Hearing stories about beavers on Gabriola has increased my interest in these animals, so I read up on them now and again. And look what the Globe and Mail has published: Beavering away to save a lake. It’s the story of Beaver Lake in Vancouver’s Stanley Park, the effects that humans have had on the [...]
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Who’s getting at your bird feeders, Gabriola? Maybe its Mission Impossible Squirrel.
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There are always dead deer in the Gabriola woods, in various stages of decay. Dog finds them all, thanks to that fine nose of hers, and so I see a lot of dead deer. Today’s find, though, was striking due to these blue eyes. What’s up with that? Is it a baby-deer thing?
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I see signs like this here and there on Gabriola. Are they in your neighbourhood, too? Most aren’t styled like this, but the key content (please slow down: hidden driveway!) is the same. These signs often seem to be code for We feed the deer. If your route takes you past one of Gabriola’s hidden [...]
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In the news today: In a new study, University of British Columbia conservation biologist Peter Arcese said deer are throwing off the delicate balance of the ecosystem on B.C.’s Gulf Islands, threatening the natural vegetation. …Arcese said island communities need to look into ways to alleviate the stress on the environment by reducing the number [...]
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Big news not so far from Gabriola: B.C.’s 1st pterosaur fossil identified. A new species of prehistoric flying reptile has been identified from a fossil found on B.C.’s Hornby Island. The pterosaur Gwawinapterus beardi likely soared through tropical forests inhabited by dinosaurs — its evolutionary cousins — during the late Cretaceous period about 70 million [...]
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One of the fine things about snow on Gabriola is that it helps us see who’s been where. And here? At least one raccoon has been by, and that is why the dog finds this trail so compelling.
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I hear we’ve got feral rabbits on Gabriola. I don’t see any around here, though. Are there rabbits running about in your neighbourhood? Are there parts of the island where wild bunnies are a problem? (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons.)
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How many beavers do you think we’ve got on Gabriola? I’ve heard mention of one on Coats’ Marsh, and one at the Gabriola Commons. Have you seen either? I haven’t. But anyway. From The Register: Beaver, used correctly, ‘could save ecosystem’, contends prof. In struggling to save endangered ecosystems, America frequently overlooks one of its [...]
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Our hunter friend on Gabriola says the time to hunt deer on the island is between October and December. By the tenth of December, he says, it’s all over. Apparently this is because the bucks aren’t in rut anymore, and are hence not stupid enough to take chances around hunters. For those of us who [...]
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Not the kind of recipe one comes across every day, is it? From Butter on the Endive: Gabriola Island Deer Sausage. (Link removed as the page is no longer available on the Butter on the Endive site.)
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We’ve got lots of raccoons on Gabriola, and the way Gabriola residents respond to those ‘coons is quite varied. On one end of the spectrum we have the woman who shoots any raccoons who show up in her yard. At the other end of the spectrum we have the couple who feed raccoons (by hand, [...]
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When it’s deer hunting season on Gabriola, that means hunters are in the woods shooting at deer. What else would it mean? Well, here’s a New York Times article about a hunting competition that even a deer can love. The deer hunters returned to the tournament checkpoint tired and hungry, their camouflage clothing soaked with [...]
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Did you get a turkey from Boultons? Will there be pie? We don’t do turkey on Thanksgiving, which is lucky for the Gabriola wild turkeys (like this one) who roam our neighbourhood and vex the dog.
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I go past the Tree Where Raccoons Live every day in the Gabriola woods, and try again and again to get a good shot of those ‘coons: fail. I walk under the Trees Where Owls Live in the Gabriola forest, and try all winter long to get a good photo of owls: fail. I even [...]
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In the Gabriola woods there are sometimes sparkly patches of slime on ferns and things. I’d surmised that slugs might be responsible, but why a patch of slime instead of a trail? So, hmm. I guess this is why. Related blog post: Slugs. Oh my! If you haven’t already seen the video there, go take [...]
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Who’s peering into your kitchen window, Gabriola? At our place it’s mama raccoon and her three babies. The woman we know who shoots raccoons (!) if they wander into her yard tells us that raccoon droppings are a health hazard. Well. There’s your trivia for the day. And no, we won’t be shooting any raccoons [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife 6 Comments so far
Lots of people on Gabriola feed the neighbourhood deer. I wonder if those folk have seen this Globe and Mail article: Deer, woman faceoff in Victoria. An early morning stroll turned into a harrowing experience for a Greater Victoria woman when she was attacked by a deer just metres from her suburban home Tuesday, the [...]
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