Tutoring math, you notice that people like relatable examples. The tutor brings up his observation of a Canada goose. Looking out over a lake in Nanaimo on Sunday morning, I saw an exceptional Canada goose swimming apart from the others. …
Bird identification involves constant self-tutoring. The tutor describes a bird he saw, and attempts to identify it. Yesterday’s sunny afternoon, I noticed something odd from the corner of my eye. I had no idea what it would be, just that …
The tutor shares a welcome backyard observation. Here on Vancouver Island, we’ve had a cold winter. Normally, we get spring weather starting by mid-February – not this year. It’s slowed down my activity as a naturalist. Today, however, I noticed …
The tutor shares an observation from yesterday. Yesterday’s high was 24, but the humidex reached 28. Around here, that’s hot. Working on the roof of a shed, I noticed, from the corner of my eye, about twenty feet away, something …
Bird watching: when a hummingbird lands on a fence Read more »
The tutor shares another backyard identification. If a person isn’t looking closely, a white-crowned sparrow is easy to miss, even in the yard. They forage on the ground, but can seem from a distance to be dull-colored and “just another …
Lifestyle: bird identification from field guide: white-crowned sparrow Read more »
The tutor shares another backyard bird identification. Similarly with Audubon’s warbler (see my post about it here), I could only identify the rufous-sided towhee through the binoculars. I heard the call, detected flitting in a hedgerow, then raised the binoculars …
Lifestyle: bird identification from field guide: rufous-sided towhee Read more »
The tutor shares an exciting backyard observation. While supposedly we’re in springtime, any given day can be like summer. Yesterday and today are examples. The temp is only 16C, but the air is soft and stable like a summer’s day. …
Lifestyle: bird identification from field guide: Audubon’s warbler Read more »
The tutor shares a discovery he’s awaited. As long as a year and a half ago, I began hearing a new bird call. I at first thought it was hooting from an owl. I explored many owl calls here, but …
Lifestyle: bird watching: Eurasian collared-dove Read more »