Vancouver Island Nature Tours

WeinerFalls Originally uploaded by TheRainbird Last summer, Weiner Falls and Rainbird Excursions were featured in a local cable television production. This magnificent waterfall is completely unknown to most of the people in the the community. And I’ve been getting calls even now (It’s December) asking how to get to it. The waterfall is only about [...]

Winer Falls in the Rain Originally uploaded by TheRainbird One of the questions I often get asked by guests is, “How much does it rain on Vancouver Island? Good question. After all we live here in a temperate rainforest. And the answer, of course, is “It varies!” I pulled out some precipitation data from the [...]

Celebrating the first Matsutake Originally uploaded by TheRainbird Masaya is a very persistent fellow! He has been on a mushroom tour with me before, but he didn’t quite get what he was hoping for. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure they had a great time. But he was hoping to pick some Matsutake Mushrooms on [...]

Salmon at Stamp Falls Originally uploaded by TheRainbird I suppose it is time to get on my annual soap box and rave about how great the the spectacle is at Stamp Falls. It is truly the best place on Vancouver Island to see salmon migrating to the spawning grounds. Any time from early September to [...]

Clutesi Haven Marina Originally uploaded by TheRainbird Early fall at the Clutesi Haven Marina. The annual Port Alberni Salmon Festival will be on again this Labour Day weekend. A $10,000 prize for the biggest fish caught. The Alberni Inlet is a frenzy of sport fishing boats vying for position and hoping luck will com their [...]

Bear on the Somass River Originally uploaded by TheRainbird For most of the year bears are not seen on the far bank of the Somass River. But from mid-August to late October this is the best place to see Black Bears on Vancouver Island. They are commonly seen on low tides at the mouth of [...]

Freshwater Mussel in the Stamp River Originally uploaded by TheRainbird On a recent excursion along the Stamp River Long Trail, or Anglers Trail. I noticed a freshwater mussel in the water near me as I was having lunch. I took this lousy picture. Not knowing much about them, I read up on these guys. This [...]

Common Witch’s Hair (Alectoria sarmentosa) Originally uploaded by TheRainbird This lichen is very common on the trees on the way up the saddle on Mount Arrowsmith. When I’m guiding I’m often asked if this plant is a fungus. The answer is no. Lichens are a symbiotic combination of a fungus and algae. As Jim Pojar [...]

Looking for Crayfish Originally uploaded by TheRainbird We’ve had some record breaking hot temperatures in the Alberni Valley lately. Yesterday it hit 34 C (93F). We’re often the hottest place on Vancouver Island in the summer. And so it’s not surprising that there are lots of places around to beat the heat! Here’s a quick [...]

The Alberni Valley is an exceptional place to hike. I’ve said that before. However most of the routes and trails are known only to a few local people. Here’s your chance to join some locals on one of their hikes. The club has only three rules. This is the third one, “Non-members are welcome to [...]