**************************************************************************************
Wagtail Wonder - Citrine Wagtail
Nov. 18 - Shock waves of excitement rippled through the North American birding community on Nov. 17 when a rare bird was confirmed in the Comox Valley. It was a vagrant juvenile Citrine Wagtail, an Asian bird that breeds in northern Asia and normally winters in southern Asia. This was not just a rarity, but in the parlance of hardcore birders, it was a "MEGA-RARITY." It was the first-ever sighting in Canada and only only the second record for all of North America. The only other record was in Mississippi in 1992.
The gray, black, and white bird was the size of a skinny robin with a long tail. It was originally discovered on Nov. 14 near Comox Bay Farm by dedicated Cumberland birders, David and Adele Routledge. From past experience they knew the size, shape, and characteristic up and down tail-wagging spelled wagtail, but they were unsure of its lineage. They posted their observations on the BCVIBIRDS chatline, and it was finally photographed by Mike Bentley and positively identified on Nov. 17. Despite the less than hospitable weather, as of Nov. 26, scores of birders from as far as Vancouver, Chilliwack, Sechelt, California, and Texas have braved the elements to witness the vagrant celebrity.
My first opportunity to view the Citrine was Nov. 18 when the planets aligned to make it possible. I had to be at Fanny Bay by 10 am as a vendor at the Christmas Craft Fair and was able to convince my wife that if we left Nanoose Bay at 7 am, we would have time to find the Citrine and still be on time for the fair. With the rain pounding down, rivers of water streaming across the highway, and the car occasionally hydro-planing, she uttered the word "crazy" several times, but I pretended not to hear. The birding gods were on my side. The rain subsided just as we exited the highway and headed into Courtenay. At 8:45 am we pulled off Comox Road next to the pumping station and magically rendezvoused with local birders Terry Thormin, Art Martell, and Dave Robinson and Keith Taylor from Victoria. Chances of finding the bird were suddenly much better with more eyes participating in the search. Soon after we were joined by the Jeremy twins, Gatten and Kimm, and several other intrepid birders from Victoria and Duncan. For the first 20 minutes the nervous anxiety of not finding the bird prevailed, but suddenly that was replaced by quiet excitement when Art Martell spotted the Citrine foraging for insects and wagging its tail close to where it was originally seen.
Unfortunately, the bird was never close enough for decent photos while I was there, but I had a few record shots and the cup was half full. Seeing the Citrine was another of those indescribable moments of ecstasy and wonderment when you are privy to one of the unexpected wonders of nature. With the Citrine in the memory bank and on the digital memory card, we still had time for a quick breakfast at the A&W and made it to the Fanny Bay hall at 9:58 am with time spare. As it turned out, the Citrine was just the beginning of a good day. The Fanny Bay fair was one of the best I have ever attended. It was thoroughly and efficiently organized and run by Barry Sterling and his friendly Fanny Bay crew; the Fanny Bay Hall was a cosy and intimate venue; and the two day attendance was excellent. Timing was also perfect for my North Islander article on the Fanny Bay King Eider Duck. I was humbled, grateful, and encouraged by the many people who stopped by to thank me for the article and say that they enjoyed all my articles and couldn't wait for the next one.
After several months of complaining that the birds have been avoiding me, my squeaky wheel was finally greased by the Citrine, a mega-rarity. I couldn't ask for much more, but I wonder what's next? When you consider that for every bird found, there are probably several that haven't been discovered. Yes, there could be a few more mega-rarities lurking in a field, forest, marsh, or estuary near you. That reminds me that Ed Jordan has a fairly rare Rose-breasted Grosbeak visiting his feeders on Quadra Island. I hope he can keep it there until I have time to pay him a visit.
Not content with the record shots on Nov. 18, I returned to the scene the next day. Unfortunately, the forecast for sun and showers was only half correct, and I'm sure you can guess which half. The steady drizzle was miserable and the wagtail was content to forage along the far edge of the field over 200 feet from the road. I stuck it out for about an hour enjoying the camaradie of fellow birders like Guy and Donna, Bryan Gates, Russ Tkatchuk, and about 10 others, but retreated to my car when my camera looked like it was drowning.
After a leisurely White Spot lunch I tried again, but despite the respite in the weather, the wagtail had not moved from its distant location. Again the upside was reaquainting with Rick, Agnes, and a few other birders I failed to recognize. By the way, while I'm on the topic, I need to publicly apologize to all those whom I failed to acknowledge. Believe me, it was embarassing but unintentional. In particular, my apologies to Russ Tkachuk who billeted me two weeks earlier when I did a PowerPoint presentation for the Sechelt Natural History Society on Nov. 2.
Nov. 25 - Sunny skies finally prevailed on Nov. 24 and 25, but I was tied up at another craft fair. This time it was the Annual Village Arts Fair in Qualicum. It is my favorite fair because of its casual intimacy and high quality participants like master potter, Larry Aguilar, and distinguished glass artist, Ted Jolda. It was difficult to focus on selling books, cards, and prints while the sun sparkled off the snow-capped peaks. All I could visualize was the wagtail bobbing up and down much to the delight to the throngs of birders that made the pilgrimage for the celebrity bird. But, patience was rewarded as the sunny skies were projected for another day, and I would not be denied. I was a bit skeptical as we left Nanoose under a veil of clouds, but by Deep Bay the skies had cleared, and we proceeded optimistically. As I parked near the pumping station I marvelled at the large flock of Trumpeters basking in the sun. I also glad to see a few other vehicles parked beside the road which meant that there would be people watching the bird or more eyes to find the bird. Of course, my first order of business was to dispense with another deja-vu embarassing moment - another case of facial recognition deficit. This time it was a very pleasant lady who read my blank stare when she greeted me. It was Sechelt photographer, Penny Hall, who accompanied me for dinner at the Pebbles before my presentation on Nov. 2. Fortunately, I did remember Colin and Neil from the Backyard Bird and Nature store in Nanaimo. Okay, enough idle chatter. We did finally locate Waggy to the joy of all and got great views in the gorgeous November sunshine. I hope you enjoy the pics.
Just a few personal thank you's to David and Adele for finding and reporting the bird; to the land owner who permitted birders to access the farm road to view the bird; and to the birders who provided the continuous updates on BCVIBIRDS.
*********************************************************************************************
Bird Poster
My poster is on display at: Victoria - Swan Lake Nature House. (Note: This poster has been produced in a more manageable size and is now available for $20 unlaminated and $32 laminated.)
*********************************************************************************************
PUBLICATIONS
