturbance to birds during migration or overwintering, and make our coastlines a more livable habitat for humans and wildlife alike! To participate, please contact me at , or call me on 604-350-1996.
Minister Thomson announces registration requirements for ORVs
Registration for Off Road Vehicles becomes compulsory on November 1. Please follow the link for more information as well as details of ORV safety measures which are also coming into effect. Link
It is interesting to note that, since voluntary registration of ORVs was introduced, 35,505 ORVs have voluntarily registered under the ORV Act between November 17, 2014 and Sept 30, 2015. ICBC has also confirmed the following participation rates by class of ORV: • 78% (27,550) all-terrain vehicles; • 12% (4, 357) snowmobiles; • 7% (2,392) off-road motorcycles; and • 3% (1,206) side-by-sides. This says a great deal for the leadership which has been shown by the ORV clubs and organizations which have been participating in the development of the ORV Management Framework.
Posted in BC Nature | Comments Off on BC Nature eNews November 2015

Bird Outing Report: Ships Point, Oct. 29,2015

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Krista

This Thursday October 29th ten birders went to Fanny Bay and Ship’s Point where we found 44 species. The fog cleared early for a pleasant morning with little wind. We enjoyed large numbers of the regular winter waterbirds. The highlights were an immature Northern Shrike, large flocks of Pine Siskin and two Trumpeter Swans – winter is almost here!

Canada Goose
Trumpeter Swan
American Wigeon
Mallard
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Red-breasted Merganser
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Killdeer
Dunlin
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Mew Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Eurasian Collared Dove
Northern Flicker
Northern Shrike
Steller’s Jay
Northwestern Crow
Common Raven
American Robin
European Starling
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
House Finch
Pine Siskin

Posted in Birds | Comments Off on Bird Outing Report: Ships Point, Oct. 29,2015

Bird Outing Report: Deep Bay, Oct. 22 , 2015

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Krista

This Thursday October 22nd ten birders went to Deep Bay where we found 40 species. The fog cleared early for a pleasant morning with no wind. We enjoyed large numbers of the regular winter waterbirds – the highlight was close flocks of ‘singing’ Black Scoters.

Canada Goose
Mute x Trumpeter Swan (hybrid)
American Wigeon
Mallard
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Brandt’s Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Dunlin
Mew Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Dark-eyed Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
House Finch

Posted in Birds | Comments Off on Bird Outing Report: Deep Bay, Oct. 22 , 2015

Botany Report: Mushrooms, Oct. 12, 2015

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Krista

Below is a list of the mushrooms we identified in the woodlands at 6069 Tsolum River Road on October 12th. Thanks, Jocie, for keeping track of them.

CVN Botany Group : List of Fungi 6069 Tsolum River Road, October 12th 2015
Agaricus moelleri
Aleuria aurantia
Amanita muscaria (white form)
Auriscalpium vulgare                                                tooth-pick/earpick fungus
Boletus zelleri                                                             Seller’s bolete
Cantharellus formosus                                              golden chanterelle
Clitocybe nebularis
Cortinarius anomlaus
Flammulina velutipes
Fomitopsis cajanderi                                                 rosy conk
_________ pinicola                                                red-belt conk
Gomphidius glutinosus
Gomphus floccosus                                                   wooly chanterelle
Gymnopilus ventricosus                                           big laughing Jim
Helvella lacunosa                                                       elphin saddle
Hypholoma fasciculare                                              sulphur tuft
Hypomyces cervingenus on Helvella lacunosa
Hypomyces lactifluorum on Russula brevipes     lobster mushroom
Inocybe geophylla
_________pudica
_________rimosa
Laccaria amethysto-occidentalis
Lactarius subflammeus
Mycena stipata
_______ sp.
Nidulus candidus
Pleurotus pulmonarius
Psathyrella sp.
Pseudohydnum gelatinosum
Ramaria sp
Russula brevipes
Russula occidentalis
Russula rosacea
Stropharia ambigua
Suillus lakei                                                                  Lake’s bolete
Xylaria hypoloxus                                                       carbon antlers

Aursicalpium vulgare (earpick fungus)

Aursicalpium vulgare (earpick fungus)

Photos of two of the highlights – Aursicalpium vulgare (earpick fungus) and Gymnopilus ventricosus ( big laughing Jim) , which were also among the examples on the display table at the CVN meeting last Sunday.

Gymnopilus ventricosus ( big laughing Jim)

Gymnopilus ventricosus ( big laughing Jim)

Posted in Field Trips, Plants and fungi | Comments Off on Botany Report: Mushrooms, Oct. 12, 2015

Airpark Shoreline Cleanup

Posted on October 20, 2015 by Krista

Nine hardy folk turned up on Oct. 11, and collected several bags of “stuff”, including 2 shopping carts, one oar, sleeping bag, and part of a bed spring?? maybe.

Shoreline Cleanup Crew

Shoreline Cleanup Crew


There was also what looked like a very old and deteriorated grader blade, and we are trying to track down someone to adopt it.

Shoreline Cleanup Haul

Shoreline Cleanup Haul


The day was damp, but not as bad as the day before had been – and the debriefing over cinnamon buns was again popular.

Posted in News | Comments Off on Airpark Shoreline Cleanup

Bird Outing Report: Tyee Spit, Campbell River, Oct. 15, 2015

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Krista

This Thursday October 15th eight birders went to Tyee Spit, Campbell River, where we saw 42 species. We enjoyed a pleasant, sunny morning with the highlight of huge flocks of waterbirds in feeding frenzies offshore. Several of us went to Salmon Point for lunch and added three additional species: Red-necked Grebe, Belted Kingfisher and Steller’s Jay.

Canada Goose
Mute Swan
American Wigeon
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Red-throated Loon
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
Western Grebe
Brandt’s Cormorant
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Northern Harrier
Bald Eagle
Killdeer
Dunlin
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
European Starling
Fox Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee

Posted in Birds | Comments Off on Bird Outing Report: Tyee Spit, Campbell River, Oct. 15, 2015

Bird Outing Report: Courtenay Airpark, Oct. 8, 2015

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Krista

This Thursday October 8th ten birders went to the Air Park where we saw 31 species. Despite infrequent light showers the temperature was mild and the wind calm. The highlights for the morning were 9 Long-billed Dowitchers and 3 Wilson’s Snipe.

Canada Goose
Northern Flicker
American Wigeon
Steller’s Jay
Mallard
Northwestern Crow
Northern Shoveler
Common Raven
Green-winged Teal
Bewick’s Wren
Great Blue Heron
American Robin
Bald Eagle
European Starling
Killdeer
Spotted Towhee
Long-billed Dowitcher
Savannah Sparrow
Wilson’s Snipe
Song Sparrow
Ring-billed Gull
Lincoln’s Sparrow
California Gull
White-crowned Sparrow
Glaucous-winged Gull
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Anna’s Hummingbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Belted Kingfisher
Brewer’s Blackbird
Downy Woodpecker

Posted in Birds | Comments Off on Bird Outing Report: Courtenay Airpark, Oct. 8, 2015

Upcoming Walk: Ralph River, Strathcona Park, Saturday, October 24th 2015

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Botany

it is on Saturday not Sunday
Saturday, October 24th . (Club walk). Ralph River, Strathcona Park (Bring a picnic lunch). This is not an arduous walk but it is farther and longer than usual. Meet at 8:00AM at Courtenay Country Market. Leader: Loys Maingon.

Posted in Weekend Walks | Comments Off on Upcoming Walk: Ralph River, Strathcona Park, Saturday, October 24th 2015

Upcoming Walk: Shoreline clean-up with Project Watershed, Sunday, October 11th 2015

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Botany

Changed from Oct 10th to 11th

Sunday, October 11th . (Club/Public event). Shoreline clean-up with Project Watershed. The CVN cleanup will take place at the AirPark, Meet by the Park Café at 10.00 a.m.Bring sturdy gloves, and clothing appropriate to the weather. (Hope we need sunscreen). We will provide garbage bags.
Questions, phone Murray at 703-2653.
Project Watershed is meeting at the Simms Park parking lot, same date same time
(Timed to access lower tides). (Leaders: Murray Little and Bill Heidrick).

Posted in Weekend Walks | Comments Off on Upcoming Walk: Shoreline clean-up with Project Watershed, Sunday, October 11th 2015