Category Archives: Uncategorized

If you build it they will come …. our new toadlet fence at Kentucky-Alleyne park is working well

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Alan Burger

The Nicola Naturalist Society, in collaboration with BC Parks and professional herpetologists from Biolinx Environmental Research, have successfully built a new ‘toadlet fence’ at Kentucky-Alleyne Provincial Park near Merritt. Starting in 2012 we’ve been working on a solution to prevent … Continue reading →

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Spring Camp 2014 – Nicola Naturalists host BC Nature visitors

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Alan Burger

For four hectic days – 29 May through 1 June – Nicola Naturalist Society hosted its first BC Nature event, a Spring Camp. Twenty-four BC Nature members from various clubs around BC attended. Activities were centred on the Nicola Ranch … Continue reading →

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Merritt Christmas Bird Count – 15 December 2013

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Alan Burger

Howling winds which persisted all day were the feature of this Christmas Bird Count. This was the 15th annual CBC in the Merritt count circle. We had 25 participants in the field (close to our record of 26) and three … Continue reading →

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Spring BC Nature Camp in the Nicola Valley – 29 May to 1 June, 2014

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Alan Burger

This camp is fully booked with a waiting list The Nicola Naturalists are hosting a BC Nature Spring Camp from Thursday 29 May to Sunday 1 June, 2014. Come and experience grasslands, wetlands and ranching in the beautiful Nicola Valley … Continue reading →

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From frogs to tadpoles – it’s all happening now. Frogging 2013.

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Alan Burger

The Nicola Naturalists are active in our third year of mapping and monitoring amphibians in the Nicola Valley area around Merritt. Our season started with a visit by our professional herpetologist partners from Biolinx Environmental Research of Victoria. They led … Continue reading →

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Nicola Naturalists grasslands birding adds data to IBA – 2 June 2013

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Alan Burger

The Nicola Naturalist Society’s outing to the grasslands near Merritt on 2nd June was primarily a fun birding trip, but we also added data to help monitor the Douglas Lakes Plateau Important Bird Area (IBA). We kept a full tally … Continue reading →

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Black-bellied Plover an unexpected visitor to the Douglas Lake Plateau – 2 June 2013

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Alan Burger

On 2 June 2013 a Nicola Naturalist Society outing discovered a Black-bellied Plover in breeding plumage on one of the shallow saline ponds on the Douglas Lake Plateau, next to Minnie Lake Road, west of Merritt. This is not a … Continue reading →

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Sandhill Cranes migrating through Douglas Lake Plateau grasslands – April 2013

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Alan Burger

On Sunday 21 April members of the Nicola Naturalist Society visited the Douglas Lake area in search of migrating Sandhill Cranes. We were not disappointed and encountered at least 2,300 cranes on the ground, taking off or circling in the … Continue reading →

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“Ecology of the Great Basin Spadefoot at its Northern Limit” by Jocelyn Garner. Thursday 18th April 2013, 7PM at NVIT Theatre

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Alan Burger

The Great Basin Spadefoot is a charismatic toad-like frog that is highly specialized for living in the dry grasslands of the western interior. They spend much of the year buried deep under the sandy soil (and have specialized little “spades” … Continue reading →

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Rare and unusual birds in Merritt area – December 2012 (with Feb 2013 update)

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Alan Burger

Some unusual birds showed up in the Nicola Valley area in late November and December 2012. 2013 Update – our rare hummer has disappeared     The Anna’s Hummingbird described below survived for many weeks at a heated feeder in Merritt and … Continue reading →

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