Selected Excerpts from the Vancouver Natural History Society “Bulletin”
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- Observations of our Less Common Birds
- Mycology Trip
- Note
- Boundary Bay
- Little Mountain and False Creek Flats [Geology]
- Geology Trip to Ruskin-Silverdale Area
Note: Tim Myres, with the encouragement of Dr. I. McT. Cowan and Dr. M.D.F. Udvardy, started the B.C. Nest Record Scheme in 1955. See Myres, M.T. (1957) “ A Nest Record Scheme in British Columbia”. Murrelet 38(3):30-31. Although Tim’s effort formalized the collection of bird nesting information, many naturalists were already gathering similar data. For example: Violet Gibbard of Naramata, and R.A. Cummings of the V.N.H.S. The B.C. Nest Record Scheme, once known as the Pacific Nest Record Scheme, continues into the present. Dr. M.D.F. Udvardy was Hungarian born. A professor of ornithology at U.B.C., he directed a number of graduate students. Much of their field work was done on Mandarte Island. He left U.B.C. for a university position in California as well as becoming editor of a number of Audubon Society field guides. Observations of our Less Common Birds Clark’s Nutcracker – During January 1956 while the weather was quite cold, a lone male Clark’s nutcracker (crow) was seen by Mrs. Stevens in her garden in North Vancouver. The bird was later captured, positively identified and banded by Mrs. S.F. Bradley. Black-Crowned Night-Heron– On September 18th, 1955 an immature black-crowned night-heron was seen at the south end of the dyke that runs along the west side of Lulu Island. A number of members were able to observe it. This is the second observation of this species in the Vancouver area by members of the Society. The first was on September 19, 1954 at Westham Island. Of interest is to note the dates of both observations – just one year apart. Harris’s Sparrow - On October 26th, 1955 a number of Harris’s sparrows were observed in the Marpole area, six being seen at one time. October 28th, seven were captured and banded. October 29th, one was captured and banded. All were immature. On October 30th, Mrs. Bradley saw one at 1848 Mathers Avenue in West Vancouver. She had several observations and bandings of this species at later dates, the last being reported on November 27th. While this is not a new record they are by no means common, as there have been very few reports of this species in the area. Mourning Dove – This species appears to be on the increase on Sea Island. Many observations had been reported [in 1955] from early spring, through the summer and late fall, and as many as 30 were reported in one day’s observation. The last observation, made December 14th, 1955, was on Blenheim Flats. On November 13th a pair was seen by six members while on a field trip in that area. The day was quite cold and windy; the ground was frozen hard and the ice on the sloughs was strong enough to walk on. European Starling – This species has been reported several times in this Bulletin. On November 17th they returned to their night roosts in the 1900 block on West 14th Avenue. Last year they only roosted there but this year they have increased in numbers and are now roosting in the 1900 blocks of West 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 19th Avenues. Wm. M. Hughes. Mycology Trip On November 5th, twenty members met in the Lynn Canyon Park in North Vancouver and spent the first hour foraging for mushrooms. The heavy rains of the previous few days had produced a great variety of extra large mushrooms. Later we gathered around a picnic table where Mr. and Mrs. Waugh arranged and identified the specimens. The fungi were grouped according to spore colour. Characteristics and points of identification for each genus were noted. The following is a list of mushrooms collected, using the proper [scientific] names so as to enable reference in standard textbooks, common names often being misleading or non-existent. White spored fungi: 1. Cantharellus cibarius 8. Mycena (Elfcap) (several species) 2. Cantharellus tubaeformis 9. [Pleurotus] porrigens 3. Hygrophorus eburneus 10 Amanitopsis vaginata 4. Armillaria mellea 11 Rusula (several species) 5. Armillaria ponderosa 12 Lactarius deliciousus 6. Laccaria laccata 13 Lactarius lignyotus 7. Laccaria amethystina 14 Lactarius (2 species) Brown spored fungi 1. Cortinarius (several sp.) 4. Hypholoma (Sulphur tuft) 2. Hebeloma (several sp.) 5. Sparassis (Cauliflower fungus) 3. Inocybe Black spored fungi 1. Gomphidius [Chroogomphus] tomentosus 3. Boletus chrysenton 2. Helvella lacunose
R.P. Copping Note: Foote and Alice Waugh matched and identified species with superb Kodachrome photos they had taken. Whatever became of these records? Stanley Park On January 22nd twenty-four members met Mr. Bill Hughes at the English Bay entrance to Stanley Park. About 30 species of birds were identified, most of which were waterfowl, including the following: double-crested cormorants and Baird’s [pelagic] cormorants, 3 species of merganser, 2 species of goldeneye, surf and American [black] scoters, about 50 green-winged teal, oldsquaw, ruddy duck, bufflehead, greater scaup, [northern] shoveler, [northern] pintail, canvasback, horned grebe and American coot. We were shown a water ouzel [American dipper] in the creek and in turn the bird showed what he could do in a display of ‘hydrobatics’. We finished our round at Lumberman’s Arch where in 1926, there was a well-established rookery of great blue heron, or blue egret, in the trees just above the culvert west of the Arch. Dorothy Bradley
Dr. Ron H. Mackay led a very select group of three ladies and three men to Boundary Bay to see the black brant in large numbers. High tide at 1400 hours was their feeding time on an abundance of Zostera marina (eel grass) along the shore. There were numerous hunters’ blinds that enabled us to get close to a large flock. We did our best to call them closer with low guttural gr-r-r-r, gr-r-r-r, gr-r-r-rs, when a jet aeroplane came over and scattered every bird to the winds. Then it was a great sight to see battalions of them manoeuvring for miles low over the Bay in perfect line formations. In Washington State, 125,000 black brant were counted this winter so they appear to be holding their own at present. The total number of species seen that day was 32. We saw one female bufflehead being courted by no less than 8 males. The green-winged teal were there in large numbers. We also found 17 dead shore birds. Dorothy Bradley Little Mountain and False Creek Flats [Geology] The rock at Little Mountain was considered to be a volcanic plug or a dyke, but a vertical contact with the local sandstone was never found; the conclusion reached is that the basalt is a remnant of a flow that was originally of larger extent, other portions of it having disappeared as the supporting sandstone eroded. The vertical columnar structure confirms this theory, as vertical columns are formed when the flow is relatively free, whereas horizontal columns form when the cooling mass is restricted. The columnar structure can still be studied in the old quarry that is now being beautified as part of the Queen Elizabeth Park Arboretum. Before the quarry was cleaned up, smaller specimens of the columns could be picked up, but these have disappeared in the new beautification [work]. We moved on to the False Creek Flats that originally extended to Grandview, but the Flats east of Main Street were filled in to provide for a railway terminus. The point we visited was at the end of Fraser and Burns Streets where a puzzling formation has been preserved. This is a dark coloured mass of volcanic tuff, or consolidated ash. There would not be anything remarkable about this if it did not contain stones. Dr. Armstrong told us that he took a party of 40 expert geologists there recently and each had a different theory. It would be simple if the stones were irregular in form, as they might then be considered to have been emitted with the ash from a volcanic vent. However, all the stones are smooth and have the appearance of being water worn. The only conclusion that fits the facts is that the ash was deposited on beaches or in lagoons, there to be mixed with the pebbles before consolidation. The group was alarmed to notice that the hand of progress, evidently directed by the City or the railway company, was threatening this unique natural feature. Already bulldozers have covered some of the deposits and the brush has been slashed. Members of the group asked Dr. Armstrong to bring the matter to the attention of the Executive of the Society so that representations could be make to the proper authorities before it was too late. It was also suggested that a small park might be created in which these strange black mounds could be preserved. J.J. Plommer Victoria At ten o’clock Saturday, April 14th, the early arrivals from Vancouver and several local members, gathered at Thunderbird Park in Victoria where Miss Enid Lemon outlined the plans for the day. Six carloads of us drove to Clover Point for a look at water birds, among them the colourful harlequin ducks, scoters and scaup. Next we went to the home of one of the Victoria members on the edge of the last tract of Hudson Bay land and thrilled at the sight of a rufous hummingbird darting in and out of a red-flowering current bush, showing its brilliant red breast. We walked through a beautiful stand of Garry Oak and saw large numbers of birds – California quail, [ring-necked] pheasant, chestnut-backed chickadee, white-crowned sparrow, russet backed [Swainson’s] thrush, purple finch, hairy woodpecker, killdeer and a female Brewer’s blackbird. In the grassy field we saw and listened to the European [Eurasian] skylark as it rose to great heights, singing all the time, then faster than the eye could follow, it plummeted to earth. A sight we would long remember. Among the spring flowers were masses of dog-toothed violets [white fawn lily], buttercups, pink [Henderson’s] shooting stars, [grassland] saxifrage and satin-flower. The Victoria group served us a picnic lunch on the rocky cliffs of Ten Mile Point. As we looked across the blue water at the fish boats returning for the weekend, and watched a flock of brant feeding, the boat for Victoria carrying more members from Vancouver rounded the Point. Most of the afternoon was spent in the vicinity of Diamond [Gordon ?] Head. At the home of Mrs. M. Bowden, a long-time resident of the district, we saw a cardinal and several budgies in her aviary. Amidst a pastoral scene of feeding sheep and baby lambs, we wandered across fields bordered with expanses of wild daffodils and saw raccoon tracks, [Western] trillium, a downy woodpecker, and an [American] robin’s nest containing two blue eggs. At four o’clock we were met at the Museum and served a refreshing cup of tea by Mrs. Soulsby and other members of the Victoria group. In the evening 15 of us met at the Nutshell for a delicious dinner. We retired early so as to be on hand to greet the group arriving from Vancouver by plane Sunday morning. Thanks must be given to Enid Lemon for the planning, organize and carrying out of the day’s activities. M.H.K. ………………..
We met other members of our group (who had driven from Victoria) at Patricia Bay and found that altogether there were 22 from Victoria and 34 from Vancouver present. We saw many water fowl, including black brant, American [black] and white-winged scoter, bufflehead, horned grebe, greater scaup, glaucous-winged, California, Bonaparte’s and short- billed [mew] gulls and red-breasted mergansers. We also found orange-crowned warblers, brown creeper, horned lark and Belding’s and savannah sparrows [Note: Belding’s is now regarded as a California race of the savannah sparrow.] By the end of the day some 57 species of birds were seen. We visited a private estate at Jackson’s Point where we were treated to a box lunch by the Victoria group. After lunch, some of us went on to Robert Point and saw surf scoters, black turnstones, one [black] oystercatcher and an Aleutian [rock] sandpiper. After dinner at the Sydney Hotel we arrived at the airport and took ‘wings’ back to Vancouver. We were well taken care of by the Victoria Natural History Society, including our former member Miss Enid Lemon. We hope to be able to do the same for them some day. H.L.G. #99 October 1956 Bird Notes Turkey Vulture - observed on Keats Island on June 30th by Messrs. John [Jack] Sarles, and Alistair Muir, Mrs. Austin and Misses Ross, Roberts and Stocking. Virginia Rail – Mr. Broadacres, a Park Board employee, phoned in this observation at Beaver Lake in Stanley Park. Several members of the Society observed it at later dates and when last seen there were only two young. Tree Swallow – While leading a field trip on June 30th to Westham Island, I saw a great many tree swallows nesting in old pilings on the west side of the Island. There were over one hundred pairs. During my observations over the years I have found only a few in this area and believe that such a large concentration is worth noting. Western Kingbird – On June 24th a group from the Society had lunch on Anvil Island where they saw one western kingbird. Kingbirds, either the eastern or western variety [species], are not common in this area. Calliope Hummingbird - There have been several reports of this species seen in the area this summer. Mr. Wm. Merilees [a mere lad of 14] reported it from the Scout Camp [Camp Byng near Robert’s Creek] at Gibson’s Landing. Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Stevens also reported it being seen in North Vancouver. There were two reports also sent in by other people. Wm. (Bill) Merilees, with a B.Sc. in Zoology and MA in Communications, combined both fields in his career with the Ministry of Environment. From Junior Naturalist to President (1988-1990) he has supported the V.N.H.S. for decades and during those years received the Elton Anderson Award, organized the West Kootenay Field Naturalists, and was President of the Nanaimo Field Naturalists, twice. He is a nature photographer, author, and energetic tour leader for V.N.H.S. trips each year, (as well as commercial nature tours world-wide). Bill is known to be as interested in fauna (including aqua- and avi-) as he is in flora and fungi. Although he and his wife June live on Vancouver Island, Bill continues to actively support the V.N.H.S. Red-shafted [Northern] Flicker – On July 6th I was in the Cache Creek area and observed a red-shafted [northern] flicker nesting in a hole it had excavated in a vertical clay cliff. The cavity was about 8 feet from the top of the cliff and about 20 feet above the base. There were young in the nest. This is my first observation of such a nesting site for this species. A.C. Bent, in his Life Histories of the Woodpeckers of North America, notes that the flicker has been recorded nesting in such places. Wm. M. Hughes Botany Trip On May 5th, Dr. Taylor took us on an interesting botany trip from 20th Avenue and Crown [Camosun bog]. He gave us a talk regarding the bog in this district that was probably caused by melting glacier, similar to Beaver Lake. The bottom gradually rose, submerged plants grew, then plants with roots in water. Sedges and grasses were next. As other forms of plant life emerged, the habitat became less favourable to themselves and thus prepared the way for blueberries, birch, Jack [lodgepole] pine and [western] hemlock. Some of the many plants observed on our walk through the woods were: bog-laurel, Labrador tea, blueberries, bog myrtle [bog-rosemary?], skunk cabbage, fireweed, water-starwort, haircap moss, bracken [fern], cascara, spirea [hardhack], wild [Pacific] crab apple, salmonberry, wild [bitter] cherry, thimbleberry, [scotch] broom, woodrush, broad-leaved [big-leaf] maple, Dutchman’s britches [Pacific bleeding heart], creeping charlie [ground-ivy], horsetail, pearly everlasting, morning glory, sitka alder and gilead poplar [black cottonwood]. Our group of 30 spent an enjoyable afternoon and later Mr. and Mrs. Wooton kindly invited us to tea at their nearby home. It ended the day in a lovely way. W.J. Pearson. Win Pearson and her sister were naturalists who, with Frank Sanford, “ran” the V.N.H.S. Junior Naturalist program. The Misses Pearson made their home in Kitsilano. It was the place for reviewing materials found on field trips and where many youngsters gained a primary interest in natural history from these gentle, knowledgeable ladies. Geology Trip to Ruskin-Silverdale Area On May 12th, twenty-four members joined Dr. J.E. Armstrong on an outing that was a follow-up to the Little Mountain/False Creek trip taken on April 21st. On that trip Dr. Armstrong had shown us tertiary volcanic rocks, including basalts, with vertical columnar jointing, which showed little evidence of weathering. Once again he took us to an exposure of tertiary basalt, this time at Grant Hill and Silverdale – both locations lying between Haney and Mission on the Lougheed Highway. The basalt in these areas is a hard coarse-grained rock that weathers easily, resulting in the flaking off of crusts in concentric slabs. He showed us various stages of weathering and the final product that consists of spheroid masses from a few inches to a few feet in diameter. The tertiary basalts were fascinating and the final exposure to be examined in Silverdale was a fine example of much weathered rock. The effect was of petrified cabbage that one could pick and peel. We were also shown pre-tertiary coarse-grained diorites at the Lower and Upper Stave River dams. These, in contrast to the tertiary basalts, showed little weathering. At Upper Stave Falls a series of small faults in the diorites were indicated. Along Hairsine Creek we saw further exposures of diorite. We also saw numerous exposures of tertiary sediments along the Lower Stave River and in the vicinity of Silverdale and Hairsine Creek. At this latter locality, Dr. Armstrong told us about an old-timer who had driven a 60-foot tunnel along a few-inch seam of coal in the sandstone. Good fossil plants had been collected from the tertiary sandstones and shales and between here and Bellingham at least 50 different species of plants had been found, including such exotics as palms, magnolia, sequoia, oak and walnut. Dr. Armstrong explained that he had not identified these plants, but that GSC [Geological Survey of Canada] paleo-botanists working in the area during the last couple of summers had done so. The whole area had been glaciated and the last ice sheet advanced across it about ten thousand years ago, advancing into the sea and depositing glacio-marine clays. Good examples of these clays were found and are now being used for the production of brick at Haney. They contain at least 60 species of salt water shells [molluscs], indicating temperatures much colder than those found nowadays. The clays do not occur above elevations of 500 feet. At higher elevations, hills are capped by glacial till. Along the Silverdale-Mission road a series of eskers were seen. With the exception of those north of Webster’s Corner, no similar forms are found in the Lower Mainland. Of particular interest was the distribution of glacial erratics. At Upper Stave Falls large boulders of tertiary shales, full of fossil plants were found. Similar bedrock is exposed five miles south of the area. In the glacial drift, large erratics of the highly weathered basalt found further south, are present. In addition, at Upper Stave Falls, big boulders are found with Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous Aucella (a clam-like form). The distribution of these erratics indicate the movement of the last ice sheet from the east. A vote of thanks was moved by Mr. Wooton to Dr. Armstrong and heartily endorsed by us all – a very enjoyable day indeed. E.C. Edna Copping and her husband were staunch supporters of the V.N.H.S., excellent birders and general naturalists. Long after Mr. Copping died, Mrs. Copping continued to organize trips, help out at banquets, and to organize transportation from the North Shore. Sooke Camp “Sing of joy, sing of bliss, camp was never, never like this…” Any way you look at it, it was a good camp. To begin with the weather, always an important factor, co-operated beautifully. Heavy clouds that had been hanging over Vancouver, obligingly moved to the northeast in time to allow us a delightful boat trip to Victoria. Arriving on Saturday afternoon, the cavalcade of cars drove to the Grouse Nest at the head of Sooke Basin, where a large field had been placed at our disposal. In short time tents were erected, baggage sorted, and order established, whereupon the party adjourned to a nearby lodge for dinner – fried chicken, fresh vegetables, strawberries and ice cream. (Shades of Garibaldi: Was this a V.N.H.S. camp, or a B. of T. convention?) [Board of Trade?] Sunday was seen as a day of rest, unpacking, church going, loafing, and swimming. There was a saltwater pool on the property and for those who preferred more conventional ablutions, a hot shower was available, if you didn’t mind queuing up along the trail. We by no means spent our days in the pool or on the croquet lawn. Each morning bright and early, equipped with notebooks and specimen containers, we moved out of the base of operations and spent most days on the beach, along the trail or in the woods, following with keen interest the project of the day. We were exceptionally fortunate in the assistance provided by Victoria’s members upon whose experience and knowledge we leaned. At the breakwater with Mr. Hardy a lesson in marine biology was illustrated with specimens gathered by the more adventuresome campers, assisted by three local lads who helpfully tagged along. With Miss Melburn we studied on the rocks and in the woods the origin and development of plant life, some of us renewing acquaintances with wild botanical friends and finding a few new ones. Guided by Mr. Marrion we moved from beach to mountain and back to the shore to read as we went the story of our surroundings as interpreted by geology. Later we were shown by Daphne Stevens further evidence in potholes and fossils abundantly displayed. The ornithologists were not idle. Led by Mr. Clay and Mrs. Bradley, they displayed an enthusiasm that caused the lodge guests to nickname them “the bird-watching people”. Closing night brought its own program and secret rites when strange sounds filled the air and stranger sights were witnessed. But these things are not for the record. Suffice it to repeat, this year’s was both a different, and all-around good camp thanks to Mr. Stuart Bradley, the camp leader, and the committee who planned and saw it through. E. M. B. George Hardy was a botanist at the B.C. Provincial Museum who, with his wife Winifred, wrote perhaps the first colour-illustrated books Wild Flowers in the Rockies (1949) and Wild Flowers in the Pacific Northwest (1964). The colour illustrations were by Frank Beebe. Like a number of the Museum staff, the Hardys were active members of the Victoria Natural History Society. These books sold for $9.95 (cloth bound) – a very high price for the day! Miss M.C. Melburn was a school teacher, a keen energetic botanist and long time ‘chair’ of the Botany Section of the Victoria Natural History Society. #101 April 1957 Directory: sites sites -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 sites -> 587 Return function, r i(X) r i(0) r i(1) r i(2) r i(3) 1 0 2 4 6 Thermal Station, I 2 0 1 5 6 3 0 3 5 6 10 sites -> Glossary for Chapter 1 Algorithm sites -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose sites -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations sites -> Physical custody of 1033 program property accountibility form statement of Physical Custody: By signing for the below 1033 property I am a Law Enforcement Officer of the aforementioned Law Enforcement Agency sites -> Nstructions for Acquiring Excess Equipment online, through the 1033 Program sites -> Memorandum of agreement Download 2.61 Mb. Share with your friends:
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