Apparently most adult dowitchers migrate south in late June and early July. That means most of the dowitchers we see now are juveniles. Juvenile Short-bills have orangey borders and barring on their tertials while juvenile Long-bills have plain grey tertials with thin buff margins. Can you identify the 3 Short-bills and 1 Long-bill in the above photo?
These are the same 4 dowitchers in the previous photo with the addition of 1 adult Long-bill.
The pale orange breast and belly colour indicates that the bird on the right is an adult Long-bill. The left is a juvenile Short-bill.
The short-billed bird on the right of the adult Long-bill is a Pectoral Sandpiper.
A close-up look at the juvenile Long-billed Dowitcher shows the plain tertials.
Besides shorebirds and American Pipits, Savannah Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers have been commonplace at Holden Creek.
SEPT. 2/05 - NORTHERN EXPOSURE
Comox isn't exactly north for someone who used to live in Inuvik, but these days, anything north of Nanoose is north for me. The best bird I saw on the way to Comox was the Parasitic Jaeger at Deep Bay. It was too far and fast for a photo.
Juvenile White-crowned Sparrow at Fanny Bay.
Willow Flycatcher at Ship's Point.
I stood on the rocky beach at Deep Bay for almost an hour waiting for another Parasitic Jaeger or a Little gull to fly by, but there only a few ducks and cormorants. The Black turnstones said I was crazy, and all I could do was agree with them.
SEPT. 5/05 - GARDEN GOODIES
It was a cool fresh Sept. morning, and the garden was alive with activity. The first 2 Gold-crowned Sparrows of the fall joined 5 Spotted Towhees foraging around the bean plants. 3 American Gold-finches were hanging on the tops of the sunflowers enjoying the fresh sunflower seeds while a Pileated Woodpecker was pecking away on a Farina apple. All was idyllic and therapeutic until a Sharp-shinned hawk cruised by.
It's an annual event to have the American Goldfinches feast on the garden sunflowers. The Steller Jays shouldn't be too far behind.
A family of 4 Pileated Woodpeckers buzzed around our yard this morning. I think they were all eyeing the apple trees.
SEPT. 5/05 - SHOREBIRD CHECK
30 least, 15 Westerns, and 4 Pectorals were the only shorebirds I saw at Holden Creek today. There wasn't anything new to photograph so I settled on a yellow Warbler.
NANAIMO - BACKYARD WILDBIRD & NATURE STORE SAVE-ON FOODS (WOODGROVE) SAVE-ON FOODS (COUNTRY CLUB) CHAPTERS FALCONER BOOKS COLE'S PORT ALBERNI - CLOCKTOWER GALLERY COURTENAY - GRAHAM'S JEWELLERS SIDNEY - VICTORIAN BIRD HOUSE COMOX - BLUE HERON BOOKS BOWSER - LIGHTHOUSE GIFTS DEEP BAY - SAANICH - WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED VICTORIA - BOLEN'S BOOKS MUNRO'S CAMPBELL RIVER - CAMPBELL RIVER MUSEUM DUNCAN - VOLUME 1 BOOKSTORE CHEMAINUS - LITTLE SHOP OF NOVELS LADYSMITH - SALAMANDER BOOKS (FRASER & NAYLOR) NANOOSE - SCHOONER COVE MARINA SOOKE - SOOKE HARBOUR HOUSE
Comments, questions, or book orders? email admin@vancouverislandbirds.com