Window Shots

Jan. 11/11 - With numerous chores on the list and very few sunny days, the only birding I managed was out the kitchen window. You can probably guess what I saw.

This has been the first winter that the Fox Sparrows have made themselves at home in my yard.

They have been around since October. In past years they only showed up whemever there was snow.

One of the Fox Sparrows seems to be living in the garden while the others seem to hang around the rhodo bushes.

Towhees have always been year-round residents in my yard.

Despite the fact that they are year-round, I still think they are migratory.

My theory is based on observations two years ago when there was a 6 week absence of Towhees from August to mid-September.

Another year-round resident is the Song Sparrow.

This Junco caught my eye because of its aberrant colouring.

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Arrowsmith Challenge - I've been trying to find the best place for a picture of Mt. Arrowsmith. So far this is my favorite looking over the field on Blower Road in Parksville. I have a feeling that the best shot might somewhere in Errington. Send me your suggestions if you want to get me out of my misery.

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Finally, a Birding Day

Jan. 31 - Destination Hornby Island - Just for a novelty I decided to bird Hornby Island. I'd never done that before so I no idea where to go or what to expect. I'm not sure if it were a mistake or not, but I decided start on the nude beach. That was a mistake. I was stuck there for 2 hours. It's not what you think. I was the only one on the beach and I wasn't nude. First, I decided to check out the geese flock on the golf course and document the two that were collared. After that I looked for other birds. At first it didn't seem very promising, but eventually a few birds showed up.

Near the parking lot I was being teased by a Fox Sparrow that stayed behind a branch. While I was waiting a Bewicks Wren popped out for two quick shots. I was lucky one of the shots was in focus.

Several Greater Yellowlegs were foraging along the waterline to the east. Obviously, they were wary of humans as they kept a healthy distance from me.

Mallards were a common sight in the shallow waters, but they were even more wary than the shorebirds.

You get the trend - distant shots. Here's another of the Black Oystercatcher.

Several large flocks of American Wigeons were feeding in the shallow shoreline pools. They were even more wary than the Mallards.

The easiest shots of the day were the Pelagic Cormorants on the piles at the ferry terminal. A few duck species were also there but the cloudy skies made for very poor pictures.

Ducks were abundant in the water at the end of Sandpiper Road but not approachable. Neither were these Dunlin that flew as soon as I put my camera on the tripod.

There was a huge flock of Black Scoters and many American Wigeons but only a few Harlequins. This is just a record shot from about 70 feet.

My last stop was Whaling Station Beach. Several bald Eagles were feasting on a carcass but flew as soon as I stepped on the beach about 300 feet away. Fortunatey there was one in a tree by the parking lot. I didn't have to walk more than 10 feet for this shot.

By the end of my 4 hour visit I had tried to photograph about 36 species. I had reasonable shots of about 6.

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Two in a Row!

Birding two days in a row is unheard of. First, there has rarely been two sunny days in a row. Second, I'm usually too busy to bird two in a row, but a couple of long-standing book orders in Victoria needed tending to.

My first stop was Swan Lake, but there were no photo ops. The best birds I saw were Yellow-rumped Warblers, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and Marsh Wrens. Second stop, Kings Pond. Took a picture of a female American Wigeon just to check the camera.

Just another test shot of the male wigeon.

Third stop, Cattle Point. Not my favorite place because it's usually a doggie park plus the lighting is poor. I'm always looking into the sun if there is any. A walk to the east end and back yielded one female Common Merganser. Hooded Mergansers, American Wigeons, and Pelagic Cormorants were also around but not photographable.

Just as I got back to the car, I took one last look back and spied the rounded head of a Surfbird. I went back for the Surfbird and got a big surprise.

Accompanying the two Surfbirds were two Rock Sandpipers. It was the only reason I stopped there knowing that they have been seen there recently and sporadically over the past few years.

I hadn't seen a Rocky since 2005 so this was quite a treat.

The Rockies were foraging on a nearby rock. I wasn't close enough but I didn't dare move. A distant shot was better than no shot.

I managed a few shots before someone flushed some turnstones by the boat ramp. The turnstones alerted the Rockies, and they all flew back to the west.

When I relocated the Rockies, there were more than two. Count them. I see six with one Surfbird.

On my way to Clover Point I stopped at Oak bay for the usual shot of the Greater Yellowlegs flock. Twelve was the most I had ever seen there. Clover Point was pointless mainly because I didn't notice the pair of Sanderlings along the seawall. I was within a few feet when they flushed.

Final stop, Esquimalt Lagoon. I forgot to bring seed so not much was happening. I took a few shots of the Northern Pintails just for practice.

I was hoping the Common Goldeneyes would be in a frisky mood, but they weren't.

One last shot for the road. The Rockies made my day so I was one satisfied shutterbug.

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Bird Poster

My poster is on display at: Victoria - Swan Lake Nature House

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PUBLICATIONS

VOLUME I & II BOOKS AVAILABLE AT

PARKSVILLE & QUALICUM - MULBERRYBUSH BOOKSTORES

NANAIMO - SAVE-ON FOODS (WOODGROVE),
SAVE-ON FOODS (COUNTRY CLUB), CHAPTERS, NANAIMO MAP & CHARTS

PORT ALBERNI - CLOCKTOWER GALLERY

COURTENAY - GRAHAM'S JEWELLERS

SIDNEY - VICTORIAN BIRD HOUSE, TANNER'S BOOKSTORE

COMOX - BLUE HERON BOOKS

BOWSER - LIGHTHOUSE GIFTS

DEEP BAY - SHIP & SHORE

SAANICH - WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

VICTORIA - BOLEN BOOKS, MUNRO'S, CROWN PUBLICATIONS, IVY'S

CAMPBELL RIVER - SAVE-ON FOODS, COHO BOOKS, CAMPBELL RIVER MUSEUM

DUNCAN - VOLUME 1 BOOKSTORE

CHEMAINUS - WILLOW"S WILD BIRD STORE

LADYSMITH - SALAMANDER BOOKS

NANOOSE - SCHOONER COVE MARINA

LAKE COWICHAN - GALLOPING MOON GALLERY

TOFINO - BOTANICAL GARDENS

QUADRA ISLAND - EXPLORE & BOOK BONANZA

LANGFORD - WILD BIRD CENTER

SOOKE - READING ROOM BOOKSTORE

SOOKE - MUSEUM

Port Hardy - MUSEUM

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