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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Bird Outing Report: Cumberland Marsh, May 7, 2013

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Krista

Ten birders met for a very pleasant walk through Cumberland Marsh. Weather was sunny and mild. A total of 35 species were seen or heard, including recently-arrived Black-headed Grosbeak and Western Tanager. We saw a total of six species of warbler, and had looks at Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks and a calling Pied-Billed Grebe.

Wood Duck 3
Mallard 2
Hooded Merganser 3
Pied-billed Grebe 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Bald Eagle 2
Rufous Hummingbird 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-breasted Sapsucker 3
Northern Flicker 1
Hammond’s Flycatcher 4
Pacific-slope Flycatcher 1
Cassin’s Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo 3
Steller’s Jay 2
Common Raven 2
Violet-green Swallow 5
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1
Pacific Wren 1
American Robin 8
European Starling 6
Orange-crowned Warbler 3
Common Yellowthroat 3
Yellow Warbler 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5
Townsend’s Warbler 5
Wilson’s Warbler 1
Song Sparrow 4
Western Tanager 1
Black-headed Grosbeak 1
Red-winged Blackbird 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Purple Finch 2
Pine Siskin 8

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Botany Outing Report: Kin Beach, Apr. 8,2013

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Krista

Approximately 15 naturalists attend a botany outing to Kin Beach on a lovely sunny spring day. The plants identified were:
Flowering plants : common chickweed, little western bittercress, pale spring beauty, red stem spring beauty, miner’s lettuce, shepherd’s cress, common draba, blue-eyed Mary, gold star, slender toothwort, pink twink, dwarf owl clover, electrified cats tail moss, English daisy, tall Oregon grape.
Not yet flowering plants: fawn lilies, chocolate lilies, Pacific sanicle, elegant rein orchid, Indian consumption plant, yarrow, Menzies larkspur, northern wormwood, gumweed, dalmation toadflax, tansy, mugwort, fringecup, Hooker’s fairy bells.
Shrubs noted : red-flowering currant, ninebark, ocean spray, Nootka rose, cascara, snowberry, salmonberry. and many sword ferns.

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April 21, 2013: Mushroom Specialist Shannon Berch

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Krista

The penultimate Rachel Carson Memorial Lecture hosted by Comox Valley Nature will be delivered by Dr. Shannon Berch. The title of the lecture is “Mycorrhizas – How fungi help plants grow”. The lecture is on Sunday April 21 at 7 pm, at the Filberg Centre.

Dr. Shannon Berch is a Research Scientist with the Government of British Columbia soil conservation, soil biology, and non-timber forest products especially commercially harvested wild mushrooms. She is an adjunct professor with the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and with the Centre for Livelihoods and Ecology at Royal Roads University (RRU) in Victoria. She is a founding member of the Truffle Association of British Columbia (TABC) and part of their research and development program. Recently, she and her husband started a truffle consulting business that independently assesses quality of inoculated seedlings before planting and colonization in the truffle orchard. Both as a lover of truffles and an active member of the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society (SVIMS), she is on the search for edible native truffles in British Columbia.

Shannon has studied mycorrhizae since her graduate school days and over the years has developed expertise with arbuscular mycorrhizae, ericoid mycorrhizae, and ectomycorrhizae. Her work also includes non-timber forest products that are harvested from the forests of British Columbia including chanterelles and pine mushrooms.

Shannon is passionate about introducing beginners to the amazing world of mushrooms and truffles and has for years helped man the mushroom display during the annual SVIMS Swan Lake Mushroom Show in Victoria. In the fall of 2011, she lead a beginners mushroom foray for SVIMS, presented an invited lecture at the inaugural Quadra Island mushroom festival, and taught a 2-day continuing education course at RRU entitled ‘Can I Eat That Mushroom?’

Shannon is carrying out a research and demonstration project aimed at introducing Mediterranean truffle production to British Columbia. This project is assessing oak and hazelnut fine root colonization by ectomycorrhizal fungi, including the target Tuber melanosporum and Tuber aestivum, in truffle orchards on south Vancouver Island, the lower Fraser Valley, and the Okanagan Valley.

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. The last lecture will be delivered by Dr. Marlene Smith, on the management of Strathcona Park, on May 19th. This is an educational a 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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BC Nature enews April 2013

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Krista
Upcoming Events
  • AGM 2013 – Along the Fraser – Adapting to Change Abbotsford-Mission Nature Club – May 2-5, 2013 – Registration in BCnature Spring Magazine and Abbotsford Mission website
  • Skagit Valley Bird Blitz – May 10-12, 2013
  • Mt. Robson Provincial Park Bird Blitz – June 7-9, 2013
  • Manning Park Bird Blitz – June 14-16, 2013 Note Change: Manning Park Lodge is currently closed – for accommodation other than tenting – please visit East Gate Accomodation this accommodation is 15 minutes from the gathering area.
  • FGM Cranbrook – Sept 19-22, 2013. Preparations are well underway. Registration and information will be available end of May 2013.
Enbridge pipeline opponents say hearings unfair
From April 3,2013 – Globe and Mail – Author: Mark Hume Federal hearings into the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project are unfair because company witnesses are allowed to huddle before answering questions during cross-examination, says a lawyer for two conservation groups. Chris Tollefson, a University of Victoria law professor representing BC Nature and Nature Canada, has also complained about long, “scripted answers” and about witnesses who are passed information from company experts sitting in the back rows of the hearing room. For complete Article – Full Link Here
Issue 31
Date April 2013
Nature Conservancy of Canada needs financial help
A request from IBA – By June 1, 2013 Here is a very exciting opportunity to conserve another 23% of the Kilpoola Lake IBA! Nature Conservancy needs 1.5 million by June 1, 2013 to close the deal on the Elkink Ranch, south block.For background information on how you can help, check out this link
“Protecting Vulnerable Species: A Draft Five-Year Plan for Species at Risk in British Columbia”
The five-year plan draft is posted online and will be accepting public comments online and by mail until April 12, 2013. Please voice your opinions/comments here
Enbridge Updates
U.S. orders Enbridge to dredge Kalamazoo River after huge oil spill two years ago – article Here
Dilbit Sinks in Enbridge Oil Spill, but Floats in Its Lab Study – A recent industry-backed study of diluted bitumen, the Canadian crude oil that would be shipped through the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, contradicts what environmentalists have said for years—that diluted bitumen, or dilbit, sinks in water and is much more difficult to clean up than conventional crude oil. Entire article here
Enbridge grilled on First Nations’ title rights. Complete article here
Bringing back the bluebirds – Nature Conservancy of Canada
Some of our successes are huge breakthroughs and some are smaller, quiet successes – like the story of Gerald Elkington and his bluebirds. Gerald was a landowner in the beautiful Cowichan Valley of BC and was already 100 years old when he sold the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) his land to form the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve. He had a tenancy agreement with us to ensure he could live out his life on his beloved property. He died in 2004 at the remarkable age of 105.
During a visit to his home, an NCC staff person asked him about the bluebird figure on his mantle. “You could tell spring had arrived in the Cowichan Valley when the song of the bluebird filled the air,” Gerald reminisced. But by the time NCC purchased the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve, the song of the bluebird had fallen silent. Gerald had witnessed the decline and disappearance of the western bluebird from the valley. In the 1990s they were declared locally extinct in British Columbia. Though Gerald did not live to see it, the bluebirds are now returning to the valley, thanks to a collaborative and ambitious effort with the Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team and other partners to reintroduce western bluebirds to their native range. Earlier in the year, the Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve welcomed 17 western bluebirds brought up from their home in Washington State. NCC is proud to be part of this amazing initiative that will relocate up to 90 birds to help rebuild the decimated local population. Gerald would be pleased. It’s thanks to your support, and the generous support of our partners across Canada, that this work continues today. In fact, NCC now secures an average of 2 new properties every week, and NCC has helped to conserve more than 2.6 million acres of ecologically significant land across Canada.
Kitimat Refinery Project Demands Transparency
David Black’s gambit is turning into a big election issue, but what do we know about its financial backers? By Peter Ewart, Today, TheTyee.ca It is big news. An astounding $25 billion has been raised to build pipelines, tankers and one of the biggest refineries in the world at Kitimat, British Columbia. David Black, owner of the Black Media chain, first announced the proposed project last summer. Since then, Black, through his company Kitimat Clean, has hired the Swiss-based firm, Oppenheimer Investments Group to assemble the financing and see the project through “from start to finish.” According to news reports, Richard Cooke, a senior managing director for Oppenheimer Investments Group, says that his firm has “arranged and [has] the funding committed to do this whole project.” This is quite a feat, of course, considering that the $25 billion amounts to more than half the annual budget revenue for the entire province of British Columbia. And that the oil industry itself has not invested in new refinery creation in Canada since the 1980s because of low profit margins and refinery overcapacity For complete article – please visit Here
Interesting Sites and articles
Video on Day and Night pollinators – here
Nature Canada is happy to announce that our International Migratory Bird Day (IMBD) website is up and running to help you Welcome Back Birds! Visit Here Lots of great ideas for individuals and/or clubs.
Remembering the Exxon Valdez – Video Link
Two excellent videos on Light Pollution worth circulating to schools, city councils, etc. The amount of energy wasted lighting up the night sky and its impact on your health and the environment is enormous. Link 1 or Link 2
About Town – Upcoming Events
Creston Valley Bird Fest – May 10-11, 2013 – Click here for more info
Join the David Suzuki Foundation on a telephone Townhall – From the comfort of your home, participate in this informative and inspiring 60-minute call. Sabine Jessen, National Manager of the Oceans and Great Freshwater Lakes Program for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and another ocean conservation leader will share their knowledge about the health of the North Pacific Ocean and answer questions about a promising B.C. initiative to use the ocean wisely. We need to ensure that many benefits of a healthy ocean –– jobs, food, recreation and more –– are there for us, our children and grandchildren. Register here
Visiting the Okanagan in June? – The Annual Okanagan Mountain Park Bird and Critter Count will be held on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and June 2, 2013, sponsored by the Central Okanagan Naturalists’ Club. This will be 20 years for the count since it started in 1993. And it will mark 10 years since the fire that burned most of the park in 2003. This is one of the the longest and most reliable records in existence of the bird community for an area that burned so heavily. However, the change may not have been entirely as many people would have expected with higher species totals on the counts after the fires than before. If you’d like to join in, you can contact me directly – Les Gyug by phone (250-769-5907) or by email. We do between 7 and 11 routes per year, so there are a number of opportunities to join in–either by car birding, short walks, long strenuous all day hikes to the center of the park, or canoeing along the lakeshore. We can hook you up with a group covering a route from either the north end at Kelowna or the south end near Naramata/Penticton.
Elk River Poisoned by Coal Mining
A new study clearly indicates that the Elk River is being poisoned by toxic levels of selenium leaching from open-pit coal mining waste rock. The high rates of selenium – far in excess of British Columbia guidelines – have created a crisis for fish and other species in the Elk River. It is time to take a big step back and look at how this area is managed as a whole. Not to rush through new mining permits. This Canada Water Week, the Elk River especially could use some love…visit www.ilovemylake.ca and share your love for the Elk! Sign the declaration and help us remind Environment Minister Peter Kent and Fisheries Minister Keith Ashfield how much we all love our lakes and other waterbodies!
Flathead River BioBlitz
Following our first-ever Flathead BioBlitz, the Flathead Wild team is preparing for the Second Annual Flathead River BioBlitz! Last year, we were joined by ten biologists, three photographers, one videographer, and nearly a dozen visual artists in Southeastern British Columbia’s magnificent Flathead River Valley. This team of biologists spent a week in August exploring the river, the floodplain, the surrounding forests, valley, streams, and mountains, collecting, documenting and cataloguing species in an effort to understand the area’s rich biodiversity. We were fortunate to have some of BC’s top biologists, including half-a-dozen from the Royal BC Museum. They looked for spiders, insects, freshwater mollusks, birds, plants and more and found lots of interesting and surprising specimens. Their results will be released later this Spring. This year we will be going earlier in the year (June 21st-28th) in an effort to find species in a different phase of their life cycles, at a wetter time, and we can’t wait to see what will be discovered. We are currently searching for our next team of biologists, and we are particularly interested in finding top ornithologists. If you are a biologist, or know one, who would like to be involved in protecting a vital link in the Yellowstone to Yukon wildlife corridor, please get in touch. What: 2nd Annual Flathead BioBlitz Expedition When: June 21st-28th, 2013 Where: Flathead River Valley, SE of Fernie, BC For more information or to register, please email
Summer Job Opportunity in the Nature-related Field
Please circulate this link to anyone you know who might be looking for work in a nature-related field. We (the BCCF) are hiring a number of community coordinators as well as hiring some summer students for a WildSafeBC Ambassador program that we are just launching. link here
Grizzly bears deserve immediate legal protection in Canada
Study finds many bear populations are on the brink of extinction. Grizzly bears could disappear from many parts of Canada unless action is taken to list them under the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) and initiate immediate recovery efforts, including protecting their dwindling habitat in some regions. That’s the conclusion of a David Suzuki Foundation study that analyzed provincial and federal government data on the status of grizzly populations across Western Canada. The report, Securing a National Treasure, revealed that 16 subgroups are on the brink of extinction in regions where they once flourished. This includes nine groups in south-central British Columbia and Alberta’s entire grizzly population, which remains vulnerable despite a recent hunting ban. Complete News Release here
Great Backyard Bird Count
The 16th annual Great Backyard Bird Count was the largest worldwide bird count ever. Over 25.6 million birds and 3144 species were counted in 107 countries. More than 120,000 checklists were submitted! Surprisingly, in the list of countries submitting the most checklists, India came in third (topped only by the U.S. and Canada)! Canadians submitted more than 12,500 checklists, a nearly 30% increase over last year’s 9800. This wealth of information will help scientists track changes in bird populations on a worldwide scale from year to year. The top five species (reported on the most checklists) were Northern Cardinal; Dark-eyed Junco; Mourning Dove; Downy Woodpecker; and House Finch. A massive number of northern finch species were recorded in the U.S. – periodic movements are related to cone and seed crops in northern Canada. A Red-flanked Bluetail (recorded in New Westminster, BC) was a GBBC first! More trends and highlights from the 2013 count will be posted soon on the GBBC website. Many thanks to everyone who participated in and promoted the GBBC.
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Bird Outing Report: One Spot Trail, April 1, 2013

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Krista

Seven birders walked sections of the One Spot Trail , looking for early spring arrivals. The weather was beautiful and most of the birds were both seen and heard by everyone. Some of the recently-arrived species encountered were Rufous Hummingbird, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Orange-crowned Warbler and Yellow-rumped Warbler. We also enjoyed close-up looks at a Cooper’s Hawk that was gathering nesting material. Total species for the walk was 27, with good numbers of individuals.

More detail and photos on the Nature Student blog.

While most members returned to town at the end of the walk two birders detoured to Wildwood Swamp. Highlights there were more Orange-crowned and Yellow-rumped Warblers, a mixed flock of Violet-green and Tree Swallows, and a pair of Wood Ducks.

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