Spring Means Farms and Farm Babies

To my mind, one of the best parts of the spring season is going around and visiting local farms, checking out the fields full of new frolicking babies and their mums! This past week I've taken the time to get out and lean over a few farm fences, in both North Saanich and Central Saanich, watching little calves and lambs exploring their world and enjoying the sunshine. It got me thinking about the abundance of farmland in southern Vancouver Island, so that's the theme of this post (along with featuring some of the ridiculously adorable babies I met!).

April 11, 2012 0

Encountering the Sandhill Crane

As I've mentioned before, I'm not the world's most patient or observant birder, but you positively can't miss these guys. They are enormous (about the size of a Great Blue Heron) and make a noise kind of like you'd imagine a pterodactyl might make. Also, they're pretty used to their human neighbours in the park, so they'll casually stroll down the path toward you. It's a little disconcerting being that close to such large pointy beaks, I'm not going to lie! I was completely intrigued by these cool-looking birds, and I immediately wanted to learn a little more about them.

February 3, 2012 10

Hidden Gem: Shoal Harbour Bird Sanctuary

Today I want to point you in the direction of a super accessible local park that you may not have heard too much about. Shoal Harbour Bird Sanctuary is right in downtown Sidney, and while definitely an urban park rather than a wilderness one, it boasts some pretty fantastic ocean vistas. My favourite way to check out the view and the birds there is to head out onto Resthaven Island, a little point of land that's separated from the mainland by an itty bitty channel (and joined by a short and sturdy two-lane bridge). There's a well-maintained loop trail there - it's actually a municipal park, a narrow one that skirts the edge of the island.

January 30, 2012 3

Discover Reifel Bird Sanctuary

On our trip to Vancouver last weekend to see the visiting Snowy Owls at Boundary Bay, we also took the opportunity to check out George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. They are both just a short drive from the ferry terminal, so combining the two made an easy day trip from Vancouver Island. The 300 hectare (740 acre) sanctuary is located on the outskirts of Vancouver, on Westham Island in Delta. It is part of the Fraser Valley Estuary, and consists of managed wetlands, marshes, and low dykes with established walking trails running through them. Even though it's technically on an island, the sanctuary is easily accessible by a short bridge.

January 24, 2012 0

Arctic Visitors – Snowy Owls Head South

Last weekend, two friends and I made a day trip to the Vancouver area to do a little birdwatching. We on the West Coast are very lucky this year to have a large number of Snowy Owls wintering at Boundary Bay. This is not a yearly event, as Snowy Owls tend to remain in the northern Arctic. However, the owls occasionally venture this far south when their main food source (lemmings, primarily) is scarce in the arctic tundra. This happens every four years or so, as the lemming population cycles through boom and bust phases. This year the Snowies were first sighted in the bay in late November; their last visit to this area in high numbers was about five years ago.

January 21, 2012 0

Have You Met Elk Falls Yet?

Confession: I have a deep and abiding fascination with waterfalls. On any road or hiking trip I take, if there's any chance of working a waterfall into the mix, it's got to be done. I love the sound of the rushing water, and its powerful plunge over a cliff edge or gentle tumble down a hillside. Most of all, I love the way the continuous flow of water has shaped the surrounding landscape bit by bit over more years than I can possibly imagine

January 19, 2012 2

Encountering the Ancient Trees of Avatar Grove

Avatar Grove is about a two and a half hour drive from Victoria, the nearest main city. The forest site is quite easy to find, and the Ancient Forest Alliance has done a lovely job of providing detailed directions to the grove. We followed the directions easily, and with the exception of a few deep potholes (which our intrepid driver perhaps could have navigated around!) and several narrow one-lane bridges, the drive is scenic and relatively smooth.

January 16, 2012 3