Boreal Forest Biodiversity: Pimachiowin Aki

The Boreal Songbird Initiative and Ducks Unlimited have released a 20 page bulletin entitled 10 Cool Canadian Biodiversity Hotspots. The report highlights ten locations throughout our boreal forest that provide more detail and insight into its special biodiversity and conservation values. Pimachiowin Aki, Manitoba and Ontario Pimachiowin Aki, which means …

Continue reading

“Birchview” Apartments

By now baby birds are showing up everywhere, squawking up a storm while begging food from their parents. Very cute but very noisy, especially the young crows magpies! Lately I have seen several young Dark-eyed Juncos, Evening Grosbeaks, Spotted Towhees, Pine Siskins, crows and Cassin’s Finches, Black-billed Magpies & Red …

Continue reading

Merganslings!

As we move into late spring, this time of year is a particularly enjoyable time as we begin to see more and more new avian offspring and, like most baby birds, they are decidedly cute! Such was the case when after work last week I visited a local pond just on the edge …

Continue reading

Boreal Forest Biodiversity: Hudson & James Bay Lowlands

The Boreal Songbird Initiative and Ducks Unlimited have released a 20 page bulletin entitled 10 Cool Canadian Biodiversity Hotspots. The report highlights ten locations throughout our boreal forest that provide more detail and insight into its special biodiversity and conservation values. Hudson and James Bay Lowlands, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec If …

Continue reading

The Ultimate West Coast Pelagic Tour

Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes)

If you’re looking for the ultimate in pelagic birding tours in British Columbia, WildResearch’s annual pelagic trip out to La Pérouse Bank has to be on your “to do” list. At the end of the day, this 7 hour off shore tour is nothing short of “shear” birding and wildlife …

Continue reading

An Owl with eyes in the back of its head

One of the more diminutive members of the Owl family is the Northern Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnona) which is 6”-61/2” (15-17 cm) in size. These pictures were taken on January 8th, 2009 the second picture shows that it has “Eyes in the back of its head”, this must be very …

Continue reading

Boreal Forest Biodiversity: Caribou House

The Boreal Songbird Initiative and Ducks Unlimited have released a 20 page bulletin entitled 10 Cool Canadian Biodiversity Hotspots. The report highlights ten locations throughout our boreal forest that provide more detail and insight into its special biodiversity and conservation values. Caribou House, Quebec and Labrador Few locations are as …

Continue reading

Why I Fill My Birdbath 3 Times A Day

Continue reading

Boreal Biodiversity

The term “biodiversity” appears frequently in journals and popular media. In most cases, it is used to describe the number of species in a region. Scientists now realize that it also includes things like the intactness of the entire ecoysystem, large scale migration, predator-prey dynamics, genetic variability of species and …

Continue reading

The Hazards of Nestcamming

A few weeks ago a fellow Gabriola birder confided that some days he wished he didn’t have a nest cam. At first I assumed he was referring to the amount of time he spends watching the screen. (I could relate to that.) But it turned out he wasn’t at all …

Continue reading