My Wildlife World Cup matchup: Semi-Finals
Wildlife World Cup semi finals (made by NCC)
After an intense month of voting, the Wildlife World Cup semi-finals will now commence! Thanks to everybody that voted for their favourite reptiles and butterflies. The winners of birds and mammals will compete for a spot in the championship,...
Deciphering the nesting behaviour of barn swallows: What are THEY looking for?
Three barn swallow eggs spotted during a nest check in spring 2014! The nest cup edges and interior area are built up with mud pellets and beautifully lined with feathers. (Photo by Carolyn Zanchetta)
The unique song, fantastic flight pattern and beautiful colouration are just a few of the many wonderful features of the barn swallow that make it a favourite species to many bird watchers — myself included. Barn swallows are the most...
Up close and personal with a green heron
Green-backed heron (Photo by Keith Barr)
On May 07, 2014 I noticed a report on the Saskbirds website (a Yahoo discussion forum about the natural history of Saskatchewan's birds) of a green heron sighting at Dunnet Park near Avonlea, Saskatchewan. Two friends of mine went out to see the...
My Wildlife World Cup matchup: Week 1
week1-thumb
World Cup fever is taking over the sports scene. Game scores and upcoming matches are splashed across the internet, my social media feeds are flooding with friends making their allegiances clear by displaying their teams’ jerseys or...
Robin
Robin (Photo by Lee Karney, USWFS)
When I was a year old my parents moved to a quarter section of bush where they built a farm. I would guesstimate that 95 per cent of what our family ate was grown on that farm. To build the nutrients up in the field’s clay soil Dad planted...
Off to see the swans! My day out in the field with the National office's birdwatching enthusiasts
Amy Wu, Helen Kim, Rosemary Park, Suzzette Chin (Photo by NCC)
After many cold and wet days of a long winter we woke up to a very sunny Sunday on March 30. A group of "wannabe" lady bird watchers from the National office piled in to one car and drove to Port Rowan to see the swans. None of our job...
Spring cleaning: Conservation Volunteers give piping plovers a helping hand in Nova Scotia
Piping plover (Photo by Andrea Drake)
One of the most endangered species in Canada received a helping hand through the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC's) Conservation Volunteers program this past weekend.The piping plover is a shorebird that relies on sand and pebble beaches...
A passion for birds: A Q&A with wildlife photographer and NCC friend Bill Hubick
Bill and Addy Hubick (Photo courtesy of Bill Hubick)
A few years ago, photographer Bill Hubick generously donated the use of his photos on www.bilhubick.ca in Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) publications. Since then, his images have been shared in NCC print publications and web pages across the...
Did someone say "bird-off"? How I became an accidental birder
American goldfinch (Photo by Bill Hubick)
A few weeks ago, Kristyn challenged me to a bird-off to count the species in my new Calgary backyard this winter. Unfortunately, my count pales in comparison to hers — clocking in at a mere three species so far this year. But I do have a...
Any bird you can spot, I can spot better: My backyard bird bonanza
Chickadee at feeder (Photo by Kaitlyn Finnegan)
As I washed dishes at my kitchen sink I saw a flicker out of the corner of my eye. By the time I looked up, my backyard and the high wooden birdfeeder filled with sunflower seeds were both perfectly still and empty. I looked back to the sink and a...
