Vancouver Island Nature Tours

Gnarly Branch
Originally uploaded by TheRainbird

Old growth branches are amazing places to the few people who see them from above. They are covered not just with moss and lichen, but also ferns, blueberry bushes, salal, other trees, earthworms, and beautifully composted rich organic soil.   Odd things like frogs and salamanders have been found in them.
Ten years [...]

Some Big Ones
Originally uploaded by TheRainbird
Yesterday, the day after Valentine’s, Brad and I ditched our better-halves and took off to find some big trees. There are some huge ones along the banks of the Stamp River. Groves of them! As big as the ones in Cathedral Grove only it’s just you with them.
Anyway, we were [...]

It’s an odd mix of birds that start thier breeding activity in the middle of a Canadian winter. But when you live of the west coast of Canada you can understand it a little better.
This line of thought started last evening when I went over to the estuary of the Somass River and found a [...]

White Fawn Lilies (Erythronium Oregonum)
Originally uploaded by TheRainbird

Only February and already I am thinking about spring! We’ve had an almost eastern Canadian winter here. There is still snow all over the place on the ground here. But despite getting a couple of centimeters of snow the night before last, the snow is melting. Yay!
These beautiful [...]