March and April are always interesting months in our backyard. The calendar says Spring arrives, but Winter puts up quite a fight to stay around. The first of our Spring/Summer migrants have arrived, Red-winged Blackbirds and Grackles. We’ve been making sure the feeders are well stocked to help them out, as …
Once again, it’s big industry over citizens and the environment. In this case, five new anchorages are being proposed by Pacific Pilotage Authority (PPA) for the northeast stretch of coastline of Gabriola Island, along Whalebone and Sandwell beaches. If the PPA has their way, capesize freighters could soon be anchoring along these …
Hello again from NW Ontario and welcome to Spring 2016! Since you last heard from me, we’ve lost about 18″ of snow and I actually have a bare patch of grass in my backyard now, where the snow was thinnest. Unfortunately today, we’ve reverted back to winter and it was …
Being able to observe a Great Grey Owl hunting for voles in the foothills west of Calgary has to be one of the great joys one can experience as a birder in southern Alberta. Moreover, no matter how many times I have the privilege to witness these owls in action …
February came and went in a flash. Even with the extra day this year. I guess having so many days with Spring-like temperatures made it one of the most pleasant February(s) we’ve endured in a few years. The backyard didn’t present too much activity, or rather nothing out of the …
On the day before Valentine’s Day, GROWLS (Gabriola Rescue of Wildlife Society) held a wonderful event in celebration of Bald Eagles. Aptly-named Love is in the Air: An Eagle Affair, the day included a tour of eagle nests and a talk by provincial biologist Ian Moul about the Gabriola Eagle …
Hello again! Hope everyone had an enjoyable Valentine’s Day. Believe it or not, it is time for the Gray Jay to nest! Up here in NW Ontario, I believe the Gray Jay is the earliest species to begin nesting, usually in mid to late February. The signs have been there …
A lot of people don’t like winter, but we enjoy it. Sure, we miss our beautiful Baltimore Orioles, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and the many other birds that visit us during the Spring/Summer months, but Rob and I help ease this by taking a yearly winter road trip to the massive and beautiful …
For my first post of 2016 I offer you a photo display of some of the birds seen on the 2015 Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Gabriola Island. The photos are by five Gabriola photographers – Shannon Gresham, Garry Davey, Zulis Yalte, Eileen Kaarsemaker, Douglas Green – and me. Prolific …
A belated Happy New Year to everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. Parts of January have been brutally cold but so far, it hasn’t lasted more than a couple of days … highly unusual as normally, most of January looks like this photo! It never ceases to …