The Beaver Ponds

Biodiversity

These two ponds are a biological oasis.

Western Painted Turtle basking on a log beside the pond — Western Painted Turtles

Red-legged frog in the mud beside the pond — Red-legged frogs

Garter snake on moss among branches — Biodiversity

Woodpecker on the trunk of a tree — Birdlife

White water lilies across the Burde Street Ponds — The Beaver Ponds

Beaver lodge on the upper pond — Beaver Ponds

Snow-covered trees beside the pond in winter — The Beaver Ponds in winter

Burde Ponds and ecological biodiversity

Amphibians and reptiles

The ponds support Western Painted Turtles and Northern Red-Legged Frogs, both species at risk, as well as Pacific chorus frogs whose calls can be heard at different times of year.

Waterfowl

Waterfowl use the ponds seasonally and year-round. Common sightings include Hooded Mergansers, Wood Ducks, Canada Geese, Mallards and Spotted Sandpipers.

Nesting islands

Small islands within the ponds provide places for birds to rest and raise their young. Canada Geese have frequently been documented with their goslings.

Snags / nursery trees

Mergansers have been documented using cavities in the snags/nursery trees, many of which were formed by Pileated Woodpeckers and other woodpecker species.

Songbirds

Songbirds found at the ponds include chickadees, nuthatches, flycatchers, towhees, sparrows and warblers. These habitats are important as songbird populations decline worldwide.

Insects

Dragonflies, butterflies, moths and mosquitoes are among the terrestrial and aquatic insects found here. Insects provide food for other wildlife and help break down organic material.

Examples of biodiversity sighted by local naturalists

Winter and spring waterfowl

Ring-necked Duck in good numbers
Bufflehead
Occasional Pied-billed Grebe
Year-round — Hooded Merganser, Great Blue Heron
Nesters — Canada Goose, Wood Duck, Mallard, Hooded Merganser

Other species

Barred Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Sapsucker and other woodpeckers — Downy, Hairy, Pileated, Northern Flicker
Flycatchers — Willow, Hammond’s, Pacific-slope
Chestnut-backed Chickadee; Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Western Tanager

Other resident wildlife

Deer mice
Red squirrels
Black bears

“Beaver and river otter can be seen in both ponds but best be there early in the morning to increase the odds.”Burde Street Ponds (Bird Alberni)

Species at risk on site