Comox Valley Nature

Bird Outing Report: Hornby Island, Oct. 4,2015

Posted on October 7, 2015 by Krista

Fifteen birders enjoyed a beautiful day on Hornby on Sunday. First we went to Sandpiper Beach for shorebirds, then to Art and Sue’s cabin for lunch, and then a walk around the Helliwell Provincial Park loop trail. Highlights were many Black Turnstones, a few Black Oystercatchers and a Surfbird at Sandpiper Beach. Nearby a Western Meadowlark was seen.

The following 49 species were seen or heard on Hornby:

Canada Goose
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Common Merganser
Pacific Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Black Oystercatcher
Black-bellied Plover
Killdeer
Greater Yellowlegs
Black Turnstone
Surfbird
Common Murre
Pigeon Guillemot
Marbled Murrelet
Mew Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Belted Kingfisher
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Merlin
Common Raven
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
American Pipit
Orange-crowned Warbler
Dark-eyed Junco
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Western Meadowlark
Red Crossbill
Pine Siskin

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BC Nature eNews October 2015

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Krista

Upcoming Events

Harrison Camp – Nov 26 – Nov 29, 2015 – We have had a cancellation, two spots are now available. Please email for more information or visit 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

Join us in the fight for Nature

The Federation of British Columbia Naturalists (BC Nature) in partnership with the University of Victoria Law Centre have started a crowdfunding campaign with Fundrazr to financially assist with potential legal costs, related to the Northern Gateway project.

This is a one time appeal to help us legally block the Northern Gateway Project, and is quite separate from our annual appeal. With our Fall BCnature magazine in early October, you will receive our annual appeal to help the BC Nature Foundation as well as BC Nature. The crowdfunding campaign is directed to the BC public, to help us specifically in our fight with Enbridge to stop the Northern Gateway project.

We ask that you spread the word about our Fundrazr to your friends, family and Colleagues.

How can you help even if you can’t donate? Do you have a Facebook Page? Please go to our Fundrazr Page and “share” the video and page with all of your contacts in your own Facebook, same with Twitter. Ask your friends and family to share in their own Facebook and Twitters account. The more we spread around the word, the easier it will be to meet our goal.

Please view our appeal and the video that accompanies our appeal. Fundrazr Page

Issue 46

Date October 2015

What we stand to lose

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.


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/

Coast to Cascades Grizzly Bear Initiative – Update
We wanted to share the news that all of the Sea-to-Sky communities from Lillooet to Squamish have now voted in support of recovery planning for the threatened grizzly bear populations of southwest BC. The resolutions cite many reasons, including cultural, social, economic and environmental, for maintaining grizzly bears on the landscape. All the resolutions can be found on the C2C website These communities calls mirror those of the St’at’imc and Squamish Council Chiefs and the Okanagan Nation Alliance who are also supporting the need for on the ground action to safeguard these bears. Find out more at this Link

Interesting Sites and News Tidbits
“Old Planet, Young People” – “Old Planet, Young People” is a series of 8 pre-recorded documentaries on the subject of environmental work in the Lillooet area. The show is put together by young people who will be talking to people of all ages working in the environmental field and to young people in general about their environmental concerns. These documentaries are produced by Fraser Adolph and Leif Douglass with assistance from CHLS-FM and generous financial support from the Community Radio Fund of Canada. Listen here Britannia Creek: back from the brink watch video here Ever wondered what goes on when you’re not there? Great “Live” cams from Johnson Strait and the orca – links Butterfly enthusiasts – check out this Link for butterfly transformations. Are you on Facebook? Look up this great “Bat” – site – there are some great videos on bats – Link Here

About Town
5th annual – Living with Wildlife! October 16, 2015 – Across Canada, municipalities are reporting an increase in the number of interactions between humans and wildlife. These interactions can present a public health and safety concern and conflicts can result in the death or suffering of wildlife. In particular, animals such as coyotes, beavers and raccoons are often perceived to be a nuisance or pest. To address this problem, the 5th annual Living with Wildlife conference brings together experts in their field to discuss a wide variety of solutions of how we can co-exist with urban wildlife. Link

Is your club applying for grants?
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program – 2015 Regional Grant Deadlines and Information: Coastal Region – Coastal Region grant applications are due November 6, 2015 Columbia Region – Columbia Region grant applications are due November 13, 2015 Learn More Wildlife Habitat Canada Call for Proposals for the 2016/2017 Grant Program. The deadline to submit applications is Monday November 2, 2015 for projects that will take place in fiscal year 2016/2017. Grant application forms are available at this Link Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation – In 2015, the May proposal intake resulted in the Fund being fully subscribed, so there will be no September intake.The next deadline for submitting a PCAF proposal will be May 15, 2016. Aviva Community Fund – Not much time left on this one, but put it in your “rolodex” for next year to include your funding ideas! Link Here



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Upcoming Walk: Ruth Masters Park, Saturday, January 30th 2016

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Botany

Saturday, January 30^th. (Club walk). Ruth Masters Park. Meet at 9:00AM on 1^st Street at the Rotary Riverside Trail. Leader: Loys Maingon.