Texada Island Turtle trip
23 Jun 2010 Leave a Comment
TURTLES OF TURTLE LAKE
Nine MNats gathered at the Lucky Dollar Store in Van Anda on Tuesday June 22nd, 2010, to meet with Vanessa Kilburn, South Coast Western Painted Turtle Recovery Project Leader. She led us along the mossy trail to Emily Lake, also known as Turtle Lake. There we watched as one of her assistants snorkelled over to some unsuspecting Western Painted Turtles basking on a log on the other side of the lake and caught a female to show us. We admired her pretty red plastron and wondered if the dark brown patterns on it had inspired First Nations art work. Vanessa and Aimee Mitchell, Provincial Government biologist, then produced a Slider and showed us the differences between the two species. As the Painted Turtle had already been through their process they released her back into the water and we watched her swim right back to where she had been caught. Then they weighed, measured, and notched identification marks on the slider which had a distinctive red mark behind the ear and a yellow plastron. After examining a leathery turtle egg, we walked round the lake to where the nests were right in the middle of a swimming area. Tim Atwood, Coordinator of the Texada Stickleback Group, joined us and pointed out benthic sticklebacks swimming close to shore. We did not see any of the smaller limnetics. After lunch we drove over to Shelter Point and sat on the logs to enjoy the sunshine before catching the 3pm ferry home.
BIRDING BY EAR Sat. April 10th, 2010.
12 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment
BIRDING BY EAR April 10th, 2010
Ten people stalked the old golf course at the Townsite with Pierre Geoffray listening for birds. It was “briskly cold” but warmed up later. Many of the migrants had flown north after the storm three days ago but there were enough singing for our purposes. The most conspicuous were Song Sparrows, Purple Finches, Spotted Towhees, Varied Thrushes, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets who actually showed off their ruby crowns. Several sea lions also serenaded us.
As we entered the forest part of the walk, a tiny Winter Wren was carrying some mossy nesting material in its bill and entered in a cavity about 25 feet of the ground in a cedar tree. We watched it poke its head out of the nest and then challenge us with a lively song. A little further along, a Varied thrush and a Robin sounding their alarm notes prompted Elizabeth to look up to see a roosting Barred Owl that we all saw. We ended up with a list of 32 birds which is pretty good. We saw no Rufous Hummingbirds or Turkey Vultures.
Pierre Geoffray listens for TowheesAudubon WarblerThe Barred owl Elizabeth found
Audubon WarblerBarred Owl
Barred Owl
Wildflowers April 3, 2010
03 Apr 2010 Leave a Comment
Led by Shirley Cole and Clyde Burton, 
six people enjoyed the sunshine after the previous day’s big storm. Rod Innes took us to see the white fawn lilies at Sliammon and we then proceeded on to Dinner Rock where we picked up Walter Kubany and looked at shooting stars, blue-eyed Mary, two kinds of monkey flower, pink sea blush, parsley and liquorice ferns and other floral beauties. The chocolate lilies will be out in another ten days. Up Malaspina Road we found calypso orchids still in bud and estimated that another week or so would see them in bloom.
Goats, Rushing River and a Portage – March 28, 2010
31 Mar 2010 Leave a Comment
GOATS, RUSHING RIVER AND A PORTAGE March 28, 2010.
Twenty-two people travelled up the Goat Main as far as Mile 34. Through spotting scopes, we had a clear view of five mountain goats on the bluffs on the other side of Goat Lake. We continued on to Eldred Falls which was just beginning to flood from spring runoff. A pair of Dippers exhibited their courtship rituals for us. Lunch by a fire at the climbers’ camp helped rejuvenate us before we headed back to the Ireland Lake – Nanton Lake portage. Clyde Burton continually showed us the signs of early spring. Juncos and a dozen or so golden-crowned kinglets flitted in and out of the shrubs along the portage and a tree full of pine siskins delighted us with their serenade. Out of sight but within earshot were varied thrush, a flicker and a couple of unidentified flycatchers. Owen Gaskell and Elizabeth Tenhoeve.
Lichen Field Trip repeated
21 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
- Sherri Wretham supervises the viewing of a good lichen rock
Lichen Trip repeat Jan 30th
The Lichen trip was so popular that those who couldn’t attend asked for it to be repeated. This was done Jan.30th at Ann and Paul Clements house followed by a field trip to Haslam Lake. Five people attended.
Swans of Comox
21 Feb 2010 Leave a Comment
On the ferry to Comox, numerous long-tailed ducks and murres were sighted. At Little River, we stopped to see the shorebirds just outside the terminal. A large flock of dunlin were interspersed with black-bellied plover, mew gulls and glaucous-winged gulls. By the airport, we saw whistling swans swimming in a slough with some mallards. At Goose Spit, several pintails were enjoying a muddy meal with more mallards. We got close enough to a small group of white-winged scoters to see the red tips on the ends of their beaks. Usually they are too far away for us to see this handsome detail. Clyde explained that when they dive, they swallow mussels whole and their digestive juices then open the shells which are afterwards regurgitated empty. At the nature observation point on the dyke road, we saw about 5-6 European widgeon along with a few of their American cousins. Usually we expect to see about one European to 100 American but this was more like a 1:10 ratio. We drove as far as Oyster Bay where we saw more dunlin and other shore birds. On the ferry ride back, we saw several common loons and more long-tail ducks. Three people went.
Salmon, Eagles and Waterfowl
15 Nov 2009 Leave a Comment
Salmon, eagles and waterfowl at the Sliammon Hatchery Sat. Nov .14 was enjoyed by 9 members who carpooled from the Liquor Store parking lot and then drove out to the Hatchery picking up a north of town member on the way. The person Clyde had arranged to show us round wasn’t there. Instead, he and Susan did the honors assisted later by a gentleman who was helping to dry some fish. The latter opened a tank full of coho and we admired their colours and saw some of their eggs. Down at the viewing area, we went nose to nose with a chum salmon. With permission from the lady drying the fish, who also let us taste some samples, we proceeded down to the end of the road where the creek comes out. Three immature eagles posed on three posts while Clyde explained that females are 1/3 larger than the males. Other immature eagles on the rocks brought the total up to about 10. After a short discussion on gulls, we left before we froze.
Lang Bay Hatchery Field Trip
06 Oct 2009 1 Comment
Watching fish in the creek
On Oct. 1, 12 members met at the Lang Creek Hatchery and enjoyed a tour given by Salmon Society staff member, Phil Nakatsu. He showed us the facility and how the fish enter the tanks and are sorted and counted. Then he showed us the salmon in the spawning channel and explained further what the goals of the Salmon Society are and how they are carried out. There were signs of bears but none present for the tour. Field Trip contact: Michael Stewart
