SANDWELL PROVINCIAL PARK

Gabriola Island Ferry Terminal

MV Quinsam on its 20-minute trip from Nanaimo to Gabriola 

Nice sandy beach  overlooking  Lock Bay

A B.C. Ferry  on the Salish Sea

Smiling Gull

Entrance Island lighthouse

B.C. Ferry Vancouver-bound

Lock Bay

Sandwell Provincial Park is located on Gabriola Island, a 20-minute ferry ride from downtown Nanaimo. The park is located on Strand Road, approximately 10 kms. from the ferry terminal. Take North Road and turn left on Barrett Road following park directional signs. It is 12 hectares. Sandwell Park was established in 1988 to protect archeological sites, including a petroglyph and shell middens and their settings. The sandy beach ecosystem include threatened communities such as those found in the back dune. An 800 meter walking trail leads from the parking lot to the day use picnic area on the beach at Lock Bay. The final portion of the trail to the beach is very steep and slippery. Visitors should use caution and wear proper footwear. There is no designated swimming area at this park however the sandy beach at Lock Bay is a very nice spot for ocean swimming. There are no lifeguards on duty at the park. The beach offers a lovely view of the Salish Sea, formerly known as Straight of Georgia.A picnic area overlooking the sandy beach of Lock Bay is located approximately 800 meters from the parking lot. Facilities include 2 picnic tables, pit toilets and an information booth. There are numerous logs and driftwoods along the sandy beach to sit on and watch the astounding oceanview. Sandwell Provincial Park , with its long sandy beach and views of the Salish Sea, is a favorite destination for residents and visitors to Gabriola Island. One of the 3 provincial parks on Gabriola Island, Sandwell offers a short walking trail through the woods leading to a picnic area overlooking the shores of Lock Bay. This is a lovely place to spend a peaceful afternoon relaxing on the beach or taking a refreshing dip on the ocean waters. At low tide, visitors can walk down the beach to view a prehistoric petroglyph carved in the sandstone rocks, east of the day-use area. This site is accessible only at low tide.

NANAIMO RIVER ESTUARY

 

A Great Blue Heron in the summertime

Widgeons

An inquisitive Robin

Great Blue Heron

A great Blue Heron searching for food

A not-too-shy solitary gull

A pair of  Canada geese

Red-winged Blackbird

Canada Goose

Male and Female Mallard ducks

A common Harrier in early Fall

A common Harrier

Nanaimo Skyline

This is the unusually large Garry Oak tree that stands out among the grasses and other shrubs on the open meadows that lead into the estuary.

Mt. Benson

Arbutus Tree

Estuaries are places where rivers meet the sea. Therefore where salt and fresh water meet the salinity content changes and is dynamic as life flourishes. The Nanaimo River Estuary is the largest in Vancouver Island and the 5th largest in all of British Columbia. It was once considered the bread basket of the Snuneymuxw First Nation People. But decades of pollution due to log mills, log booms, shipping and other sources of pollution, marine life deteriorated to such extent that immediate solutions are being considered. The Nanaimo Estuary is located just south of the Nanaimo downtown area. It is bordered on the right by Duke Point and Biggs Park and on the left is the City of Nanaimo along the Nanaimo Harbour. B.C. estuaries are crucial and productive breeding and feeding habitat for invertebrates, fish, marine birds and mammals due to the mixture of freshwater, sea water and light. Its protection is sorely needed as soon as possible.According to several scientific studies, saltwater marsh and eelgrass that thrive along the estuaries can store several tonnes of carbon annually. As an example, 400 square kms. of eelgrass and salt water marsh can store as much as all of B.C. boreal forest. According to Colin Campbell, science advisor for Sierra Club of BC, the Nanaimo Estuary is ranked in the top seven of 442 BC estuaries for effective sea burial of carbon because of its high concentration of eelgrass and salt marshes. They bury carbon for thousands of years where nothing happens. It gets locked down until it gets uncovered. This is probably the most efficient carbon removal mechanism on earth and the Nanaimo Estuary is right up there because of its size and its salt marshes. In comparison, forests, also considered important carbons eradicator/ remover sink, bury carbon for hundreds of years. Campbell's report indicates estuaries can be up to 90x more efficient than the equivalent area of forest, but are disappearing far faster than forests. In B.C., estuary habitats sequester a minimum of 180,000 tonnes of carbon annually, equivalent to the emissions of 200,000 passenger cars. Eelgrass absorbs carbon from water while salt marshes absorb it from the atmosphere.Controlling the log booms and log mills and diverting run-off of fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides is crucial for saving the eelgrass and salt marshes. It's in everybody's best interest to insure it remains healthy and sustains the incredible biodiversity that is there.Despite its name and appearance, eelgrass ( Zostera Marina ) is neither a seaweed ( marine algae ) nor a grass. It is a perrennial flowering plant that lives in salt water and has dark green, ribbon-like leaves that are 2 - 12mm wide and between 20 and 100 cm. long. The dense meadows or beds are sometimes exposed to low tide. Eelgrass forms the basis of a complex food web in estuaries and other sheltered marine areas. It grows at and below the low tide line, in up to 6 meter of water. It is common in estuaries, tidal flats and protected areas such as pocket beaches. Like all plants, eelgrass relies on photosynthesis, the use of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to sugars. Therefore, it requires relatively clear and clean water. Murky or turbid water prevents the plants from receiving enough light. It is worth noting that the Nanaimo River Estuary is an underrated area for bird-watching. There are actually numerous sightings of various bird species around this area which is attracting quite a few numbers of birdwatchers from across the province and  from out of town. I am not an expert on birds but I enjoy photographing them and share my photos to be enjoyed by all.

WINTERTIME IN BUTTERTUBS MARSH BIRD SANCTUARY

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Song Sparrow

Male and female Mallard ducks. The spotted one is the female.

An alert-looking Song Sparrow

Hawthorne's berries serve as emergency and winter food for various birds in the area.

Bulrush in Winter. Apparently  in late summer when still tender is quite edible and eaten like corn by the Early Natives.

A beautiful yet flighty Spotted Towhee

The Viewing Tower visible from a distance

A yummy morsel for this Song Sparrow

Song Sparrow looking cautiously  at the photographer 

Winter time in the Buttertubs Bird Sanctuary, note the absence of snow unlike most of the regions in Canada at this time of the year.

A solitary Hooded Merganser

Eerie-looking bleached dead tree trunks

Hooded Merganser

Another Frozen area of the Marsh in Winter

The handsome Hooded Merganser

Almost invisible Song Sparrow

One of the few viewing platform

Frozen Marsh in Winter

Song Sparrow

Buttertubs Bird Sanctuary is located near Bowen Park and adjacent to the Millstone River. It is a man-made marsh and is partly-owned by the Nature Trust of British Columbia and some private citizens of Nanaimo. In my opinion, it is the best location for spotting and birdwatching through out the whole region of Nanaimo. In the early spring, it is not uncommon to spot an average of 35 different kinds of birds in and around the 18 km. hectare bird sanctuary. The most common birds seen are the Bewick's Wren, Marsh Wren,American Robin, Varied Thrush, European Starling, Cedar Waxwing, Red-winged Blackbird, Spotted Towhee, Common Raven, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, Golden-Crowned Sparrow, House Finch, Pine Siskin, Dark-eyed Junco, House Sparrow, Stellar's Jay, Canada Geese, Great Blue Heron, Mallard, Pied-Billed Grebe, Ring-Necked Duck, Common Golden-eye, Buffle-head, Wood Duck, Northern Flicker, Hooded Merganser, Common Merganser, American Coot, California Quail, American Coot, Balucous-Winged Gull, Red-Tail Hawk, Rock Pigeon, Belted-Kingsfisher, Bushtit, Northwestern Crow, Chestnut-backed Chickadee and others. The best time to observe for birds is early Spring, Summer and fall. There are a few observation decks and a viewing tower ideal for spotting, viewing ang photographing birds and other wild-life like beavers. The area is off-limit to dogs and motorized vehicles. The presence of bleached down dead trees ( Garry Oaks mostly) gives the area an eerie look. It is a popular place for joggers, hikers and bird-watchers. It is also wheelchair accessible and open to the public year-round at no-charge like the rest of the other parks found in the Regional District of Nanaimo.