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Wings Over Iona

Wings Over Iona

Report by Peter Ward Nature Vancouver and Pacific Spirit Park Society got together and managed an information booth for the annual “Wings over Iona” event, supported by Metro Vancouver Regional Parks. This annual nature gathering was held this year on Saturday, 16th September.  There were about a dozen or more booths, spread out along final part of the Iona Beach Regional Park access road, with many interesting presentations, including bird walks, bird identification help, banding demonstrations, and live birds of…

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Bus trip to Cheam Lake Wetlands Regional Park

Bus trip to Cheam Lake Wetlands Regional Park

Trip report by Cynthia Crampton On September 27, twenty-two members of Nature Vancouver travelled by bus to Cheam Lake, in a brand new bus chartered through ‘Enjoy the Journey‘. The recent drought has been hard on wetlands. But two days before our trip, there were heavy rains – night and day. However it was sunny again on the day of our trip. Our guides, Fernando and Paulina Selles, members of Nature Chilliwack, were waiting for us on the dock. Both have been volunteers and observers…

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Birding at Piper Spit – Sept 23, 2023

Birding at Piper Spit – Sept 23, 2023

Trip Report by Harvey Dueck Sixteen people joined trip leaders, Harvey Dueck and Michelle Baudais for a morning of birding at Burnaby Lake. It’s interesting that the turnout was the same as for the walk on the previous day: we had expected a few more people would turn out on a Saturday morning. Perhaps the clouds and chance of rain kept a few people from coming. At least three of the participants were attending their first Nature Vancouver event. It…

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Birding at Piper Spit – Sept 22, 2023

Birding at Piper Spit – Sept 22, 2023

Trip Report by Harvey Dueck Sixteen people joined trip leaders, Harvey Dueck and Michelle Baudais for a morning of birding at Burnaby Lake. The group was a mix of Nature Vancouver Members and people who found us on Meetup, plus some who we met at Metro Parks’ Wings Over Iona event last weekend. We had a good mix of experienced and beginner birders. We had a lovely morning, with sunshine and moderate temperatures. As we waited for the walk to…

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Reifel Refuge Shore Birding Sep 2, 2023

Reifel Refuge Shore Birding Sep 2, 2023

Trip Report by Thomas Plath Another great outing for shorebirds was had at Reifel Bird Sanctuary for the 13 participants. This was an early morning high tide that was dropping and to my dismay the Reifel manager Kathleen, informed us of a Peregrine that had flushed the shorebirds out of West Field. The House pond had the usual fall gathering of dozens of Greater Yellowlegs and Long-billed Dowitchers but also present were two juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers much like a large version of…

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Whistler Week Trip Report

Whistler Week Trip Report

Five Nature Vancouver members camped and hiked for 5 days in the Whistler area.We camped at Whistler Olympic Park Campground in Callaghan valley just below the ski jump. It was a pleasant quiet campground, smallish sites with grass for tents, grouse walking through, a building for dishwashing and bear-proof food storage, and a second building (with shop) for hot showers. Not many trees, so the stars were fantastic! Monday August 14:Brandywine Falls to Bungee Bridge – 6.4km, 90m ascent, 1h44mAudain…

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Hollyburn Giant Cedar Hike

Hollyburn Giant Cedar Hike

Joint Trip with Friends of Cypress Prov. Park Trip Report by Marshall Bauman On Friday, August 25, 2023, nine enthusiastic adventurers, led by Marshall Bauman and Anne Leathem set ‘Off to see the Giant’ in near perfect, if hazy, conditions.  After crossing a small canyon on the Baden Powell trail, we headed up through old growth forest, on the western flank of Hollyburn Mtn.  We found the Hollyburn Giant, and several ‘look-alikes, less than 1/2 km above the Baden Powell…

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Boundary Bay Shore Birding August 29, 2023

Boundary Bay Shore Birding August 29, 2023

Trip Report by Thomas Plath Despite the rain seven people showed up at 104th Street, Boundary Bay at 3PM. We walked up to the dike and in front of us were hundreds of Black-bellied Plover, several Semipalmated Plovers, some peep, and a distant Short-billed Dowitcher. An adult female Peregrine flew in leisurely offering great looks, eventually flushing the shorebirds. It was still raining steady with no end in sight so we decided to change plans and head to the Tsawwassen Ferry…

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Reifel Refuge Shore Birding August 25, 2023

Reifel Refuge Shore Birding August 25, 2023

Trip Report by Thomas Plath Seventeen observers enjoyed a great afternoon of birding at Reifel Refuge. The sanctuary manages the ponds for shore birds during fall migration and they did not disappoint. The sanctuary is a RAMSAR site and one of the best places to view shore birds during fall migration in our region. The house pond gave us close, leisurely views of Long-billed Dowitchers and both species of yellowlegs. Overhead the buzzy calls and chattering of Purple Martins were…

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Boundary Bay Shore Birding August 19, 2023

Boundary Bay Shore Birding August 19, 2023

Trip report by Tom Plath Twenty-two participants enjoyed a somewhat hazy and cool evening studying shorebirds along the Boundary Bay dike between 104th and 96th Street. Initially the shorebirds were far out along the tide line however the rising tide pushed the birds in. Amongst the few hundred breeding and non-breeding plumaged Black-bellied Plovers were a few other wader species. A breeding plumaged Red Knot was wandering about the plovers but unfortunately was far and views poor, even with a scope. A couple…

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