Wednesday Wings: Mr. Swivel Neck
If you’re new to this blog and wondering why I posted a bird-less picture, read my Bird (?) Watching post from earlier this year!
Author: Pat Bumstead
Nature News #23
Bird News A research project on Vancouver Island is working on the problem of estuarine marshes being damaged by expanding populations of Canada Geese. An innovative restoration technique for the Lewis’s woodpecker is underway in BC, with workers creating rot in the heart of healthy trees so the bird will …
Marsh Diaries Part 15
I’ve never been overly fond of yellow. After spending an inordinate amount of time looking through pictures trying to identify little yellow birds, I am even less fond of it now. The last time we were at the lake, the trees and bushes were full of bright flashes of yellow. One …
Nature News #22
Bird News Syncrude sentencing in the deaths of 1,800 ducks has been delayed until October so they can proceed with “creative sentencing discussions.” Mammal News A melanistic (all black) chipmunk has been found in Ontario. Photo here. An online petition is being circulated to save the black bears found guarding …
Wednesday Wings: A True Prairie Hawk
A New Season of BC Coastal Waterbird Surveys
As fall approaches, ducks, loons, grebes, and other waterbirds begin to return to British Columbia’s coastal areas to spend the winter months. The 12th season of the BC Coastal Waterbird Survey from Bird Studies Canada (BSC) will soon be underway. This program is one of the only long-term coastal monitoring …
Marsh Diaries Part 14
I’m pretty sure I broke a new personal record for the number of pictures taken last weekend. After record high temperatures, a cool front pushed the smoke from forest fires in British Columbia across the Rocky Mountains. A haze covered the entire province for a few days, and the sun …
Nature News #21
Bird News The Peregrine falcon population is on the rise in Ontario, but concern still exists about the low population numbers. A 65 year old bird lover in rural Saskatchewan will be closing his home-based rescue shelter after being told he must get a provincial license or be subject to …
Wednesday Wings: Who’s Watching Who?
Spending a lot of time at a southern Alberta lake this summer, I’ve been watching white pelicans and various gull species on a regular basis. Noticing some activity in the water near the boat launch one afternoon, I wandered over to see what was happening. A young white pelican was keeping …
Nature News #20
Bird News For the second year in a row, some residents in Moose Jaw, SK will go without mail delivery because of dive-bombing Swainson’s hawks. Bird watchers in New Brunswick have been treated to the rare sight of a white pelican, normally a bird of the western plains. British Columbia …