After Saturday's owling adventure, I took Sunday to round up some loose ends. For those who have been following from the beginning, this is a familiar story....
The targets of the day were Violet-green Swallow, Purple Finch, Hutton's Vireo, and Virginia Rail, plus whatever else happened to be around. My wife and I started off at Swan Lake, and quickly found Violet-green Swallow and Purple Finch (the latter thanks to Ian Cruickshank's finely tuned ear), but Virginia Rail was a no show. A bright male American Goldfinch also made an appearance by the boardwalk.
We headed to Observatory Hill on a bit of a high, hoping that today would be the day for Hutton's Vireo. Despite a thorough search we didn't so much as hear one call, and decided to cut back to Viaduct Flats. Halfway to Viaduct, and an email came through from BCVIBIRDS, of Horned Larks at Martindale Flats, so we changed course and headed up the Pat Bay Highway.
After walking Islandview Rd, Puckle Rd, McHugh Rd, and Lochside Dr, the Horned Larks were not to be found. Not a big loss, they will be back.
Our last stop on the way home was Royal Roads University, again looking for Hutton's Vireo. A little pishing and a lot of walking turned up scads of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Song and Fox Sparrows, and Dark-eyed Juncos, but no Hutton's Vireo. Let's hope I don't still need this bird in December!
All in all, not a bad day. Two species added, bringing the total to 143. Only 9.33 months and 109 species to go!
Time to start checking through the gull flocks, as Little Gulls have been reported south of the border on both coasts!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Owls, owls, owls
Saturday at 3:00am found me driving north on the Malahat, aiming to find the last two owls I need. Without coffee, and with four hours of sleep, I started my owling loop in Shawnigan Lake. From there, I worked my way north, winding my way through the backroads towards Duncan, where I finally grabbed the morning double-double (and, as an aside and definite highlight, I won a free coffee - my first Roll Up the Rim winner in two years!).
The weather was not quite ideal for owling, with a little drizzle here and there, but once committed, the show must go on. I ended up finding 5 owls from 4 species, without adding either of my targets. The first owl was my sought-after Western Screech-Owl, which called briefly and then remained silent and out of sight, giving me a great listen but depriving me of adding it to my Big Year List. Maybe next time I will scatter some seed on the road and wait for it.....
After the Screech-Owl, I was treated to a Barred Owl sitting on the side of the road near Cowichan Station, a Great Horned Owl and a Barn Owl near Duncan, and another Barred Owl on a telephone wire at Cowichan Bay. Without my camera handy, the picture below was taken with my blackberry (I did mention I am not a photographer, right?).
I made it to Cowichan Bay at first light, and starting checking all of the usual places for Short-eared Owl, without luck. I was treated to a flock of 40+ Northern Shovelers, which I have not seen in Victoria in these numbers this year, as well as various other waterfowl, and good numbers of singing sparrows and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
The day ended without a single addition to the Big Year list, but I am finding it really hard to complain.
Good birding,
The weather was not quite ideal for owling, with a little drizzle here and there, but once committed, the show must go on. I ended up finding 5 owls from 4 species, without adding either of my targets. The first owl was my sought-after Western Screech-Owl, which called briefly and then remained silent and out of sight, giving me a great listen but depriving me of adding it to my Big Year List. Maybe next time I will scatter some seed on the road and wait for it.....
After the Screech-Owl, I was treated to a Barred Owl sitting on the side of the road near Cowichan Station, a Great Horned Owl and a Barn Owl near Duncan, and another Barred Owl on a telephone wire at Cowichan Bay. Without my camera handy, the picture below was taken with my blackberry (I did mention I am not a photographer, right?).
I made it to Cowichan Bay at first light, and starting checking all of the usual places for Short-eared Owl, without luck. I was treated to a flock of 40+ Northern Shovelers, which I have not seen in Victoria in these numbers this year, as well as various other waterfowl, and good numbers of singing sparrows and Ruby-crowned Kinglets.
The day ended without a single addition to the Big Year list, but I am finding it really hard to complain.
Good birding,
Friday, March 18, 2011
Finally, some birding!
A week ago, I invested in a new pair of Nikon Monarch 10X42s. Love them, but haven't had time since then to try them out!
Last night was the Rocky Point Bird Observatory Annual General Meeting. Generally, I dislike "bored" meetings, but they are a necessary evil. This one was different. Seeing the passion and dedication around the table last night was refreshing for me, and I look forward to the year ahead with this great group of folks! I will no doubt mention Rocky Point more than once in the months ahead (as it is one of my favourite places in the Victoria area), but for now, check out their website at http://www.rpbo.org/ to find out more, support them with a donation, volunteer, or buy some snazzy RPBO merchandise!
This morning I took the day off to spend with my wife, and somehow managed to convince her to let me field test my new binos. Mount Doug Park was the locale, as my Big Year is still missing Hutton's Vireo and Purple Finch. Although I found a large flock of Pine Siskins, a real rarity this year, as well as three species of sparrow (Song, Fox, Golden-crowned) singing for all the world to hear, there were no Purple Finches in evidence. Returning to the parking area there was a Hutton's Vireo loudly and energetically singing from one of the tall firs. It didn't help that the bird was a fair distance up the tree, and it didn't help that it stopped singing and calling as soon as I had a fix on the tree, so I had to accept a really difficult miss on it, again.
Tonight/tomorrow morning it is off to find the last two owls (Western Screech and Short-eared), stay tuned!
Good birding,
Jeremy
Last night was the Rocky Point Bird Observatory Annual General Meeting. Generally, I dislike "bored" meetings, but they are a necessary evil. This one was different. Seeing the passion and dedication around the table last night was refreshing for me, and I look forward to the year ahead with this great group of folks! I will no doubt mention Rocky Point more than once in the months ahead (as it is one of my favourite places in the Victoria area), but for now, check out their website at http://www.rpbo.org/ to find out more, support them with a donation, volunteer, or buy some snazzy RPBO merchandise!
This morning I took the day off to spend with my wife, and somehow managed to convince her to let me field test my new binos. Mount Doug Park was the locale, as my Big Year is still missing Hutton's Vireo and Purple Finch. Although I found a large flock of Pine Siskins, a real rarity this year, as well as three species of sparrow (Song, Fox, Golden-crowned) singing for all the world to hear, there were no Purple Finches in evidence. Returning to the parking area there was a Hutton's Vireo loudly and energetically singing from one of the tall firs. It didn't help that the bird was a fair distance up the tree, and it didn't help that it stopped singing and calling as soon as I had a fix on the tree, so I had to accept a really difficult miss on it, again.
Tonight/tomorrow morning it is off to find the last two owls (Western Screech and Short-eared), stay tuned!
Good birding,
Jeremy
Friday, March 11, 2011
The Rules
I have been asked a couple of times about what my "rules" are for my big year, so I figured I would include them here. They are quick and simple (or so I hope, stay tuned), and are as follows:
Where possible, I will also try to post record shots of rarities. "Record shot" is a very loose term for me, as I aim to be a birder and not a photographer, and 24X digital zoom is not kind when it comes to photographing birds.
Lastly, there are some sensitive species that I won't post information about in this blog, such as some owls or private residences that wish to remain private. Any sightings that can be posted will appear here, on the BCVIBIRDS yahoo group, and on the BC Bird Alert.
Good birding!
- Each species must be visually identified beyond all shadow of a doubt, with clear views of all field marks. Hearing a bird is not the same as seeing it. There are not many species that this will be difficult with, but this is why there are still owls on my Wish List (and thank goodness Wrentit, my long-standing, uber-vocal nemesis, does not occur here).
- Each species must be seen within the Victoria Checklist Area. Species seen while I am in the checklist area and they are not, cannot be counted. This really only applies for pelagics, or at Otter Point (ie, when birding from Otter Point, birds to the East will be counted, birds to the West will not).
Where possible, I will also try to post record shots of rarities. "Record shot" is a very loose term for me, as I aim to be a birder and not a photographer, and 24X digital zoom is not kind when it comes to photographing birds.
Lastly, there are some sensitive species that I won't post information about in this blog, such as some owls or private residences that wish to remain private. Any sightings that can be posted will appear here, on the BCVIBIRDS yahoo group, and on the BC Bird Alert.
Good birding!
Monday, March 7, 2011
More Dogs than Birds, and "Mini Pelagic" Take 2
The weather gods were kind to us this weekend, and I decided to thank them in my own way, by spending the entire weekend birding.
Saturday was supposed to be a cleanup run, to pick up those residents (Golden Eagle, Pileated Woodpecker, Purple Finch, Barred Owl, etc) that have eluded me so far. Alas, it was not to be. My first couple of stops of the day, at the group campsite at Goldstream Park, followed by the Goldstream Park day use area, yielded only one of the three park targets, in the form of a Golden Eagle which was sharing the skies around Mt. Finlayson with 5 Bald Eagles, a Merlin, and a Red-tailed Hawk. I was also treated to 2 Red-breasted Sapsuckers sharing a tree with a male Downy Woodpecker and a male Hairy Woodpecker. No Pileated in sight.
The next few stops were dismal. A journey to Whiffin Spit had me dodging dogs every 10ft, much the same situation I encountered at Albert Head Lagoon, another of my favourite spots. I really should have cut my losses at that point, but I carried on to Esquimalt Lagoon and Swan Lake, both of which were quiet on the bird front. My last stop of the day was Cuthbert Holmes Park, for the resident Barred Owl. Turns out the bird is seen regularly, and I encountered a dog-walker who had seen it the day before. No go on Saturday.
Sunday was Take Two on the MV Coho, still hoping for winter pelagics. The weather was much more birder-friendly than it was last weekend, but the trip yielded the same species, with higher numbers of Pigeon Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet showing well. The one cause for celebration was the seen-again Cassin's Auklet, which this time was accommodating to the point of being well inside Canadian waters. The other treat was seeing a flock of 500+ Mew Gulls with others about 750m SE of the Ogden Point Breakwater, presumably feeding on a bait ball.
My guess is this will be my last MV Coho trip for a few months, as pelagics will be sparse, and the migrants will be showing up soon, but June or July will undoubtedly find me out there again.
Good Birding!
Saturday was supposed to be a cleanup run, to pick up those residents (Golden Eagle, Pileated Woodpecker, Purple Finch, Barred Owl, etc) that have eluded me so far. Alas, it was not to be. My first couple of stops of the day, at the group campsite at Goldstream Park, followed by the Goldstream Park day use area, yielded only one of the three park targets, in the form of a Golden Eagle which was sharing the skies around Mt. Finlayson with 5 Bald Eagles, a Merlin, and a Red-tailed Hawk. I was also treated to 2 Red-breasted Sapsuckers sharing a tree with a male Downy Woodpecker and a male Hairy Woodpecker. No Pileated in sight.
The next few stops were dismal. A journey to Whiffin Spit had me dodging dogs every 10ft, much the same situation I encountered at Albert Head Lagoon, another of my favourite spots. I really should have cut my losses at that point, but I carried on to Esquimalt Lagoon and Swan Lake, both of which were quiet on the bird front. My last stop of the day was Cuthbert Holmes Park, for the resident Barred Owl. Turns out the bird is seen regularly, and I encountered a dog-walker who had seen it the day before. No go on Saturday.
Sunday was Take Two on the MV Coho, still hoping for winter pelagics. The weather was much more birder-friendly than it was last weekend, but the trip yielded the same species, with higher numbers of Pigeon Guillemot and Rhinoceros Auklet showing well. The one cause for celebration was the seen-again Cassin's Auklet, which this time was accommodating to the point of being well inside Canadian waters. The other treat was seeing a flock of 500+ Mew Gulls with others about 750m SE of the Ogden Point Breakwater, presumably feeding on a bait ball.
My guess is this will be my last MV Coho trip for a few months, as pelagics will be sparse, and the migrants will be showing up soon, but June or July will undoubtedly find me out there again.
Good Birding!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Poor Weather Musings - eBird
The weather still fails to co-operate during hours that I can get out, so I have been catching up on eBird.
I was introduced to eBird last year, and immediately noticed that it has managed to accomplish something that few other outlets have - it gives the birding community something in return for sightings submitted to the research community. It does this by providing users access to sightings of note, providing alerts to "needed birds" in various areas, and by giving us listers a great platform to keep track of our lists, going so far as to break sightings down to the month and county levels. It allows users to view seasonal abundance bar charts for large or small areas, all sightings of a given species, recent sightings of a given species, and much more! eBird also has worldwide coverage, so I have been able to submit sightings from my two overseas birding adventures in South Korea and Costa Rica!
For those of us in British Columbia, eBird is also the closest thing that we have to a Provincial Bird Records Committee, in the form of Dick Cannings, our provincial co-ordinator. Dick spends countless hours of his own time reviewing sightings, maintaining hotspots, and following up on submissions, things that very rarely get noticed until a request for more information arrives in the old inbox, at which point it is usually greeted by grumbles. Without his dedication, we would not have the infrastructure and information we have access to, and for that we owe him a debt of gratitude.
For those of you who don't currently use eBird, I highly recommend it. With a little practice, data entry is a breeze, and it provides a great way to keep track of your own sightings and notes. There is also a great lack of historical information (at least in B.C.), so my recommendation goes doubly for those who are sitting on decades of notebooks. Many species that appear on the Victoria Checklist don't appear in eBird because no one has bothered to input them (recent additions of old birds include American Avocet and Clark's Grebe).
This site, created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has the potential to change birding technology substantially, but it does depend on a steady stream of inputs from us, the birding community at large. I know we all have a lot of other things that we could be doing instead of inputting data online, but this site really does make it simple, and takes up very little of said precious time.
Anyway, enough of my soapbox sermon, give it a look-see!
Back to hoping for good weather and early migrants!
I was introduced to eBird last year, and immediately noticed that it has managed to accomplish something that few other outlets have - it gives the birding community something in return for sightings submitted to the research community. It does this by providing users access to sightings of note, providing alerts to "needed birds" in various areas, and by giving us listers a great platform to keep track of our lists, going so far as to break sightings down to the month and county levels. It allows users to view seasonal abundance bar charts for large or small areas, all sightings of a given species, recent sightings of a given species, and much more! eBird also has worldwide coverage, so I have been able to submit sightings from my two overseas birding adventures in South Korea and Costa Rica!
For those of us in British Columbia, eBird is also the closest thing that we have to a Provincial Bird Records Committee, in the form of Dick Cannings, our provincial co-ordinator. Dick spends countless hours of his own time reviewing sightings, maintaining hotspots, and following up on submissions, things that very rarely get noticed until a request for more information arrives in the old inbox, at which point it is usually greeted by grumbles. Without his dedication, we would not have the infrastructure and information we have access to, and for that we owe him a debt of gratitude.
For those of you who don't currently use eBird, I highly recommend it. With a little practice, data entry is a breeze, and it provides a great way to keep track of your own sightings and notes. There is also a great lack of historical information (at least in B.C.), so my recommendation goes doubly for those who are sitting on decades of notebooks. Many species that appear on the Victoria Checklist don't appear in eBird because no one has bothered to input them (recent additions of old birds include American Avocet and Clark's Grebe).
This site, created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, has the potential to change birding technology substantially, but it does depend on a steady stream of inputs from us, the birding community at large. I know we all have a lot of other things that we could be doing instead of inputting data online, but this site really does make it simple, and takes up very little of said precious time.
Anyway, enough of my soapbox sermon, give it a look-see!
Back to hoping for good weather and early migrants!
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