Bird Outing Report: Columbia Beach, Nov. 28, 2013

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Krista

On Thursday Nov. 28 three birders went to Columbia Beach with stops at Hamilton Marsh, Nile Creek, and Deep Bay.

The weather co operated making for a very pleasant day.  48 species were seen, highlights being a Western Grebe close to shore, 30 Hooded Mergansers in one pond, and an American Kestrel.

Pacific Loon                                 American Kestrel
Common Loon                             Killdeer
Red-necked Grebe                      Mew Gull
Horned Grebe                              Thayer’s Gull
Western Grebe                            Glaucous-winged Gull
Pelagic Cormorant                     Pigeon Guillemot
Double-crested Cormorant      Rock Pigeon
Great Glue Heron                      Eurasian Collared-Dove
Trumpeter Swan                       Belted Kingfisher
Canada Goose                            Northern Flicker
Mallard                                        Red-Breasted Sapsucker
American Wigeon                      Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Greater Scaup                            Red-breasted Nuthatch
Harlequin Duck                         Bewick’s Wren
Long-tailed Duck                       Pacific Wren
Surf Scoter                                  American Robin
White-winged Scoter                 Spotted Towhee
Black Scoter                                 Song Sparrow
Common Goldeneye                  Dark-eyed Junco
Barrow’s Goldeneye                   Golden-crowned Sparrow
Common Merganser                  Brewer’s Blackbird
Red-breasted Merganser           European Starling
Hooded Merganser                     Golden-crowned Kinglet
Bald Eagle                                     House Finch

Posted in Birds | Comments Off on Bird Outing Report: Columbia Beach, Nov. 28, 2013

Event Report: Swan Fest

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Krista

Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society hosted the 2013 Trumpeter Swan Festival at the K’omoks Band Hall on November 23. CV Nature participated with a display & a photo slide show by Terry Thormin. CVN members also guided two bus tours to view the swans.

Don Castleden of Project Watershed presents the award to Loys Maingon President of CV Nature

Don Castleden of Project Watershed presents the award to Loys Maingon President of CV Nature

Project Watershed Society presented the ‘Keeping it Living’ award to CV Nature to recognize their ongoing work in the estuary. The Naturalists receive a painting by Bev Byerley to display for one year.

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Field Trip Report: Deep May Marine Field Station, Nov. 16, 2013

Posted on November 16, 2013 by Krista

A special field trip to the Deep Bay Marine Field Station was attended by 18 CV Nature members who enjoyed a tour of the research facility including behind the scenes in the labs.

Deep Bay Field Station

Deep Bay Field Station


The Field Station is operated by the Centre for Shellfish Research at Vancouver Island University.
Sea Stars in Touch Tank

Sea Stars in Touch Tank


A delicious catered lunch followed, then a few members explored the grounds. A rough trail follows a rainwater management creek past several wetlands through the woods to Deep Bay. On the way up from the sea shore a Hairy Woodpecker was working in the bush.
Hairy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Posted in Field Trips | 1 Comment

Guest Speaker: Author Joan Harper, Sun. Nov. 17,2013

Posted on November 12, 2013 by Krista

Comox Valley Nature is proud to host Joan Harper, author of the definitive biography of Frank Calder, He Moved a Mountain: The Life of Frank Calder and the Nisga’a Land Claim Accord, recently published by Ronsdale Press. The lecture will be at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton Avenue, Courtenay, on Sunday November 17 at 7 pm.

Dr. Frank Calder was more than just an MLA and Nisga’a Chief of Chiefs. He was a great Canadian pioneer whose life work has shaped the way Canada makes environmental policy. He dedicated his life to re-dress the injustice done to the Nisga’a Nation by government claims to the extinguishment of rights. In doing so he laid the foundation for section 35 of The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom which recognizes the special aboriginal right to the land, and therefore mandates consultation for environmental impact assessments. As the father of the legal work that made this seminal treaty possible, which now shapes all land claims negotiation, he also is the father of a substantial part of Canada’s environmental laws.

Joan Harper’s career began in library education at the Vancouver School Board and the University of BC. A long-time admirer of the work of Frank Calder, Joan met Frank’s wife shortly after Frank’s death and gained access to much private material, augmenting it with extensive research through interviews and in the archives. Currently, Joan resides in Sechelt, BC, with her husband.

Joan Harper will be available for book sales and signing at both the CVN lecture  and Saturday, November 16th, at 11:00 in the morning.

The meeting and illustrated lecture will take place on Sunday November 17 at 7 pm, at the Florence Filberg Centre (411 Anderton Avenue) Admission: free to members, $3 to non-menbers.

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Botany Meeting Report: Seal Bay Park, Nov. 11, 2013

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Krista

A dozen botanists met at a member’s home near Seal Bay Park and reviewed the updated Comox Valley Plant List compiled by Helen Robinson. The list is organized alphabetically by scientific family name & can be download from the Publications page here. The list will be regularly updated & revised as required.

Botasnists at Seal Bay

Botanists at Seal Bay


After the meeting most of the group visited Seal Bay Park & noted a number of interesting fungi.
Witches Butter

Witches Butter


A Pileated Woodpecker was also a great sighting in the woods.
Pileated Woodpecker

Pileated Woodpecker

Posted in Field Trips, Plants and fungi | Comments Off on Botany Meeting Report: Seal Bay Park, Nov. 11, 2013

Christmas Bird Counts

Posted on November 1, 2013 by Krista

The dates for the Christmas Bird Counts have just been announced.
There are four counts in the area, as follows:

Sunday December 15: Comox Count: contact Carol Muirhead to participate 331-0511.

Thursday December 19: Deep Bay Count: contact Bill Stewart to participate 338-1855.

Monday December 30: Little River-Powell River Ferry Count: contact Art Martell to participate 334-2979.

Saturday January 4: Campbell River Count: contact Luisa Richardson to participate

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

Trumpeter Swan Counts 2013/2014

Posted on October 31, 2013 by Krista

Apr. 15, 2014:

TRUS adults 10
Juv. 9
Total 19

 

Apr. 8, 2014:

TRUS adults 34
Juv. 6
Total 40

 

Apr. 1, 2014:

TRUS adults 207
Juv. 53
Total 260

 

Mar. 25, 2014:

TRUS adults 591
Juv. 79
Total 670

Mar. 18, 2014:

TRUS adults 1348
Juv. 233
Total 1581

 

Mar. 11, 2014:

TRUS adults 1912
Juv. 264
Total 2176

 

Mar. 4, 2014:

TRUS adults 1846
Juv. 206
Total 2106

 

Feb. 25, 2014:

Count cancelled due to snow.

Feb. 18, 2014:

TRUS adults 1748
Juv. 232
Total 1980

 

Feb. 11, 2014:

TRUS adults 1148
Juv. 155
Total 1303

 

Feb. 4, 2014:

TRUS adults 1828
Juv. 236
Total 2064

 

Jan. 28, 2014:

TRUS adults 1448
Juv. 197
Total 1645

 

Jan. 21, 2014:

TRUS adults 1179
Juv. 174
Total 1353
Swan numbers have gone down significantly.

 

Jan. 14, 2014:

TRUS adults 1445
Juv. 228
Total 1673

 

Jan. 7, 2014:

TRUS adults 1461
Juv. 192
Total 1653
Over 1000 of the swans were in fields along Headquarters Rd.
1 Tundra Swan & 5 Greater white-fronted Geese also reported.
A Northern Shrike was seen along Smith Rd.

 

Dec. 17, 2013:

TRUS adults 1354
Juv. 218
Total 1572
Also reported were 241 CAGO and 1 Tundra Swan.
Counts on Dec. 24 & Dec. 31 will be cancelled due to holidays. Next count on Jan. 7, 2014.

 

Dec. 10, 2013:

Count cancelled due to snow.

 

Dec. 3, 2013:

TRUS  adults    1372
                Juv.   261
Total               1633
Also reported were 4 Greater White-fronted Geese.
373 CAGO also reported.

 

Nov. 26, 2013:

TRUS  adults    1610
                Juv.   238
Total               1848
Also reported were 3 Bald Eagles, 1 Peregrine Falcon and 1 Northern Harrier.
110 CAGO also reported.

 

Nov. 19, 2013:

TRUS  adults    994
                Juv.   128
Total               1122
198 CAGO also reported.

 

Nov. 12, 2013:

TRUS  adults    1024
                Juv.   125
Total               1149
261 CAGO also reported.

 
Nov. 5, 2013:

TRUS  adults    174
                Juv.   16
Total               190

 
Oct. 29, 2013:

TRUS           19

20 CAGO also reported.

 

Posted in Birds, Swan Counts | 1 Comment

In the News: Planting Native Species in Courtenay Airpark

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Krista
Airpark Planting Site

Airpark Planting Site

On Tuesday October 22 several members of CV Nature planted native species in an area of the Courtenay airpark formerly infested with highly invasive Japanese knotweed. The knotweed was continuously cut every two weeks over the course of two years, eventually weaking the plants.

Preparing the Site

Preparing the Site

Pacific ninebark, salmonberry, and red-osier dogwood – all water-loving, riparian zone species, were planted in the rocky area alongside the Courtenay River.

Planting Ninebark

Planting Ninebark

Posted in Wetland Restoration | Comments Off on In the News: Planting Native Species in Courtenay Airpark

Nature Walk Report: Little River Nature Park, Oct. 19, 2013.

Posted on October 19, 2013 by Krista

Twelve CVN members explored the Little River area with Helen Robinson & Terry Thormin.

Group at Little River Pond

Group at Little River Pond

Starting at Little River Nature Park we viewed the two beaver lodges in the ponds filled with watershield & yellow pond lily.

Beaver Lodge & Mallards

Beaver Lodge & Mallards

Several Mallards were in the ponds and a kingfisher flew by. Twenty species of dragonflies have been oberved in these ponds – almost half of all the species found on Vancouver Island. A large hornet nest was in a nearby tree.

American Searocket (Cakile edentula)

American Searocket (Cakile edentula)

A trail around the ponds led to the road crossing Little River. Notable plants in the sandy beach plain beyond were northern wormwood & gumweed. A right-of-way between the houses leads to the beach where we found searocket. On the ocean were a Pacific loon, horned grebe & red-necked grebes.

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper’s Hawk

A short distance eastward along the beach, another right-of-way accesses King Coho Greenway & then several roads lead back to Wilkinson Rd. Numerous songbirds in the trees included Fox, Song, and Golden-crowned Sparrows, as well as Towhees. A male Cooper’s Hawk flew in to survey the songbirds. The walk circuit was about 2.4km over almost 2 hrs.

Posted in Field Trips | Comments Off on Nature Walk Report: Little River Nature Park, Oct. 19, 2013.

Guest Speaker: Bull Kelp Restoration, Sun. Oct. 20, 2013

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Krista

In 2007 researchers for the Lenfest Ocean Program at the Pew Charitable Trusts released an important ground-breaking report on the state of kelp forests and their ecological importance. The state of kelp forests has been shown to control water temperature, ocean productivity as well as the ability of oceans to absorb carbon dioxide and therefore even climate regulation. Shorebird and salmon productivity depend on bull kelp. As pointed out by Margaret Bowman, director of this program: “This study sounds an alarm to all those who love to walk on our beaches, fish in our oceans, eat seafood, or watch wildlife.”

Comox Valley Nature is pleased to host a one hour slide lecture by Amanda Zielinski entitled:
“Turning the Tide on Declining Bull Kelp in Our Region.” Amanda Zielinski is a professional diver based on Hornby Island who heads the “Bull Kelp Restoration Project.” This is a regional effort to address this important and emerging problem.

The Bull Kelp Restoration Project works in co-operation with the Nile Creek Enhancement Society, the Deep Bay Marine Field Station and the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. These relationships indicate how closely bull-kelp is associated with the state of our freshwater watersheds. The state of bull kelp forests is affected by nutrient and sediment discharges associated with agriculture, forestry and development.

This is by far one of the most important unseen environmental challenges that we face today. It affects every facet of our lives. The Bull Kelp Restoration project deserves everybody’s support.

The meeting and illustrated lecture will take place on Sunday October 20 at 7pm, at the Florence Filberg Centre (411 Anderton Avenue) Admission: free to members, $3 to non-members.

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