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
Apr. 15, 2014:
Apr. 8, 2014:
Apr. 1, 2014:
Mar. 25, 2014:
Mar. 18, 2014:
Mar. 11, 2014:
Mar. 4, 2014:
Feb. 25, 2014:
Feb. 18, 2014:
Feb. 11, 2014:
Feb. 4, 2014:
Jan. 28, 2014:
Jan. 21, 2014:
Jan. 14, 2014:
Jan. 7, 2014:
Dec. 17, 2013:
Dec. 10, 2013:
Dec. 3, 2013:
Nov. 26, 2013:
Nov. 19, 2013:
Nov. 12, 2013:
Nov. 5, 2013:
Oct. 29, 2013:
20 CAGO also reported.
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
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
Twelve CVN members explored the Little River area with Helen Robinson & Terry Thormin.
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
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)
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
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.
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.
The final hike in the series of Puntledge River Nature Hikes scheduled for Monday Oct. 14 has been cancelled.
A nature walk for CVN members only to Little River Nature Park is scheduled for Saturday Oct. 19. Contact Helen Robinson for details.
Ten botanists explored the Saratoga Beach area with Betty Brooks. The rain held off until after the outing. Some highlights seen:
Driftwood Marine Regional Park: Douglas knotweed, northern wormwood, seacoast bulrush, salicornia, silverweed, slough sedge, Pacific crabapple, blackcap. We also saw dragonflies, deer and a hornet’s nest.
Clarkson Road pond: field mint, blue scullcap, clustered tarweed, blunt spike rush, reed canary grass, small bedstraw, fountain moss.
Ragbag and pelt lichens were also found in the area as well as rosy gomphidious mushrooms.
Three CVN members hiked the BC Hydro Trails on the east side of the Puntledge River from Bevan upstream toward Comox Lake.
Using the info from the online Nature Viewing Guide as reference we followed the River Trail about 4km upstream toward Comox Lake to a small bog, then returned on the Palm Beach trail for a total of about 7.5 km.
Bigleaf Maple Grove
We had sightings of several birds which were added to the online nature information for this site: Steller’s Jay, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, and Northern Flicker.
Puntledge River View
Several large fish, probably Chinook Salmon, were visible in the river, sometimes leaping out of the water.
We also saw deer prints, heard tree frogs, and saw woolly bear caterpillars, all sightings which were added to the nature information.
Bog Cranberry
Plants of interest in the bog include Labrador tea, western bog-laurel, sweet gale, and bog cranberry.
Purple Mushrooms
Mushrooms were again plentiful in the woods, most we could not identify.
White Mushroom
The final Nature Hike in the series is Monday October 14 to the Puntledge River west side BC Hydro Trails: meet at Harmston Ave. across from the Old Church Theatre in downtown Courtenay at 9 a.m. or at the trailhead about 20 min. after. Here is a link to a Google map with the trailheads marked.
The hike will be about 11 km with some hills & muddy sections and could take 4-5 hrs. These hikes are for CVN members & guests only.
Please print out the online information for reference during the outing. Dress for the weather, wear proper footwear, bring lunch or snacks, & plenty of water.
Three CVN members visited Nymph Falls Nature Park on Sept. 30 , a great outing in spite of a few rain showers.
Nymph Falls Downstream
Stopping at the falls we were excited to see a couple of large Chinook Salmon fighting their way upstream, leaping through the whitewater up the rocks.
American Dipper
Also at the falls we were rewarded with excellent sightings of a pair of Belted Kingfishers flying past several times, and American Dippers foraging right in the rapids.
Osprey
The highlight was an Osprey in a nearby tree, a new bird for this site which was added to the online nature information.
Turkey Tail Fungus
Numerous mushrooms in the woods were a challenge to identify.
Coral Fungus
There is quite a variety of fungi in these second-growth woods.
Russula Mushroom
Using the map & info from the online Nature Viewing Guide as reference we explored the trails downstream for about 1.5km from the falls, toward the Inland Highway right-of-way. Returning back to the parking area we tried some unfamiliar trails which were added to the map online.
The next Nature Hike in the series is Monday October 7 to the Puntledge River east side BC Hydro Trails: meet at Harmston Ave. across from the Old Church Theatre in downtown Courtenay at 9 a.m. or at the trailhead about 20 min. after. Here is a link to a Google map with the trailheads marked.
The hike will be about 8 km with some hills & muddy sections and could take 3-4 hrs. These hikes are for CVN members & guests only.
Please print out the online information for reference during the outing. Dress for the weather, wear proper footwear, bring lunch or snacks, & plenty of water.
Fifteen people pitched in to help CV Nature clean up the shoreline around the Courtenay Riverway & Airpark Lagoon on Sunday Sept. 29 as part of the BC Rivers Day Shoreline Cleanup.
CV Naturalists at Work
Just a few showers did not prevent everyone from enjoying the morning & the refreshments afterward.
Cleanup Crew
Over 20 bags of garbage including recyclables and glass was collected during the two hour event. Among the plastic, clothing items, and cigarette butts, the strangest item of litter collected was a plastic swan!
A Portion of the Garbage
