Male Williamson's Sapsucker

Last Tuesday (March 26, 2013) we set off to find the Williamson’s Sapsucker, in an area where it is known to return to year after year. These cavity nesters use dead or dying large stags (usually Ponderosa Pine) and are most often found in a Western Larch forest. The Williamson’s is considered endangered in Canada and Blue listed in British Columbia.

It didn’t take us long to find it as we heard it distinctive call and identifiable drum cadence. Upon heading deeper into the forest sure enough we spotted our target bird on a Wildlife tree (identified by a yellow ribbon and a tag indicating that the tree should not be taken down).

Great Gray Owl

Not far away roosting in another tree was a Great Gray Owl, while not on a watch list the Great Gray is normally found much further north in the Boreal forest. It stayed for a long time, all had a good look. Finally it made its departure, as he was doing so we could see that a squirrel in its talons. Surprising, although we couldn’t see its mate it soon followed. The second Great Gray was obviously the female as it was considerably larger.

All in all this was a pretty good morning in addition there were Stellar Jays, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Clark’s Nutcracker Jay, Robins and a lone Tree Swallow. Considering that there was several feet of snow on the ground it was perhaps a sign of better birding ahead.

For your opportunity to find these bird species check into Great Horned Owl Eco Tours-Bird Watching and Nature Adventure tour.

Yellow Bell

I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring, while we could have some late winter inclement weather the worst is over, yahoo! For the past several weeks I have been monitoring the arrival of our early migrating birds. While some Robins and Red winged Blackbirds over winter here, the numbers have certainly gone up noticeably in the past several weeks, like many people the Song of these 2 birds is a sure sign that better weather is just ahead. For those other birds who truly don’t hang around in the North, I am pleased to see that Say’s Pheobes, Killdeers, and Western Meadowlarks have arrived. So far no Swallows, they shouldn’t be far behind. Another annual activity that I support is the BC Nocturnal Owl survey which I must schedule before the end of March.

On Saturday afternoon, we had some lovely bright blue sky and warm temperature, just the right time to go looking for early spring flowers. Our destination was the Wildlife Management area on Black Sage Road.

One of the very first to make an appearance is the Sagebrush Buttercup, after about 20 minutes of hiking we came across these early flowers. I did notice the shoots of many Yellow Bells; they too should be in bloom in the next couple of weeks.

Calfornia Big Horn Sheep

A really pleasant surprise was a herd of 14 California Big Horn Sheep. They were not seemingly bothered by our presence, so we were able to get fairly close to them. I was very surprised that there were 2 Rams among all of the ewes. All in all getting outside and exploring nature has many rewards and brings one a sense of awe and wonderment about the benefits of reconnecting with our natural world.

To learn more about the South Okanagan see Great Horned Owl Eco Tours website.

During the study period the Syilx Parks Working group was formed to consider the issues from an indigenous perspective, with participation from Parks Canada and included members from the 4 southern Okanagan Nation Communities: Osoyoos Indian Band, Lower Similkameen Indian Band, Upper Similkameen Indian Band and the Penticton Indian Band.

There were 6 formal recommendations put forward including: reengaging the provincial government in the process, protection of Sylix access to land and resources and protection of wildlife using the Species at Risk Act model.

Although not one of the recommendations it was suggested that the proposed park footprint may not be large enough and areas such as White Lake and McIntyre Bluff be also considered.

On the heels of this press release, an article in the Kelowna Daily Courier of February 28 suggests that the Okanagan Nation Alliance wants to co-manage the park with Parks Canada thus ensuring that traditional land use practices be deployed and sacred sites are protected.

To see firsthand the proposed park check into Great Horned Owl Eco tours

They were not the first explorers to cross the continent, Alexander MacKenzie, an employee of the Northwest Fur Trading Company (based in Montreal, Quebec) went overland to the Pacific in 1793. MacKenzie’s mandate was to expand the commercial interests of the fur trading industry and make strategic alliances with the First Nations peoples.

It would not be accurate to say that Lewis and Clark discovered these plants and animals as the indigenous peoples had known of them. However, they were the first Euro-Americans to document their findings and publish their results.

Lewis's Woodpecker

One of my favorite members of the Family Picidae is the Lewis’s Woodpecker (melanerpes lewis). In Canada, this bird is found only in Southern British Columbia and is considered to be of special concern or vulnerable. Habitat where you are most likely to find the Lewis’s Woodpecker is open ponderosa pine forests and old cottonwood stands. They usually choose a dead or burnt out stag to make their nest cavity. For the past several summers I have been conducting a survey for the Wildlife Tree Stewardship program where I spend time in the field finding and mapping nest sites. One of my duties is to determine if the Lewis Woodpecker returns to the same nest site each year. In most cases during the 2012 season I was unable to reach that conclusion; in my area of study only 1 previously marked tree had a returning woodpecker and 7 new nest sites were found. Unlike most other woodpeckers the Lewis catches insects in flight and can often be seen “Hawking”.

Wild Blue Flax

The South Okanagan is home to 400 species of wildflowers, one that stands out for me is the lovely Wild Blue Flax (linum perenne lewisii) named for the explorer Meriwether Lewis. Like many species of flowers the blooming period is very short, the best time to see the Wild Blue Flax is mid-June. It is found at low to mid elevation throughout dry climates in dry grasslands, sagebrush steppes and open ponderosa pine forests. There are many uses for this plant that have been known about for centuries, both medicinally and as a food source. Some First Nation’s peoples used the plant for the production of linen thread and in a poultice to treat ulcers. The nutritional value of flaxseed oil is outstanding as it is the highest single source of omega-3 fatty acid. Seeds are ground up and made into linseed oil a drying agent used in paints and varnishes. Indeed this plant is very versatile and ranks high in importance throughout the world.

Clark's Nutcracker Jay

An odd thing has been happening this February, I have been seeing a large flock of up to 11 Clark’s Nutcracker Jays (nucifraga columbiana) almost daily. Normally at this time of year I see a pair of these Jays who maybe in the early stages of mating. Perhaps we will experience an irruption or a dramatic, irregular migration of large numbers of birds to area. As a member of the Family Corvidae, the Clark’s Nutcracker Jay is very intelligent, and has incredible spatial memory, enabling it to find in winter most of the tens of thousands of seeds cached in the summer.  Unlike the Lewis’s Woodpecker, this Jay residents here year round and is common in high coniferous forests.

At Great Horned Owl Eco Tours, a key element in delivering effective and experiential tours, is the ability to demonstrate how animals, flowers and fauna are integral pieces to a sustainable, healthy and productive environment.

Standing at the summit of Mount Kobau (Elev. 6,100 ft)

In 2 recent books “Last Child in the Woods” and “The Nature Principle” the author Richard Louv introduces us to what he believes has happened in society today, adults and especially children have become disconnected with nature and has coined this phenomenon to be “Nature Deficit Disorder”.  The demographic cohort known as Generation Y (those born in the late 1970’s to the early 2000’s) and generation Z (those born in the early 2000’s until the present) may only experience nature in a “Virtual World”.

With the proliferation of today’s wired devices, children are spending less and less time experiencing life in the “Great Outdoors”. Instead they are hooked into IPods, computers, cell phones, video games, television, etc. This trend is certainly contributing to childhood obesity, depression, and attention disorders. Louv contends that “direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development and for the physical and emotional health of children and adults”.

As a Baby boomer growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, a time when we didn’t have all of the electronic distractions that society has today, I spent most of my free time exploring Mother Nature. Just being outside learning about the natural world was by far the greatest pastime that I enjoyed. My parents encouraged us to go and explore, during summer vacations the family went camping in a canvas tent.

Today, my business compels me to spend a great deal of time, taking inventory of the plants and animals that surround us. What is noticeably missing on these hikes and walks is; other people. Oftentimes when I am in a wildlife area, it seems that I have the whole place to myself. Very infrequently do I see a family with young children, people are the things that are missing from the landscape.

Countless research has been done that tell us of the therapeutic benefits that spending time outdoors brings. For some time patients with mental illness have been prescribed “Eco therapy” as a valid treatment option. There is something about “digging in the soil” that has a curative effect on the mentally ill. Instead of prescribing anti-depressants doctors have turned to this clinically valid frontline treatment.

Being one with nature not only recharges your battery but improves your brainpower and increases creativity. Get away from the digital world and come back refreshed, invigorated and smarter.

So how do we stop going down this slippery slope and reconnect children to nature? How do we promote a child’s right to experience nature? One major leap forward would be access to natural spaces, places and experiences; our society needs to become one with nature. We need to embrace the New Nature Movement and get children and parents involved with the Children and Nature Network.

To learn more about the benfits of nature and hiking see Great Horned Owl Eco Tours.

Wood Duck-Haynes Point Provincial Park Wetlands

When most people look upon on Wetlands their reaction normally is that it is a wasteland waiting to be plowed under or perhaps a breeding ground for mosquitos. In fact the environmental and economic importance of a healthy Wetlands ecosystem is perhaps incalculable. 

Consider what vibrant Wetlands contribute to our wellbeing, including water purification, flood control, shoreline stability and climate control in the face of global warming. How can we measure the value that this asset brings? If we turn this around, what would it cost us to perform these services? There is no current market value assigned to Wetlands, odd don’t you think?

In a recent report by the David Suzuki Foundation and Earth Economics places the value of these services to the residents of the Vancouver metropolitan area at between $30 to $60 billion annually, what would that translate into if it were added onto the property tax bill?

Another service not well known about Wetlands is it stores vast amounts of carbon. It is estimated that for every meter of depth, as much of 65,000 tonnes of carbon per square kilometer or about the same as the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 12,000 vehicles is stored.

Globally, governments are beginning to recognize the value of “Natural Capital” and are developing strategies to recognize and embrace this concept. The notion of an “Ecological Deficit” is being calculated by the World Bank.  An example of this is the Boreal forest, which regulates the planet’s atmosphere, in Canada. If the Boreal forest were to remain ecologically intact, the value is estimated to be $3.7 trillion.

Yellow Headed Blackbird-Osoyoos Oxbows Wetlands

In a recent report by the National Audubon Society which trended the populations and migration of many North American bird species tells us some disturbing news. The information collected over a period of 40 years emanate from 2 sources: the Annual Christmas Bird count and the Breeding Bird survey. Since 1967 the average decline in bird populations is 68%. Many waterfowl species, which depend on Wetlands for their very existence, like the Northern Pintail duck, Least Bittern and Little Blue Heron may at some point in the not too distant future become extinct.

Think about all of the creatures that make their home year round in Wetlands. In the South Okanagan Valley in  British Columbia the status of some of indigenous residents of the Wetlands is:  Endangered- Tiger Salamander, Northern Leopard Frog, Western Grebe, American White Pelican; Vulnerable- Great Basin Spadefoot Toad, Painted Turtle, American Bittern, Great Blue Heron, Sandhill Crane, American Avocet and California Gull.  

During the spring migration at the Haynes Point Provincial Park in Osoyoos, the protected Wetlands is a testimony to what can happen when areas like this are set aside for posterity. It isn’t a very big area but there is so much bird activity, not only from those just stopping over to rest up before continuing onto their ultimate destination but also for many species who stay there to breed. It is inspiring to see these Wetlands doing what it is intended to do.

To learn more about the Okanagan’s ecosystems see Great Horned Owl Ecotours.

Northern Mockingbird

Mockingbirds (Mimidae family) of which there are 17 species are only found in the New World and most species are found in South America. There are 4 species which are endemic to the Galapagos islands:  Florena, San Cristobal, Hood and Galapagos. In Canada we only have the Northern Mockingbird.

On my life list I have both the Northern and Bahama Mockingbird. Here is a bird which truly likes to sing, it imitates other birds and will sing at night. During my encounters with Mockingbirds, they were not bothered by my presence and never stopped singing. Most birds flee when you get too close but not Mockingbirds, they allowed me to study them and take wonderful pictures.

Bahama Mockingbird

The Bahama Mockingbird is found mostly in the Caribbean; sometimes it is a vagrant to the United States. Twice, while on a Caribbean cruise in 2011 I spotted the Bahama Mockingbird: on the islands of St Maarten and Half Moon Cay (Bahamas)

 To learn more about Mockingbirds and other North American join me on my Birdwatching and Nature Adventure tour.

Zero landfill or zero waste calls for a minimal amount of our refuse ending up at the landfill or incinerator. Given that most societies have a mentality of use and discard it has been a challenge to change to the mindsets of people. However; faced with new legislation which imposes penalties for not complying with new societal norms and increased taxes to pay for the removal of our garbage stream we have made breakthroughs in being more environmentally conscious.

Scientists tell us that we are using up the world’s non-renewal resources at an alarming rate. In fact based on a population of 7 billion people we need the equivalent of 3 ½ earths to satisfy our insatiable demands. At some point in the future we will run out of the raw materials that are needed; radical change has to take place to reverse course.

Only within the past 40 years have we begun to tackle this problem and have adopted programs to recognize that there are more effective and a lot less costly ways to manage our waste. During the 1980’s I was living in Vancouver and we had our first paper recycling programs. For months I would collect newspapers and then haul them to a centre where they would pay me so many cents per pound. Now we bag our newspaper in a blue bag and it is hauled away during the weekly garbage pickup where is sorted and sent to a plant which breaks down the pulp and comes back as new “Recycled” paper.

In most parts of Canada there is a deposit required for drink cans, alcoholic containers, and plastic water bottles. This program encourages us to return these for a refund; as a result our landfills are relatively free of these items which are returned and broken down as a raw material and re-enters as a new container. Within the past 15 years there has been a huge upsurge in the use of plastic water bottles, which I feel needs some rethinking. The 3 large companies which sell bottled water: Nestle, Coke and Pepsi have spent Billions of Dollars convincing us that bottled water tastes better and is better for us. In fact that isn’t the case, studies have shown that our tap water is equal to or better than bottled water. The amount of resources consumed to perpetuate this myth is staggering; in Canada and The United States 1in 5 people drink only bottled water. We should all be using refillable aluminum water bottles.

A relatively new “R word” Refuse has been gaining support. When I go to the grocery store I bring cloth bags for my purchases and refuse all plastic. There are many other ways to refuse: use your own coffee mug instead of getting a drink in a disposable cup, place a “No Junk Mail” sticker on your mailbox, refuse unnecessary condiments, plastic cutlery, straws or paper napkins that come with fast food, give gift certificates instead of presents that may or may not be used by the recipient.

Rotting or composting is an excellent way to remove organic material from our waste stream. I have a relatively large compost bin (4 feet x 8 feet x4 feet) in which all organic matter waste from our kitchen (potato peelings, banana peels, coffee grinds, etc.), leaves, and lawn clippings goes. When this material breaks down it makes excellent fertilizer for use in our garden, thus avoiding the use of chemical fertilizers. 

Is zero landfill achievable? Most municipal planners tell us that indeed zero landfill can be changed over time. Many large cities have set bold waste management reduction targets, recognize that waste = raw materials or resources that should be conserved, a behavior change is necessary and that we should avoid waste creation (rethink the way we construct products to facilitate reuse). To learn more about how to be a better steward of the environment join me on a tour