Driving past the Griffin Pub on Kilmorley Road in Comox, British Columbia, you probably wouldn’t think to stop and take a look in the ditch. Odds are you’d be thinking about reaching more well known destinations like Air Force Beach or Kin Beach. Both of the latter are excellent for botanizing – Kin Beach is superb for Gold Star in …
Comox
Looking and Listening for Long-tailed Ducks
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 …
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 taken home usually end up in shoe boxes tucked onto the top shelf …
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. As with all trips to the shore of the sea, it is very easy for a naturalist to get pleasantly off track. I was a little overwhelmed looking for something …
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
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 shallow muddy bay. The tide was low in the late afternoon when the workshop ended …
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 in the morning to …