Field Trip Series: Up the Puntledge

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Krista

CVN members are invited to join a series of Nature Hikes up the Puntledge River, following the river upstream along with the returning salmon.

Each location is one of the sites described in our online CV Nature Viewing Guide. The hike series was developed in order to encourage more members to ‘adopt’ the Nature Viewing Sites. After each outing participants who adopt the site will be able to lead future outings to the site, with the aid of the resources on this website: the CV Nature Viewing Calendar and the CV Nature Viewing Guide.

These are Nature Hikes (not Walks) so participants need to be reasonably fit & wear proper hiking footwear. Hikes will take 3-5 hrs. and the pace will allow for bird & plant identification as well as photography.

For each outing, meet at Harmston Ave. across from the Old Church Theatre in downtown Courtenay at 9 a.m. or at the trailheads shortly after.
Here is a link to a Google map with the trailheads marked.

Monday Sept. 16: Lewis Park, Simms Park & Puntledge/ Tsolum confluence (5 km, some rough spots)

Monday Sept. 23: Puntledge Greenway, Masters Greenway, lower hatchery trails ( 9 km, some steep & rough trails)

Monday Sept 30: Nymph Falls , upper hatchery trails (5 km, some hills )

Monday Oct 7: Puntledge River east BC Hydro Trails (7 km, some hills)

Monday Oct 14: Puntledge River west BC Hydro Trails (10 km, some hills)

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, bug spray and sun protection.

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Bird Outing Report: Neck Point Park, Sept. 12, 2013

Posted on September 17, 2013 by Krista

Seven birders made the trip down to Neck Point Regional Park in Nanaimo on Sept. 12. The weather was beautiful, but not too hot since we were next to the water. One of the highlights at Neck Pt. was seeing a family of California Quail with 3 young. After having lunch at Piper’s Pub we made stops at Columbia Beach in Parksville, which was fairly quiet, and at Deep Bay. The hightlight here was hundreds of Red-necked Grebes in the channel between the shoreline and Chrome Island. A total of 35 species were reported for the day.

Here is a species list for the trip:

Canada Goose
Harlequin Duck
Surf Scoter
California Quail
Common Loon
Red-necked Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Killdeer
Black Turnstone
Least Sandpiper
Bonaparte’s Gull
California Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Anna’s Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Northwestern Crow
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bewick’s Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
American Robin
European Starling
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Spotted Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
House Finch

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Bird Outing Report: Oyster Bay, Sept. 1, 2013

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Krista

12 birders met at Oyster Bay for another search for migrating shorebirds. We had front row seat looks at Baird’s Sandpipers and Semipalmated Plovers.

Thanks to Art Martell for supplying the following species list:

Oyster Bay, Comox-Strathcona, CA-BC
Sep 1, 2013 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
24 species

Canada Goose 53
Mallard 10
Northern Shoveler 10
Northern Pintail 20
Green-winged Teal 20
Common Loon 1
Double-crested Cormorant 3
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 5
Black-bellied Plover 1
Semipalmated Plover 3
Killdeer 1
Western Sandpiper 41
Least Sandpiper 13
Baird’s Sandpiper 2
Bonaparte’s Gull 23
Mew Gull 1
California Gull 3
Glaucous-winged Gull 5
Caspian Tern 2
Pigeon Guillemot 1
Marbled Murrelet 3
Belted Kingfisher 1
Merlin 2

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Bird Outing Report: Oyster Bay, Aug. 22, 2013

Posted on September 14, 2013 by Krista

Eight birders met at Oyster Bay for another search for migrating shorebirds. This field trip also acted as an outing for the Thursday Birding group. We saw good numbers of the usual sandpipers and plovers. However, the highlight was 2 light morph Parasitic Jaegers (1 adult and 1 juvenile) harassing Bonaparte’s Gulls. Good views, particularly of the juvenile.

Art Martell supplied the following species list:

Oyster Bay, Comox-Strathcona, CA-BC
Aug 22, 2013 8:30 AM – 10:20 AM
21 species

Harlequin Duck 6
Common Merganser 1
Common Loon 3
Red-necked Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 1
Black-bellied Plover 45
Semipalmated Plover 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Western Sandpiper 80
Least Sandpiper 40
Bonaparte’s Gull 140
California Gull 5
Glaucous-winged Gull 17
Parasitic Jaeger 2
Pigeon Guillemot 2
Marbled Murrelet 4
Merlin 1
Common Raven 1
Purple Martin 30

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Bird Outing Report: Oyster Bay, Aug. 10, 2013

Posted on September 13, 2013 by Krista

Nine birders went to Oyster Bay to look for migrating shorebirds. We had an enjoyable morning, even though there weren’t many shorebirds, other than plovers, around today. We had good looks at couple of the plovers that were still in mostly breeding plumage. Art Martell has forwarded the following species list:

Oyster Bay, Comox-Strathcona, CA-BC
Aug 10, 2013 9:00 AM – 11:15 AM
Comments: tide high and falling
16 species (+1 other taxa)

Surf Scoter 15
Great Blue Heron 2
Black-bellied Plover 36
Killdeer 3
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Greater Yellowlegs 1
Least Sandpiper 6
peep sp. 6
Bonaparte’s Gull 250
Mew Gull 1
California Gull 9
Glaucous-winged Gull 18
Caspian Tern 3
Northwestern Crow 10
Common Raven 1
Purple Martin 16
Barn Swallow 1

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Bird Outing Report: Bear Creek Park, July 10, 2013

Posted on July 11, 2013 by Krista

Eight birders went to Bear Creek Nature Park (along the Oyster River) . Although birdsong is gradually declining as summer wears on, there was still quite a bit of singing in the woods today, and we managed to see and/or hear 23 species on this beautiful morning. Highlights included good views of a singing male Black-headed Grosbeak, and a Barred Owl resting in a tree.

A bird list follows courtesy of Art Martell:

23 species

Turkey Vulture 1
Spotted Sandpiper 1
Barred Owl 1
Belted Kingfisher 4
Northern Flicker 1
Willow Flycatcher 1
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 11
Warbling Vireo 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 6
Brown Creeper 2
Pacific Wren 8
Swainson’s Thrush 15
American Robin 15
Orange-crowned Warbler 2
Yellow Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler 2
Townsend’s Warbler 1
Wilson’s Warbler 1
Spotted Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 9
Western Tanager 2
Black-headed Grosbeak 2
Purple Finch 1

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BC Nature enews June 2013

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Krista

 

Upcoming Events
  • FGM Cranbrook – Sept 19-22, 2013. Registration and Outings and Presentation information is now available at the BC Nature Website
  • BC Rivers Day – Sept 29, 2013 Look for events in your community
  • Club Grant Applications – Deadline January 31, 2014
  • BC Nature Awards Nominations – Deadline February 28 2014 Nominate a worthy member today
Issue 33
Date June 2013
Prince George Request for Proposal
Request for Proposals for Consulting Services – Development of a Master Plan for a Nature Interpretation & Outdoor Learning Network – Any interested parties – please refer to this Link
Comments to BC Government Re: proposed changes
1) The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is inviting the public to review and comment on proposed visual-quality objectives and scenic areas in the Kootenay Lake portion of the Selkirk Resource District. The deadline for comments is August 15. Please follow this link for details
2)The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency is offering funding for organizations planning to participate in the environmental assessment of the Brucejack Gold Mine project approximately 65 kms north of Stewart. Deadline for applications is July 6. Please follow this link for details.
3)The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency must decide whether a federal environmental assessment is required for the proposed Prince Rupert Gas Transmission Project in British Columbia. To assist it in making its decision, the Agency is seeking comments from the public on the project and its potential effects on the environment. Please follow this link for details.
4) Murray River Coal Project – Public Comments Invited Please follow this link for details.
5) The Lac Du Bois Grasslands Management Planning Team is looking for input into the development of the draft management plan. They are specifically looking for information on the recent land additions and the Tranquille Special Feature Area portion of the protected area. For more information on the planning process and to provide your input click here .
6)Management planning projects have been initiated for Kikomun Park and Dean River Conservancy . More information on active management planning processes can be be found by visiting the BC Parks Management Planning Page .
Solve the puzzle – current energy debate
You cannot solve a puzzle without seeing the big picture. And in Canada’s current energy debate, sadly, the family cat got on the table, knocking most of the pieces to the floor, while toddlers argue over the three remaining pieces shouting “Mine!” Those pieces are the oil sands and while we maintain an obsessive focus on them, other elements crucial to our energy security, economic prosperity and our future as a planet are being neglected at Canada’s cost and peril. If all the key pieces of Canada’s energy future “the climate crisis, a prosperous economy, labour issues, east-west connectivity, energy efficiency, technological innovation, federal-provincial relations” were jigsaw pieces on our collective family table, it would be worthwhile to find the picture on the box the pieces came in. The cover of the box, a glorious sustainable energy roadmap, would depict where we want to be, with: a meaningful carbon reduction plan; phasing out coal across the land; bringing in energy conservation and efficiency standards; producing far more energy from renewable sources; applying cleantech solutions broadly; paying attention to energy security; and shifting from a strategy of rapid export of unprocessed product to managed production at a steady rate of upgraded and refined product, with value-added creating far more employment in oil production while energy efficiency targets create jobs everywhere in overhauling our built infrastructure. You cannot solve a puzzle when you do not see how the pieces fit together. In the case of the current energy debate, the dialogue is so devoid of content that one cannot dignify the noise by calling it debate. Back to that Canadian family table with all the jigsaw pieces we need to fit together, sadly, the family cat got on the table knocking most of the pieces to the floor, while toddlers argue over the three remaining pieces shouting “Mine!” To read the rest of the article visit this Link Article by Elizabeth May
Interesting Sites and articles
ebutterfly site Link
View a 3-minute video about freshwater in BC and the need for a new Act. The video features WWF Freshwater Ambassador Scott Niedermayer and a song by the Great Lake Swimmers. The youtube link to ” Water for Nature, Water for People” is here: Youtube link
Globe and Mail article on the recent Kinder Morgan pipeline oil spill near Merritt, BC
Orcas make rare visit to Vancouver harbour – Link. And a second link
Haida Gwaii Whale Watching Biologists Spot Rare Species link
The mother country turns on salmon farming – Alexandra Morton – link
About Town – Upcoming Events
Richmond Raptor Festival – August 18th For more information, check out this link
Registration is now open for the 20th annual Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup – September 21 – 29
The Lower Mainland Green Team is working with the Corporation of Delta to remove the invasive plants ivy and lamium at Ladner Harbour Park on July 28th. To sign up and details click Here. Tools and gloves provided, no experience necessary
The Fascinating World of Bears – July 3, 2013. A slide presentation with biologist David Cook about the natural history and biology of bears. For details, visit here
CPAWS loves the South Okanagan-Similkameen!
CPAWS-BC’s campaign to achieve a national park in the South Okanagan-Similkameen is full steam ahead, including the filming of a short film and a tour by CPAWS national Board and staff. Having the opportunity to connect with locals and why they want their grasslands protected put wind in their sails. We believe that levels of local support are approaching the critical mass needed to move this forward. Read more here: link
Enbridge Hearings – Final Testimony
Rejecting Northern Gateway pipeline opens Canada to economic disaster, hearing told. Read more: Link
Rejecting Northern Gateway risks disaster, Enbridge lawyer. link
Press release for final Enbridge arguments from BC Nature and Nature Canada
Bird Studies Canada looking for volunteers – Lewis Woodpecker Survey
Bird Studies Canada, BC Nature, and the Canadian Wildlife Service are initiating a project to survey Lewis’s Woodpeckers and their nesting habitat in southern British Columbia. Volunteers are needed to conduct the following surveys this summer: 1) Habitat Ground truthing (basic and quick habitat review); 2) Lewis’s Woodpecker (LEWO) “point counts” (counting LEWO at predetermined locations); and 3) Casual observations of LEWO and opportunistic nest checks. Depending on your schedule, the time commitment could involve as little as one morning, or many days. Point counts must be completed between June 15 and July 15. Ground truthing surveys can be completed any time of the year within prescribed LEWO habitat. Some survey locations are near towns, while others require more driving; we’ll work with you to select a suitable route (close to your home or areas you plan to visit.) If you’re interested in volunteering, or have more questions, please contact the project coordinator for your area of interest. For Thompson-Nicola, Boundary, and East Kootenays, call Bird Studies Canada’s Christopher Di Corrado at 1-877-592-8527 or email . For Okanagan-Similkameen, contact Lisa Scott, Wildlife Tree Stewardship Program, at or (250) 404-0115.
BC Beached Bird Survey: Call for Volunteers
The British Columbia Beached Bird Survey is a long-term volunteer-based monitoring program that collects information on the causes and rates of seabird mortality. Many thanks to the 250 volunteers who have conducted over 3000 surveys and walked more than 7000 km of BC’s beaches since 2002! In total, 1204 beached birds of 67 species have been reported. Gulls, Northern Fulmar, Common Murre, and waterfowl have been the most abundant, accounting for 60% of the birds recorded. Bird Studies Canada is seeking volunteers for the program. Surveyors conduct monthly beach walks during the last week of the month, looking for bird carcasses that have washed ashore and signs of oiling. Advanced birding skills are not required, and the program is suitable for anyone who enjoys walking their local beach. The information gained helps us understand causes of seabird mortality, and identify which species are most vulnerable. We have many vacant beach routes in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo-Qualicum, and Ucluelet-Tofino, and we are happy to set up new routes elsewhere in BC. Please contact Karen Barry (email ) for information or to sign up.
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Bird Outing Report: Bear Creek Park, May 18, 2013

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Krista

Seven birders met at Bear Creek Nature Park for a morning of mostly birding-by-ear. There were lots of flycatchers and warblers, as well as a few tangers and grosbeaks. There were a total of 27 species, but most of the birds were heard only. The weather worked out well, as the rain stopped just at the beginning of the walk and started again at the finish.

27 species:

Wood Duck 2
Rufous Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Hammond’s Flycatcher 2
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 13
Warbling Vireo 5
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 4
Brown Creeper 1
Pacific Wren 7
Swainson’s Thrush 1
American Robin 10
Varied Thrush 4
Orange-crowned Warbler 4
Yellow Warbler 8
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Black-throated Gray Warbler 2
Townsend’s Warbler 5
Wilson’s Warbler 4
Spotted Towhee 1
Song Sparrow 5
Western Tanager 3
Black-headed Grosbeak 2
Red-winged Blackbird 1
Purple Finch 3

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Botany Outing Report: Harewood Plains, May 13, 2013

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Krista

10 botanists braved to rain to visit the Harewood Plains in Nanaimo. Luckily the weather cleared up just as they started up the hill into the Plains and were rewarded with magnificent displays of camas, spring gold, monkey flower and seablush interwoven together creating a Monet-like painting. Up the hill there were displays of orange honeysuckle, columbines, flowering arbutus, Saskatoon berry and then the plant they came for – the bog birds foot trefoil – (Lotus pinnatus) There are apparently about 1,000 plants in this area – it likes moist areas and was in full bloom. Interesting lichens were found and also a plant that couldn’t be identified – another trip will be necessary to see it in bloom. This trip is a must for the botany group for mid-May every year.
Plant List:
Great camas, early camas, bog bird’s foot trefoil, spring gold, Pacific sanicle, western trumpet orange honeysuckle, sea blush, yellow monkey flower, Alaska saxifrage, small- flowered alumroot, trailing blackberry, narrow-leaved montia, western buttercup, Sitka columbine, Scouler’s popcornflower, Nootka rose, pink twink, common vetch, American vetch, pretty shootingstar, Howell’s violet (to be confirmed). Trees included fir, Arbutus, Gary oak, alder, and Shrubs – ocean spray, salmon berry, Saskatoon berry.

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May 19, 2013: The Bedwell Trail Story

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Krista

Dr. Marlene Smith will deliver the last of the 2013 Comox Valley Nature Rachel Carson Memorial lectures. The topic of her illustrated lecture is The Bedwell trail Story. This lecture is particularly timely as the public awaits an important legal decision on the fate of the Bedwell trail which will determine the management strategy and the future of Vancouver Island’s oldest and largest provincial park. The lecture is on Sunday May 19 at 7 pm in the Filberg Centre in downtown Courtenay.

Marlene Smith is a retired veterinarian in the Comox Valley, has a long and distinguished history and passion for the outdoors. After roaming the mountains in Europe and the Himalaya, she immigrated to Canada in 1977. Through the inspiration of Jim Boulding of Strathcona Park Lodge, she became the co-founder of the Friends of Strathcona Park. The land adopted her for a lifelong commitment to protect and preserve its unaltered natural wilderness.

In the unfolding story of the Bedwell Valley the theme of how human activities of the past had a major impact and how we now can make amends to help nature to restore itself all come together.

In keeping with BC Nature’s motto ““Know Nature and Keep it Worth Knowing”. Marlene’s belief is “If you love it; stand up for it”!

The Bedwell story will take you through the struggles to get the valley back in the park, the challenge of how people can still visit and minimize their impact, the frustration to communicate and be heard by the BC Parks administrators, the ultimate necessity ofgoing to court over this and finally what the land is revealing to us now. It is all worth the efforts. Come along and enjoy the new route the Friends of Strathcona have found in this unique Ocean to Alpine trek.

Comox Valley Nature is a non-profit society affiliated to BC Nature which fulfills its educational mandate by hosting monthly lectures, organizing free weekly guided hikes and undertaking a variety of environmental projects. Aside from its main activity as a non-profit, Comox Valley Nature also supports specialized groups ( Birding, Botany, Garry Oak Restoration, Wetland Restoration, Photography and Young Naturalists Club) which have separate monthly activities.

Founded in 1966, it is one of the oldest environmental societies on the North Island. Meetings and lectures of the Comox Valley Naturalists Society are held on the third Sunday of most months at the Florence Filberg Centre, 411 Anderton, Courtenay. Meetings and guided walks are open to the public, including children and youth. Lecture is free, though a $3 contribution from non-members is appreciated. New memberships are always welcomed.

These lectures are part of CVN’s Rachel Carson Memorial lectures honouring women in Environment Studies. This is the last lecture in an educational series not to be missed.

Anyone interested in this lecture or participating in CVNS activities can also contact Loys Maingon (CVN President) at 250-331-0143.

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