DARE TO BIRD

I was honoured to be asked by CBC  to write a "First Person" column about my Tree Swallow project that I started with the City of Richmond, BC. I discuss how climate change has impacted this project. You can read it in full  HERE I just checked the boxes yesterday and so far it has been a successful year. We even have a pair of Violet-green Swallows with 5 chicks using one of the nest boxes. We only have 2 Black-capped Chickadee pairs using the boxes this year but I view this also as beneficial since they are native cavity nesters. This year Tree Swallows are using almost all the boxes in the 3 parks except for a few boxes that were damaged by a Northern Flicker or taken over by wasps. Most of the swallows have already fledged but many still have young inside of varying stages. One box had 7 young a new record for me! Some even still have 6 fresh eggs inside. Last year we had none with six eggs and less swallows using the boxes.  I have found a few boxes with 1-2 dead you...

We are in the midst of the 3rd Black Birders Week . I can’t believe it’s been 3 years now for this very important movement. Check out all the events listed for this year HERE I have been asked by CBC Radio One to do 6 interviews today on the topic. For those in Victoria you can listen live on the program “All Points West” with host Robyn Burns at 3 pm on CBC Radio One or Online HERE For those in Vancouver you can listen live on the program “On the Coast ” with host Gloria Macarenko at 5:20pm on CBC Radio One 88.1 FM . You can listen online HERE For those in Cape Breton it aired already but you can listen online once it is posted on the program “ Mainstreet ” with host Wendy Bergfeldt  HERE For those in Whitehorse it will air between 4-6pm tonight but you can listen online on the program " Airplay " with host Dave White HERE For those in Edmonton, I don't know the time it airs but you can listen online HERE on the program " Radio Active " with the host Rod ...

Register HERE as tickets are limited ! We will be looking out for cool birds like American Redstarts, Eastern Kingbirds, Gray Catbirds, Least Flycatchers, Bullock's Orioles, Evening Grosbeaks, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Osprey and more! Please bring a bagged lunch ( NO NUTS or NUT PRODUCTS  are permitted on this trip!). Bring a backpack with plenty of water, a sunhat, binoculars and a camera if you have one. Please bring sunscreen and bug spray and wear sturdy running shoes. You can contact me at bcbirdergirl(at)gmail(dot)com with any questions. I will meet you by the picnic tables near the main parking lot and boat lunch at 9 am. The trip will end at 2pm. This event is open to youth age 12-18 This event is FREE and is  BIPOC and LGBTQ+ inclusive. We will hope to see an American Redstart on this walk! - Photo: Melissa Hafting

Male Tree Swallow stands on guard near his nest box in Richmond - Photo: Melissa Hafting This weekend we did our first nest box checks of the season. The pilot project I started last year is now in its second year. We started at Terra Nova Park. Here we checked 19 boxes and most of them were occupied with Tree Swallows. We had 1 nest with Black-capped Chickadee eggs. This was also a box used by Chickadees last year.      Inside a Tree Swallow Box at Terra Nova - Photo: Melissa Hafting Black-capped Chickadee moss nest with 4 eggs at Terra Nova Park - Photo: Melissa H. In one of the boxes I had a wasp nest. I am not allergic to wasps so we just dealt with it ourselves. Since the female in that box was on eggs we didn't want to leave the wasps in there building a nest. Tree Swallows will sit on nests and be pecked to death by House Sparrows so we figured she would also sit there and be stung to death If the nestlings ever hatched they also could be killed by wasps. We are v...

This is my first Mother’s Day without my mom. I am still deeply affected and afflicted with emotional pain. I took the day off from the RBA to just remember her and honour her. My dad, sister and I visited her grave with a bouquet of flowers. I cried a lot but it gives me a bit of comfort that she now has a head stone that I can touch. I didn't want to leave. I can’t believe it’s been just over 4 months since I lost her. To my Mom: Mom you were so great. You were so loved. I miss you so much today. I wish every day that you were here with Meghan, Dad and I.  I will never be truly happy again until I see you once more. Thank you for being such a wonderful mother. I will never ever forget you. I cannot wait to see you again in Heaven. Since you died in my arms, this is one of the hardest days I have been through without you. Normally I would be taking you out for brunch today, hugging you and telling you how much I loved you. Mom, you watched me take my first breath and I unfortunate...

I recently did an interview with Alive Magazine about intersectional environmentalism. Recently there was a vile racially motivated attack on a couple of Asian birders at a popular birding site - Iona Regional Park in Richmond. Two birders got racial slurs, swear words and a coffee cup thrown at them by a white woman. This is just one of the many barriers BIPOC birders can face while birding or hiking outdoors. So I feel this topic is a very important one for this time. You can read the interview HERE At 9am on May 14, I am leading a bird walk for BIPOC adult Birders at Reifel. I am partnering with the organization Colour The Trails . If you are BIPOC and want to sign up please click HERE

The BC Gov’t just released detailed proposed changes to further restrict the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) in the province. These changes will address risks to wildlife from the use of (SGARs) and will try to minimize the unnecessary use of SGARs to reduce accidental exposure to wildlife.  You can read the detailed proposed changes HERE   You can submit comments online, by email or mail about these proposed changes and watch live webinars at 9am on May 10  and at 2 pm on May 12 on the proposals HERE This a great step in the right direction to help better protect raptors and wildlife in BC! *Also an aside note - the city of Richmond has made their temporary 1 year rodenticide ban now permanent! The vote passed in council this year. This ban is only on city-owned property that is why these proposed BC wide changes will be vital!* The Fur-Bearers put out a news release today HERE about this with helpful tips on how best to address th...

Hawaii has beautiful birds like this endemic subspecies of BNST in Kauai - Photo: Ilya Povalyaev We flew on Alaska Air from Vancouver to Honolulu via Seattle. We had been studying the recordings  of David Kuhn's native Hawaiian forest birds for Kauai and the Big Island and felt prepared. We arrived in Oahu at noon and picked up our camper van that we rented through Airbnb.  Honolulu by Air - Photo: Ilya Povalyaev We went straight to Fort Derussy Beach Park near Waikiki to see Manu-o -K ū   or  White (Fairy) Terns. It was a lifer for me but not for Ilya who had seen them in Oahu before. They are so beautiful with their big black eyes and all white plumage and blue based black bill. We were lucky to see 2 chicks! They were cute fluffballs!. These terns only lay one egg without a nest. They carefully balance a egg on a tree branch. It is quite the feat! The state of Hawaii goes to great lengths now to protect its native birds. I've included a photo of a protected nestin...