Author Archives for Sandy McRuer

The Need for Local Bird Checklists

Posted by Sandy McRuer on May 15th, 2012

You may not be aware of this, but there is a website out there where you can keep all your local bird observations. So you can start a life list, a year list, a country list a province list and so on. You’d be surprised at how avid birders can be. But the beauty of [...]

The Baillie Birdathon: It’s for the Birds!

Posted by Sandy McRuer on May 4th, 2012

This year is a landmark year for me. I turn 60 years old this month. I’m eligible seniors discounts, and the Canada Pension Plan. It’s not that I feel old. By body is holding up fine, thanks. But I do feel I should do something special to mark the occasion. Since I’ve always had a fascination [...]

Runner’s Trail

Posted by Sandy McRuer on May 1st, 2012

Yesterday we hiked a new trail built by the Tseshaht First Nation and completed in July 2010. The trailhead is at Headquarters Bay on the Alberni Inlet and it extends km to Francis Lake. This trail is seen as part of a long trail that will extend from Port Alberni through to Cowichan Lake. There [...]

March, In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Posted by Sandy McRuer on March 4th, 2012

March is such a changeable month and an exciting one. It is the transition from winter to summer. The days are getting substantially longer with the amount of daylight increasing by over 3.5 minutes each day. And the weather is in turmoil, from warm and sunny to cold and wintery. And there are big natural [...]

Big Leaf Maple Syrup

Posted by Sandy McRuer on February 16th, 2012

You may be familiar with Maple Syrup from a sugar bush in Southern Ontario, the Eastern Townships of Quebec, or the New England States, but did you know there is a budding maple syrup industry in coastal British Columbia? There are now a good number of producers on Vancouver Island including two commercial ones in [...]

Granny Tate’s Sure-fire Way to Catch Dew Worms for Fishing

Posted by Sandy McRuer on February 6th, 2012

When I was a boy, my grandparents had a wonderful large summer estate on Lake of Bays in the Muskoka area of Ontario. Besides, swimming, boating, water-fights, and excursions of all kinds, we kids and cousins wanted to go fishing every once in a while. But before we headed out, we needed to get some [...]

The Value of Tour Operators to Visitors

Posted by Sandy McRuer on September 17th, 2011

I don’t normally flagrantly self-promote on this site. But an incident a couple of weeks ago has prompted me to post something about what tour guides such as myself bring to the table for visitors. This article is aimed at some of the local people who may not appreciate this. And sadly, there seem to [...]

The Largest Tree in Canada

Posted by Sandy McRuer on June 24th, 2011

There are taller trees. There are trees with larger circumferences. And there are trees whose crowns spread further. But there are no other trees in Canada that combine all three to be the most massive tree than the Cheewhat Giant. It is a Western Redcedar, Thuja plicata, near the shore of Cheewhat Lake on the [...]

The British Columbia Breeding Bird Atlas Needs You!

Posted by Sandy McRuer on May 27th, 2011

I know, the first thing you’ll probably be thinking is what the heck is this? Really, it’s a mapping exercise, because that is the major finished product; a book of maps. When it’s complete, British Columbia will have a very good geographic understanding of where each bird species nests in British Columbia complete with a [...]

Oregon Ash around Port Alberni

Posted by Sandy McRuer on May 11th, 2011

The status Oregon Ash in British Columbia is a matter of some debate among botanists. It is the rarest tree on Vancouver Island. But the debate is whether it is introduced or natural to BC. Some botanists think it’s presence on Vancouver Island is from seeds disseminated from planted ornamentals. However one recent authority says [...]

Sandy McRuer

Sandy McRuer is the owner of Rainbird Excursions, based in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. He was a professional forester and has worked in the field for twenty years. Through his work in reforestation has excellent knowledge of terrestrial ecosystems, or forest ecosystems and knows the names of all the trees, bushes, and most forest plants. From dealing with other forest resources besides wood, he has good knowledge of bears, elk, deer, fish and others. He is also an avid birder.


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