Magnificent Elk Falls
Elk Falls
One thing that I love about living on Vancouver Island is the proximity of wilderness. I live in town, but it doesn’t take long to get out into nature; rivers, mountains, waterfalls, primeval rainforest and great beaches are all close at hand.
Whenever I go to Campbell River I am impressed with the number of hiking trails that are only a few minutes from the city center. Elk Falls Provincial Park is certainly high on the list. The park’s 1087 hectares encompass a huge area, and feature a 122 site campground and a network of hiking trails including Quinsam River Trail, Kingfisher and Beaver Pond Trail, Canyon View Trail and Millennium Trail.
One of the park’s gems is Elk Falls, the park’s namesake, which plummets 25 metres into a deep, rocky gorge. According to the book Edge of Discovery (a history of Campbell River by Isenor, Stephens and Watson) the park was established in 1940. Prior to being declared a park, the area housed a camp for reforestation efforts. The “Great Fire” of 1938 narrowly missed the park, burning a swath of land that stretched from north of Campbell River south to the Courtenay area, almost reaching Comox Lake. Continue reading »
All About Ants
Thatching Ants (Formica spp.) become active in the Spring.
For many years now there has been a mounded ant’s nest on my mother’s property. During the winter months, birds peck and scratch at the nest looking for an easy snack. In the early spring, the ants begin to emerge, moving slowly. As things heat up, the nest becomes a teeming mass of ants in a frenzy of activity. These thatching ants (Formica spp.) are red and black and have never caused my family any trouble. Continue reading »
Discovering Beach Pebbles
Assorted Pebbles rest on a Bed of Sandstone
I was walking on the beach on a sunny afternoon, listening to the repetitive sound of the waves and the slight crunching sound of my footsteps sinking into the pebbles. “People have stories, but do rocks?” I wondered out loud. I looked down at the pebbles, worn smooth and round by wave action and realized that all of these rocks must have come from somewhere, and may have traveled some distance to arrive at my feet.
Each pebble is remarkably unique. They may be striped, speckled, patterned or plain, and come in a range of colours: black, white, grey, brown, green, purple, pinkish and dull red. Surface textures vary also, some are smooth and fine-grained and others are rough or pitted. I often see people picking up pebbles, so I figure there must be others who find them as compelling as I do. Continue reading »
Winter Visitors at the Feeder
Downy Woodpecker
This year we put up more bird feeders than ever before, creating something of a bird oasis on our small urban property. The number and variety of birds that stop by is always a surprise. So far, 18 species have visited our feeders this winter.
There is constant action at the feeders. Each morning, coffee in hand, I enjoy watching the birds’ antics from my kitchen window. A flock of Bushtits, tiny twittering grey birds, swarms the suet, and a soft “pik” announces the arrival of a Downy Woodpecker. A handsome Spotted Towhee scratches at some old leaves under the Rhodo while a small flock of finches, the males with crimson red heads, moves in. Every so often, an army of Starlings descends, covering our lawn like locusts. There is hardly a dull moment, even in the dead of winter. Continue reading »
Tracking Basics
Tracking wild animals is a skill that takes years of experience, but anyone can follow a set of footprints and learn to become a keen observer of nature.
Gull and Shorebird Tracks
A familiar tracking experience is to follow human footprints in beach sand. The prints give us information about the person’s gait, stride, and whether they were walking or running. The length and width of the print hints at the individual’s size. We can also determine the person’s direction, and whether he/she returned the same way.
Though prints can be observed in sand and mud, winter often gives us an excellent opportunity to study animal tracks in the snow. Trackers use a varied vocabulary to describe how animals move, such as ambling, bounding, galloping, loping, trotting, and hopping. The straddle (width) of the trail, and the stride (distance in length from the centre of one print to the next) are also assessed. “Register” is any mark left by an animal, including a foot, claw, or other body part. Continue reading »