From our lead birding correspondent, John Tschopp: The big water in the rivers and field is a benefit to waterfowl. Ducks feed in the pools by the hundreds. When they take to the air, they are shy, the sky is full of birds. With the camera it is not easy to catch this impression. I … Continue reading November Birdwatch with John Tschopp (and save the date of December 15 for the Christmas Bird Count)
Small birds don’t always get the recognition that larger birds do. Often unnoticed, they flit about in the undergrowth, scavenge under leaves and creep up the sides of trees. They tend to be dull in colour and furtive, yet sometimes they are outrageously brilliant to the point where you exclaim, “I had no idea we … Continue reading Little Birds
I'm a bird nerd. And I am afraid it’s getting worse. This year I paid for my first guided bird tour while on a winter vacation in Mexico. And although I loved the beautiful local species like the Vermillion Flycatcher, my favourite part was seeing Canadian species also on vacation: Northern Cardinals, Great Blue Heron, … Continue reading I am a bird-nerd: a guest post by Veronica Woodruff (that will make you want to be a bird-nerd too)
The public participation component of the Breeding Bird Survey that took place on Saturday June 11 suffered under the rain, reports John Tschopp. Volunteers had to pass up some locations altogether because of steady rain. On Sunday, the weather window sent John out scouting some of the missed locations. He advises: The Lazuli Buntings are … Continue reading Counting birds in the rain
Coded message to the grads of 2016? Would you agree?
Most of my experiences with bushwhacking (struggling through deep undergrowth) have been unpleasant at best, forays into the darkest side of my personality at worst. They were desperate attempts to navigate from one location to another brought on by a lack of knowledge of the terrain or lack of desire to take the long way … Continue reading Bushwhack
Saturday is the annual Breeding Bird Survey Day in Pemberton. It's one of 3000 routes surveyed annually by volunteers across North America and it has contributed to the creation of the BC Breeding Bird Atlas, an excellent online resource for birders, tried, true and new. Meet at 8am at the Farmers Market Barn in downtown … Continue reading Breeding Bird Survey Day is June 11
Jenna Dashney, Food-Lover, pastry chef, chicken mama, took over the Wellness Almanac instagram account this week, as the "mini-poopers", her all-chickens, all-the-time instagram persona. Below, is Beardy. A pirate-chicken who liked getting around on people's shoulders, all the better to eavesdrop on you with, me-hearties. Lovely little egg-cubators... I had to give them their moment … Continue reading The chickens have taken over
Another season of the BC-Yukon Nocturnal Owl Survey has wrapped up. Since 2000, Bird Studies Canada has been monitoring owl populations in British Columbia and the Yukon, contributing information to the National Nocturnal Owl Survey database. Volunteers across the country select a route in their neighbourhood and survey for owls in the spring and late … Continue reading Owl Philosophy
The Red Breasted Nuthatch has been visiting regularly, taking one sunflower seed at a time from the feeder, then flying with that seed to another tree, where it wedges the seed in a crack. Sometimes the bird uses the grip of the tree to hold the seed in place so it can get at the … Continue reading Seasonal Observations: The Red Breasted Nuthatch
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