Category Archives: Fauna

Kamloops Christmas Bird Count Results

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Submitted by  Rick Howie (Compiler)

Hybrid Glaucus x Herring Gull by Rick Howie

It was a blustery, snowy day on Dec. 21 , 2020 for our 41st annual Christmas Bird Count first started in 1979. The club had been doing a half day count for a few years prior to this but we made it a full day Audubon count in 1979.The temperatures in the valley bottom ranged from 0°C – 1°C under cloudy, snowy conditions with winds brisk throughout the day. Temperatures at higher elevations in the count circle were likely 2-3 degrees cooler. Continue reading →

Ancient Insects Ate Dinosaur Feathers

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The new paper presents the earliest known evidence of insects feeding on feathers, and the authors suggest that this type of parasite evolved during or before the middle of the Cretaceous period, which occurred 145–66 million years ago. Ancient lice ate dinosaur feathers, similar to how modern-day lice eat bird feathers, according to a study published yesterday (December 10) in Nature Communications. Researchers led by Taiping Gao and Dong Ren at Capital Normal University in China, discovered the insect on dinosaur feathers fossilized in 100-million-year-old amber collected in northern Myanmar. The … Continue reading →

Two Invasive Animals To Watch For

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There is an invasive species alert in BC for two very damaging introductions, the American Bullfrog and the Red-Eared Slider turtle. American Bullfrog American Bullfrogs were originally introduced into B.C. by humans wanting to farm them for their meaty legs. They were also imported by aquatic garden supply companies for stocking backyard ponds. Populations can increase rapidly as females are able to lay up to 20,000 eggs per year. American Bullfrog dispersal is aided by their abilities to migrate over land, feed on a wide range of prey, thrive in … Continue reading →