Parksville and Nanaimo:  

The Sooty Grouse was on Deryl's wish list but since this was his 5th attempt at the species, we weren't particularly hopeful about success. Upon exiting the car at the top of Little Mountain, we heard an unfamiliar noise. It was difficult to pin point the source of the sound. After walking back and forth, and in circles, we eventually found the Grouse! We were surprised at the size and did not expect to see it high in a tree. They can reach a length of 40-50 c.m.!!

Top of Little Mountain, Parksville B.C. on a foggy, rainy day.

This individual appears to be a Columbia Black-tailed Deer which is found throughout Vancouver Island...and up on top of Little Mountain!

Some good friends live in Parksville and their property borders the Englishman River. We had a leisurely walk with them along its banks where we could hear Barred Owls and Steller's Jays calling.

During a lunch break at Parksville Community Park, we found a rather extensive collection of Inukshuks!

Life Bird!! A total of 5 Band-tailed Pigeons were found at Richard's Marsh Park at the south end of Nanaimo. Look for the white crescent on its neck, black-tipped yellow bill and yellow feet!

A pair of Red-breasted Sapsuckers landed in a tree as we were walking by! Sapsuckers are named for their habit of drilling rows of shallow wells in shrubs and trees, then lapping up the sap with their brush-tipped tongues. Sapsuckers are important members of their ecosystems, because many species of insects, birds, and mammals use the sap wells to supplement their own diets. (Cornell Lab, All About Birds) Some sap wells are visible in the picture below the bird.