Blog

A Tree-Identification Walk in Queen Elizabeth Park – August 30, 2025

A Tree-Identification Walk in Queen Elizabeth Park – August 30, 2025

Trip Report by Nina Shoroplova. Photos by Nina Shoroplova and Caroline Penn. Twenty-five of us went on a tree-identification walk in Queen Elizabeth Park on August 30, 2025. We started at the southeast corner—actually an off-leash dog park—and went first toward the Vancouver Lawn Bowling Club and then around the tennis, pickleball and basketball courts and sports field. It’s an area that’s full of both native and ornamental trees. We gathered around an English oak, Quercus robur, and learned to…

Read More Read More

Birding at Jericho Beach Aug 22nd

Birding at Jericho Beach Aug 22nd

Trip Report by Christine Balkwill.  Photos by Christine Balkwill and Michel Crepeau Our group of 10 birders were treated to a wonderful sunny day for this outing.  We started out from the east end of the park where we heard a few high up warblers and many Black-capped Chickadees starting their day.  Nigel spotted a tree frog.  We stopped at the bridge to visit with the local Barn Swallow flock and check the pond for ducks.  A couple of Green-winged…

Read More Read More

A Summer Hike in Cypress Provincial Park

A Summer Hike in Cypress Provincial Park

Trip Report by Helen Baker “Find something different,” our hike leader Gail Ross challenged us. Our group of nine were strolling on a cool green path that winds through a grove of old-growth Hemlock and Yellow-Cedar in Cypress Provincial Park. We all stopped and peered through the tree trunks and underground. “I see something!” someone said, pointing to a clump of spindly purple stems growing straight up from the forest floor. Gail nodded and explained the unusual coral-like growth was…

Read More Read More

Tree-identification walk along English Bay

Tree-identification walk along English Bay

Trip Report by Nina Shoroplova. Photos by Nina Shoroplova and Caroline Penn. The first time some members of Nature Vancouver joined Caroline Penn and me, Nina Shoroplova, on a tree-identification walk of the many trees along English Bay, we went from west to east. This time we met in front of the Vancouver Aquatic Centre and walked from Sunset Beach Park in the east, through English Bay Beach Park in the west, and ended in Alexandra Park, the one known…

Read More Read More

Trip Report – Dawn Chorus at Everett Crowley Park – June 15, 2025 5 AM

Trip Report – Dawn Chorus at Everett Crowley Park – June 15, 2025 5 AM

Just around sunrise, six people joined the walk co-leaders Ly and Neill to listen to the dawn chorus on the edge of the woods at the 62nd Avenue entrance to Everett Crowley Park. For about 20 minutes we listened to American Robins, Song Sparrows and a strident Spotted Towhee singing close by for all they were worth. Distant Swainson’s Thrushes could also be heard. By only 5:30 the intensity of song had diminished significantly. At this point Ly did an…

Read More Read More

In Memoriam – William James (Bill) Merilees 

In Memoriam – William James (Bill) Merilees 

A BORN NATURALIST July 19, 1940 – 18 June, 2025  by Margaret Bear Bill was among Nature Vancouver’s most distinguished naturalists, constantly adding to our knowledge of the natural world. He was also among our most prolific writers contributing many articles to the Discovery Journal, for various newsletters, as well as writing several reference books published for a wider audience. He wrote about a great variety of subjects including mammals, botany, marine biology – and of course birds – where it ostensibly…

Read More Read More

Birding Along Trans Canada Trail

Birding Along Trans Canada Trail

Trip Report and Photos by Doug Cooper Seven participants enjoyed the morning of June 15th exploring a kilometre or so of the Trans Canada Trail as it climbs up and east from Penzance Drive in north Burnaby.  The main trail and accompanying side branches go through a healthy mostly undisturbed stretch of mixed secondary growth forest.  We saw and heard a total of 33 species of birds and found a few blooming wildflowers, despite the proximity of the trail to…

Read More Read More

Birding at Burnaby Lake – June 14, 2025

Birding at Burnaby Lake – June 14, 2025

June can be a quiet time for lower mainland birding, but 14 birders were rewarded withsongs or sightings of 39 species along the South Shore Trail at Burnaby Lake Park. Led by Istvan, we began in the parking lot by the Burnaby Rowing Club, checked outthe lake and dock area, then followed the trail out and back from there. Barn and Treeswallows gave us aerial displays and perched for easier ID of adults and juveniles.Trailside, a Swainson’s Thrush and Willow…

Read More Read More

Nature Journal and Birding: An Introduction

Nature Journal and Birding: An Introduction

Report & Photos Submitted by Joanna Chin On May 25th, during the Vancouver Bird Celebration week, we had a full house with 18 participants for “Nature Journal and Birding: An Introduction” event. We met at Iona Beach Regional Park on the West side of the outer ponds. It was a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze, and we set-up our chairs in a circular formation conducive for conversations and learning from each other. I started off with a land acknowledgement…

Read More Read More

Tree Swallows & Bald Eagles news

Tree Swallows & Bald Eagles news

In this first week of June 2025, Peter Ward would like to draw Members attention to: 1. Tree Swallows. Having been around their nest boxes since April, the swallows are in high gear this week, and will be here up to late June/early July. The adult swallows have recently hatched families, which may number up to 6 young, and are busy catching thousands of insects per day. Both parents feed the young. They have less than 3 weeks to develop,…

Read More Read More

Nature Vancouver