I did not know poet Mary Oliver until her death, last week, at the age of 83. Mary Oliver was an American poet-naturalist. I intend to read all of her work. Her writing is full of reminders, like this, which is taken from the poem Sometimes: Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.
Continue reading →In B.C., we have three native columbines – yellow columbine, blue columbine, and red columbine.
Continue reading →By working together, birds of many species alert others of predators long before they arrive. A frantic cacophony of loud, rapid bird calls tells other birds nearby: There’s a predator on the prowl. Mobbing, it’s called, as birds clamor and dart back and forth at the threat. An ongoing study of mobbing and other bird warning behavior now suggests that some birds listen in on the warnings of other birds. A wave of warning calls spreads from one hillside to another at more than 100 miles per hour. So vulnerable … Continue reading →
Instead of spending time in Turks and Caicos or Barbados, this tiny yellow Cape May warbler has somehow ended up in Abbotsford, B.C. Bird photographer Nick Balachanoff says, to his understanding, it’s the first identified Cape May warbler in the Lower Mainland or Fraser Valley. See the full story
Continue reading →The Great Blue Heron nests in scattered colonies in the Kamloops area, but occupancy has become erratic and declining in some places. The colony in lower Paul Creek had dwindled to 2 nests from about 20 the last time I looked and the colony at Cherry Creek has not been active for a few years. There are often small numbers of birds that attempt to overwinter along the South Thompson River with success likely dependent upon weather and icing conditions. Today, Tom Rankin reported a heron at Pioneer Park. I … Continue reading →