Back from a full day of birding with some good folks down in the Parksville/Qualicum area. The weather cooperated and the rain held off. Our Big Day team – “Herring Today Gull Tomorrow” took 2nd prize in the “expert” category, with 104 species. One of the things I like about any kind of bird counts of any kind is that …
Brant Wildlife Festival
Herring Roe Feast
I never seem to get the timing right when it comes to the spectacle that is the herring spawn on the east side of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. I’m usually a little too early or a little too late and I have to settle with looking at the amazing photographs of other birders and naturalists like Guy Monty who have …
Big Day Birding – Brant Wildlife Festival
One of the fun activities associated with the annual Brant Wildlife Festival is the Big Day Birding competition. Groups of birders work together to find and count the most birds over the course of a big day. The winning team takes home prizes and claims bragging rights. Search for gulls during the Brant Wildlife Festival Big Day bird count. Saturday, …
20th Annual Brant Festival – March 5 to April 28
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 …