Jan. 14 - Blue skies in Qualicum. It was time to check up on the ducks along the seawall. There wasn't as many as hoped for but a flock of about 35 Common Goldeneyes caught may attention. This would be a prelude of things to come in less than 2 months - the herring spawn. It is one of the great natural wonders of the region - thousands and thousands of ducks in gigantic flocks congregating just off the beach to feast on the herring roe. If you've never witnessed the spectacle, circle your calendar. With the constant degradation of the environment, one never knows when such an event will cease to exist.
This was the biggest flock of Goldeneyes I've seen this winter. The were about 3 females and 32 adult males. It was a pretty sight. The sun, waves, and shade made taking pictures difficult. Next time I'll have to remember to preset the "tone compensation" on my camera. Is there a large population imbalance between males and females? It's not uncommon to see 3 or 4 males courting the same female during mating season. I stopped at the mouth of French Creek to check on the shorebirds. As usual, there were a lot of ducks offshore but nothing close - Harlequins, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Goldeneye, Scoters, and a couple of Common Loon and Double-crested Cormorants. There wasn't much to photograph until a small group of Harlequins flew by. I had to take a few pictures to keep my shutter finger warm. The expected Black-bellied Plovers and Black Turnstones were at the edge of the water snoozing with the Mew Gulls. (The Turnstones got left out of the picture.) Jan. 15/06 - SUNDAY MORNING usually finds me on the golf course, but clear skies and a sudden, unexpected heavy frost closed the course much to my delight. It was an extra chance to look for birds. As I was unhappy with my photo efforts yesterday, I decided to visit Qualicum again. On the way through Parksville, I was surprised to see a Cooper's Hawk catching the morning sun by the SUSHI ICHI restaurant. Good thing there was no traffic as I made one of those sudden stops and backed up right on the main road. Birds on the wire are not my favorite shots, but as my old university room-mate, BUDDY MADAKORA taught me, "beggars can't be choosy." I have encountered more Cooper's Hawks lately than usual. Are they following me around or has there been a population increase around here? Next I turned down to Parksville Park thinking there might be a few ducks close to shore. Was I ever right. The whole flock of Black Scoters and a few Surf Scoters were close in feeding on the clams washed in by the high tide. Unfortunately, I did not set the camera to over-expose to compensate for the morning light on the water. The photos were disappointing but I've posted a couple just for some points of interest. I was amazed to see a female Black Scoter with a stick in her back. On closer inspection it looked like an antenna. This was confirmed later by GUY who digiscoped the same bird earlier in the week, and also by HEATHER who had met the researchers at Deep Bay a couple of years ago. I was apalled by the cumbersome apparatus on the duck. One would think that in this high tech world, tracking devices would be so small that they would be inconspicuous and unimpeding. Maybe they should collaborate with the CIA or CSIS. This would have been a good picture if it were properly exposed. Adjusting the levels in Photoshop introduced more grain. There are advanced techniques to avoid the grain, but I didn't get the new book by SCOTT KILBY for Christmas. As I finished with the Scoters 4 Brant flew in, circled and landed. I followed them onto the field and took a few pictures and looked around for the 5th one. Sure enough, it was further up the field on its own. GUY had reported 5 the day before and raised the question of, "Why are there so many Brant in the area so early?" He was referring to the fact that many more had been reported at Rathtrevor and other locations since Dec. Normally, the Brant don't start arriving until mid to late February. Finally, Qualicum, and much to my disappointment, the morning sun was still too low and there were no flocks of ducks close in. I stopped at the viewing area at the north end and watched the Harlequins, Black Turnstones, Black Oystercatchers, and gulls for awhile, then headed home. I took a picture of a Black Turnstone to document my visit. Jan. 19 - I was hoping for a sunny day as I had to make a deliveries to Bowser and Coombs. (For those not on the Island, Bowser is about 2 km. from Deep Bay.) Unfortunately, the sun was not scheduled to appear, but neither was the wind. The result was the glassy, calm waters that Deep Bay is famous for. On the way, the usual drive-bys at San Malo and French Creek were unproductive. The high tide and calm waters would have been perfect for ducking at Qualicum, but it was not to be. A few ducks were scattered here and there a fair distance from shore. There are usually Black Oystercatchers at the north Qualicum viewing area, and they're always fun to photograph. In fact, being a dull day was an advantage as the contrast between the black body and pinkish legs was reduced. Voila! No blowout on the legs. Other shorebirds included Black-bellied Plovers, Black Turnstones, and 1 Sanderling. CHARLES DE GULL - Just as I was about to leave, I spotted, Charles, one of the resident gulls. I knew I wouldn't be filling my flash card today so I said, "Smile Charles." He didn't so I took his picture anyway. (Just wanted to show you the "see through" nose.) WES THE WESTERN - While I was at it, I also took a shot of Wes, the Western Gull. I could hear the playful calls of the Long-tailed Ducks as I parked at the desserted Deep Bay Spit. They were too far offshore but there were a few Greater Scaup, Surf Scoters, and Buffleheads closer in. I set up at the edge of the water and played the waiting game. It took about an hour but eventually the ducks ventured closer to shore. The glassy, calm conditions were ideal for pictures. (It would have been the perfect day to go looking for a long-necked grebe with an orange bill.) I focussed on the female Greater Scaup for a few shots to adjust my settings. I was happy with the results. The male Lesser Scaup was next. I adjusted my settings again until the exposure was satisfactory. Good thing the Scaup weren't in a hurry to leave. FEATURE BIRD - As far as I'm concerned, the feature bird at Deep Bay is the Long-tailed Duck. They weren't quite close enough today for a good photo shoot, so a distant shot had to suffice. The males were very playful, chasing each other and sitting up and calling. Adios. Gone Fishing. 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 SAVE-ON FOODS SIDNEY - VICTORIAN BIRD HOUSE COMOX - BLUE HERON BOOKS BOWSER - LIGHTHOUSE GIFTS DEEP BAY - SAANICH - WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED VICTORIA - BOLEN BOOKS MUNRO'S CAMPBELL RIVER - CAMPBELL RIVER MUSEUM BOOK BONANZA SAVE-ON FOODS DUNCAN - VOLUME 1 BOOKSTORE CHEMAINUS - LITTLE SHOP OF NOVELS LADYSMITH - SALAMANDER BOOKS NANOOSE - SCHOONER COVE MARINA SOOKE - SOOKE HARBOUR HOUSE
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