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!
jeeze I have looked for those sharp tails and have never found any yet. hmmm steep hill eh, i wonder where that is
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