THE BIRDS AND THE BEES AND THE BATS
And Summer Camps And Other News

by Jacqui Birchall
(click images to enlarge

How glorious it is to be back in Stanley Park following a winter in tropical climes!

A CELEBRATION OF BIRDS

Stanley Park Ecology (SPE) is a major organizer of the upcoming Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration, a two-week series of events across the city, including Stanley Park. The event opens on May 2 in The Stanley Park Pavilion and is titled “Your Observation Matters: Citizen Science in Birding Panel”.

The programme explains that “every bird sighting adds to a larger picture. When many people contribute small pieces of data, scientists gain valuable insights that would otherwise be impossible to obtain on their own. Whether you’re new to birding or already spotting birds in your neighbourhood, this event is designed to inspire and empower you.”

I spoke with Chris Rothery, the Community Engagement Co-ordinator for SPE, who has spent four years organizing the panel presentation on May 2 and many of the other events of the Greater Vancouver Bird Celebration. Chris shared that birding is a great activity for anyone, regardless of their bird knowledge. Being outdoors, in nature, surrounded by birds is so good for our health. The panellists are all eminent, and Chris quoted Scott Loarie, Executive Director of iNaturalist (check the app), who talks about citizen science apps as “being the eyes and ears of the planet.” You don’t have to be a bird expert to be important eyes and ears for the Citizen Science birding project.

For more information and registration see “Related Links” below.

MIGRATORY BIRDS RETURN TO STANLEY PARK

The migratory birds have returned from their southern winter habitats and there are new swallow boxes in Lost Lagoon. Stanley Park Ecology advises that the new design enhances airflow to keep the boxes cooler. If you wonder why the boxes are there, it’s because by the time the swallows arrive here, other migratory birds have occupied many of the swallows’ natural nesting sites.

Frank Lin, the bird expert at SPE, provided this list of migratory birds that return to Stanley Park for the summer. Rufous Hummingbird, Black Swift, Vaux’s Swift, Tree Swallow, Northern Rough-Winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Swainson’s Thrush, Western Flycatcher, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Black-Throated Grey Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Warbling Vireo.

If you walk the trails with the Merlin Bird ID app on your phone, and click on record, your phone will tell you which birds are singing around you. The deeper you get into the trails, the more birds Merlin Bird will identify. The app is magic, and the variety of birds is numerous.

BEES, BATS, AND EAGLES

SPE has also released mason bees to the bee condos outside the SPE office beside the Stanley Park Pavilion. For their protection, the bees are kept indoors in the winter.

Interested in bats? Observe the roof of the Stanley Park Pavilion at sunset when the bats emerge en masse to fill the sky in search of insects. Amazing sight.

SPE advises there are five eagle nests in Stanley Park, but at this time, it seems only three may be active.

GREAT BLUE HERONRY

It is never certain that the birds will return to the very busy Great Blue Heronry beside the Stanley Park Tennis Courts, but they have. The Great Blue Herons set up this heronry in 2001. They are classified as a species at risk in BC because they have difficulty finding undisturbed habitats and nesting sites. Although the Stanley Park herons are accustomed to humans, this is not generally the case, and human presence can drive herons away from their nests.

The natural predators of heron eggs and young are the ever-circling eagles, the owls, and the raccoons. Raccoons are controlled in the Stanley Park Heronry by the metal sleeves encircling the base of the nest hosting trees. This prevents the raccoons from climbing the trees.

**Herons have returned to stanley park.** *(Frank Lin PHoto)*

Should you observe a heron chick that has fallen from its nest, stay with it and call Wildlife Rescue at 604-526-2747 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) You will get more help emailing through their website (listed below). Also, call 311 to receive park ranger aid. Unlike other chicks, Great Blue Heron chicks will not be rescued by their moms and are in great danger on the ground. This information comes from Wildlife Rescue.

At the time of writing, SPE advises that five new chicks have been observed and 35 eggs have been counted.

The heronry webcam is experiencing technical difficulties. Stay tuned.

LIFEGUARDS AT THIRD AND SUNSET BEACHES
City Council Denies Park Board Additional Funding

The cutting of lifeguards at these two beaches is a dangerous and thoughtless decision. Councillor Peter Fry put forward a motion at City Council asking the city to provide $600,000 to the Park Board to restore lifeguards to the five beaches that lost lifeguard funding.

Despite many speakers supporting the motion, the ABC-dominated Vancouver City Council defeated the motion, Councillor Klassen stating, “If a park board is truly prioritizing these services, they would have properly funded this appropriately at their last meeting, where they had an emergency motion to discuss this topic.”

Is the Park Board adequately funded by a party that wants it gone? Not according to Park Board Chair Tom Digby, who advised me that the Park Board is obliged to make $11 million in cuts, with dozens of layoffs and a reduction in front-line services. Adding, the question is where these reductions and layoffs will occur.

A TIDAL LOST LAGOON?

The news that the Park Board voted to restore Lost Lagoon to a tidal waterway is interesting, but the changes will take time. There are many things to consider. The Lagoon was tidal until the construction of the Stanley Park Causeway. Should the Lagoon be returned to its tidal origins, the beavers will have to be relocated, as they cannot tolerate salt water.

There will be many other problems to consider. Losing the stagnant water would be wonderful, of course.

A BEACH-CLEANING PHILOSOPHER HERO

West End resident Michael Dowling can be seen daily cleaning West End and Stanley Park beaches.

This tall, slim philosopher, who can be spotted at Sunset Beach, where he recently filled 50 garbage bags, laments the toxicity of disintegrating boat materials and drug paraphernalia to English Bay, Second and Third Beaches and Lumberman’s Arch. Michael challenges us all to participate, suggesting the use of Home Depot’s Nifty Nabbers and IKEA’s blue medium-sized recycling bags.

Join Michael, and his charming company will make the cleanup work a breeze. Read more about Michael in the June edition of The West End Journal’s “Unsung Heroes”.

THE FAMOUS BROWN PELICAN

A lonely Brown Pelican has been spotted around False Creek, much to the delight of the public. Their range is along the Pacific Coast from Chile to Southern British Columbia. They are very social birds, so it’s unusual to see a Brown Pelican alone. They are on the U.S. Endangered Species List due to the pollutants in the fish they eat.

ELECTRIC FERRY FROM HARBOUR GREEN PARK

Stay tuned for more information on the Park Board’s decision to allow a new electric ferry from Harbour Green Park at the north end of Bute Street. I am advised that the sailings will not start until 2028 and that this will require negotiations between the City and the proponent. The ferry would service Bowen Island and the Sunshine Coast.

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