Flowers, Trails and Owls – Oh My!

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

On April 1 we did a blog post on the spring flowers found on the Tsolum River trails near the Exhibition Grounds in Courtenay. In that blog we reported on the carpets of fawn lilies and trilliums in bloom along the trails which really brightened up our walk.  On April 22 after a visit to the Comox Valley Farmers Market (which have now relocated to Exhibition Grounds for the summer and fall) we decided to check out the flowers again and look for an owl that people at the market had said they had seen there.  These trails are located behind the Exhibition Grounds off of Headquarters Road in Courtenay and there is lots of parking. Take the main access trail (really a road) toward the river and we found many clusters of fawn lilies on the trails to the right. You don’t need to walk very far before you see the flowers in bloom along the trail and under the trees.

 We were impressed that the flowers were still in bloom (see fawn lilies below) and even more abundant than when we visited on April 1 so if you missed them before there is still time to see these spring flowers. But on this day we were also treated to a baby Great Horned Owl that had been spotted by people we talked to at the Farmer’s Market. The owl was perched in a tree and when we first saw it a parent was also there. There were many people on the trail with either long telephoto lenses or binoculars and when we returned with our camera, the young one was there on its own. The owl on Saturday April 22 was located on a broken off tree (see photo above) near the horse pasture on the upper trail (away from the river) to your right as you enter the trails. We took a GPS reading from the trail and it is 49.706 N 125.015 W.  Not sure how long the young owl will be there but check it out if you are in the area. And the flowers are worth the trip in any case!

 

Exploring Bird Life at Lazo Marsh , Comox , BC

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

One of favorite places to go bird watching just about any time of year is Lazo Marsh. We like to take visitors there since you area almost always a good showing of birds from ducks to song birds. We recently took some visitors from out of town there and we weren’t disappointed.  Lazo March is easily accessed on Lazo Road in Comox. The parking lot is at coordinates 10 U0363587E and 55052298N and there is a large trail head sign titled Northeast Woods-Lazo Marsh Conservation Area which shows a map with numerous trails in the area. We opted for a 1 km loop that traversed through large second growth forest and led to a boardwalked lookout over the marsh.

 We also wanted to test out a bird song app that we had just downloaded since often when we are on this trail we hear way more birds that we actually see. For those who are not familiar with this app it is free and is called the Merlin Bird ID app. For more information see: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/. It turned out that this song ID feature is great for picking up bird songs and telling you which bird is calling.  It also has a photo ID feature which works well but with the poor telephoto camera options on the typical phone you need to get very close to birds to actually get this work.Pictured below is a Fox Sparrow.

 

This trail is suited to a wide range of walkers and we saw many people on this trail enjoying the  abundant bird life. For more information on this site see: https://www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/sites/default/files/docs/Parks-Recreation/4lazomarsh_brochure_201703.pdf     Be sure to bring your cell phone for the Merlin app, binoculars and camera.

The “Pub to Pub” trail was very popular this past weekend

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We always love doing the so called “Pub to Pub” trail which is roughly half way between Campbell River and Courtenay in the fall since is a scenic trail with both river and ocean/beach views. We hadn’t done the trail for a few months and so with a sunny forecast we decided to walk on Saturday, April16 with our daughter who was visiting for Easter. The trail gets its name from the fact that 2 pubs were located close to the start and end point of the trail but now these “pubs” are no longer there. Since the trail is just 3.5 km (1 way) it is suited to a variety of options. If you have young children or walkers that would find 7 km too long a hike, you could park a car at each end and just make the 1 way trip. 

 To get there from Courtenay drive north on Highway 19A and keep an eye out for the Oyster River bridge since you want to turn right on the next road (Glenmore Road).  Then travel one roughly 1 block and then turn left on Regent and look for a parking lot with a sign Oyster River Nature Park. The parking lot coordinates are 49. 52.232 N and 125 07.616 W.  On Sunday we got the last parking spot but you can park along the road should the Nature Park lot fill up. Then follow the Ferguson Trail which is well signed and easy to walk on. After about 1 km you reach the ocean and from there you follow the Jack Hames Trail to Salmon Point. You can walk the trail in either direction although we tend to walk it south to north most of the time. And there is plenty of driftwood to sit on for snack overlooking the water.

From there the trail winds along the upper part of the beach and through the trees giving fine views of Georgia Strait and mountains beyond. Sometimes the trail separates into 2 trails and you can also walk the beach as well if you want to.  After about 1 hour we came out to Salmon Point Resort RV Park  and the trail’s end.  We fully recommend this trail since it offers scenic ocean views and can be walked by a wide variety of people. Check it out on your next trip to this area.

 

Signs of spring in Comox Valley- Anna hummingbirds on a nest

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

On Sunday, April 3 we were walking on the Courtenay Riverway Trail near the 17 th street bridge when we saw a hummingbird land on a nest just 3-4 meters away almost at eye level. Since the leaves are not out now it was very easy to see and 2 hummingbirds were flitting on and off the nest. They seemed to be feeding their young since they would often point their long bills down into the nest but from our vantage point we couldn’t see any young. We actually saw several hummingbirds during our walk so there may well be other nests in the area.  The nest is camouflaged with lichen and looks to be very solid. The nest about 50 to 75 meters upstream from the 17 th street bridge. Bring your camera and don’t disturb the nest!  

 

 

Thanks for a great season of Nordic skiing at Mount Washington

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

 It was a sad day when we cleaned out our ski locker at Raven Lodge on Saturday April 2 to end the 2022 cross country ski season. Raven Lodge is the base of operations of cross country skiing and snow shoeing at Mount Washington near Courtenay, B.C on Vancouver Island. The year saw a mix of weather with lots of snow and very cold weather early in the winter followed by a very dry February and then abit more mixed weather in March. This resulted in a lower than normal snow pack but still very good xc skiing.  It was a strange year with Covid 19 continuing to lurk in the background but you couldn`t get a better outdoor activity that was also easy to socially distance with than cross country skiing. We managed over 50 days of skiing which is the most we have skied at Mount Washington since we arrived 7 years ago.

 I was involved in teaching cross country skiing there seemed to be lots of new skiers from all over Vancouver Island in lessons this year.  We also ran a CANSI Level 1 ski instructors course and Mount Washington now has another new nordic ski instructor. If becoming a nordic ski instructor is of interest to you contact me at k2nicol@gmail.com since we are planning another course for the 2022-23 season. New for this year was Nordic Fest which offered a wide range of activities and we had a good turnout for the advanced skate session held on Sunday, March 27.     

 

So next year if you have thought about trying cross country skiing or snowshoeing then check out Raven Lodge at Mount Washington. They have over 50 km of trail groomed for skating and classic skiing as well as many snowshoe trails. Raven Lodge has great mountain views and inside you can check out the ski shop, book rentals and lessons, and buy day tickets.  Lets hope next winter brings the same great skiing to Mount Washington but without the Covid 19.   For more information see: https://www.mountwashington.ca/ 

 

Spring Wildflowers in their prime along the Tsolum River in Courtenay

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

   On Friday , April 1 we decided to check out the fawn lilies (see purple-white flowers below) and other wildflowers along the Tsolum River in Courtenay. With the cooler and wetter than normal weather of late we were sure what to expect but we weren’t disappointed! 

 There were carpets of fawn lilies and trilliums in bloom along the trails which really brightened up our walk. These trails are located behind the Exhibition Grounds off of Headquarters Road in Courtenay and there is lots of parking. Take the main access trail (really a road) toward the river and we found many clusters of fawn lilies on the trails to the right. You don’t need to walk very far before you see the flowers in bloom along the trail and under the trees.

 We are not sure how long they will last but if like early spring flowers check out this area and don’t forget to bring your camera. If you are into pictures you might want to bring a tripod and something to kneel on since the carpets of flowers are best photographed low to the ground and the ground can be wet. This year there seemed to be many more trilliums (see white flower above) than we have seen in the past.This is one of our favourite early April activities and we fully recommend it.