LOOK WHO'S BACK! (Jun. 13/05)

In my brief 2 year career of birding, I've never seen a Ring-necked Duck as early as June. Sibley's map shows their closest summer breeding range in the heart of the province. I suppose these guys have had their fun and have abandoned their mates for a summer of fun with the boys. It's a good thing their are no duck lawyers or there would be a lot of lawsuits for non-support. It's interesting how the ring on the neck is highlighted by the afternoon sun.

SURPRISE FAMILY - The secretive Mrs. Hooded Merganser certainly had me fooled. I hadn't seen her for a couple of months despite my regular visits to her pond on Rascal Lane. She certainly did a good job hiding her ducklings for the past few weeks.

RARE BIRD - White-winged Doves are normally found in the southern states in the summer and Mexico in the winter. "Thank you" to the kind folks in Port Alberni for allowing me to camp in their back yard for 2 hours before the bird appeared at their feeder.

PEEK-A-BOO! (June 14/05)

Look who I found peeking out from a blackberry thicket at Legacy Marsh

FARM VISIT - June 15/05

I'd always wanted to bird the farm next door, but somehow never got around to it. Lorne and Barbara are always friendly at Nanoose Edibles so since the sun was shining, and I had an hour to spare, I finally got my farm visit today.

Orange-crowned Warblers seemed to be fairly abundant at the edge of the forest. Many were recently fledged like this little one.

MISSED AGAIN - I had great looks at a Townsend warbler, but it just wouldn't keep still. Maybe next time.

LARGE ORANGE-CROWNED? - In the shadows I thought this was just another olive warbler, but it did seem a little bigger. It was a juvenile Western Tanager (I think).

MY FAVORITE - I like the Black-throated Gray Warblers because they seem a little friendlier than the other warblers. This one even offered to share its lunch with me.

CHIPPING SPARROW

128 pages, full colour, hard cover coffee table book. Anticipated publication date: June 23/05