Mayne Island is full of beautiful, brightly-coloured birds right now—they’re just a bit hard to spot. As a kid growing up, I was captivated by images of tropical birds, with their impossibly bright feathers. It Read more…
Do you have bats on your property? Have you seen them entering or exiting their daytime roosts? The Mayne Island Community Bat Conservation Program is looking for roosting colony sites for our Annual Bat Count. Read more…
What’s up with all the Steller’s jays? Article by Michael Dunn. Photos by Don Enright When I was young and growing up in Victoria, I recall late summer and early fall months when Steller’s jays were Read more…
The Conservancy’s second annual Community Bat Program has increased in size with several important milestones including: a celebrated Community Bat presentation by HAT wildlife biologists, 18 bat surveys across Mayne Island, and over 100 bat Read more…
The long, dark winter is over. by Don Enright Yesterday, we took a walk along St. John Point. We’ve been leading our Sunday visits there for a while now, and it has been remarkable to Read more…
One of my favourite rituals of spring is to seek out the very first flowers of the salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). Once I’ve found a good patch of blooms, I settle in and listen for quick, Read more…
Introduction by Michael Dunn and Mike Hoebel For 2013, six stewards provided their observations of bird and marine mammal activities within the Important Bird Area (IBA.) Compared to the first year of steward observations, the Read more…
Red Elderberry Scientific Name: Sambucus racemosa Status (BC): No concern This large shrub requires a combination of full to part sun with consistent moisture. Its long green leaves accompany large clusters of small white flowers, which become Read more…
Western Screech Owl Scientific Name: Otus kennicottii kennicottii Status (BC): Blue-listed Western Screech-owls are small owls with yellow eyes and tufts over their ears. Their feathers range from grey to brown and have dark wavy lines, creating Read more…
Purple Martin Scientific Name: Progne subis Status (BC): Blue-listed The Purple Martin is the largest North American swallow and has declined in numbers due to loss of habitat. Originally nesting in large snags and wildlife trees in Read more…