For the last couple of weeks I’ve seen at least 30 banded woollybears (Pyrrharctia isabella) crossing the country roads every time I’ve been out on my lunch time walks. One of my colleagues has taken to rescuing these cute little caterpillars and moves them from the middle of the road to the safety of the shoulder. They curl up in …
Merville
Golden-crowned Kinglets!
Earlier this week I ran into a flock of close to twenty golden-crowned kinglets (Regulus satrapa) feeding in the hedgerow alongside a country road in rural Merville. With the thick fog of the last couple days, it seems that birds are hunkering down and feeding in large mixed flocks. There were a few song sparrows skulking on the edges of …
Killdeer Cute!
The call of a killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) is distinctive—once you hear it you’ll never forget it. This afternoon, while walking the grounds at the old Tsolum School in Merville discussing Garry oaks with Loys Maignon of Comox Valley Nature, we both came to a stop when we heard a single bird calling from the playing fields. Even without binoculars, we …
Refresh the Spirit at Tsolum Spirit Regional Park
Guest Post by Jocie Brooks This week I put on my gumboots and headed into the heart of Merville, British Columbia to explore Tsolum Spirit Regional Park. It’s a nice place to take a leisurely stroll (the trail isn’t too long, so no need to rush) and enjoy the fall colours as well as a viewpoint overlooking the river. The …
A Chip on the Block
A Chipping Sparrow (Spizella passerina) showing its bright rufous cap and strong, black eye-line. I’m not sure but it seems to me that Chipping Sparrows (Spizella passerina) are becoming more and more common on Vancouver Island. I recall several years ago being surprised that another team had had several on the Comox Valley spring bird count in early May – …
A Yellow Rump
I’ve really been enjoying my lunch time strolls along Lever Road in Merville – there’s a good stretch of roadside habitat that includes mixed shrubs and conifers, some older red-alder, a small pond, and open fields along which both warblers and sparrows are active. I’ve seen quite a few Yellow-rumped Warblers (Dendroica coronata) over the last couple of weeks and …