My favourite correspondent, John Tschopp, has broken away from his usual orthithological themed observations to share this one, for our collective phenology journal. Phenology, derived from the Greek word phaino, meaning "to show or appear," is literally "the science of appearance." It is a segment of ecology focused on the study of periodic plant and animal lifecycle … Continue reading Seasonal observations: It’s spring and love is in the air
On March 17, 2018, John Tschopp, wrangler of all people ornithologically-inclined, shared that there is a new bird for the Pemberton list. Birders in the Upper Valley noticed a Great Grey Owl, spotted at several locations, in early March. Great Grey owls have big territories and live in the northern hemisphere's circumpolar regions. They can … Continue reading Pemberton welcomes the Great Grey Owl
Wednesday March 28 was "a lucky day" for John Tschopp and his camera. "The field is crowded with waterfowl on their way north. The trumpeter swans come and go all day long. Northern Pintails are one of my favourite ducks. If I were on the board of an airline, I would just the Pintail design … Continue reading Bird bonanza in the back forty
Great Blue Heron sightings are being sought in the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (e.g., Pemberton, Whistler, Squamish, D'Arcy and surrounding areas). This is the third season heron sightings are being requested. Reporting heron sightings (i.e., number, specific location, time, direction flying, age) is important and very much appreciated, providing us with a better understanding of their population … Continue reading Great Blue Heron Sightings Wanted
On February 10, John Tschopp, our birding correspondent, crossed paths with an old friend. This Short-eared Owl was soaking up the sun near Erickson Road, where SE Owls like to hunt mice. Is this bird on its way North already? Maybe it was pushed South by the big snow in central BC, too deep to … Continue reading Calling all owls – John Tschopp is offering a free portrait service
Thanks to Karl Ricker and the bird counters, for their ongoing observations of our habitat. Lots of commentators that 2017 was a lamentable year on many fronts. Seems the birds agreed. Here's to a more robust and thriving 2018. Pemberton Christmas Bird Count Highlights (2001 – 2017) by Karl Ricker Introduction: Year 2017 was plagued … Continue reading The Official Bird Tally: results of the 2017 Pemberton Christmas Bird Count are in and the numbers are the lowest on record
Guest post by John Tschopp Last week I had to drive to North Vancouver. The weather was drab, cloudy, with intermittent rain. Since time was in my favor, I pulled onto the parking lot at Porteau Beach. Usually one passes that spot at 90 km/h. What a surprise ! Everywhere I looked, there was wildlife, … Continue reading John Tschopp explains the pleasure of a roadside stop at Porteau Cove
Last week, Hugh Naylor called in a sighting of pinegrosbeaks to fellow bird-watcher, John Tschopp, prompting John to head out for a photo session. Here is the result of that fruitful collaboration. They can be seen from the Naylor Trail, which runs from Urdal Rd below the railroad track to Lillooet river. 1 - 3pm … Continue reading Sighted: Pinegrosbeaks snacking on maple seeds down by Naylor Trail
Every fall the veery travels more than 14,000 kilometres — from its summer home in the Pemberton valley to the jungles of the Amazon rainforest. Reading Joel Barde's recent Pique piece reminded me of learning about this project from our birding correspondent John Tschopp. One summer, university researchers caught three veeries from Tschopp’s property and … Continue reading Next stop, the Amazon. How local songbirds remind us that the world is much smaller than it seems
"eagle-eyed" John Tschopp spotted a northern harrier last Monday late in the afternoon while it was catching mice. When it was perched on a fence post, I realized how owl-like some of its features are. It was already quite dark, not the best picture. It looks like a cross between an owl and a hawk. Some … Continue reading A little bit owl, a little bit hawk: Northern Harrier in the ‘hood
The Wellness Almanac 