Nov. 13/08 - A Quiet Fall Day
A Second Try for Deep Bay - A few days ago I tried to go to Deep Bay for my first fall Long-tailed fix, but my birding day was curtailed as I never got past Qualicum. Some #@%*& pea-brain had ripped a railing off the wildlife viewing stand and tossed it in the middle of the parking lot. Because I was watching for birds, I didn't see the railing until I got out to see what I had run over. I was was totally deflated and so was my right-front tire when I saw the nail-ridden railing. I was smarter and more careful today as I completely ignored the viewing area and carried on to Deep Bay.
My first stop was Parkville Bay, and it looked like Hawaii with the huge, frothy waves crashing into the beach. The only thing missing was Sean and the surfers. The rough seas wouldn't be a problem for Deep Bay as it is sheltered from the north wind by Denman Island and sure enough, Baynes Sound was as quiet as a bathtub. Unfortunately, once again there were no birds in sight. I wasn't too disappointed as it was a gorgeous, peaceful morning, and I was prepared to be patient for an hour or two. In this case, patience was rewarded, and I'll let the pictures tell the story.
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Shattering the Peace
As I walked slowly along the beach towards the harbour, the peace was rudely interrupted when a giant sealion exploded out of the water with a helpless salmon in its jaws.
Despite the violent activity, a host of gulls were instantly on the scene.
The battle was completely one-sided, and it wasn't long before the salmon was decapitated and devoured.
Just like the song of the little old lady who swallowed a fly, "The sealion just opened its throat ..."
The lighting wasn't great. I was looking into the sun, but I was happy to get any pictures at all.
Looking for Leftovers - As suddenly as it began, it was all over. It was peaceful again as the gulls quietly scrounged for the scraps.
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Finally, a Long-tailed Fix
Wishing for a Long-tailed - Back at the spit, I could see a few Long-taileds in the distance as they flew from one location to another. Twenty minutes later I finally got my first Long-tailed fix of the year. A lone male flew in almost to decent camera range.
The brown, puppy dog ear patch and gentle eyes make the male instantly adorable.
The flimsy little tail gives it a whimsical look.
There was only one Long-tailed there today, but it won't be long before a flock of 20 to 30 will be hanging out there regularly.
Missed Shots - There were regular fly-bys of cormorants and ducks as well as a Snow Bunting, but the best missed shot was a Sharp-shinned snatching a House Finch out of the air about 15 meters from us in the perfect light. We all saw it, but it was one of those moments you could only admire. None of us even moved our cameras.
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Time for Royalty
Who can resist taking pictures of the most majestic of our Island birds? I usually tell visitors the fall is the best time to photograph Bald Eagles. They take advantage of the herring spawn and congregate along the coastline and estuaries for the winter. To prove my point, there were two adults on top of a couple of medium-sized fir trees along the spit. With the blue sky and close proximity, I couldn't resist stopping.
Just to make the photos more interesting, the eagle spread its wings.
After a quick 5 minute photo session, I expressed my gratitude and sent the majestic eagle on its way.
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More Royalty
The Bald Eagle may be the most majestic of Island birds, but the Trumpeters might dispute that claim. They are admired by all, and their enormity and beauty certainly can't be contradicted.
The Comox Valley may be the home of the largest Trumpeter population on the Island, but they commonplace all along the east coast down to Victoria.
These photos were all taken at the Big Qualicum River.
The Big Qualicum flock consisted of about 30 birds. Six of them were juveniles.
There's nothing more graceful than Trumpeters in flight.
The Big Qualicum estuary was a busy place for many ducks including this female Common Merganser.
One lone female Harlequin was oblivious of my presence as she repeatedly dove for snacks.
There was a flock of about 40 Canada Geese. The only Cackling Goose was prominent by its lack of size.
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A Flicker with a Difference - Hybrid Red-shafted and Yellow-shafted Flickers are not uncommon locally. Most display the red chevron on its nape, but I've never seen one with the red and black malar as was the case for this French Creek bird.
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