JOURNAL 23 - THE NOVICE BIRDER
May 7, 2004
Hi Everybody,
While Mom's away, the children will play. I'm bad. I snuck in another day of birding while my wife was away - this time a quick trip to Victoria to visit the Whimbrels at Victoria Golf Course. I'd never seen one before - now I've seen 24. Fascinating birds. They were like an aeration crew on the fairways drilling holes to find worms. If you want your lawn punched, make an appointment. It was funny to see them get their bills stuck and then have to do a 360 degree to free themselves. (That's my theory.) On my way home, I stopped at Cowichan Bay to see the Ospreys. My timing was perfect (or was it?) as it was lunch time for the Osprey.
GOLF COURSE WHIMBRELS (Victoria - May 7/04)
The golf course is a good place to dine, but you have to watch out for the golfers. "Fore" means to get your bill out of here in a hurry.
Just what I like, soft fairways and fat worms!
PHOTO SURPRISE - Look what's beside the Whimbrel - a Whimbrel with an inverted bill. Just kidding - it's a Marbled Godwit. I didn't realize it was there until I was editing my photos. If I weren't locked into "Whimbrel-vision", I probably could gotten a better picture.
COWICHAN BAY OSPREY (May 7/04)
Sorry, Mike, your timing is all wrong.
You know better than to interrupt me at lunch time
I'm not being rude, it's just that eating takes priority over almost everything. No, I won't discuss the exceptions. You better make another appointment if you still want to do a photo shoot.
May 8, 2004
Today was supposed to be a day for chores and not for birding, but I woke up to find my backyard Olive-sided Flycatcher back in the country and ended up with the Great Egret at the San malo Mud Flats. As I will be busy and possibly not birding for the next 2 weeks, I leave you with the Great Egret until I return.
THE GREAT EGRET (San Malo Mud Flats - May 8/04)
The Great was first spotted and reported at the San Malo Mud Flats on the Englishman Estuary by Dale Whitmee on May 4/04. The long tail plumes indicate that it is a breeding adult.
Great Egrets stand about 39" tall and have a wingspan of about 51".
Like most large wading birds, their large wingspans give them a gentle, fluid flight like a feather floating in the wind.
[1]INDEX [2]Mid-I HOTSPOTS
[3]Mid-I NEWS [4]Mid-I RESOURCES [5]GALLERY
[6]SOUTHISLAND [7]BIRDCARDS [8]ODDSHOTS [9]JOURNAL 2 [10]JOURNAL [11]JOURNAL 3
[12]CONSERVATION [13]JOURNAL 4 [14]JOURNAL 5
[15]JOURNAL 6
[16]JOURNAL 7 [17]JOURNAL 8 [18]JOURNAL 9
[19]JOURNAL 10 [20]JOURNAL 11 [21]JOURNAL 12 [22]JOURNAL 13 [23]JOURNAL 14 [24]JOURNAL 15 [25]JOURNAL 16 [26]JOURNAL 17
[27]JOURNAL 18 [28]JOURNAL 19 [29]JOURNAL 20 [30]JOURNAL 21 [31]JOURNAL 22 [30]JOURNAL 23