During a break in the weather this week I had a chance to get down to Goose Spit to look for a short-eared owl that had been reported near the tip of the spit. There’s a large grassy area at the end of the spit that was once a hideous thicket of Scotch Broom. The Department of National Defense has …
Comox
Christmas Birding
The Christmas raspberry-red of the Purple Finch (Carpodacus purpureus) makes it a perfect bird for the season. If you’ve never done a Christmas Bird Count (CBC) you still have time to experience the “fun” of a full day of birding in the middle of winter. On Vancouver Island in British Columbia this usually means a cold wet day spent in …
Lovely Lupins
Lupin sp. – flower close-up. Just over a week ago during the Comox Valley Spring Bird Count I was leading a team of birders out onto Goose Spit in Comox, British Columbia with our Department of National Defense minder (CFB Comox). We didn’t see much variety in the way of birds, mostly Savannah Sparrows and Killdeer at this site, but …
Pacific Littlenecks
I’m always on the lookout for shells of all sorts when I’m out walking the beach. I don’t collect them but simply enjoy picking them up, taking a closer look at them and then returning them to the beach for someone else to find. After all, shells that are taken home usually end up in shoe boxes tucked onto the …
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 …
Red Rock Crabs
Looking across a shallow tidepool to a cobblestone bar at Point Holmes. I headed out to Point Holmes this afternoon to look for and photograph a selection of beach rocks for an upcoming column that Jocie is writing. As with all trips to the shore of the sea it is very easy for a naturalist to get pleasantly off track. …
Searching for Littlenecks
Mudflats and Purple Martin nest boxes at Comox Bay, British Columbia. I was a little better prepared for mudflat exploration at the end of the second day of the workshop at the Filberg Lodge in Comox, British Columbia. After my experience on Saturday, I wore my rubber boots and was ready to spend an hour or so out in the …
Getting Your Nose Bent out of Shape
Side profile of the Bent-nosed Clam (Macoma nasuta) showing the upward bend in the shell. After a half day inside attending a workshop at the Filberg Lodge in Comox, BC I definitely needed a little fresh air and a nature break. The Filberg sits right down on the water in Comox, with a fine view of Goose Spit across a …
A Glorious Morning – BC SkyWatch #6
In the dead of winter here on the West Coast of Canada one knows that if the sun is shining in the morning it is imperative to seize the day before it vanishes. Such was the case this Tuesday when we had a break in the deluge. After a quick breakfast we headed to Goose Spit to do some beach …
Butter Clams at Goose Spit
One of the clams that we discovered on Tuesday at Goose Spit was the Butter Clam (Saxidomus gigantea). Clams belong in the Phylum Mollusca, Class Bivalvia and are characterized by having two shells or valves. They are filter feeders and take microscopic organisms out of the water that they draw into their bodies through a siphon. Butter Clam (Saxidomus gigantea), …