What if your nose was blue? Whenever I look at a ruddy duck, so named for its body colour, of all things, and not its bright blue nose, this is the phrase that comes to mind. Takes me back to my classroom days when it was popular to call out randomly, “you’re a ________” when … Continue reading Blue Nosed Twitchers
Tag: gary sobchak
Connie Sobchak goes hunting for cranes. And gets a story instead
We were surrounded by hawks and I was reading a book called H is for Hawk. I marvelled at the wildness around me while the narrator recoiled at the wildness she discovered within. Our day was fraught with coincidence it seemed. We had stopped at the end of Goose Lake road to get cell service … Continue reading Connie Sobchak goes hunting for cranes. And gets a story instead
A Siege of Herons: Connie Sobchak ponders the similarities between a heronry and a shopping mall
On the way to the Tsawwassen Ferry, as I inspect the trees at the base of the hill, I feel transported to a world where pterodactyls still fly in the skies: a colony of great blue herons live there. It’s hard to look at a heron without thinking of ancient times: their gangly legs, their … Continue reading A Siege of Herons: Connie Sobchak ponders the similarities between a heronry and a shopping mall
The Birds Know
As the sun filtered through the blustery snowfall the other day, we pressed ourselves to get out of the house for a walk with the dog. "Winter has lasted too long," we lamented, "It’s time for spring." Our wish was granted. Over by Arn Canal, piileated woodpeckers drilled hole after hole in the cottonwoods and … Continue reading The Birds Know
Birdwatch: Pygmy Owl kills Northern Shrike
Thanks to the skills of Gary Sobchak, we have some incredible pictures of an attack by a Pygmy Owl on a Northern Shrike. The Shrike did turn into dinner for the Owl. It happened Friday Jan. 30 at Meadow Rd. and Miller Cr. Many years may pass, before an event like this will be documented again. … Continue reading Birdwatch: Pygmy Owl kills Northern Shrike
The Wellness Almanac 