Report and Photos by Leader – Bettina Matzkuhn Nine members of Nature Vancouver and one guest participated. The weather was warm and breezy. We saw a Humpback whale spouting in the distance en route to the island. We covered approximately 10km to and from the Sturdies Bay ferry terminal, with a short stop at the historic Japanese Charcoal Pit Kiln. We made a few mistakes with the route but were rescued by Teresa’s GAIA track. The trail that goes up the back…
Submitted by Trip Leader – Jan Lowcock Saturday, April 29, saw a burst of summer-like temperatures and sunshine as a group of 16 Nature Vancouver birders (new and experienced) explored Queen Elizabeth Park. The lower and upper duck ponds were quiet for waterfowl but we had a good look at the colourful breeding plumage of the few Mallards and American Wigeons. The east pond edge was active with Yellow-rumped Warblers, Song Sparrows and Rufous Hummingbirds. As we moved toward the upper duck pond,…
Trip Report by Leona Axbey Sunday, April 23, 2023. The rains held off and 8 of us had a great day – 7 Nature Vancouver members and one last minute tag-along. Among the first to greet us was a Northern Flicker from his high perch at the top of the Pacific Environmental Science Centre. Many tiny Kinglets, both Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned were strewn along our path as we made our way through the forests. In all, 29 species were seen, as…
Trip Report by Kelly Sekhon; Photos by John Martin Nine members of Nature Vancouver and a guest, participated in this trip to North Saanich on 15 April 2023. Forecast was for rain but it held off until after we were back on our return ferry to Tsawwassen. We had very pleasant day walking around the park with White Fawn Lilies, and Shooting Stars at their peak of flowering season. Other flowers in bloom were Blue-eyed Mary, Small Monkey Flower, Red-flowering…
Trip Report by Harvey Dueck 16 participants joined leaders Michelle Baudais and Harvey Dueck for a birding field trip at Ambleside Park. We had a nice mix of beginners and more experienced birders. Several in the group live quite nearby. The day started cold and wet, but the weather grew more pleasant as the morning progressed. We met by the Boatshed restaurant and spent some time looking at the birds out on the water. A bald eagle perched on…
Snowshoe Walk – Thursday, March 23, 2023 Submitted by Caroline Penn Nestled inside the elbow of one of the hair-pin turns of the road to Cypress Mountain is the Old Growth Conservancy. It is a 54-hectare forest located at an elevation of 760 metres just south of the Works Yard. The area was saved from development as a golf course in 1990, and is now conserved and protected by municipal bylaw. Like many old growth forests, it is a mix…
Report by Nina Shoroplova, Photos by Nina Shoroplova and Teresa Gagne Friday, February 10, 2023, was a sunny, dry day, perfect for “Identifying Trees in Winter at Kitsilano Park and Kitsilano Beach Park.” Eighteen Nature Vancouver members joined leaders Nina Shoroplova and Teresa Gagné mid-morning in the southwest corner of Kitsilano Park and for the next two hours identified both evergreen and deciduous, native and introduced, ornamental and invasive species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. Whereas evergreen trees offered…
11 February 2023 Trip Report by Kelly Sekhon Seven members of Nature Vancouver and a guest participated in this birding field trip for beginners. Istvan Orosi, a long time member of Nature Vancouver, helped us identify several birds from their calls or songs. At the mouth of the Eagle Creek we saw males and females of several species of ducks up close. Visitors to the park bring bird seed to feed the birds. As a result, Song and Fox Sparrows,…
On Sunday, February 5th, thirteen Nature Vancouver members joined this season’s quest to find American Dippers along the Alouette River in Maple Ridge. Larry Cowan led Dipper Quest in December from 2006 until he retired in 2019 and managed to find at least one dipper every year. In 2021, Michelle Baudais and Harvey Dueck continued the quest. We were away in December 2022, so the 2022 quest was delayed until February 2023. We began the quest in Maple Ridge Park….
Trip Report by Leona Axbey Sunday, January 29, 2023 On a cold, crisp January morning, fifteen members of Nature Vancouver ventured out to Vanier Park for a birding field trip. As on past trips to this locale, one of the first birds to greet us was an Anna’s hummingbird. Close by a bald eagle was being murdered by crows. (Not really folks.) We headed east towards the ponds, our arrival announced by a singing House Finch’. Here we viewed Mallards, American Widgeons,…