Brant (Image © Guy Monty) The return of Brant geese to the estuaries and bays of Vancouver Island in late February and early March on their migration from California and Mexico is celebrated annually by the Brant Wildlife Festival in Parksville/Qualicum Beach. This year’s festival runs from March 5th to April 28th and features a wide range of activities and …
Destinations
Pacific Rim Whale Festival (March 6 to 14)
Pacific Rim Whale Festival – March 6th to 14th Every March, spring splashes into Canada with the Pacific Rim Whale Festival! This year’s festival begins in Ucluelet and Tofino on Saturday, March 6 and runs through to Sunday, March 14th. Join the fun on the shores of Vancouver Island’s wild west coast, as we celebrate the visit of approximately 20,000 …
Rainfall on the “Wet Coast”
It’s always a good idea to bring an umbrella. One of the questions I often get asked is, “How much does it rain on Vancouver Island? Good question. After all, we live here in a temperate rainforest. And the answer, of course, is “It varies!” But it is a considerable amount of rainfall. I pulled out some precipitation data from …
Victoria Natural History Society Field Trips
Victoria Natural History Society Walk Joining a local natural history club is an excellent way to learn more about nature and meet like-minded people. The Victoria Natural History Society (VNHS) has a number of interesting walks and presentations for both members and non-members throughout the year. Field trips are ranked according to difficulty: Level 1 – easy walking, mostly level …
See Shells by the Sea Shore
A young beachcomber discovers some Japanese Varnish Clams on the beach at Kye Bay, Comox, BC. One of the joys of walking the beaches of Vancouver Island is finding a clam shell or two while out on the sand or cobble. For those new to West Coast beach combing, determining the species of bivalve that the shell belongs to can …
Point Holmes Tide Pools
This weekend I spent some delightful time poking around in tide pools at Point Holmes near Comox, BC. With the fantastic weather of the last couple of days and the low afternoon tides it is an excellent time to be exploring the sea shore. Point Holmes is always productive since it is a mix of sand and cobblestone with a …
Cape Scott Provincial Park by Water Taxi
The dramatic north coast shore in Cape Scott Provincial Park makes for striking black and white photographs. Cape Scott Provincial Park is at the northern tip of Vancouver Island. The conventional way of visiting the northern part of the Park is to backpack from the trail head. Nels Bight is 16.8 km from the trail head and the trail can …
California Gulls, California Gulls
A flock of mostly Thayer’s Gulls (Larus thayeri). Note the yellow legs of the California Gulls (Larus californicus) in the center of the image. I happened to be down in Parksville yesterday and did some pre-meeting birding at the Parksville Community Park on the waterfront. It was a blustery day but the gulls were out in numbers. Birds are beginning …
Winter Birding at Oyster Bay
Looking out at the old pilings at Oyster Bay. The eastern coast of Vancouver Island has many locations that are excellent for winter birding. Sheltered bays offer resting places for numerous species of waterfowl and the beaches can be productive for shorebirds. One of the highlights between Courtenay and Campbell River is Oyster Bay Shoreline Regional Park, which is located …
Nature’s Abstract Gallery
From a geological and photographic point of view, the western sides of Gabriola, DeCourcy, Link and Valdez Islands have plenty to offer. The geology is interesting and image making many opportunities for abstract sandstone photography. Sandstone Pattern No. 1 – A delicate pattern in sandstone on the Southern Gulf Islands, British Columbia. Way back in history great beds of sandstone …