It is hard to picture a better weekend of birding in Victoria!
On Friday morning at 8am, Jeremy Gatten called me from Saanichton Spit, where he had found a possible Willet feeding on the mudflats. Five minutes later he called back to confirm that it was indeed a Willet. As fate would have it, I was stuck in the office, sans transportation, until 4:30 that afternoon, so I did the next best thing to seeing it, which was call a number of birders with the sighting. The bird was very cooperative, and several people did get good looks at it. With the tide on its way in, I didn't have much hope that the bird would stick around, but after work I drove out to Saanichton Spit anyway, where Jeremy G and I walked around the entire spit before relocating the Willet, in the company of 2 Whimbrel, about 50ft or so from the parking area. A great bird!
Saturday morning started off as usual, with no foreshadowing of the great things to come. I had dropped my wife off at the gym and was on my way to check out the Munn Rd powerlines when Chris Saunders called with a report of Yellow-headed Blackbird at Swan Lake. Presumably this is the same bird that has been taunting myself and other local birders for a few weeks now, popping up and disappearing every once in a while. I had missed it on four occasions, but fifth time proved to be the charm, as the bird was sitting in the middle of the bridge when I arrived.
As Friday was my wife's birthday, I had promised to make brunch for her and my father and stepmother on Saturday. I had also forgotten to turn my phones ringer on, and after brunch, I found that I had missed 10 calls, and had a number of text messages. Jeremy Gatten had struck again, and located a breeding plumage SABINE'S GULL at Tower Point. Two hours had passed by the time I arrived, but the bird was still there, along with a crowd of admirers. On my way home I also added Black Swift, with 2 individuals overhead at the Latoria Rd gravel pit.
Seeing three great birds in under 24 hours was fantastic, and the only way to make it any better was to add another great bird.
Jeremy G and I decided to head out to Sooke, where we located two drumming Ruffed Grouse (though we didn't get a look at either of them). From there we made the last stop of the day Whiffin Spit. The spit was quiet, with a few of the ever-present dog walkers about. My time was quickly running out, as I had to meet my wife and her parents for dinner back in Langford. Jeremy convinced me that there was still time for a last-ditch check of the open areas on the inside of the spit, and as we reached the first one, a nighthawk flushed up from under our feet. The bird looked a little "off" right from the start and Jeremy managed to get a couple of quick pictures as it moved around in 15ft bursts. The drive back into town was spent comparing his pictures with field guides, internet pictures, and the like.
Back at Casa Kimm, we went through my bookshelf, searching for anything to aid in the ID of our nighthawk. Finding little of use, Jeremy headed back to Whiffin Spit while I headed out for dinner. Jeremy ended up getting some more pictures, which can be found on BCVIBIRDS.
All opinions that have come back on this bird have confirmed it's identity as LESSER NIGHTHAWK, making it a first for the Victoria Checklist area, and only the 3rd (second found alive) for BC!
Wow! What next?
Monday, May 30, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
The Littlest Big Day
On May 21, I did my Baillie Birdathon Big Day, and given the time of year and recent sightings, I was hoping for big things. Maybe we can just subtitle this post "The Show Must Go On" as big things were not to be.
A gas up stop and two road blocks had left me a little behind schedule, and there was no way I was going to make it to my intended Cowichan Valley starting point by midnight. At 11:55pm, I drove past a Great Horned Owl sitting on a telephone wire just outside of Duncan and initially kept driving, figuring I would run into another. I eventually turned around and drove back, finding the owl still sitting on the wire, at 11:58. I cringed every time a car drove by, watching the clock with one eye, and the owl with the other, waiting for the beginning of the new day, my Big Day. After what seemed like an eternity, the clock ticked over to 12:00 with the owl still perched in plain view. As I let out a sigh of relief, the owl flew from the wire and disappeared. Close, but still within the big day. It also turned out to be my only Great Horned Owl of the day.
In many spots I checked in the Cowichan Valley, the owls were silent. In fact, the only owls I actually heard were two young Barn Owls begging from a nest. I also found a Barred Owl, pretty much where I expected it, again sitting on a telephone wire in Cowichan Station.
Heading south, I checked a couple of other spots, and again came up empty. My favourite Western Screech-Owl spot in Shawnigan Lake had three police cars parked in front of it with lights flashing, so I took a pass. Something tells me they weren't there for the owls. I was quickly running out of darkness, and decided on a few last-ditch stops along Munn Rd, hoping for anything to call. That was also right around when the rain started, and set a precedent for the rest of the day.
The first daylight stop was Mt Tolmie, where I expected any number of warblers and sparrows. It was a little odd to be the only person on the mountain, but it was also quiet on the bird front, with many vocal Bewick's Wrens and Orange-crowned Warblers being the main birdlife.
I found much the same at King's Pond, where there was still a lone male Ring-necked Duck, and where I added my first Yellow Warbler of the year. I finally had a little bit of action at Swan Lake, which turned out to be my best stop of the day. There were 4 species of warbler and 5 species of swallow present, plus a flock of 7 Long-billed Dowitchers that flew over. Chris Saunders was at the lake as well, and pointed me in the direction of a Western Wood-Pewee he had located.
The rest of Saanich was fairly quiet, with nothing out of the ordinary at Blenkinsop Lake, Rithet's Bog, Panama Flats (though 1 Cinnamon and 3 Blue-winged Teal were a nice touch, as were the 4 American Pipits), or Viaduct Flats.
At Martindale Flats, Eurasian Collared-Dove and Mourning Dove were quick adds, and a stop at Welch and Livesay yielded a Solitary Sandpiper in the flooded field. Two Northern Harriers sitting in the field south of Martindale Rd were also a surprise. A run down to Islandview Beach found little, and the Central Saanich Bulb Fields added only a singing Sky Lark.
From there, I headed out to Hastings Flats, which was quiet, and Charlton Pond, which also failed to yield the Virginia Rail that I had staked out, and which had been calling all week previously.
A walk through Francis King Park and along the power line trail off Munn Rd was a little more productive, turning up my first House Wrens of the day, plus many singing MacGillivray's Warblers, Swainson's Thrushes, and 4 Western Tanagers.
From there, it was Sooke-bound. A stop for Golden Eagle turned up a miss, as they had apparently abandoned their nest. Otter Point and Whiffin Spit were quiet, and I added only Band-tailed Pigeon to my day total. Albert Head Lagoon on the way back turned up my only Merlin of the day, and Esquimalt Lagoon added Caspian Tern.
The Victoria waterfront was perhaps the most dismal and disappointing portion of the day, with nothing new being added between Ogden Point and Cattle Point. I blame the people, which were everywhere! A follow-up stop at Mt Tolmie turned up nothing new, so I headed back to Swan Lake, hoping to add the missing warblers to my list.
Down at the lake I again ran into Chris Saunders who, with Mike McGrenere, was looking for the Green Heron that had been around. Alas it was not to be, and Chris and I made our way over to Tuesday Pond, hoping for a vireo or warbler.
At Tuesday Pond a pair of Cooper's Hawks flew over, adding to my all too short list of raptors for the day. As a flock of swallows began feeding around the pond, a Bank Swallow flew past us. Its dark primaries stood out immediately, but it took a couple passes at high speed before I could distinguish the brown band across the chest (Chris got a great look before I did).
Daylight was quickly slipping away as I left Swan Lake, and I revisited many spots from earlier in the day without adding anything new. The wind came up around 9:30pm and the rain started, so I called the big day at 10pm, after 400 solo kilometres and 23 hours.
The final result was a dismal 89 species, far less than I had anticipated, with big misses being all vireos, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, and Virginia Rail. Shorebird numbers were low, with only three species found, and raptor numbers were a little on the low side as well.
The day was not without its highlights, as I added 7 new species to my Big Year (Bank Swallow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Swainson's Thrush, Western Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Western Wood-Pewee, and Pacific-slope Flycatcher). Solitary Sandpiper and Northern Harrier were also nice surprises, and it is always great to run into birders in the field.
To date, I have raised just about $300 for Bird Studies Canada and Rocky Point, but apparently I have seven more months to bring in pledges, so that total should come up nicely.
Next year............
A gas up stop and two road blocks had left me a little behind schedule, and there was no way I was going to make it to my intended Cowichan Valley starting point by midnight. At 11:55pm, I drove past a Great Horned Owl sitting on a telephone wire just outside of Duncan and initially kept driving, figuring I would run into another. I eventually turned around and drove back, finding the owl still sitting on the wire, at 11:58. I cringed every time a car drove by, watching the clock with one eye, and the owl with the other, waiting for the beginning of the new day, my Big Day. After what seemed like an eternity, the clock ticked over to 12:00 with the owl still perched in plain view. As I let out a sigh of relief, the owl flew from the wire and disappeared. Close, but still within the big day. It also turned out to be my only Great Horned Owl of the day.
In many spots I checked in the Cowichan Valley, the owls were silent. In fact, the only owls I actually heard were two young Barn Owls begging from a nest. I also found a Barred Owl, pretty much where I expected it, again sitting on a telephone wire in Cowichan Station.
Heading south, I checked a couple of other spots, and again came up empty. My favourite Western Screech-Owl spot in Shawnigan Lake had three police cars parked in front of it with lights flashing, so I took a pass. Something tells me they weren't there for the owls. I was quickly running out of darkness, and decided on a few last-ditch stops along Munn Rd, hoping for anything to call. That was also right around when the rain started, and set a precedent for the rest of the day.
The first daylight stop was Mt Tolmie, where I expected any number of warblers and sparrows. It was a little odd to be the only person on the mountain, but it was also quiet on the bird front, with many vocal Bewick's Wrens and Orange-crowned Warblers being the main birdlife.
I found much the same at King's Pond, where there was still a lone male Ring-necked Duck, and where I added my first Yellow Warbler of the year. I finally had a little bit of action at Swan Lake, which turned out to be my best stop of the day. There were 4 species of warbler and 5 species of swallow present, plus a flock of 7 Long-billed Dowitchers that flew over. Chris Saunders was at the lake as well, and pointed me in the direction of a Western Wood-Pewee he had located.
The rest of Saanich was fairly quiet, with nothing out of the ordinary at Blenkinsop Lake, Rithet's Bog, Panama Flats (though 1 Cinnamon and 3 Blue-winged Teal were a nice touch, as were the 4 American Pipits), or Viaduct Flats.
At Martindale Flats, Eurasian Collared-Dove and Mourning Dove were quick adds, and a stop at Welch and Livesay yielded a Solitary Sandpiper in the flooded field. Two Northern Harriers sitting in the field south of Martindale Rd were also a surprise. A run down to Islandview Beach found little, and the Central Saanich Bulb Fields added only a singing Sky Lark.
From there, I headed out to Hastings Flats, which was quiet, and Charlton Pond, which also failed to yield the Virginia Rail that I had staked out, and which had been calling all week previously.
A walk through Francis King Park and along the power line trail off Munn Rd was a little more productive, turning up my first House Wrens of the day, plus many singing MacGillivray's Warblers, Swainson's Thrushes, and 4 Western Tanagers.
From there, it was Sooke-bound. A stop for Golden Eagle turned up a miss, as they had apparently abandoned their nest. Otter Point and Whiffin Spit were quiet, and I added only Band-tailed Pigeon to my day total. Albert Head Lagoon on the way back turned up my only Merlin of the day, and Esquimalt Lagoon added Caspian Tern.
The Victoria waterfront was perhaps the most dismal and disappointing portion of the day, with nothing new being added between Ogden Point and Cattle Point. I blame the people, which were everywhere! A follow-up stop at Mt Tolmie turned up nothing new, so I headed back to Swan Lake, hoping to add the missing warblers to my list.
Down at the lake I again ran into Chris Saunders who, with Mike McGrenere, was looking for the Green Heron that had been around. Alas it was not to be, and Chris and I made our way over to Tuesday Pond, hoping for a vireo or warbler.
At Tuesday Pond a pair of Cooper's Hawks flew over, adding to my all too short list of raptors for the day. As a flock of swallows began feeding around the pond, a Bank Swallow flew past us. Its dark primaries stood out immediately, but it took a couple passes at high speed before I could distinguish the brown band across the chest (Chris got a great look before I did).
Daylight was quickly slipping away as I left Swan Lake, and I revisited many spots from earlier in the day without adding anything new. The wind came up around 9:30pm and the rain started, so I called the big day at 10pm, after 400 solo kilometres and 23 hours.
The final result was a dismal 89 species, far less than I had anticipated, with big misses being all vireos, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, and Virginia Rail. Shorebird numbers were low, with only three species found, and raptor numbers were a little on the low side as well.
The day was not without its highlights, as I added 7 new species to my Big Year (Bank Swallow, Black-headed Grosbeak, Swainson's Thrush, Western Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Western Wood-Pewee, and Pacific-slope Flycatcher). Solitary Sandpiper and Northern Harrier were also nice surprises, and it is always great to run into birders in the field.
To date, I have raised just about $300 for Bird Studies Canada and Rocky Point, but apparently I have seven more months to bring in pledges, so that total should come up nicely.
Next year............
Friday, May 13, 2011
One down, two to go!
A bird I missed several times last year is no longer a nemesis!
Yesterday, Mike McGrenere called me to let me know about a Western Kingbird he had found along Lochside Dr, near Blenkinsop Lake. This is the same field in which he found a male Mountain Bluebird last year, and within spitting distance of Western Kingbirds he had found in the past two years.
It was serendipitous timing, as I was about to leave one office in Broadmead to head out to the other in Langford. A quick detour put me at Lochside, where Mary Robichaud had her scope set up exactly on the bird! A quick look sealed it, and I enjoyed great looks for another 10 or 15 minutes as the bird moved up and down the fenceline at the far end of the field.
Not only is this my Big Year Western Kingbird, but it is also my first Western Kingbird for the Victoria Checklist area, and indeed for Vancouver Island! Big thanks to Mike for locating it!
While we were admiring the bird, there was also a Black-headed Grosbeak singing nearby, which I tried and failed to spot... next time!
All that is left is to track down Eastern and Tropical Kingbirds........
Good birding,
Yesterday, Mike McGrenere called me to let me know about a Western Kingbird he had found along Lochside Dr, near Blenkinsop Lake. This is the same field in which he found a male Mountain Bluebird last year, and within spitting distance of Western Kingbirds he had found in the past two years.
It was serendipitous timing, as I was about to leave one office in Broadmead to head out to the other in Langford. A quick detour put me at Lochside, where Mary Robichaud had her scope set up exactly on the bird! A quick look sealed it, and I enjoyed great looks for another 10 or 15 minutes as the bird moved up and down the fenceline at the far end of the field.
Not only is this my Big Year Western Kingbird, but it is also my first Western Kingbird for the Victoria Checklist area, and indeed for Vancouver Island! Big thanks to Mike for locating it!
While we were admiring the bird, there was also a Black-headed Grosbeak singing nearby, which I tried and failed to spot... next time!
All that is left is to track down Eastern and Tropical Kingbirds........
Good birding,
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Whimbrels and Birdathons
Well, no luck yesterday on the Lewis' Woodpecker, though we did put in a valiant effort. This morning, fortune was more on my side, with 3 Whimbrel on the Victoria Golf Course.
Now on to more important things..... On May 21, I will be participating in the Baillie Birdathon to raise funds for Bird Studies Canada and Rocky Point Bird Observatory. The more I raise, the bigger the cut that Rocky Point gets.
My 24-hour birding odyssey will take me up and down the South Island, and where it stops, no one knows.
In my fundraising efforts, I have decided to sweeten the pot a little bit, and everyone who donates $20 or more to the Birdathon through my link at the bottom of this post will be entered to win the limited edition lithograph "Signature of the Swans" by Sue Coleman. This 22" X 14" print is sure to draw attention. (Please note, print is packaged with certificate, and is unframed).
Special thanks to Sue Coleman for making the purchase of this print possible!
Below is the link, please do feel free to pass it along. Bird Studies Canada, Rocky Point Bird Observatory, and the birds will all win!
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1914&AID=1491&PID=197376
Now on to more important things..... On May 21, I will be participating in the Baillie Birdathon to raise funds for Bird Studies Canada and Rocky Point Bird Observatory. The more I raise, the bigger the cut that Rocky Point gets.
My 24-hour birding odyssey will take me up and down the South Island, and where it stops, no one knows.
In my fundraising efforts, I have decided to sweeten the pot a little bit, and everyone who donates $20 or more to the Birdathon through my link at the bottom of this post will be entered to win the limited edition lithograph "Signature of the Swans" by Sue Coleman. This 22" X 14" print is sure to draw attention. (Please note, print is packaged with certificate, and is unframed).
Special thanks to Sue Coleman for making the purchase of this print possible!
Below is the link, please do feel free to pass it along. Bird Studies Canada, Rocky Point Bird Observatory, and the birds will all win!
http://www.gifttool.com/athon/MyFundraisingPage?ID=1914&AID=1491&PID=197376
Monday, May 9, 2011
Quick update of a Great Weekend!
The past week has been a busy one, but I have managed to add 9 new species to my Big Year in the past 6 days.
Last Wednesday, during one of my frequent checks of Esquimalt Lagoon, there were 2 Marbled Godwits feeding behind the island, near the bridge. This is a fairly reliable spot for this species (well, as reliable as a spot in Victoria can be for Marbled Godwit), and luckily they stuck around for a few days, allowing a number of birders to see them. Also at Esquimalt Lagoon were 3 Purple Martins, my first of the year.
Panama Flats has been a great location lately, and on Saturday, even though I missed the Yellow-headed Blackbird that had been seen there, I managed to add Vaux's Swift (20 of them!), Long-billed Dowitcher, and Blue-winged Teal. Other birds that have turned up there recently include Solitary Sandpiper and Cinnamon Teal, plus most all of the swallows.
Sunday morning was a great day for a hike up Mt Wells for Sooty Grouse. Though the day got off to a rocky start when I missed a phone call from Jeremy Gatten saying that he had relocated the Yellow-headed Blackbird (my ringer will never, ever be on silent again!), we quickly made up for it by locating Townsend's Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher and, with a bit of effort, a calling Sooty Grouse high up in a tree. Later Sunday, Jeremy G called to say that he had again relocated the blackbird. This time, I was on the wrong side of the Malahat.
This morning I did the rounds of likely blackbird spots, without luck, and then headed out to Martindale to try to locate the Long-billed Curlews reported there yesterday. With no luck on the Curlews either, I was evaluating my options when my phone rang. Chris Saunders had found a singing and very co-operative Nashville Warbler at Swan Lake, and I immediately headed in that direction, after letting Mike M. know about it.
Once at the lake, it didn't take long to locate the warbler, and Chris and I had great looks at it until it flew off about 5 minutes before Mary and Mike arrived. We searched the area around Tuesday Pond, turning up a pair of Cinnamon Teal but no Nashville Warbler, when we decided to split up. Mike and I relocated the bird near the area that Chris had first found it, and everyone got great looks at it.
As of now, there are four Marbled Godwits at Esquimalt Lagoon, and a reported Ruddy Turnstone, so off I go!
Ain't migration fun?
Last Wednesday, during one of my frequent checks of Esquimalt Lagoon, there were 2 Marbled Godwits feeding behind the island, near the bridge. This is a fairly reliable spot for this species (well, as reliable as a spot in Victoria can be for Marbled Godwit), and luckily they stuck around for a few days, allowing a number of birders to see them. Also at Esquimalt Lagoon were 3 Purple Martins, my first of the year.
Panama Flats has been a great location lately, and on Saturday, even though I missed the Yellow-headed Blackbird that had been seen there, I managed to add Vaux's Swift (20 of them!), Long-billed Dowitcher, and Blue-winged Teal. Other birds that have turned up there recently include Solitary Sandpiper and Cinnamon Teal, plus most all of the swallows.
Sunday morning was a great day for a hike up Mt Wells for Sooty Grouse. Though the day got off to a rocky start when I missed a phone call from Jeremy Gatten saying that he had relocated the Yellow-headed Blackbird (my ringer will never, ever be on silent again!), we quickly made up for it by locating Townsend's Warbler, Olive-sided Flycatcher and, with a bit of effort, a calling Sooty Grouse high up in a tree. Later Sunday, Jeremy G called to say that he had again relocated the blackbird. This time, I was on the wrong side of the Malahat.
This morning I did the rounds of likely blackbird spots, without luck, and then headed out to Martindale to try to locate the Long-billed Curlews reported there yesterday. With no luck on the Curlews either, I was evaluating my options when my phone rang. Chris Saunders had found a singing and very co-operative Nashville Warbler at Swan Lake, and I immediately headed in that direction, after letting Mike M. know about it.
Once at the lake, it didn't take long to locate the warbler, and Chris and I had great looks at it until it flew off about 5 minutes before Mary and Mike arrived. We searched the area around Tuesday Pond, turning up a pair of Cinnamon Teal but no Nashville Warbler, when we decided to split up. Mike and I relocated the bird near the area that Chris had first found it, and everyone got great looks at it.
As of now, there are four Marbled Godwits at Esquimalt Lagoon, and a reported Ruddy Turnstone, so off I go!
Ain't migration fun?
Thursday, May 5, 2011
More Bluebird Chasing.....
Tuesday was a great day to try to chase down a bluebird..... Wait, nevermind.
In any case, Tuesday was a great day to do some birding with Rick Shortinghuis and Ann Nightingale. The sun was out as we began a near vertical ascent in search of the previously reported Western Bluebirds. I had laughed when Rick warned that one would need to be part goat to get to where the bluebirds had been found. I didn't stay laughing for long.
The sun made for a great climb, and the wind was also out in force, which kept us cool, but it also kept some of the birds down. We found good numbers of White-crowned Sparrows and Red Crossbills, among others, but the closest we got to a Western Bluebird was a single, bluebird-like call phrase that Rick and I heard.
My highlight of the hike turned out to not be bird-related, but happened when Rick turned over a piece of cover to reveal not one, but two Sharp-tailed Snakes!
Thank you Ann for the use of the above photo!
Descending bluebird-less (but picking up my first Wilson's Warbler of the year), we decided to try to chase down a reported Black-billed Magpie in Metchosin. We met Agnes Lynn, Mary Robichaud, and Daniel Bryant along the Galloping Goose trail, and searched high and low, with no luck. There was a Solitary Sandpiper in a pond along the trail though, which provided another tick for the year.
An hour more of searching likely magpie locales in Metchosin failed to turn it up, but hopefully someone will relocate it somewhere in the checklist area. This is possibly the same bird which was reported from Jordan River on May 1.
A great day to be out, and good company trumps good birds any day of the week!
In any case, Tuesday was a great day to do some birding with Rick Shortinghuis and Ann Nightingale. The sun was out as we began a near vertical ascent in search of the previously reported Western Bluebirds. I had laughed when Rick warned that one would need to be part goat to get to where the bluebirds had been found. I didn't stay laughing for long.
The sun made for a great climb, and the wind was also out in force, which kept us cool, but it also kept some of the birds down. We found good numbers of White-crowned Sparrows and Red Crossbills, among others, but the closest we got to a Western Bluebird was a single, bluebird-like call phrase that Rick and I heard.
My highlight of the hike turned out to not be bird-related, but happened when Rick turned over a piece of cover to reveal not one, but two Sharp-tailed Snakes!
Thank you Ann for the use of the above photo!
Descending bluebird-less (but picking up my first Wilson's Warbler of the year), we decided to try to chase down a reported Black-billed Magpie in Metchosin. We met Agnes Lynn, Mary Robichaud, and Daniel Bryant along the Galloping Goose trail, and searched high and low, with no luck. There was a Solitary Sandpiper in a pond along the trail though, which provided another tick for the year.
An hour more of searching likely magpie locales in Metchosin failed to turn it up, but hopefully someone will relocate it somewhere in the checklist area. This is possibly the same bird which was reported from Jordan River on May 1.
A great day to be out, and good company trumps good birds any day of the week!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
20 Kilometres or so, as the Goldfinch Flies
What a day on Saturday! I noticed a message on BCBirdRep on Saturday morning, mentioning a Lesser Goldfinch sighted in Shirley, somewhat west of Sooke. A phone call to Nanaimo, followed by a phone call to the property owner, convinced me that this could be a bird worth chasing! As with all good birds, I was in the middle of a meeting, and wouldn't be free for an hour or so.
Following the meeting, I met up with Jeremy Gatten and we headed out to Shirley, with my wife in tow. We arrived at the house specified under a shining sun, and were greeted by comments of "It was just here!". The property owners were very accomodating, and hopeful that it would show up again. We waited behind a screen of cameras and binoculars for 5 minutes or so, before Jeremy G caught sight of a yellow blur flying into a small tree. Within another minute the gem below flew onto the edge of a bird bath (thank you Jeremy Gatten for the use of the photo!).
We had the pleasure of watching this beauty (the FIRST record for Vancouver Island) on and off for about an hour, all the while chatting with Cathy and her husband. They are keen birders, and this is likely only the first of a string of great birds that will show up at their feeders. Thank you so much for reporting this bird, and for allowing us the pleasure of great looks at it! Sadly, this bird was about 20km or so west of the checklist area boundary, and can't be included in my Big Year.
After finishing with the Lesser Goldfinch, we headed up to Jordan River, where a Black-billed Magpie had been reported. No dice on the magpie, but a stop at Whiffin Spit on the return trip yielded two more year birds, Semipalmated Plover and Short-billed Dowitcher.
A great day of birding, and a great day in general!
Good rarity hunting,
Following the meeting, I met up with Jeremy Gatten and we headed out to Shirley, with my wife in tow. We arrived at the house specified under a shining sun, and were greeted by comments of "It was just here!". The property owners were very accomodating, and hopeful that it would show up again. We waited behind a screen of cameras and binoculars for 5 minutes or so, before Jeremy G caught sight of a yellow blur flying into a small tree. Within another minute the gem below flew onto the edge of a bird bath (thank you Jeremy Gatten for the use of the photo!).
We had the pleasure of watching this beauty (the FIRST record for Vancouver Island) on and off for about an hour, all the while chatting with Cathy and her husband. They are keen birders, and this is likely only the first of a string of great birds that will show up at their feeders. Thank you so much for reporting this bird, and for allowing us the pleasure of great looks at it! Sadly, this bird was about 20km or so west of the checklist area boundary, and can't be included in my Big Year.
After finishing with the Lesser Goldfinch, we headed up to Jordan River, where a Black-billed Magpie had been reported. No dice on the magpie, but a stop at Whiffin Spit on the return trip yielded two more year birds, Semipalmated Plover and Short-billed Dowitcher.
A great day of birding, and a great day in general!
Good rarity hunting,
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