It’s been a while since I’ve posted observations on the natural history of feral carts that I’ve found and photographed here on Vancouver Island—I moved my cart related posts over to a separate blog but it’s now time to bring them back home. No real reason to keep them separate and it’s just too time consuming to keep multiple blogs …
Shopping Carts
Black Barred Camel-cart
A typically rural/suburban cart, the field habitat of the Black Barred Camel-Cart is slowly being encroached upon by big box stores and residential development. Black Barred Camel-cart Classification: B/1 or possibly A/9 Earlier this week I spotted a cart in an all too common situation. Clearly disturbed by the noise of the near constant traffic of Comox Road this Black …
Shy Blue Tipper
Shy Blue Tipper showing its characteristic defensive position. Shy Blue Tipper Classification: B/1 or possibly A/9 The defensive behaviour of this cart makes it easy to identify. When approached by a perceived threat it immediately places the nose of its basket to the ground and raises its rear wheels to the sky. Shy Blue Tipper with wheels raised in defense. …
West Coast Rollout
I love this time of year when spring migration is just starting and the number of shopping carts on Vancouver Island are starting to build. Hard to believe with the recent snow fall we’ve had that last week we were battling through a couple of windy and wet days. It’s often said that storm days are great for birding since …
Beige Rustler Returns
Beige Rustlers are early winter migrants on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Look for them in back alleys and other edge habitat, particularly in areas thick with fallen leaves. Beige Rustler Classification: B/1 or possibly A/9 While out on a family walk around the neighbourhood I spotted another lifer for me – the Beige Rustler. These large carts are late winter …
Blue-banded Silver Spinner
Classification: B/1 Closely related to the Red-banded Silver Spinner, I found this Blue-banded Silver Spinner lurking near a dumpster a mere block from my house in Courtenay, British Columbia. Unlike its non-aggressive cousin, the Blue-banded Silver Spinner must be approached carefully. Use significant care, especially if one has young children present. This is an aggressive shopping cart. If you are …
Northern Seaside Shambler
There, in the moonlight. Do you see it? A Northern Seaside Shambler! Rising from Mud Northern Seaside Shambler Classification: B/1, B/21 Keep your eyes open and carefully search the shorelines and estuaries of the Pacific Northwest at this time of year. If you’re lucky, you may get to see the rare Northern Seaside Shambler, a marine shopping cart that emerges …
Crimson Wanderers
In this second post about feral carts on Vancouver Island, a small herd of Crimson Wanderers is discovered on a back lot in Courtenay, British Columbia. These fascinating shopping carts are common throughout the city. Crimson Wanderers Crimson Wanderer Classification: B/1 Fairly common in my neighbourhood near downtown Courtenay, Crimson Wanderers tend to graze in small herds or singly. They …
Vancouver Island Shopping Carts
Why do shopping carts end up where they do? Do they have a specific habitat? What sort of behaviours do they exhibit? With a nod to Hugh Griffith at Rock, Paper, Lizard and Julian Montague at the Stray Shopping Cart Project, I have embarked on a study of wild feral carts. I’ve been inspired to collect images and document species …