Well, we are half way through October, and I am still missing a lot of birds, so I spent the entire weekend out and about, trying to hunt some of them down!
Friday afternoon was quiet out in Metchosin, with the highlight bird being 1 Ring-billed Gull at Albert Head Lagoon. There were a lot of sparrows built up at Swanwick Rd, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Saturday morning found Jeremy Gatten and I at Whiffin Spit, where we found a Lapland Longspur among other birds but again, nothing out of the ordinary. At Whiffin we met up with Aziza Cooper, and the three of us headed for East Sooke Park to do a bit of hawkwatching. Even this late in the season, the numbers and diversity of raptors was incredible! We were treated to repeated views of a stunning immature Golden Eagle, as well as American Kestrel, Merlin, Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, and at least 12 Red-tailed Hawks including 2 very light birds and 2 very dark (Harlan's type) birds. In addition, we had very brief looks at a mystery falcon, the one that got away.
From East Sooke Park, Jeremy G and I headed down to Swanwick Rd, where we had great looks at a White-throated Sparrow, the first unusual sparrow that either of us have found at this great location. We also found an immature Cooper's Hawk enjoying a quail, and a light "Priarie" Merlin.
Sunday was going to be just another day of birding, until I read Mike McGrenere's post about a female Tufted Duck that had been seen at Cordova Bay and then flown off west. Jeremy and I decided to try to track it down, and started at Viaduct Flats, where we had 2 Redheads, a first for Victoria for the year, plus 2 Canvasbacks, 1 Eurasian Wigeon, and other assorted ducks. We then headed to Beaver Lake and Elk Lake, where highlights were 3 Townsend's Warblers and 1 Ruddy Duck. Patricia Bay was our next stop, where we had little of interest, but I had called Mike McG on the way, and he let me know that he had heard a Swamp Sparrow calling at Viaduct. On our way past we stopped in, and within a minute or so heard it call. Another minute later I spotted the bird at the top of a grass clump, number 231 for the year!
After a coffee stop, Albert Head Lagoon was the next destination. No luck there, but there was a single Least Sandpiper with Killdeer. Witty's Lagoon was much of the same, but we did find a White-throated Sparrow at Tower Point, along the trail on the west side.
Esquimalt Lagoon was the last stop of the day. There were very few scaup and no Tufted Ducks, but we did manage to find another Eurasian Wigeon.
All in all, a great weekend with 18 hours of birding and some great birds, including two new for the year!
The upcoming Fantasea trip to Race Rocks looks like it has some great potential! The water off Colwood, Metchosin, etc, is dotted with 1000's of Bonaparte's Gulls, which could very well contain something different. Stay tuned!
Good birding,
