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?
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