Tag: Event

Our new Forestry Museum display

The “before” image, 7 May 2018
– A. Bryant
Things were looking just a bit “tired”
– A. Bryant
Tools were needed
– A. Bryant
There’s a lot to see…
– A. Bryant
I challenge anyone to “connect-the-dots”
– A. Bryant
Do we look happy?
– A. Bryant
For a small club, we do seem to get around…
– A. Bryant

Our new Forestry Museum display
by Andrew Bryant, 30 May 2019.

Some “events” just fall into your lap.  Others take hard work and persistence.  This one had elements of both.

In May of 2018 we were approached by Nikita Johnston of the Powell River Historical Museum and Archives.   It appears that our existing “display” had “seen better days”.  Nikita kindly wondered whether we wished to “update” it.

Things happened fast.  The Club Executive quickly approved a $400 budget and a “design-team” was duly formalized.  Nikita generously offered a “booth” instead of a “wall”.

So Nancy, Lois and I spent the better part of a year designing stuff, building stuff, arguing about stuff, and kicking ideas around to the point where we needed to design stuff all over again.  More than once.

Personally my favorite moment was having to chop the legs off a carefully-crafted display cabinet…because, well, nobody’s perfect.  Stealing a crab from the “contorted-pod-evening-primrose” field-trip comes in at a close 2nd..and watching Lois’s face when she dropped that sea-urchin and it shattered?  Oh.  The horror.

In the end it all came together (including the sea urchin).  And we came in under-budget.
I’m struck by how much Powell Riverites like to “give back”.

  • Thanks to Rona (once again), who seem to like us and are never shy of donating $50 worth of lumber or hardware to a worthy cause.
  • Thanks to Western Forest Products, who color-printed the satellite images at large size (to do this commercially would have been hugely expensive).
  • Thanks to PR Glass, who special-ordered a piece of lexan, taught me how to drill it, and made a $65 contribution on a $110 sale.

Ooh ya.  I love the nature of our small town.

Bird watching with Clyde

It was a bit…breezy
– J. May
But we persevered…
– J. May
That’s a really big egg
– J. May
Clyde knows his stuff!
– J. May

Bird watching with Clyde
by Janet May, 28 Oct.

Clyde Burton led Young Naturalist bird enthusiasts to the estuary where we crept up on a dozen killdeer and saw a rare Eurasian widgeon!

Clyde had egg samples for all to feel and a hooded merganser.

As we said goodbye, a kingfisher scolded us and a pair of eagles twittered their approval.

Water Dragons!

Collecting samples
– J. May
Getting a really good look at the water dragons!
– J. May

Water Dragons!
by Janet May, 12 May 2018.

Stream biologist Alan Hobson showed the Young Naturalists how to find and identify stream invertebrates.

We peaked through the microscope at the mayfly’s tiny translucent body and her earnest black eyes watched us right back.

We learned that delicate dragons live in Willingdon Creek.

Young Nats build bird houses

Work in progress…
– J. May
Rowan pounds…
…and David supervises
– J. May
Wren spots a cool spider hanging out and watching Young Naturalists building bird houses!
– J. May
DONE!
Assenbled, painted and move-in ready!
– J. May

Young Nats build bird houses
by Janet May, 31 Mar 2018.

It sounded like Santa’s workshop at Willingdon campsite when Young Naturalists hammered together, and it was all for the birds.

Thank you to David Bedry for cutting pieces and teaching us how to construct seventeen new homes for spring families.

Thanks also to Pat Hull and RONA Powell River Building Supplies for donating the wood and nails – we appreciate it!

Seedy Saturday 2018

Setting up
– A. Bryant
Maureen and Sally wowing the crowd
– A. Bryant
I’m told that numbers were down this year…but this was taken just before closing
– A. Bryant

Seedy Saturday 2018
by Andrew Bryant, 17 Mar 2018.

As per normal, the club arranged a table at the local “Seedy Saturday”… that marvellous and most-welcome harbinger of spring!

Thanks to Lu Wuthrich for organizing it, and all who came out to help – and see you next year!

118th Christmas Bird Count

Pilieated Woodpecker [PIWO] at Penticton Woods
– A. Bryant
Our Coordinator (Heather) kept us all on course – just as she has thanklessly done for years!
So…Thank You!
Smart phones are, well, smart!
Here’s the track of my personal 2017 count.
– as uploaded to Google Earth
He’s late! The very unusual Wilson’s Warbler [WIWA] spotted at Wildwood Bluffs
– I. van Veen
A COHU – the first record for Powell River!
The very unusual Costa’s Hummingbird (Calypte costae) who’s been hanging out south of town
– K. Prichard
One of our newer members, here’s Mark Fetcher diligently taking notes…
no doubt wondering what the four-letter-code for this one is!
– A. Bryant

118th Christmas Bird Count
by Andrew Bryant, 16 Dec 2017.

 A number of club members participated in the Christmas Bird Count this year – the 14th time we’ve done so!

We had 17 participants, with another dozen who recording birds seen at feeders.   In total, we counted 6021 birds of 88 species.  This is somewhat lower than numbers recorded in previous years, a trend seen in other counts around Georgia Strait.  This we found curious, given that we had a reasonable break in a week-long string of storms.  Results from all our previous counts can be found here.

Highlights?  The Costa’s Hummingbird south of town is a first for Powell River, the Wilson’s Warbler at Wildwood was exceptional, and the large flocks of Ancient Murrelets moving far offshore were impressive.

Thanks to all who came out – and special thanks to Heather Harbord for coordinating it all, and to David Bedry for hosting the wonderful follow-up pot-luck!
Merry Christmas – and see you next year!

Marvellous mushrooms in the mist

Walking in the mist
– J. May
Inspecting the hauk!
– J. May
What do we have here?
– J. May
Ioni in his element!
– J. May
There’s always something new to find…
– J. May

Marvellous mushrooms in the mist
by Janet May, 28 Oct 2017.

Ioni Waisgluss led a foggy fungi hunt through Millennium Park.

Tiny candle snuffs and burly red belted polypores were admired, as sunlight gradually brightened the golden maples above us.

Enthusiastic young mycologists and their parents had a fine fall day out!

 

Tide Pool Treasures

Tide pool treasures
– J. May
Henry asks a question… – – H. Harbord
Lu looks for the answer – H. Harbord
Look at what’s in my bucket! – H. Harbord

 Tide Pool Treasures
by Janet May, 29 April 2017.

Despite the wind and rain, Young Naturalists followed the herons and the tide down the Westview beach. Lu and Heather helped identify everything from eel grass to kelp crabs.

They found three kinds of starfish, three kinds on anemone, and maybe an eel!

What a great morning!

 

Tuari meets the kids

This is Tuari, an 8 year-old female Harris’ hawk
– D. Bedry
She may look mean, but we can assure you, she’s not. Jessica Baynton, her trainer (that’s her at left), says she’s one of the sweetest birds she’s ever worked with.
– D. Bedry
Tuari and Jessica took time off to come meet the Young Naturalists
– D. Bedry
Tuari got to show her stuff — which involves chasing and catching things — she’s very good at it!
– D. Bedry
She also got close up and personal with some of the locals
– D. Bedry
Here’s one of our Young Naturalists and Tauri – does she look like a mean bird to you?
– D. Bedry
Some of the reactions were marvelous to see; here’s another participant learning some trust
– D. Bedry
Spending time with the Young Naturalists has its perks!
– D. Bedry

 Tuari meets the kids
by Janet May, 22 April 2017.

A dozen Young Naturalists, their families and a few passers-by got to meet Jessica Baynton and Tuari-the-Hawk.

Believe it or not, their job is at Vancouver International Airport (YVR).  As part of a team, they work to keep airplanes and birds safely apart.  It’s a job that requires skill, patience and trust.

Our Young Nauralists got to watch Tuari and Jessica in action.   I didn’t count, but certainly a bunch of kids got to get up close and personal with Tuari…and learned the power of communication.

What a fun morning!

Banding Purple Martins Part II

Taking notes
– E. Tenhoeve
Purple martins
– D. Bedry
Bruce Cousens with Purple Martin nestling
– E. Tenhoeve
Banding a nestling
– D. Bedry
Bruce Cousens retrieves a nestling
– D. Bedry
A clutch that didn’t hatch
– D. Bedry

Banding Purple Martins Part II

by Elizabeth Tenhoeve, 5 Aug 2013.

Quite a crowd turned out for what is becoming an annual event.

At Myrtle Rocks we have one of the northernmost colonies of Purple Martins, birds of the swallow family who nest in the boxes attached to offshore pilings.   We watched the nestlings as they were removed from the nest, banded, and assessed for age, then put back into the nest.

These birds migrate huge distances, so the banding helps to keep track of what journeys the birds have made.

Banding Purple Martins

We had a good turn-out
– A. Bryant
Female purple martin –
– A. Bryant
Bruce Cousens collects a nestling
– A. Bryant
While the adults swarm overhead
– A. Bryant
Elizabeth Tenhoeve, Charlene Lee and John Treen record data
– A. Bryant
A young purple martin
– A. Bryant

Banding Purple Martins
by Elizabeth Tenhoeve, 14 July 2012.

Among other things, Andrew Bryant is the local coordinator for the Purple Martin nest box project at Myrtle Rocks.  He invited the Young Naturalists along while Bruce Cousens, Charlene Lee and he collected nestlings from the nest boxes to be banded.  It was great fun, many of the children were able to hold and learn more about these beautiful little birds.

It was amazing to realise that, because of the nest boxes, populations of these once endangered bird are climbing steadily, to over 735 breeding pairs this year.  We were glad to hear it!

The Powell River Peak published a story about the Purple Recovery Program, which be found here.