As I begin to accumulate knowledge about the South Okanagan, it is astounding to find out how many plants and animals were identified and named for the explorer’s Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The expedition was ordered by the president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, to explore the …
Here on the Gulf Islands of British Columbia, more Trouble (with a capital T) is brewing for the birds – in the form of the Trans Mountain (TM) Pipeline expansion, owned by Kinder Morgan. (You might be familiar with this oil giant owned by former Enron executives.) The expansion, often …
With only 28 days until the first day of Spring, and given the record snowfall and deep, bitter cold that has gripped us here in Alberta this year, I don’t think it’s really that premature of me to wish our winter visitors a fond farewell. Don’t get me wrong. I …
This past January, Calgarians were treated to a rather rare occurrence: a week-long visit from a Great Grey Owl in a suburban park. From what I understand from local birders, a GGO has not been recorded in Calgary for over 14 years so it was a sight not to be missed. I must …
Feeding and watching birds have become favorite pastimes in North America. It is estimated that 1/3 of the population feeds wild birds. This ranges from putting out scraps of food to serving seed, suet and nuts. During the winter time, especially in periods where the natural food source falls, …
Good morning, my name is Daniel Revollo. I’ve been doing academic research on economic valuation of the activity of bird watching North America to Central and South America. I’ve been working on a project regarding economic valuation of wetlands in Mexico as a resting place for migratory birds. Why is …
The Pacific coast of British Columbia is home to two species of hummingbird, the Rufous (Selasphorus rufus) and the Anna’s (Calypte anna). Like many winter-weary Gabriolans, Rufous hummers spend the winter in Mexico. Then, in the spring, they begin their migratory journey northward, usually arriving back in BC during the …
For the second time in four years, I spent Christmas of 2013 on Vancouver Island, and had some good opportunities to do some bird photography while I was there. The Comox valley is situated on Vancouver Island’s east side, on the Strait of Georgia, about 100 kilometers northwest of Nanaimo, …
From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, bird watchers from more than 100 countries are expected to participate in the 17th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), February 14–17, 2014. Anyone anywhere in the world can count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count and enter …
Weed Lake, a Ducks Unlimited wetland just east of Calgary, is a popular spot for waterfowl from spring through to autumn and hosts thousands of birds at its peak. However, come November the shallow waters have almost entirely iced over and as a result all of the waterfowl have headed …