tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10945205133757243812024-02-07T13:58:04.825-08:00Logan Lalonde : Intense BirderAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-60509253248311936642015-08-24T23:48:00.001-07:002015-08-24T23:48:10.173-07:00Bar-tailed GodwitWhen I heard of a report of a Bar-tailed Godwit at Boundary Bay this afternoon, I raced down there as fast as I could to try my luck at it. The tide was out fairly far at 88th street, so I took off my shoes and began to traipse out across the mud. Ironically, another birder had the same idea I had and we ran into each way out on the flats. To our delight, the godwit was right where we ran into each other with a large group of Black-bellied Plovers! I tried to get some shots off but something spooked the flock and they took off south down the shoreline. I split up from the birder and walked along the edge of the mud in search of more birds, or another encounter with the godwit. There were thousands of shorebirds on the mud feeding busily including huge amounts of Western Sandpipers, surprising numbers of Sanderling ( 70+ ), and a peppering of Pectoral and Baird's Sandpipers. Short-billed Dowitchers were dotted sporadically throughout the predominantly Black-billed Plover flocks as well as a lone juvenile Red Knot. Around an hour and a half after I saw the godwit the first time, I came upon it foraging on the perimeter of a shorebird flock, elegant as can be. I slowly crept toward it in a soft walking/kneeing style, taking a few shots every few feet. Amazingly, the bird didn't seem to have a care about my presence, continuingly picking at the mud. Even when all of the Black-bellies took off around it, the godwit watched them and then resumed feeding. I sat down when I realized how close I was, and I didn't want to disturb it, just in case it fancied to flush. In my cross-legged, camera-on-lap position, I got some images I am proud of. <br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5746/20869262341_0f78b3518c_z.jpg" /><br />
Bar-tailed Godwit<br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5807/20836613776_40d7971c21_z.jpg" /><br />
BARG<br />
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Here's a view looking from where I was near the godwit back to shore. <br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5727/20854564162_8dda1df092_z.jpg" /><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-53464813316642872002015-01-19T20:50:00.002-08:002015-01-20T21:27:10.294-08:00Alightment to AustraliaNovember 30th, 2014 <br />
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"Flight to San Francisco, connecting to Sydney, Australia will be two hours late." Those were not the words I wanted to hear to begin the big Australia trip, but what began slightly shaky, became one of the best trips of my lifetime. Sitting in the Kelowna International Airport, with -18 degrees Celsius frigid air outside, I was ready to depart for warmer climates. But at the same time I was slightly confused. This is my first real major trip. The thoughts started to plague me : What am I supposed to feel like? What is Australia going to be like? Am I going to have a good time? Am I going to utterly fail in my swimming competition? And the crucial one - am I going to miss most of my target birds?! <br />
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I tried to divert my attention by attempting to get Internet... no battery left. How about chatting with the rest of the athletes who are riding with us... they are all on their wireless devices. So, I resorted to watching the Packers/Patriots NFL game in the bar while I waited out the delay. As it turned out, in the important match, the Packers outduelled the Pats in dramatic fashion. <br />
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Finally, the guy who calls out the boarding instructions ( I cannot think of his profession's name )... maybe the "Flight Ussher" or maybe "Delay Giver" announced that the flight is boarding. Quickly rustling up my bags, I hurriedly dashed out of Kelowna International's waiting room and stepped onto the plane. But not before feeling the last of the sub-zero temperatures outside as I walked across the boarding bridge. <br />
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Three hours later - San Fran airport. Only a two hour window of downtime, and then we're off on the 15 hour flight to Sydney. At last, after finally finding some decent food at the airport, the Flight Ussher ( this time no delay, so not the Delay Giver ) calls out the flight. I did some tuck-jumps to loosen up the legs before the knowingly long and cramped flight, but it caused some rather un-wanted attention from the lengthy line-up of passengers awaiting to board the plane... but my Team Kelowna athletics outfit kept them at bay; I guess they thought this was part of my hourly routine ( not ). Many more tuck-jumps later, and I'm feeling the last of solid ground for the next 15 hours, hearing the last American accents for the next five weeks, and savouring the last bite of normal food before the three potentially ghoulish airplane meals. <br />
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The flight to Sydney was very eventful, and could be a subject of many stories, but I'll try to shorten it up. First, the airline we were riding with ( I won't mention the name ) has arguably the worst leg room of any airline in the US, so trying to sleep was an art of manipulation and toleration. I'll also throw in irritation and aggravation. For the 15 hour, through-the-night flight, I frankly didn't get much sleep. The best I got was flipping my legs up in the air to the window-crevice, and resting my head on the supplied pillow on the arm rest. That's how I slept my three hours. The rest of the time was composed of watching mindless cooking shows, silly movies, etc. on their terrible touchscreen screen on seat in front of me. There were also games supplied, but there was an annoying string of comments such as "You're pushing too hard!", or, "Whenever you push that, my head gets jolted forward!!!", from the lady in the seat in front of mine whenever I tried to do anything. Oh, and just like I expected, the meals were... let's not even talk about the meals. Let's just say I went hungry for 15 hours. <br />
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Finally, as the movie Mrs. Doubtfire was finishing, and breakfast, Aussie-time, was being served in my home for 15 hours, the spell-binding coastline of eastern Australia was laid out invitingly out the window of the plane. My heart leapt as we started our decent toward the Sydney International Airport, and we only had half an hour until landing. Of course, being me, as we descended closer to the water, I squinted at the cargo ships below, wondering if perchance a jaeger could be somehow materialized in my eyes perusing the vessel for scraps. Alas, we were still at too far of a distance and I diverted my gaze back toward the rapidly approaching shore ahead. In minutes we were coursing the coastline; flying over the pristine sandy beaches and eucalyptus forests of Australia. I couldn't hardly believe what I was seeing. The aircraft suddenly veered left, and runway was laid out below us. Downgrading it went, and then pop, Australian turf was underneath the plane's wheels. We taxied toward the airport gate, and already I was looking for birds. All of a sudden, a bird snuck into the corner of my eye, soaring high overhead. WHITE-BELLIED SEA-EAGLE!!! I almost couldn't harness my excitement, and nearly yelled it out loud. Gazing at this bird with my naked eye, I admired it's wonderful silhouette, much like a Bald Eagle, but seemingly larger, with much wider wings. My first bird of Australia was actually not a usual airport suspect, such as a starling - who knew? It was fantastic to cross something better off the list to commence the trip. Well, the next species I noticed was indeed a jolly old European Starling. After several minutes of criss-crossing the runway, we at last pulled up to the boarding gate. I jumped up out of my seat, stretching my legs all the while, and hustled up my bags. We then walked down the long aisle of the interior of the plane, and seemingly after a endless time, with heart beating, I stepped out of the plane and into the embracing warm air of Australia..... <br />
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To be continued... <br />
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Logan Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-82548212145665641232014-11-22T14:19:00.003-08:002014-11-22T14:33:03.846-08:00Australia Australia? Yep, I'm travelling down under to the big oval continent at the hypothetical 'bottom of the world' that is Australia this December. I received the chance to go as a result of being picked as an athlete for the International Children's Games in Lake Macquarie, which is just north of Sydney. The Games are an international, multi-sport competition, hosted by the Olympic Commitee, and are the largest multi-sport youth games in the world. I am a swimmer, so, I'll be swimming at the games. To put it into perspective, it's like the Olympics, just for youths of ages 12 to 15. There are four groups of swimmers going to the games from Canada : Kelowna, two from Ontario, and one from Quebec. 88 cities from 32 countries in total are participating, so it's a huge event! <br />
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<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7560/15666867560_3d8674ec26.jpg" /></div>
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Me swimming in Kamloops this summer at a swim meet. Believe it or not, this is the best picture I could find of myself that downloaded properly into this blog! </div>
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Bad picture aside, I am pretty proud of myself that I was able to qualify for an international competition after six years of hard work! </div>
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The games are from December 7th to the 12th, but I'm leaving for Australia on November 30th, so I have time to recover from the severe jetlag that takes a toll on you after the 17 hour flight. </div>
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Right after the ICG ( International Children's Games ) are over, I'm heading straight out of Lake Macquarie, southward to Wollongong, and I'm going on an Aussie pelagic!!! I am very, VERY excited to say the least. Who knows what could be out there? WAAL, BBAL, WCAL, WTSH, GWPE, PRPE, and BRSK are some of the possibilities. You figure out the four letter codes. ;) ( Tip - just Google any of those codes, for example "WAAL four letter code" and the answer should be in any of the links provided. ) Anyway, from there, I will embark on a chaotic three week birding roadtrip, zipping across New South Wales, ACT, and Victoria, until I leave on my return trip to Kelowna on January 8th. My goal is 270 species of bird, but I'll be happy even if I get 200 - hey, I'll be birding in glorious Australia - it's all good! </div>
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I'm not sure if I'll have time to update this blog while I'm gone, due the lack of computer access and time. </div>
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Well, I will be departing on the Aussie adventure in... eesh a week, so I don't know if I'll be able to post until the new year, but just in case, you can check the blog sporatically if you want. </div>
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Have a great Christmas everyone, Bon Voyage, and this may sound really cliche, but G'day! </div>
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Logan </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-46594676988181301572014-11-10T16:28:00.002-08:002014-11-10T16:36:33.115-08:00Busy Life Birding Hello everybody; <br />
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Some of you may know either one or both of these two things : <br />
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1. I finally purchased a Canon 400 f/5.6mm lens <br />
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2. I am going to Australia in December <br />
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These are the two reasons I haven't been active on my blog for the last few months, as well as balancing school and three sports, on every day of the week. Alright, now I'm just making excuses. Of course, being an ever-craving birder, I have scampered around the Okanagan on various escapades over the last month. Here are some of the tales and photos. <br />
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On October 19th, on a whim, I decided to head south to Penticton, to twitch the Lesser Black-backed Gull that has been showing nicely on the waterfront near the pier. Nearing the location in early morning, a pack of nasty butterflies were rising up a storm in my stomach; the tension was heating up to get the bird! As we were pulling up the edge of the parking lot, I could not believe my eyes. There, sitting on the sand, visible from the car, was the Lesser BB Gull. Tearing open the car door, I poised my freshly purchased lens, ready to fire. Suddenly the gull flock took off in a flurry of wings. I shot away, and below is the first shot I ever took with the lens, of the LBBG. Okanagan lifer #250 and B.C. lifer #303! <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5598/15392705808_9553783eb2_z.jpg" /><br />
Lesser Black-backed Gull <br />
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This photo does not do it justice, as it's really a very looking sharp bird. This gull is a "third cycle" immature, which means it is in its third year. Lesser Black-backed Gulls take four years to fully mature into adult plumage.<br />
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After that excitement, I met up with Russell Cannings at the wharf, and we headed down to Skaha Lake, feebly trying to re-find the Black Scoter reported last week by none other than himself. <img alt=";)" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" title="Wink" /> There were no scoters of any kind out there, but I tested out the new lens on a fly-by Ring-billed Gull. <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3943/15402975070_c88387bd32_z.jpg" /><br />
Ring-billed Gull BIF<br />
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Heading back over to Okanagan Lake, we scoped various waterfowl such as Surf Scoter, ( finally a scoter sp. for the day ), Red-necked, Western, Pied-billed, and Horned Grebes... <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5609/15402462528_1645eefdf8_z.jpg" /><br />
Horned Grebes - Penticton waterfront<br />
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... and around 15 other species of ducks and grebes. We then hiked around the esplanade trails behind the yacht club, grabbing some goodies such as Bewick's Wren, ( scarce in the Okanagan ), 13 Western Bluebirds, migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks, and a late Wilson's Warbler : <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3953/15578714305_ea3f6c167f_z.jpg" /><br />
Wilson's Warbler - several weeks late for its fall migration<br />
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But unanimously, the best bird of probably the entire fall for me so far, was a Dusky Flycatcher, found foraging in a flock of juncos on the north side of the esplanade. Why is this significant? It was the second latest record ever recorded in Canada, by almost two weeks. Russ and I, to say the least, were incredibly ecstatic. Thankfully, I managed to take a some half decent shots of it, including this one, albeit a tad obscured by branches. <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3956/15578799135_b20a8a436c_z.jpg" /><br />
Dusky Flycatcher - you should be in Mexico!!! <br />
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After a good morning of birding around Penticton, Russ and I parted ways, and I headed for Peachland for the afternoon. My mom's friends live way up the mountains that loom above the town of Peachland, and we decided to pay them a visit. Spruce and Douglas Fir trees abound up there, and the slopes and gullies that make up the terrain create a beautiful scenic look to it. So, I deduced, while I'm there, I might as well see there are any birds up there. First off, while still in their backyard, I heard a small group of White-winged Crossbills chattering it up in the massive cone-bearing evergreens that line the property. An unexpected surprise, and one I didn't think would come down that low in mid-October. From there, I embarked on a two hour extreme solo hike, with walkie-talkie in hand, down the various trails and gullies in the vast forest. I didn't bring my camera, as the hiking was too treacherous for anything to risk getting broken! Scenario - walking down a slope, falling, and my camera in pieces. Point in case, I didn't dare bring it. All three nuthatches, Red Crossbill, and Pygmy Nuthatch were tallied right off the bat. A few minutes later, another random late Wilson's Warbler, and a slightly late ( for the Okanagan ) Spotted Towhee were spotted low down in a riparian creek bed. Then, scanning a far away ridge produced a migrating Northern Goshawk, and suddenly, a gorgeous Golden Eagle glided right over my head, also headed south. This spiel, without any pictures to keep you awake, is getting too long, so I'll leave it at this. <img alt=":roll:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif" title="Rolling Eyes" /> <img alt=":mrgreen:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" title="Mr. Green" /> <img alt=":lol:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" title="Laughing" /> To sum it up, some of the other birds seen on the walk were Western Bluebirds, a Chestnut-backed Chickadee ( another scarce sight in the Okanagan ), and various other nick-nack species. <br />
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It turned out to be a fantastic day, with a lifer, the Lesser Black-backed Gull, and over 75 species on the day list. <br />
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A couple days later, on October 23th, I captured this Black-capped Chickadee with an orangey autumn backdrop, signaling it is definitely fall. <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3948/15432669328_e0b4c714dc_z.jpg" /><br />
Black-capped Chickadee<br />
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To my good fortune, this picture was chosen to be posted on the front page of the website Castanet.net, Kelowna's homepage. <br />
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On Saturday, October 25th, I birded hard around Kelowna, seeing a somewhat respectable 65 species, and finding the Okanagan's latest ever House Wren! I'm sorry, I could not manage a photo. <img alt=":cry:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_cry.gif" title="Crying or Very sad" /> Well, here are some other photographic highlights of the day : <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15493629798_26b6fcb7b6_z.jpg" /><br />
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Munson Pond <br />
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There was a hyper flock of seven of these Ruby-crowned Kinglets at Munson Pond. These guys hardly ever pose for longer than 0.5 of a second, but in migration, they sometimes, albeit rarely, come close as they feverishly glean the foliage for food.<br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3937/15056267094_515e5cdd75_z.jpg" /><br />
Song Sparrow - also at Munson Pond<br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3936/15655944302_87c81ff02d_z.jpg" /><br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3941/15034956943_e7b7c3424b_z.jpg" /><br />
Male Gadwall - Rotary Marsh <br />
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Gadwalls absolutely love wetland ponds, as they forage among the vegetation at the bottom to feed. Also at Rotary Marsh was a very distant Pacific Loon and this Brown Creeper. <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7516/15713005961_cabbb12930_z.jpg" /><br />
Brown Creeper camouflage <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3938/15468956348_90f6689a24_z.jpg" /><br />
Common Raven silhouette - mouth of Mission Creek <br />
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Song Sparrows are too hard not to photograph, so here's another one taken that day. <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5611/15713012611_270ee1d0f3_z.jpg" /><br />
Song Sparrow - Thomson Brook Marsh <br />
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And finally, a Red-tailed Hawk posing for a split second at the Kelowna Landfill : <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7466/15530079690_1d324c1423_z.jpg" /><br />
Red-tailed Hawk - Alki Lake Landfill <br />
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Last Saturday, on November 1st, I met up with Chris Charlesworth, Russell Cannings, and Reid Hildebrandt, a birder from the Northwest Territories, and we journeyed around the Central Okanagan, seeing almost 80 species of bird, and nailing most of our targets. <br />
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We were birding at a high pace, so there were few photographic opportunities, but here are some of the few I got : <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7468/15549595947_d39ff0f995_z.jpg" /><br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7491/15732856751_18119a9a19_z.jpg" /><br />
Northern Shrike - They are back! These two pictures are backlit, but the two levels of contrasting bokeh turned out. <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8616/15544221740_25743ca932_z.jpg" /><br />
Great Horned Owl - We found a roosting pair of these strikingly patterned birds in a grove of willows. <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7518/15544215580_e1681ab093_z.jpg" /><br />
Northern Pygmy-Owl - This beauty flew right overhead from a giant fir tree, landing in this bare cottonwood, and starting calling persistently. <br />
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Well, this is what I've been up to lately, and it will only get better in about three weeks when I'll be in Australia!<br />
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P.S. Sorry about the widths; they're all wonky. ;)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-9351304941686791952014-10-26T00:12:00.003-07:002014-10-26T00:15:04.537-07:00C'est Arriver C'est Arriver? What in the world? It translate to "it has arrived" in French. You'll ask the obvious questions : "What has arrived?", "What context is that in?", "When did what arrive?!" Well, the simple answer to all those questions is the Canon 400 f/5.6 L Prime super-telephoto lens, and it arrived last Thursday. A mouthful to say and a whole lot of money to purchase. <br />
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I've been wanting this particular lens for the last two years now, and I have scraping up as much money as I could toward it. I thought the day would never come, but on October 16th, 2014, the call came in from the local London Drugs, "It's here". "What?!?!" Just the night before, I purchased the lens online, and it was estimated to take at least a week to get here. So, a day later - yes, the <u>next day</u>, I was in somewhat of a state of shock when I heard the news that it had arrived prematurely. You bet I rushed down there as quick as I could to go pick it up, and only 21 hours after I ordered it, at last, I had my hands on a brand new Canon 400 f/5.6 lens! <br />
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For me, I wanted my first shot with my new rig to be somewhat special, so when I heard that a Lesser Black-backed Gull was showing nicely in Penticton, that was almost too much bait not to dive in for! A possible B.C. lifer, plus a chance for my first picture ever taken with the lens to be a rare bird, was making me decide rashly to hit the road and head down there... stay tuned... <br />
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Logan Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-39801558100486192862014-08-30T22:14:00.001-07:002014-08-30T22:17:45.976-07:00Gull help for birders in the Vancouver area This is a short guide to the gulls that birders in the Lower Mainland area of British Columbia may run into. Also, this doubles as a visual reference to gull ID... I hope. <img alt=":wink:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" title="Wink" /><br />
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There are 9 regularly spotted gulls in the Vancouver area ( Glaucous-winged, California, Mew, Ring-billed, Herring, Bonaparte's, Heermann's, Western, and Thayer's ). There are also several rare species that are reported annually ( Franklin's, Glaucous, and Iceland ), and a mouth-watering assortment of MEGA rarity gulls that have only been seen in the Lower Mainland a handful of times, ( Black-tailed, Black-headed, Little, Sabine's, Slaty-backed, and many more ). <br />
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"Gulling" as it's dubbed, is much better in winter, as they crowd fields, pastures, and landfills, providing easy visuals of many species side-by-side. The turf farm at 72nd street in Delta can produce at least 8 species of gull if scoped carefully in winter. <br />
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At this time of year ( summer ), Mew, Ring-billed, California, Glaucous-winged, and Heermann's are virtually the only species of gull possible to see. Franklin's do show up though, and I had one at Boundary Bay in late July. <br />
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Here is a selection of pictures I've taken over the years to help you with gull identification. I haven't photographed <span style="font-weight: bold;">every</span> species possible, but I've tried. <img alt=":lol:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" title="Laughing" /> <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/9842239823_ee7f5a9e71_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Glaucous-winged Gull </span>- typical adult <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2852/12488514773_cecb30aa15_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Glaucous-winged Gull </span>- immature <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3680/12183230815_40a9460121_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Herring Gull </span>- 1st cycle immature <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2890/10790337665_fc3e3d1599_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Herring Gulls </span>- typical adults <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/9906690365_e303e17509_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">California Gull </span>- nice adult <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2876/12937603665_f99cc48032_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">California Gulls </span>- a group of adults, you can see the wingtips ( primaries ) better here than in the first picture <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7395/10110265904_6b12547a9d_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ring-billed Gull </span>- adult <br />
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<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/11828083976_b5cb00012d_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Ring-billed Gull </span>- adult preening <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5340/9828557315_79cff1d059_b.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Iceland Gulls </span>- winter plumage adult on left, immature on right <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3815/10110284185_bc0f50b1cc_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Thayer's Gull </span>- adult in centre of image, three California Gulls above it <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/11430313404_f9552421b6_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mew Gull </span>- beautiful winter-plumage adult <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3729/9762472366_b23683c075_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Mew Gull </span>- immature <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3793/12280673123_bf1f3fc6c8_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Glaucous Gull </span>- "yellowy" immature <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/13340863715_0c1d280d13_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Heermann's Gulls </span>- adults ( or three musketeers ) <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5533/9780478153_c891ecdeaa_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Heermann's Gull </span>- adult, flying <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5113/14274174177_edc8c3d5d6_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bonaparte's Gull </span>- adult <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3696/10541101514_aa314fe214_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bonaparte's Gull </span>- immature, flying <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/9762457746_efc5fc42aa_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Bonaparte's Gull </span>- adult, flying <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3849/14823583060_4f8e827f83_z.jpg" /><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Franklin's Gull </span>- immature <br />
<br />
I hope this helps in your quest for gull identification, Guy, and whoever else needs help in the trickeries of gull identification. <img alt=":D" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" title="Very Happy" /> <br />
<br />
To conclude, remember, there are <span style="font-weight: bold;">gull hybrids</span>, which may cause groaning and head-scratching, and some of you may just want to stop at distinct species. Anyways, there are two common gull hybrids in the Lower Mainland; the Western X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid, and the Herring X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid. There are others, but they are extremely hard to distinguish, and rare. I do not have a picture of the Herring X Glaucous-winged, but as Western X Glaucous-winged hybrids are everywhere, I am bound to have pictures of them. <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3724/12472921355_ae48799df1_z.jpg" /><br />
Western X Glaucous-winged Gull ( hybrid ) - muddy adult <br />
<br />
<img alt="Image" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2872/12488514083_04efca422f_z.jpg" /><br />
Western X Glaucous-winged Gull ( hybrid ) - immature, flying <br />
<br />
This is merely a photographic guide of the differences between the species. If I were to describe every detail separating them, and go into depth about age, plumage variations, and moulting, we could be here for hours! Again, this is just a selection of photos which you can compare, and I hope it helps to aid the identification of the gulls if you're at your last resort.<br />
<br />
Logan - gull nerd at heart! <img alt=":mrgreen:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif" title="Mr. Green" />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-7378277049616737112014-08-22T09:43:00.003-07:002014-08-22T09:43:50.981-07:00An interesting, but wonderful, day<div class="postbody">
Yesterday was an interesting and equally successful day for me. It started off at 10:45 a.m. when after a dentist appointment I just thought to check out a local birding spot in Kelowna ( Munson Pond ), because the weather looked good for migrants. What was sitting on a bush when I got there? A Brewer's Sparrow, a Central Okanagan region lifer! Later on in the day, I checked out another local birding hotspot located at the mouth of Mission Creek. Upon reaching the beach, I dismayingly noticing a cacophony of people, dogs, and boats. But what's sitting on the sandbar only feet from the running children? A Sanderling! Rare away from the coast, that was an Okanagan lifer! <br /><br />Isn't that birding though; go figure?! <img alt=":lol:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" title="Laughing" /> <img alt=":D" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" title="Very Happy" /> <br /><br />I just thought I'd share this story, not only for the humor, but for an example of birding in general. One day you'll out intent on finding birds, and the next you'll be strolling down a wooded path for leisure, and find something rare.</div>
<div class="postbody">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-35496233364305352152014-08-18T12:15:00.000-07:002014-08-18T12:17:04.720-07:00Update! Hey guys! Yep, I'm back, yep, I'm still here, and yep, all of the above. Just a quick recap - I didn't do my last edition of the Triangle Island trip, because I realized that we didn't see tooo much, and would be a bit of a waste of a blog post. But here I am, in the flesh, finally writing in my blog again. Here are some points of what I've been up to : <br />
<br />
~ May 17-19th ~ Going way back to mid-May; with 8 other fellow young birders from around B.C., I participated in the Baillie Birdathon weekend in the South Okanagan, doing two Big Days. We racked up 153 species for the weekend, and our best tally of the two big days was 129. Highlights including a Great Gray Owl nest ( location disclosed ), Williamson's Sapsucker ( aka Willi ), Brewer's, Clay-colored, Vesper, and Grasshopper Sparrows, Northern Saw-whet, Western Screech, and Flammulated Owls, Bobolink, Surf Scoter ( awesome in May ), a Yellow-breasted Chat singing at 1:30 a.m., and other S Okanagan specialties. <br />
<br />
~ June 5th ~ Followed up the Snowy Egret that was sighted at Robert Lake successfully; a Canada lifer, and what a beauty it was! Decked out in crisp white plumage, it is definitely a show-stopper. <br />
<br />
~ June 15th ~ Saw 3 Black Terns at Beaver Ranch Flats just outside of Merritt, where they classically breed nearly every year. <br />
<br />
~ June 22nd ~ Did another Big Day with just my mom on June 22th, trying to rack up as many breeding specialties as possible. We managed 122 species, despite struggling in patches mid-day without a new bird. "Ouch" miss birds for the day included Green-winged Teal, Evening Grosbeak, Pine Grosbeak, Bobolink, and a sad trio of skunked birds - Downy, Hairy, and American Three-toed Woodpeckers. But the good out-weighed the bad; we nailed nearly all of our target species, and just to name a few : Lark Sparrow, Sage Thrasher, Willi Sap, Common Poorwill, and Canyon and Rock Wrens. There were two happy surprises during the day : observing an adult Franklin's Gull at Vaseux Lake, and an odd passerine flying steadily north up on Shuttleworth Creek Road. After failing to ID the bird myself, I sent the pictures I took of it to Russell C., who couldn't stamp a firm ID on it either, so he sent it to multiple friends. They concurred it is an odd longspurish type, of the McCown's/Chestnut-collared/Snow Bunting variety. From my perspective, it is either a McCown's Longspur or Snow Bunting. Did you know that the McCown's Longspur may be more closely related to the Snow Bunting than any other longspur? <br />
<br />
~ July 4th ~ Carrying on... twitched the Black-billed Cuckoo at 6:30 a.m. the day after it was sighted on Beaver Lake Road ( after missing it the day-of ), with a few friends, and we finally nailed it, getting priceless looks at it foraging, calling, feeding, and best of all, flying. Later on that day, I travelled to Kamloops for a swim meet ( I am a competitive swimmer ). But the swim meet started the next day, so I birded the remainder of July 4th with my friend Isaac, a young birder who also went on the Youth Big Day in May previously mentioned. We nailed a family of Chukar, among numerous other excellent birds. <br />
<br />
~ July 10th ~ Went up Sovereign Lake Road outside of Vernon, picking up White-winged Crossbill, and discovering an American Three-toed Woodpecker nest. <br />
<br />
~ July 11-14 ~ Travelled to Golden for, yep, another swim meet, and on the way saw a male Magnolia Warbler in a little town named Donald. On the way back, we nailed Alder Flycatcher in Revelstoke, and got crippling looks at it. <br />
<br />
~ July 23rd ~ Got a Caspian Tern FINALLY at Robert Lake in the middle of an extreme rain-storm. My long-awaited, and overdue Okanagan lifer was sitting and preening in the middle of a gull flock. It took off with the flock of gulls westbound, never to seen again. <br />
<br />
~ July 29-31 ~ Went on a road trip with my friend Russ to Vancouver for some good coastal birds. It was one of the best times I've had, and I actually had five lifers for the trip. There were lotsa highlights, with little low-lights. Here are some of the high points : On the drive down, we stopped a road just south of Merritt off of the Coquihalla Hwy, seeing at least one sharp male American Redstart. Next stop was the White Rock Pier, where the long-staying "Western" Willet was showing well ( lifer #1 ). The Long-billed Curlew was hiding on the other side of some grass at Blackie Spit, and at then at the Tswwassen Ferry Docks, 8 Whimbrel were in attendance. The American White Pelican was at Brunswick Point. On the eve of the 29th, a happy surprise was having an immature Franklin's Gull fly near at us, then settling down on the mud flats at Boundary Bay, subsequently after Ilya P. joined us. Shorebirds were numerous, but were not diverse. The majority were Western, Least, and Semisands, and Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers. The next day were birded from dawn till dusk, and at 9:30 a.m., we found ourselves at Reifel Bird Sanctuary. I had never been there, so it was a pleasant experience. My lifer Black-crowned Night-Heron was present ( lifer #2 ), and migratory shorebirds were there also, with 6 Short-billed Dowitchers mixing with the largely fresh-water Long-billed Dowitchers ( a flock 150 birds strong ). Pectoral Sandpipers, a Western Sand, and both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs covered the shorebird front well. 5 Mute Swans were a nice surprise while scanning the far away mud flats, and we chalked up 52 species for the park. A Barn Owl-less Barn Owl tree ( complete with Barn Owl feathers and mouse skulls ) pestered us at Alaksan Wildlife Area. Hasting Park had a Green Heron. The striking looking bird was sitting hunched at the edge of the pond ( lifer #3 ). We went to Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver, watching 7 gorgeous Black-throated Gray Warblers draped in black and white, foraging in the generous stand of forest ( lifer #4 ). Later on the day, near dusk, we sat at Boundary Bay again, scopes out, looking for something unique in the massive peep or plover flock. Within the peep flock were two Sanderling; within the plover flock were 6 Short-billed Dowitchers and a Dunlin, the latter huddled up with a Black-bellied, looking quite miserable. The last day of our bird in the Lower Mainland took us to Maple Ridge, where the Western Scrub-Jay family was the target of our searching. After ten minutes of walking listening, and waiting, I spied one of the babies atop an evergreen. A few minutes later, the other juv showed up. We got amazing looks at them, especially one, who hopped down on a power line right above our heads. They were almost too close for my camera ( lifer #5 )! From there, after hitting Golden Ears Park for a bit more birding, we headed back to Kelowna. <br />
<br />
~ August 14th ~ Another "red alert miss" bird was caught red-handed on August 14th. The bird - Tennessee Warbler. The place - Belgo Pond in Kelowna. That was another nemesis bird for me in the Okanagan, where I had chased many, but this time, I was lucky. The hatch-year female was found foraging in a mixed flock of early migrant warblers in early morning. If you would like, you can read the full story on my Flickr page; the link is at the bottom of this post. <br />
<br />
~ August 17th ~ Now, we come to yesterday. After another swim meet in Kamloops that weekend ( this time the Provincials ), I took a risk and selected the alternative route back to Kelowna, through Salmon Arm late in the evening. Why? Because two days before, there was a BBSA, 2 UPSAs, and one BNST at Salmon Arm Bay. By the time I reached the bay, it was 7:30 p.m. The sky was darkening, the lighting was horrible as can be, and the shorebird flock was way, waaay out on a shoreline at least a kilometer away. Argh! Well, just in case, I scanned the terribly long-distance flock, looking for a sandy-coloured, mediumish-sized bird ( BBSA ), a long-legged medium-sized bird ( UPSA ), and a pied, pink-legged clown-bird ( BNST ). Nada on all three fronts. Who knows, maybe they were hiding behind something, who knows, maybe they departed? At that incredible distance, it's almost impossible to tell. I was only able to identify Western Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Greater Yellowlegs, Killdeer, and Wilson's Snipe for shorebirds when they occasionally took flight. Oh well, the Baird's Sandpiper was a year-bird. <br />
<br />
Well, that is the up-to-date report on mostly what I've been up to on the birding front. My B.C. year list is at 267, actually a personal best believe it or not, and my B.C. life list is in grasping distance of 300; it's grinded out at 297. <br />
<br />
Good luck in all of your birding everyone, and keep at it! :D <br />
<br />
Logan :)<br />
<br />
Here is my Flickr page ( Chop_Merc is my user-name ) - <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/101469605@N02/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/101469605@N02/</a><br />
<br />
P.S. There goes a Downy Woodpecker! A new yard-bird species, which is 121 for the all-time list. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-58770129317988187002014-06-18T18:20:00.000-07:002014-06-19T11:22:10.580-07:00Triangle Island Birding Adventure - Day 3 <div dir="ltr">
April 26th; <br />
<br />
I got up early yet again, ( as is par for birding ), at around 6:45 a.m. I
slipped on my jacket and headed out the door almost as soon as I jumped out of
bed. The habitat around the cottage we were staying at in Port McNeill is lush,
with green, young bushes lining the driveway, a stand of aspens farther up to
the back of the property, and at the top is a vast forest of cedar. So, there is
quite a lot of bird diversity there, and that morning proved its bird-rich
qualities. As soon as I opened the back door, the song of an Orange-crowned
Warbler reached my ears. Quickly after, a Song Sparrow sprang into song.
Violet-green Swallows chirped overhead, and two Glaucous-winged Gulls shot past
below me, over the water. I started to plod up the steep driveway, picking up a
singing Ruby-crowned Kinglet and one Yellow-rumped ( Audubon's ) Warbler. In the
low bushes, a pair of Dark-eyed Juncos flitted about. Wafting from the cedar at
the back was the sound of a Townsend's Warbler belting out his tune. A pleasant
surprise was hearing an American Pipit passing overhead, flying north to its
breeding grounds. <br />
<br />
Farther up the trail, a Fox Sparrow popped into view, as did a Song Sparrow.
The Yellow-rumped Warbler I heard earlier finally made itself seen, but alas hid
behind a branch. Pictures of the three birds just mentioned are presented below
in respective order : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3922/14360841673_b5405174c7.jpg" /><br />
Fox Sparrow <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2911/14360842273_858b9c92b6.jpg" /><br />
Song Sparrow <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/14360841373_1f374200ba.jpg" /><br />
Yellow-rumped Warbler<br />
<br />
The birds list kept piling higher, as an adult Bald Eagle sifted overhead and
a Killdeer called in quick succession. Scanning the bay way down on the water
produced 5 Surf Scoters, 2 White-winged Scoter, 1 Rhinoceros Auklet, and 1
Marbled Murrelet. As I approached the massive cedars at the top, 2
Chestnut-backed Chickadees, 2 Rufous Hummingbirds, 1 Hermit Thrush, and 4
Golden-crowned Kinglets called right off the bat. One of the most memorable trip
moments was the next event to happen. A Ruffed Grouse started to drum from the
cedar undergrowth, followed by a wing clap! RUGRs are scarce anywhere on
Vancouver Island, so to find one at the top tip of VI was quite awesome. <br />
<br />
Surprisingly, the birds didn't stop there! A Merlin descended in and hopped
onto an evergreen bow, <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5073/14360842103_4937155418.jpg" /><br />
Merlin looking for breakfast <br />
<br />
... and an extremely daring Pacific Wren burst into his trilly, spilt-out
song literally 7 feet away from me!!! The sound was almost deafening. Up in the
aspen grove, a male Myrtle Yellow-rumped Warbler was a wonderful sight with his
striking white throat.<br />
<br />
I hiked into the cedar forest, and immediately, a Rufous Hummingbird buzzed
very near. But, the conditions and lack of light produced a blurry image : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3865/14360841263_2d89aa4e9a.jpg" /><br />
Rufous Hummingbird female blur <br />
<br />
I then tried some sharp, high-pitched pishing to lure in the Golden-crowned
Kinglets that were singing so close by, and sure enough, an excellent looking
male flitted to a branch right over my head and I fired away with the camera. By
far the most cooperative Golden-crowned Kinglet I've ever encountered, and I had
some images to take from it; this one being arguably the best of the series :
<br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5197/14360842633_be1346412b.jpg" /><br />
Golden-crowned Kinglet ( Mr. Cooperative ) <br />
<br />
Satisfied in my morning walk, and having found 29 species of bird, it was now
8:30, and about time to head in for breakfast. <br />
<br />
Post-breakfast, my mom and I drove down to "urban" Port McNeill, and met up
with Liron ( another 13 year old birder like me, who had organized the Triangle
Island Pelagic that was successful the day before ). We started birding at the
fabled street where that winter a Hooded Oriole and Dickcissel had taken up
residence. Looking up into the sky, we were happy to watch a group of 7 Sandhill
Cranes circling up overhead, then flapping north. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3839/14367081192_f92dcdb881.jpg" /><br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3863/14367081472_d37bab1288.jpg" /><br />
Sandhill Cranes <br />
<br />
Liron and I had 1 hour for our walk, because at 10:30 a.m., we would meet up
with our parents at the docks and hop on a local ferry which would take us 5
kilometers across the Port McNeill bay to Malcolm Island, where we would bird
for the remainder of the day.<br />
<br />
Getting back to our walk in Port McNeill, it was quite productive, and some
of the highlights were : <br />
- Seeing non-breeding and breeding plumaged Common Loons together <br />
- Getting a pair of very perturbed Belted Kingfishers jabbering at us <br />
- Watching a Fox Sparrow execute quite an unusual song, with notes of other
bird species <br />
- And observing this more than cooperative Least Sandpiper along the
shoreline : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3840/14367081732_c0d5cc4e7a.jpg" /><br />
Least Sandpiper<br />
<br />
<br />
Boarding the twelve-car capasity ferry, we noticed a perfect vantage point at
the front of the ferry in which to scan from. So, we got out of our carpool car,
snatched the spot, and started scanning the water as soon as the boat pulled
away. <br />
<br />
The ride from Port McNeill to Sointula, ( the only town on Malcolm Island ),
was eventful, with tons of various alcids, seaducks ( including a large raft of
Surf Scoters ), and these Pacific Loons : <img src="wlmailhtml:{D7A9EACA-40ED-4C86-BAD7-723B8A8A59E0}mid://00000004/!x-usc:https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2921/14387647083_6940238814.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2921/14387647083_6940238814.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2914/14367081162_73d39e4e2f.jpg" /><br />
Pacific Loons in semi-breeding plumage <br />
<br />
Only 30 minutes after we pulled away from the Port McNeill shore, we had made
it to the Sointula harbor. Gulls were the main attraction as you can see... <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3885/14200013610_137aa25fa1.jpg" /><br />
Nice adult Glaucous-winged Gull <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3874/14200014020_2d28e6e72b.jpg" /><br />
Second-cycle Glaucous-winged Gull - maybe a trace of hybridism? <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3906/14200014250_2effe9734c.jpg" /><br />
Another good old pure adult Glaucous-winged Gull <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3916/14200014260_be1e4d0993.jpg" /><br />
First or second cycle Glaucous-winged Gull - looks pure... <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5155/14200014290_a749cb5760.jpg" /><br />
Third-cycle Glaucous-winged Gull - looks pretty pure... <br />
<br />
Enough with the gulls. We drove into Sointula, and dropped Liron and his dad
off at their hotel ( as they were staying the night and then driving back to Port McNeill
with another person in the morning ), and my mom and wandered around the
island; doing an afternoon of birding. Here's the story. <br />
<br />
<br />
We began at the east side of the island and stopped at a few pull-offs to
scan the water. At the first pull-off, we nabbed Red-breasted Merganser,
White-winged and Surf Scoters, Bufflehead, Hooded Merganser, and Red-necked
Grebe. At the second stop, we had more of the same. Time to drive up Kaleva
Road, an excellent street for various forest species. Shockingly, it was very
quiet and devoid of birds. Warbler numbers were up, though, with 8 Townsend's, 7
Orange-crowned, 2 Yellow-rumped, and a possible heard Wilson's Warbler tallied.
There were several Rufous Hummingbirds around, but overall it was very quiet.
But there was one major highlight. While trying to track down the possible
Wilson Warbler, something caught my eye; it was a massive flock of geese! Way,
way up in the sky they powered north, and identification down to species was
utterly difficult. By body stature, I have eliminated Canada Goose from
contention, and Cackling doesn't fit it either. So my guess is either Brant or
Greater White-fronted. Here's a photo of them; what do you think? <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5556/14200013590_97cf6defd2.jpg" /><br />
Geese sp. flock <br />
<br />
Moving on, after we had exhausted our resources at Kaleva Road, and it was
starting to drizzle, we turned around, and drove back to Sointula. We got out at
the fishing dock, where a large amount of boats were stored, and I proceeded to
walk along the road, away from Sointula. The first excitement came in the form
of a Rufous Hummingbird, executing his shocking dive-bombing display, and every
once and a while he would come down and land on a wire above me and scold away.
<br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5031/14413480483_9cfa6f513a.jpg" /><br />
Rufous Hummingbird - not impressed by my presence <br />
<br />
Golden-crowned Sparrows were everywhere, and even in a resident's garden :
<br />
<br />
<img id="yui_3_11_0_3_1403201376821_411" src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3850/14413480843_0829fb3dd6.jpg" /><br />
"Garden Sparrows" at a typical Sointula house <br />
<br />
The 'Coastal' subspecies of Steller's Jay was also present in that very
backyard, with almost no facial markings at all; only two bleak blue streaks on
the forehead. <br />
<br />
Mew Gulls like this individual were also abundant nearby on the shoreline
:<br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3895/14413480133_630445e026.jpg" /><br />
Mew Gull <br />
<br />
At the boat dock, there was a photo op that was too perfect to pass up - a
Belted Kingfisher on a fish boat : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5274/14413480833_bc3c1bd358.jpg" /><br />
Belted Kingfisher deckhand - "The kingfisher's on lookout again, Cap'n" <br />
<br />
Also at the boat moorage, I had this look at the bay water - <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3844/14413480803_aa66ae7b40.jpg" /><br />
Scenery as seen from the Soitula boat moorage - You can probably find the
Glaucous-winged Gull, but can you spot the pair of Buffleheads? ~ Hint- they're
on the left half of the image ~ <br />
<br />
Walking out of Sointula, it was impossible to miss this gloriously singing
Hermit Thrush : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3920/14413481113_0d8168d911.jpg" /><br />
Hermit Thrush posture <br />
<br />
Suddenly, a Band-tailed Pigeon absolutely obliterated the speed record;
tearing across the sky close overhead. A good FOY (
<u><strong>f</strong></u>irst <u><strong>o</strong></u>f
<u><strong>y</strong></u>ear bird), for me, which I was afraid I would miss on
the trip. I rounded a curve, and Deep Bay was spread out before me. This spot's
claim to fame is that in May, the odd little group of Marbled Godwits are almost
annual. It's too early for them, though. But there were the first Mallards for
the whole trip on the bay - yippee, one I <strong>wanted</strong> to miss. But
also on the muddy shore were 2 Green-winged Teals ( also new for the trip ), and
a lone female Gadwall ( also new ) with a handful more of Mallards. On the edge
of the water were two confusing adult Western X Glaucous-winged Gulls; when
could I find a pure Western already?! There were sadly no shorebirds whatsoever
on the mud; the tide was even starting to go out and there was shoreline to feed
on. Oh well, there're just probably circling around way up the clouds, waiting
for me to leave, and then when I do, they'll just come down to bay and feed
oh-so-happily. <br />
<br />
Other birds in the area were : Eurasian Collared-Doves ( Come on, they're
here too? Darn invasive. ), Common Raven, Bald Eagle, one Fox Sparrow, and a
soaring Turkey Vulture. Here are few more enduring moments from Malcolm Island :
<br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3899/14413627344_68edc62637.jpg" /><br />
Great Blue Heron - Deep Bay <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/14413628134_2ef13fe6c0.jpg" /><br />
View from Deep Bay, looking at Sointula on the left <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/14413628464_2873b900d5.jpg" /><br />
The beautiful shore and Sointula boat dock <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2933/14413628484_f8c8aeece9.jpg" /><br />
A tree growing from a stump - life sprouts! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3901/14413628894_34017b2047.jpg" /><br />
Another view from Deep Bay <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/14413573792_30b96fb7c1.jpg" /><br />
Deep Bay and beyond - On the far shore, in the centre of the picture, you can
just make out Port McNeill. Pristine, isn't it? <br />
<br />
After 2 1/2 hours of wonderful birding and pure and untouched scenery, it was
time to attend Liron's presentational speech at a local converted gym. After the
wonderfully presented talk ( great job, Liron, my friend :) ), we exchanged
goodbyes, and I headed down the ferry port. But not before watching a fairly
large flock of Brant flying swiftly south. As I boarded the ferry, I soaked the
island's natural beauty, and lovely gist and qualities. Once the ferry pushed
off from dock once again, I turned around and snapped this shot of the town of
Sointula, very quaint and rich in heritage. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5585/14434817091_6559948daf.jpg" /><br />
Sointula - Quaint, and rich in heritage <br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
An odd feature on the shoreline was this : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3836/14434817441_13e78855df.jpg" /><br />
Post-accident - I wonder what happened here? <br />
<br />
Quickly snatching the vantage point at the front of the boat again, I
surveyed the water for birdlife. Pacific Loons were still about, joined by a few
White-winged Scoters. A pair of the WWSCs actually were tame enough to stay put
as the ferry rocketed past them, and pictures were available. The best I could
manage with the swaying of the boat were - <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3872/14438254695_2b30f4fe7f.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2926/14438254685_d6a1e06bb6.jpg" /><br />
White-winged Scoters - As you can see, they were quite close! <br />
<br />
Just to give you an idea what the ship looked like, here's a picture taken of
the ferry from the front to the back of the boat ( yes, I know the cars are
facing backward ). <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/14434816691_09a960ccae.jpg" /><br />
The ferry <br />
<br />
As I was taking this scenery photo below, two Red-breasted Mergansers ripped
by my frame of vision, creating a positive photobomb! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3875/14434818221_0ba6ea5041.jpg" /><br />
Red-breasted Merganser with scenery - or is it the other way around?... <br />
<br />
Pardon my dry sense of humor. <br />
<br />
Carrying on.... continuing to travel back to Port McNeill, sea birds
persisted, with Horned Grebes, a few Pigeon Guillemots, Common Loons, Surf
Scoters, and one Pelagic Cormorant still being present. Finally, as evening was
dawning ( whoa, that's oxymoronic ), the vessel slowed down as we neared the
Port Mac dock. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2909/14434818201_4f8235db6e.jpg" /><br />
Port McNeill dead ahead! <br />
<br />
Subsequently driving off the ferry, we scooted back to the cottage... to
catch an NBA playoff game. <br />
<br />
Yes, I would have watched the game if there weren't 33 Bald Eagles in a
feeding frenzy outside the front door of the cottage. Yep, there they were, 33
Bald Eagles just awing us with their majestic, yet somewhat mythical being;
swooping, turning, and flying forcefully past. They would swoosh down, way down
to the bay below, than surge up and start consuming their meals in mid-air. It
was truly incredible, and a moment my mother and I will not forget any time
soon. Of course the camera was clicking, and here are the results : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3845/14253265878_11df02129b.jpg" /><br />
7 of 33 Bald Eagles present at a feeding frenzy right outside the front door
of our rented cottage in Port McNeill <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/14253266618_fc1fa5838e.jpg" /><br />
An immature bird - this is nearly full-frame! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3866/14253266298_8f5b5fd8b8.jpg" /><br />
Looking at his catch. He would even stretch out and take a bite out of it
mid-air! Anyone identify that fish? <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3863/14253266288_8462c4f77e.jpg" /><br />
Swooping Bald Eagle <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2896/14253266948_5ae6e28529.jpg" /><br />
Bald Eagle - Same individual as the last two pictures <br />
<br />
After around forty-five of observing the spectacle in awe and wonder, I did
eventually sit down and watch the basketball game. ;) <br />
<br />
Well, that wraps up another full day of birding at the top tip of Vancouver
Island, and would be my last, as I would navigate back down to Vancouver (
birding along the way ), starting bright and early in the morning. <br />
<br />
I hope you enjoyed this post, and the next of the series is coming soon! <br />
<br />
Have a great rest of your week; <br />
<br />
Logan :) </div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-4551576270238448642014-06-02T16:34:00.001-07:002014-06-02T16:45:15.179-07:00Triangle Island Birding Adventure - Day 2 - Part 2 Hello folks! This is Part 2 of Day 2 - the return trip from Triangle Island. It was jam-packed; filled with lots of birds, a sunny atmosphere, and beautiful scenery. ~ Warning ~ lots of pictures! <br />
<br />
After steering round Triangle Island, we started to head south, ultimately reaching back to Port McNeill. Our two christened "chummers" commenced chumming; tossing fish parts over the sides and back of the boat. There were several Sooty Shearwaters in the area, so we wanted to bring them in, and possibly a Pink-footed, which we were still shockingly missing. Of course first, the food brought in a few inquisitive gulls, both Glaucous-winged and Herring.<br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2895/14280539395_9b42baac47.jpg" /><br />
Glaucous-winged Gull <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/14280539665_00e36b80db.jpg" /><br />
Herring Gull <br />
<br />
The Sooties did eventually come in though, and I snapped a shot of one as it approached abreast the vessel. The shot came out blurry because of, well, the rocking of the boat, but it turned out positive because the capture created a beautiful reflection below the bird! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/14292365025_e17842f788.jpg" /><br />
Sooty Shearwater - happy accident shot <br />
<br />
Here's a picture of Triangle Island on the right and a piece of the Scott Islands on the left, as seen from a fair distance : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5519/14280539025_bf3b2ae3a1.jpg" /><br />
Two distant islands <br />
<br />
There was no shortage of birds out here too, as the amount of Rhinoceros Auklet did not wain from the trip to TrIs; there were plenty of them. Sooty Shears followed the boat on portside, but not one Pinky-foot showed up - too bad. An immature Bald Eagle swooped over which always a nice sight. <br />
<br />
Suddenly, we saw a faraway V of birds off in the clouds. They got closer, closer, and they started vocalizing. By golly they were cackling! Yep, they were Cackling Geese! The flock of around 100 birds flew right over the boat, and I was too stunned to take a picture ( sorry ). What an unreal visual! 100 Cackling Geese, flying over a boat, in the middle of the sea. Neat. On a side note, I couldn't pick out any "Aleutian" Cackling Geese, a rare subspecies, which extremely rarely make it to British Columbia, but hey, a random flock of Cacklers over the ocean could have anything! Tundra Bean-Goose anyone?<br />
<br />
Veering south-east, we spotted a tight band of SOSHs huddled together with a photobomber Common Murre : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5572/14292365175_a2ca38f1ea.jpg" /><br />
Sans COMU <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3834/14292365505_71a2f6bf3c.jpg" /><br />
Avec photobomber Common Murre <br />
<br />
A few minutes later, there was a patch of water which was bustling with activity. Common Murres, mooore Rhinos, Pelagic Cormorants, and some straggling Sooty Shearwaters were all in a small area. Time to chum again - there was a lot of action around. Immediately we noticed a fishing trawler attracting gulls... but no jaegers or skuas or terns or whatever. The fishing trawler gulls noticed us and quickly we had around 120 gulls swarming around our boat, feasting on the fish remains. Glaucous-winged, Herring, 1 Ring-billed, and countless hybridy-thingies gulls were counted. No pure Westerns alas, arrgghhh! Where's my lifer-bird? Well, here's a picture of the ruckus the gulls were causing. ( The pink bits are the fish, a.k.a. chum ). <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3710/14292366015_b206fbff01.jpg" /><br />
Frenzy! <br />
<br />
A curious young hybridy gull : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3733/14277658256_543ee96154.jpg" /><br />
Dave, the random gull <br />
<br />
There was no shortage of other avian life besides the omnipresent gulls either. The chum magnetized in Pelagic and Brandt's Cormorants, Rhinoceros Auklets, and even several striking breeding plumage Pacific Loons! ( Please excuse me, my camera missed the PALOs too. ) But I did successfully photograph the cormorants! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2920/14292365765_3776651a5e.jpg" /><br />
Cormorant heads, not to mention a hybrid gull and two Rhinoceros Auklets <br />
<br />
After spending a great deal of time chumming here, we took off again. <br />
<br />
The next half an hour or so was taken up soaking up the sun and seeing the last few Sooty Shearwaters of the trip trickling away in the distance. We could now see land; the top tip of Vancouver Island. Passing some of the islands previously passed on the way out to sea ( see Day 2 - Part 1 ), were being approached. <br />
<br />
On a rocky outcropping on the edge of one of the island was a troop of Steller Sea-Lions which are overall big goldy-brownish lumps, charismatically positioned and behaving. A photo shoot ensues. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3666/14277658386_b19a5393d2.jpg" /><br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5574/14277659196_eba9313039.jpg" /><br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5114/14277658646_52e795014a.jpg" /><br />
Above - The head honcho <br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/14277658876_cd1874b9c5.jpg" /><br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2912/14277659476_fc29d3b174.jpg" /><br />
Starting the plunge! <br />
<br />
How can you not photograph them? They are one of a kind. How can you not love them? <br />
Moving on, here's the long stretch of scenery I was forewarning. A virtual tour is what I call it...<br />
<br />
We are now in island country. There are hundreds, I mean hundreds of islands in this chain, and every one is unique. <br />
<br />
This one had a cavern : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3766/14301488775_823da7a5e3.jpg" /><br />
<br />
... and an over-turned log : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5474/14304582641_c193e41a59.jpg" /><br />
<br />
This one had pretty orange moss on its rocks : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3833/14301489325_ed55a69f1c.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2900/14301488865_aaf5b0a770.jpg" /><br />
<br />
As you can see, there were two Harlequin Ducks swimming right beside this island : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3791/14301489385_ca999ca5d4.jpg" /><br />
<br />
This island bears quite a beautiful lighthouse : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/14114206050_bfe9e1c766.jpg" /><br />
<br />
And finally, at this spectacular one, we heard a Pacific Wren beaking out his tinkley, beautiful song from its solid, dense stand of trees up this rocky face : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/14301489735_954e159097.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Birds were few and far between in this stretch, but we weren't complaining. It was gorgeous out there in the hot, beating down sun! <br />
<br />
I was intrigued and amazing at the rock and soil layers of many of the islands, as these pictures exhibit. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/14304583031_041bd0e9f5.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/14304583101_843c6ca754.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5040/14328405033_8313f5fe33.jpg" /><br />
This one looks like one of those islands you see in the adventure movies where some guy gets shipwrecked on a desolate island... <br />
<br />
Picturesque inlets and coves were everywhere : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14285114496_4b46d1b654.jpg" /><br />
<br />
At least there were *some* birds around; a party of 9 Western Grebes sallied the waters, lone Bald Eagles sat on knolls on the edge of some of the islands, and a few Mew Gulls flew by. <br />
<br />
The sun was starting to creep down to horizon, and it was still be courteous to us with its warmth and light. As it was bound to happen, birding picked up as we got close to "real" land. This stone was filled with cormorants perching on it. All three sp were picked out ( DC, P, and B ). <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14316037672_f018e223a4.jpg" /><br />
Cormorant Island <br />
<br />
Now no blog post of coastal Vancouver Island could be complete without a picture of beacon in the middle of a bay : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3831/14316038032_ee77f8938e.jpg" /><br />
Beacon <br />
<br />
The Naiad Explorer ( our boat ) was starting to near Port Hardy, our first drop-off place before motoring down to Port McNeill to dock. An amusing sight was this as we moved toward the dock : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3758/14285114516_92c788758c.jpg" /><br />
Cormorant salesmen <br />
<br />
At the Port Hardy port, we said goodbye to the birders who got on the boat there, and as a farewell gesture, a Turkey Vulture surfed by overhead. <br />
<br />
Now, my quest for a pure Western Gull did not stop there; I snapped a picture of this gull right before ducking into the Port Hardy bay : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5080/14316037592_8545f20ca1.jpg" /><br />
<br />
What do you think? Pure Western? I sadly think not, I can see hints of Glaucous-winged descent... <br />
<br />
Thirty minutes later, our boat pulled into the Port McNeill dock, gleefully greeted by a horde of Western Sandpipers on the boat dock. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3794/14316038092_5a671c765f.jpg" /><br />
Western Tire Sandpipers 'a la boat dock' <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2927/14294831976_965437b52b.jpg" /><br />
Western Sandpipers <br />
<br />
Finally, 8 1/2 hours after we embarked, the captain, Bill Mackay powered down the boat and gentle nudged it into its berth. <br />
<br />
It was time to celebrate! We had beaten a 1/7 odds of making it out to Triangle Island, reached it successfully, and came back scot-free! Also, we observed over 50 species of bird and 5 species of mammal! <br />
<br />
I shook Bill and his wife Donna's hand, as well as Liron, who organized the trip, and then disembarked. I was still in bird find-mode though as usual, so I scanned the mud flat for peeps. Sure enough, the flock of Westerns who were on the docks flew in and offered a photo opportunity. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2917/14294832066_6ba9d99118.jpg" /><br />
Western Sandpipers prodding the mud for invertebrates <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5524/14294832216_c32ac69f32.jpg" /><br />
Foraging for food <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5485/14294832566_889e8d4fb9.jpg" /><br />
Settling down after briskly lifting off <br />
<br />
Dunlin were mixed in too : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2918/14321352035_7ca46d154d.jpg" /><br />
Copycats <br />
<br />
NW Crows were on the shore too, making sure the sandpipers don't eat all the food. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/14321351665_517b7bdf02.jpg" /><br />
The always entertaining and loveable Northwestern Crow <br />
<br />
Surprisingly, a Savannah Sparrow was feeding on the some seaweed on the opposite side of the flats, and he/she was cooperative. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2895/14137284529_e62a6c352f.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2935/14137284539_08db879595.jpg" /><br />
<br />
After saying my final goodbyes to the pelagic birders who I had 'shipped' with for the whole day, I headed back to the cottage where I was ready for a good night's sleep. Tomorrow's a big birding day, too! <br />
<br />
P.S. A bonus photo - Orange-crowned Warbler on my way to the cottage : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/14137284239_43c81da94c.jpg" /><br />
Orange-crowned Warbler <br />
<br />
Day 3 - Coming up! <br />
<br />
Logan Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-42016905315299899692014-05-23T23:01:00.004-07:002014-05-23T23:01:40.109-07:00Triangle Island Birding Adventure - Day 2 - Part 1 April 25th :<br />
<br />
The day of the pelagic!!! The sky was splotchy blue and very little wind was blowing. Up out of the comfortable bed at the cottage, chug down breakfast, and out the door I go. Golden-crowned Sparrows serenaded from the bushes, and an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk zoomed by overhead. The calls of Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, and Townsend's Warblers were pleasant to hear, as well as Golden-crowned Kinglets and CB Chickadees from the loping cedars. A scan of the water waaayyy down below produced dots of two Red-necked Grebes. <br />
<br />
We jumped into the car, and headed to the Port McNeill boat docks in high hopes that this pelagic may actually depart!!! I looked up on a telephone wire on the way and was bewildered to see a pair of Eurasian Collared-Doves!!! :O Seriously, their up HERE now, too?!!! Arriving in Port McNeill, I started to see scattered birders heading to the boat docks, which was a calming reminder that we had driven to the right place! We screeched to a halt at the pier parking area, and it is sure beautiful there! Muddy shoreline ( ooh, shorebird potential ), rocky edges, gorgeous parkscape, and of course a stunningly perfect North Vancouver Island boat dock were just some of the sights to be seen! I went straight to the muddy shoreline, and grabbed looks at breeding plumage Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, and Least Sandpiper. The flock of around of 70 of these birds crowded the shoreline. A Greater Yellowlegs was also present, prowling the muddy shore. Here's a picture of the beautiful ( yes, I've used that term a LOT so far ) ripples in the water near the muddy shore. Spot the GRYE. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/14143320281_8b68605d5b.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Suddenly, a Belted Kingfisher burst past, rattlingly calling ( is that a word? ) In the boat dock area, Hooded Mergansers and Bufflehead were swimming about. As we approached the boat that would *hopefully* take me and 33 other birders out to sea, I did a final check : binoculars - check, camera - check, adrenaline - check. The boat that we ( the pelagic birders ) would take was the Naiad Explorer, a crafty and efficient boat, with ample windows and deck space. I was dumb enough not to take a picture of the boat, but it is moreover a 40 foot, two-story, two-tone yellow and gray boat, with two outside deck platforms at the back of the boat.<br />
<br />
With two backpacks, and birding equipment in toe : Canon photography equip, binos, notebook, field guide, etc, I jumped from the dock to the Naiad Explorer. Final goodbyes to mom, and I was all ready to go! One of the first people whom I met on the boat was Liron Gertsman, my birding friend who had amazingly organized this whole pelagic himself; and he's only 13 like me! Thank you very much, Liron! I then met the skipper of the boat, Bill Mackay, and his wife Donna, who are wonderful people, and kindly offered their boat for this pelagic. After laying my gear down, downstairs in the bottom of the boat, I climbed back up and scanned the water... aha! There were two Marbled Murrelets out in the bay - a lifer!!! Did you know that Marbled Murrelets choose to nest high up in cedars inland? Their breeding habits were unknown until 1974, when a nest was discovered inland in a park in California. MAMUs are listed as Endangered. Back to the birding. There were Red-necked Grebes there, too; now in breeding plumage, and starting to pair up. As more and more eager people piled onto the boat, it was clear that this excursion was going to leave on time! <br />
<br />
Finally, the last birders trickling onto the Naiad Explorer, and the vessel turned on its motors, and pulled away from the dock! Groups of birders clustered to different sides of the boat, to get different angles of the water. I chose the front right corner, behind the bridge. As we pulled away, we immediately noted Common Loon, Red-throated Loon, several more Marbled Murrelets, and a couple 'o Rhinos :<br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7432/13993766538_fa5053ce5b.jpg" /><br />
Rhinoceros Auklet in typical viewing position <br />
<br />
Double-crested and predominantly Pelagic Cormorants dashed across the bow, stern, and sides of the boat. Two Long-tailed Ducks zipped by behind the boat, which I almost missed. I did get them, though ( year-bird #165 ). While cruising away from port, I met Dave, a veteran of 24 pelagics, and Ed Jordan, a fantastic birder from the Quadra Islands, who is also a pelagic veteran. Directing full attention back to birds, I got distant views at another lifer, Black Scoter, way out in the middle of a SUSC flock. I was then lucky enough to get a little group of Common Murres very close to the boat.... yet another lifer! Spotting a pack of 12 Western Grebes starboard-side was a nice surprise, as well as getting a quick fly-by Red-breasted Merganser.<br />
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The seas continued to be calm as we hugged the coast, bound to pick up the rest of the crew at the Port Hardy dock. In the midst of the sea-scanning, someone called "PORPOISE!" Yep, skipping past the vessel were 3 Dall's Porpoises, which are awesome to see. Just a second later, a Pacific White-sided Dolphin was spied near the back of the boat. Zipping up the island coast, we kept seeing Rhinoceros Auklets. Heaps of 'em. The cool ( dare I say COLD ) morning breeze ( dare I say GUST ) kept us very much awake at 9:30 a.m. In around 15 minutes, we reached the Port Hardy dock, where Double-crested and Pelagic Cormorants were abundant, and Red-necked Grebes crowded the harbour; at least 13 of them were counted. We picked up nine more eager birders at Port Hardy, completing the roster for the trip; everybody showed up! This is looking to be a success! We still needed to get out to Triangle Island, though. While the other nine birders were boarding, an adult Bald Eagle gallantly flew over, as well as, um, Rock Pigeons. <br />
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Pushing away from the Port Hardy dock, a pair of Common Mergansers were noted swimming in the boat docks. We headed out into open waters, bound for TrIs, and the weather looked promising; only 0.5 metre swells, blue skies, and sun was pelting down from above! The last of the coldness of earlier that morning wore off, and birds were numerous. Our first White-winged Scoter blasted by starboard, keeping pace with the Naiad Explorer's 30 knot speed. <br />
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<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2898/13993767508_6db5945a49.jpg" /><br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7342/13993768158_f10d3da5e0.jpg" /><br />
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White-winged Scoter - Whoa, that bird's fast! He's clocking around 30 knots!!!<br />
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In this section, around Hope Island, the amount of alcids started picking up. Common Murres were getting more numerous, Rhinoceros Auklets were picking up ever more, and Pigeon Guillemot numbers were on the rise. Finally, OPEN SEA IS IN SIGHT!!!.....<br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5479/13993767148_feca2c6f47.jpg" /><br />
Open seas are in sight!!! <br />
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..... and it looks calm out there! However, the open seas can be deceiving, and a northern wind could strike at any moment. So out we go, into the big ocean blue, with good friends, and pelagic birds too! Excuse my lame sense of poetry. Here's a Pelagic Cormorant that arrowed past the front of the boat :<br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5159/14200661623_ccddeffced.jpg" /><br />
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In about 30 minutes, we were passing the Scott Islands, and all I could see was water, my first taste of true ocean! And there were birds out there, too! Tons of alcids perused the water; I counted at least 25 Rhinoceros Auklets, 7 Pigeon Guillemots, and 20 Common Murres in a small window of time.<br />
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The waves were getting 'somewhat' larger at around 2 metres, but that's nothing, so we powered on, out to even opener seas; while rising up... and falling down into the wave's trough. The amplitude wasn't too bad, though. Birds like P and DC Cormorants fooled us into thinking they were tubenoses or jaegers; example "Oh, there's a jaeger!... oh, another PECO", or "Shearwater! Wait... no, cormorant."<br />
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Several minutes later I am wondering when we were going to get some shearwaters. We were pretty far out at sea; already past halfway to Triangle Island. Come on, the swells are only 2 metres high, visiblity is high, and the sun is beating down on our pelagic souls. Finally, finally, I hear the call : "Sooty Shearwater!". Where, WHERE?!! Oh there, the massive flock of dark brown tubenoses portside. Happy dance time! Liron and I's first tubenoses of any kind! Dozens of these dark tubies rocketed by, and were giving us birders some great looks. I tried feebly to get a photo of them, but without a tripod, on a boat, which waves are playing with, it's tough to get a decent shot off! But, persistance pays, and I finally snapped a picture of a Sooty gliding over some soft ripples. Yes! A *picture* of a Sooty Shearwater! <br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5319/14001200777_4429f352d2.jpg" /><br />
Sooty Shearwater<br />
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Hey look, I took a SECOND picture of one! Now I'm really making progress! ~ note the sarcasm ~<br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5588/14001214020_d9ce7aec3e.jpg" /><br />
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Cruising along in the wide expanse of blue, there were Sooty Shearwaters everywhere, mixed with the usual alcids and Pelagic Cormorants. Here's a shot of a group of seabirds : <br />
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<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7444/14001200517_9ef709cafc.jpg" /><br />
Group of pelagic birds - Can you count the species?<br />
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Superb sea conditions continued, and spirits were high. Our hearts were lifted even more as a Leach's Storm-Petrel dashed by on the left side of the boat!!! This tiny tubenose, resembling a pigeon, or even a Budgerier, skipped above the surface, enlightening our faces, and was yet another lifer for moi - #288 for B.C. After marvelling at this bird for some time as it dipped and fluttered about in the distance, we turned around, and believe it or not, the silhouette of Triangle Island could be seen rising over the horizon - the earth really is round! Although incredibly far away, we could SEE Triangle Island. <br />
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Fast forward half an hour.......... I was tediously trying to turn one of them there Sooties into a Pink-footed, but to no avail. Triangle Island continued to loom in the distance, and the waves only increased by half a metre; to 2 1/2 metres. Suddenly, some dark alcids zipped by - Cassin's Auklets!!! And a stocky little black bird with a colourful face - Tufted Puffin!!! Two lifers in quick succession. Alas, no photos; we were clipping along at quite a pace. I spotted a flock of queer little birds flapping rapidly together toward the direction of Triangle Island, which turned out to be Red-necked Phalaropes! There were lots of birds out there as we slowwwly advanced to TI. I mean, there were A LOT of birds, such as several White-winged Scoters, 1 Marbled Murrelet ( a bit far out for them? ), a few Glaucous-winged Gulls doing their very best albatross imitation - arrgghhh, and a massive flock of Brant flying swiftly high up in ( a few ) white clouds that started to dot the sky. A surreal sight, seeing about 120 Brant out in the middle of the sea! :) Quite a moment. <br />
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By now, I was starting to feel a bit nauseas; the boat was going up... and down... up... and down. I'm feeling woozy just thinking of it! However it wasn't too bad ( at the moment ), so I sat down and got some more looks at Cassin's Auklets scooting away from the boat; taking off from the water. Whoops! I'm getting a bit long-winded. I'm sure you're half asleep... but I hope you're not! ;) <br />
At long last, we approached Triangle Island, and the views were breathtaking :<br />
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<img id="yui_3_11_0_3_1400906993867_413" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5532/14201201734_5d8b89f0a7.jpg" /><br />
A piece of Triangle Island from the boat's perspective <br />
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<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2908/14201201744_7afdb2fc28.jpg" /><br />
Beautiful, isn't it? <br />
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Bill, the captain, powered down the boat, and we coasted along the side of the island slowly. - Nausea update - By this point, I was feeling GREEN. Yep, good ol' sea sickness sucks another helpless passenger into its belly of woe. "I'd better head downstairs to take some Gravol", I thought : no easy task I'm afraid. Woozily descending down the steeeep stairs to the bowels of the ship, I was greeted by the lovely smell of gas from the ship's motor. That didn't really help. Alright! I got to my bag. Gravol taken. Back up to top deck I wander. And then it happened. ( No, an albatross didn't swoop by dramatically ), I let go of my stomach's contents out the side of the ship. Thankfully, it was only water that I disgorged. That did the trick though, and I went back to seeing the sights of the island. Way up on the tippy top of the island was a Pelagic Cormorant / Glaucous-winged Gull colony, which I snapped some pictures of, but they didn't turn out. <br />
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Us folks on the Naiad Explorer celebrated, as going into this trip, we had a 1/7 odds of making it to the island. Well, here's to defying odds! To make matters even more pleasant, we viewed a Bald Eagle swoop by overhead, an immature. Also, as we rounded the backside of the island, a Peregrine Falcon was viewed by everyone on board, which was perched atop a peak on the mountain. A Sooty Shearwater caressed the waves beside us, and I snapped away with my camera. Yes! I finally got a keeper! I was genuinely gleeful at getting this shot.<br />
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<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2939/14223606166_c28060a975.jpg" /><br />
Sooty Shearwater banking <br />
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After we had had our lunch, we were more than content with seeing Triangle Island in all its glory ( in the daytime, that is; at night, thousands of storm-petrels head out to sea to feed, as well as Cassin's Auklets, which would be impeccably amazing to see ). <br />
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Well, as we turned the last corner of Triangle Island, we decided it was time to start making our way back to Port Hardy. One last look at Tri I... <br />
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<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2929/14223605616_33c13b0db5.jpg" /><br />
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... and we relunctantly had to say goodbye to this phenominal island. <br />
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Stay tuned - our wonderful trip back to our starting berth in Port McNeill is the subject of Part 2. Lots more birds 'n' photos to come! <br />
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Logan Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-76374181512016141842014-05-12T16:05:00.002-07:002014-05-21T15:48:43.983-07:00Triangle Island Birding Adventure - Day 1 I have had several regrets this year, including not finishing Part 3 of my Trip to the Lower Mainland blog series, but this trip was not one of them. Truly, this was a spectacular journey, encompassing five days, 1500 kms, and a pelagic trip to Triangle Island! So, sit down, buckle your seatbelts, and enjoy the ride, for this is going to be a multiple post summery of that wonderful and whirlwind weekend. <br />
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Day 1 - Thursday, April 24th : <br />
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The alarm clock went off at 5:45 a.m. on a drizzly Thursday morning. Up out of bed I haul myself, and down the stairs I plod, only to hear breaking news that may completely cancel the pelagic. A 6.7 magnitude earthquake just struck Port McNeill the night before. Great, the one time I have a chance to go on a pelagic, in the same week a random earthquake strikes in the place the boat is launching out of. Just great. Why wasn't it some other weekend?! Or some other place?!! Port McNeill of all places. Trying to forget that there was ever an earthquake, I solemnly packed my bags. Just to add to the uncertainty that hovered around this trip, I learned that there is storm warning on the Coquihalla, the main highway that connects Kelowna and Merritt, and then Merritt to Abbotsford. <br />
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When it was time to leave, my mood was brightened somewhat by seeing a Townsend's Solitare in the front tree, shivering from the cold and dampness. He looked miserable, that poor bird. Departing from the house at around 6:30 a.m., my mom and I drove off into the rain, crossing our fingers that Mother Nature will show some compassion. On the drive to the Coquihalla, through downtown Kelowna, I noted the usual city birds : Mallard, Rock Pigeon, and European Starling; the classic urban trio. Tensions started to rise as we hit the Coquihalla Highway, ( also called 97C ), as rain was plumetting down, as was the temperature. If you don't like the rain, I'm glad you weren't there. Ascending the wide highway, the rain shot down even harder, and I was bewildered to see three American Robins perched on some posts; why would they be out here in the midst of a storm? At such high elevations??? Also counted was a young Sharp-shinned Hawk, flying low over the trees. Suddenly, the rain turned to snow. This is where it got nasty. Slush was everywhere on the road, and you couldn't find your "footing" as a driver. To make mom and I's confidence dip down even lower, we saw a massive semi truck in a ditch; the accident looked fresh, too. All of a sudden, we were sucked into the side, then back into the middle, then into the side again. Slipping and sliding, we held on for dear life; hearts pounding! This is serious stuff! I was able to quickly take a picture of the dreadful highway conditions : <br />
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Dreadful Coquihalla conditions!!!<br />
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As you can see, you can not really see the real pavement, and we had no idea what was under the snow - Ice? Slush? Or both? Finally, after a 45 minute drive through the worst road conditions my mother has ever driven on, the snow started to dissipate, and I could start looking for birds again. And, there were actually birds way up here! A few wandering Common Ravens were on the wing, flapping over the road and looking for scraps. A Gray Jay flew across the treetops, and several winter-finch sp. flew over. They were almost unidentifiable while travelling at 80 kph! Who knows... GC Rosy-finch? :) A bird that I WAS able to identify was a hunched Northern Pygmy-Owl of top of a tree! In ten minutes we were starting to descend down the Coq finally, and even more birds were tallied ( even though snow was still draped on everything ), including another Townsend's Solitare flying across, a lost Yellow-rumped ( Audubon's ) Warbler steadily flying over the car, and a distant Pileated Woodpecker on a thick tree. Now entering the lower elevations, near the Princeton turnoff, there was *still* snow everywhere! There are several small wetland areas and ponds near the road, which were fortunately unfrozen. We were going so fast that all I could ID in the smaller ponds were some Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, and Canada Geese. There were probably Redhead and American Coots too, but I couldn't tell for sure. Situated on top of a pine was a pretty American Kestrel. There are also at least two larger ponds ( that could classify for lakes ), which in one of them was a pair of breeding Common Loons. Further down the highway, there was a male Mountain Bluebird on a nice perch, which looked odd in the snow. If I posted this is winter I could probably get off with seeing the first ever winter Mountain Bluebird sighting for Thomson-Nicola. :) The freak snowstorm the night before really altered the way everything looked, such as seeing three Brewer's Blackbirds drinking from a pool of water... in the snow. American Robins were everywhere in bountiful amounts. They were on branches, on trees, on everything! Northern Flickers were also abundant, swooping and perching here and there. Descending quickly into Merritt, the snowline cut off rapidly, leaving a landscape of spring ahead of us. <br />
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Now, that was the Kelowna-Merritt section of the Coquihalla. Next up - ding, ding, ding - was the Merritt-Abbotsford portion, where there was a ( of course ) major snowstorm the night before. Teeth gritted, we started ascending again into the mountains. We were waiting; waiting for the sight of snow-covered roads and slushy sides yet again, but worse, yet we kept climbing, and there was no snow on the pavement. Ten minutes later... still no snow, and only minute amounts of slush scattered in some places. Okay, this was starting to get freaky. There was literally a major snowstorm the night before, and today, there is NO snow on the road. Climbing up and up we went, with no snow whatsoever. It was quite lovely up there! Momentarily, we reached the summit, and guess what - you guessed it - there were zero MOLECULES of snow on the highway! So, I started looking for avian life. There was a pair of smartly plumaged Common Mergansers on the creek that runs across the pass, and a randomly placed Mallard on a log near the creek, too. A pleasant surprise was seeing two Red Crossbills atop an evergreen, a year-bird for B.C. ( #154 ) as were commenced our descent down from the summit. As we neared the bottom of the Coq, Mom and I exchanged relieved and cheerful smiles, as we had conquered the Coquihalla Highway without a hitch. <br />
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From the base of the Coq, we then switched highways to the Trans-Canada ( Hwy 1 ), where we drove down a looong, straight stretch of highway, with prairies and farms on either side; typical of the Abbotsford area scenery. I observed Northwestern Crow - yay! When you're from the Okanagan, a NW Crow is a great bird to get, because it's a strictly coastal species of corvid. Some good duck fly-overs were Wood Duck; a pair jumping out from a wooded pond, and a female Hooded Merganser. In a flooded field, I was able to pick out Glaucous-winged and Mew Gulls, as well as a strutting Greater Yellowlegs. Several Bald Eagles were resting in a pack of trees, and Red-tailed Hawks were numerous. A drop-dead gorgeous sub-adult Northern Harrier drifted elegantly extremely close to the car in yet another field. <br />
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We were heading to the Tsawwasseen Ferry Docks, to catch a ferry to Vancouver Island, and then ultimately drive to Port McNeill. As we neared the ferry jetty several minutes later, I stopped for a quick listen/look before catching the ferry. The sweet tinkling song of a Savannah Sparrow wafted to my ears, and tons of waterbirds were in the bay. 12 Brant were taking a breather on a grassy spit, as well as Mallard; must I mention them? Two Common Loons were lingering close to shore and 3 Common Goldeneyes were in the water also. An amiable sight of 4 Black Oystercatchers on the shore was seen; I never get tired of watching them! Loads of Glaucous-winged and Western X Glaucous-winged Gulls circled around above the ferry port. We then checked in for the ferry, and waited our line to board. <br />
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Finally, after thirty minutes of waiting, we boarded the ferry and I quickly scaled the stairs to the top, outside deck. A second of scanning the water produced, bingo, my lifer Pigeon Guillemot riding the low waves in the harbor! A super start to the ferry ride, and only my second alcid I've ever seen. ( My only other alcid on my life list is Black Guillemot from Nova Scotia in 2012 ). Blowing its horn, the mighty cruiseliner, er ferry heaved out of its berth. I scanned the rocks on each side of ferry, picking up 'white-plumed' Double-crested Cormorants as well as the Pelagic kind, and a raft of 45 Surf Scoters packed closely together. Two stunning breeding plumaged Common Loons sprung out from the water in front of the boat as we started to increase speed. In only a few short minutes, we were out into the Strait of Georgia. I suddenly looked down. What are those black dots in the water there? Rhinoceros Auklets! Lifer number 2 for the trip, and all-time British Columbia lifer #283!!!<br />
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Things were going quite well. A nice male Red-breasted Merganser shot past, as well as another Pelagic Cormorant. There was a shocking amount of Red-throated Loons flying past, everywhere! Springing away from almost under the boat... <br />
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<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/13895733089_0dc39931c9.jpg" /><br />
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... flapping across the bow in the distance, and flying overhead the RTLOs were. Some individuals were in beautiful breeding colours, namesake red throat and all. Some scraggly immature Mew Gulls chugged past the boat. Standing at the bow of a ferry, looking at semi-pelagic birds, in the wind, and taking pictures; I could get used to this! "Just wait until I get out to Triangle Island!" I thought positively. Yet another wonderful sight to behold was watching 6 Killer Whales, a.k.a. Orcas swimming and surfacing spectacularly abreast the ship!!! :) Nearing the Nanaimo port, a young Bald Eagle flew overhead. I had several Red-and-white Lighthouse sightings and I viewed a cooperative and rare Russian Cargo-Ship near shore. <br />
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On the island for the first time in two years, Mom and I buckled our seatbelts for the 5 hour drive ahead of us, to Port McNeill. The drive to Qualicum Beach was quiet bird-wise, but we did manage to see multiple Turkey Vultures soaring above the trees, showing their characteristic V-shaped wings in flight. The forests that line the road along the Island Highway ( Hwy 19 ), are quite different from the vegetation that is native to the Okanagan. There are many more cedar trees, and the undergrowth is quite extensive. We did a brief stop at the Little Qualicum Estuary, for a half-hearted try to see the long-staying Northern Mockingbird. I did not get the M-bird, but there were loads of other birds there to somewhat occupy my time. Pine Siskins called overhead, Bushtits were chipping in the shrubs, many Chestnut-backed Chickadees were fluttering in the bushes, and a Spotted Towhee was posing for a picture :<br />
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<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2903/13895733419_06877cd749.jpg" /><br />
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It was great to see a male Rufous Hummingbird buzzing ferociously while sitting arrogantly on top of a tall bush. I observed 12 Bonaparte's Gull swirling about near the pebbly beach, looking quite like terns, and two striking looking Black-bellied Plovers in full breeding colours took off from the shore. <br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5478/13895733109_bef143228d.jpg" /><br />
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Time was of the essence if we wanted to reach Port McNeill while it was still light, so we got back on to the highway again, and plodded north up the island. As we pushed northward, the trees were getting denser and more deep green in colour. Birds spotted along the way were : mooore Turkey Vultures ( lotsa them ), one RT Hawk, and a gorgeous male Purple Martin showing off his deep violet colour underneath in the air. I had a close look at him. Apparently that is the northernmost record ever for that species on Vancouver island and comments are welcome...<br />
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Two hours later, we took a rest stop in Sayward, a tiny town around 45 minutes south of Port McNeill. In Sayward, we pit-stopped at the Cypress Tree Inn to fill up on gas ( the car ), and grab some snacks ( for us ). Hopefully not the other way around. ;) I birded the rich foresty edge that bordered the inn. A Hermit Thrush ( year-bird #161 ) hopped onto the ground in front of me, and I snapped this not-so-amazing shot of it. <br />
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Golden-crowned and White-crowned Sparrows came into view in response to my pishing, and this Golden-crowned was particularly obliging :<br />
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From some crazy tall trees, a Golden-crowned Kinglet called, and a nice Orange-crowned Warbler flitted by in the scrubby bushes. Later, two Dark-eyed Juncos called agitatingly. After a successful stop at the Inn, we got back into our Hyundai and plodded on to Port McNeill. We finally, finally arrived at the outskirts of Port Mac around dusk, and boy it's beautiful! <br />
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At long last, Port McNeill in all its finest! <br />
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Stunning! <br />
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Lanqvist Road - the street that our cottage we stayed in is located<br />
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Beautiful forest and inlet... <br />
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The Malcom Island/Port McNeill ferry heading to port <br />
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We stayed at the Home Away From Home Cottage, a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Port McNeill city centre. Once we had shifted our bags into the homey cabin, we took a walk at dusk down one of the trails down to the water. How beautiful and serene is it there? You will just have to go there and find out. It was breathtaking. And several birds were singing in the near complete darkness, too. From a patch of dense woodland, I heard an intricate, transfixing call, which incorporated a few American Robin notes into its song, too. Then, I saw some movement low down in the trees from the direction I heard the song. It turned out to be a dark race 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow! I pulled out the flash on my camera, and snapped some night shots on manuel focus. The pictures did not turn out badly! <br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5200/14122421001_40d4211fa4.jpg" /><br />
My best shot of the "AMRO-imitating, dark race 'Sooty' Fox Sparrow, at night, in Port McNeill" The longest title ever. :D <br />
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All of a sudden, a Pacific Wren burst into song very close by, which literally can stop your heart for a second! In the fading light, I watched three pairs of beautiful Red-necked Grebes out on the water, and a Bald Eagle flew perfectly across the massive trees bordering the water. I was speechless the experience was so... so..... well, like I said, I'm speechless! After soaking it all in for a while, we headed back up the trail, clunking two rocks together to discourage the local Black Bears which are known to be active now. At the end of the path, across the street from the cottage, we flushed a Savannah Sparrow out of some weedy bushes. American Robins ( the real ones, not the Fox Sparrow imitations ) were serenading us from everywhere as we stepped onto the front porch. Once I finished my pasta dinner, I sat down to an NBA game before bed. - Just a little tidbit of me; I love sports of all kind, and I'm a Rapters fan. We the north! <br />
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Well that concludes the first day of my Triangle Island trip! For the journey, way up to Port McNeill, I tallied 64 species of bird, which I found fascinating and fantastic. The next day, I will get up to *hopefully* board the fishing boat to Triangle. Crossing my fingers that the weather holds up..... <br />
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P.S. Thank you so much, Mom, for driving through thick and thin, and nasty weather up on the Coquihalla. :) :) <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-89686488337087640492014-03-14T22:02:00.002-07:002014-03-14T22:13:07.539-07:00Trip to the Lower Mainland - Part 2 Here is Part 2 of my trifecta series of birding in the Lower Mainland. <br />
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February 9th; <br />
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On this day, I did a mini-big-day with Liron Gertsman in the Richmond/Delta/Surrey area. We started early, more specifically 8:30 a.m. at Brunswick Point in Richmond. After first introductions ( we had never met before ), we began scanning the mouth of the canal for seabirds. We found several Bufflehead, 2 Common Goldeneyes, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, one lone female Hooded Merganser, 4 Western Grebes, and a Red-throated Loon showing its distinctive profile a ways out to sea. Starting to walk along the trail, we bumped into a flock of around 20 Golden-crowned Sparrows feeding on a clay deposit, picking through the dirt for food. <br />
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<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2884/12488515853_a22a11851a.jpg" /><br />
Clay-pecker Sparrows<br />
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Directing our attention back to the water, we saw the resident bunch of Double-crested Cormorants hanging out on the erect wooden poles situated near shore. <br />
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Double-crested Cormorants <br />
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Even further out, we counted at least 50 Northern Pintails actively flying and landing on the water, and exactly 52 Trumpeter Swans sitting together nearby. On each side of the trail, we saw great numbers of Fox and Song Sparrows, not to mention tons of Spotted Towhees exhibiting the "scratch, scratch" technique on the ground, searching for bugs. Two Virginia Rails strutted across the ice on the left side of the trail, which is always a delight to see in the winter, and a pair of Golden-crowned Kinglets entertained us from a patch of low bushes. Rounding the wide loop of the path, I spotted two Western Meadowlarks whipping in and out of the grasses on the field, and Liron was soon able to locate them too. A massive flock of Dunlin were swirling around out near the shoreline a long distance away, and we calculated there were at least 5000 birds in the group. <img alt=":shock:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_eek.gif" title="Shocked" /> Continuing on, we were greeted by a brisk northern wind shooting at us, a White-crowned Sparrow, and a posing Golden-crowned Sparrow huddling down from the wind. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3735/12556120375_0bd171c632.jpg" /><br />
Golden-crowned Sparrow<br />
<br />
There were birds around the vicinity that liked the wind though, with 5 Northern Harriers surfing the prairie low in dramatic fashion. On our way back, Liron and I did watch an interesting spectacle; a Bald Eagle chasing a Western X Glaucous-winged Gull hybrid with a piece of food in its claws. We were amazed at the eagle's dedication to the subject of "steal the food from that gull!!!". The Bald Eagle was in hot pursuit of this gull for literally ten minutes. In repetition this went on : 1 - Gull flying away swiftly, 2 - Bald Eagle catching up, 3 - Gull gracefully twisting and turning out of the way, 4 - Bald Eagle catching up again. The final verdict : the Bald Eagle didn't catch the gull. <img alt=":wink:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif" title="Wink" /> <br />
<br />
Okay, let's get back to where we were. Liron and I were heading back to the car. We happened to run into another birder/photographer, who we started talking to. It turned out to be our own Nick B. from these forums! Friendly introductions were exchanged between the three of us. It was great to meet you, Nick! <br />
<br />
By now, we had just reached the parking area. A moment later, we saw a shorebird zip over the cars in the lot. It turned out to be a Wilson's Snipe - an excellent surprise! <br />
<br />
Upon leaving Brunswick Point, I noted 5 Snow Geese flying from the direction of Reifel Bird Sanctuary, and had brief, unsatisfying looks at the Prairie Falcon sitting prettily in a farmer's field as we were driving away. <br />
<br />
Next stop - Tsawwassen Ferry Docks. <br />
Birds counted right off the bat were a mixed group of Northern Shovelers, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, and Mallard resting on the beach. A Greater Yellowlegs shot out from the shore, which I photographed landing near the flock of ducks. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3686/12488515883_f4d46c9386.jpg" /><br />
Greater Yellowlegs <br />
<br />
To our wondering eyes, as we walked out to the edge of the pebbly shore, was a Dunlin sitting perfectly 4 feet away at the water's edge! Photo-op time!!! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7289/12663383844_204a91e7c6.jpg" /><br />
Dunlin portrait <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5527/12663384724_1f019298e9.jpg" /><br />
Dunlin artistic shot<br />
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<img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5542/12663385144_3e76ee64da.jpg" /><br />
Dunlin probing <br />
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<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/12663386164_c6a9b6bc4a.jpg" /><br />
Dunlin <br />
<br />
After smiling for quite some time, we plodded on down the beach. Out on the water there were bountiful amounts of ducks with 35 Bufflehead, 8 Lesser Scaup, 4 Greater Scaup, 30 Surf Scoters, 4 Common Goldeneyes, and 1 Barrow's Goldeneye. Here are some photographic highlights from along the shore : <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/12472918745_194e824f11.jpg" /><br />
Black Turnstone <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3734/12623142603_f84a180a26.jpg" /><br />
Black Oystercatcher on rocks<br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/12527143663_65743abb3d.jpg" /><br />
Black Oystercatcher <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7416/12623144553_d836f97464.jpg" /><br />
Peek a boo! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/12623145183_42836fd96c.jpg" /><br />
Snow Bunting <br />
<br />
After the exciting photo shoots, Liron and I crossed the road ( don't worry, there was a break in the ferries; no traffic <img alt=":)" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" title="Smile" /> ) My main goal here was to find my lifer Brant. A quick scan of the spit covered with hundreds of Mallards..... produced two Brant! <img alt=":P" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif" title="Razz" /> British Columbia lifer #280! They were hiding in between the Mallards at the edge. Thank you Liron for using your camera as a scope with the 1.4 extender for me to see my lifer up close. <img alt=":D" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif" title="Very Happy" /> <br />
<br />
Scouring through the choppy water in the wide cove, we were able to see an additional 15 Brant, several Common Loons, and 2 Pelagic Cormorants almost a kilometer out, flapping over the water. <br />
<br />
Well, that's it for Part 2! I hope you didn't find it too long-winded. I REALLY hope you didn't fall asleep! <img alt=":oops:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_redface.gif" title="Embarassed" /> <img alt=":lol:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_lol.gif" title="Laughing" /> <br />
<br />
Part 3 - coming up! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-62273028405400043572014-03-06T13:42:00.002-08:002014-03-06T13:45:07.468-08:00Lower Mainland Trip Part 1 This is the long-awaited posting about my trip to the Richmond area almost a month ago. <img alt=":oops:" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_redface.gif" title="Embarassed" /> I am sectioning it into three parts, and this is the first. <br />
<br />
February 8th : <br />
<br />
Arriving in Richmond at around 3:30 p.m., I headed out to Boundary Bay 72nd street in hope for my lifer Short-eared Owl. <br />
<br />
Upon arriving, I was greeted by a horde of male Red-winged Blackbirds singing triumphantly from behind some short bushes and around 100 American Wigeons swirling in the air. I directed my binoculars to the wide expanse of prairie to start scanning for Shorties....... fifteen seconds later, I saw an elegant silhouette rise over the ridge and start surfing the tall grass. Short-eared Owl! Lifer #279 for British Columbia! Watching in awe, the SEOW dove gracefully into the grass for some dinner. <br />
<br />
Also whooshing back and forth across the expanse were three lovely female Northern Harriers, and a Great Blue Heron was eyeing out the situation on the path nearby. I decided a walk along the dyke would be imperative to try to find something else interesting. Overhead the path was a pair of Mallards flying quickly and a Killdeer called in the distance. Walking along, I stirred up a few Song Sparrows and two Spotted Towhees in the tangle of bushes on the right hand side, as well as another GBH. Calling from the grasslands were several Marsh Wrens. Perusing the prairie, I saw at least three male Northern Harriers, and one was cordial enough to fly my way, so I snapped a shot of him as he whizzed by. <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/12731445114_518d7b67c2.jpg" /><br />
Northern Harrier male <br />
<br />
This turned out to be my best in-flight harrier shot I've ever taken in my opinion. <img alt=":P" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif" title="Razz" /> <br />
<br />
Only a minute later, I turned around, and what was perched eloquently on a seadrift log, but a Long-eared Owl! <br />
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<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2870/12731445844_99831ff8f6.jpg" /><br />
Long-eared Owl <br />
<br />
I was surprised indeed to see one out in the open like that; they are usually found skulking in the brambles in dense cover! <br />
<br />
To make matters even better, when I rounded a corner, I was face to face with a Short-eared Owl on a horizontal piece of wood! <br />
<br />
<img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/12731445914_6d75959271.jpg" /><br />
Short-eared Owl <br />
<br />
With the light fading, I decided it was time to head back to the car. Upon reaching the parking area, even more birds were about to be seen. There was a kind of feeding frenzy of birds being active before sun-down, and I counted 2 Eurasian Collared-Doves, 2 Black-capped Chickadees, around 6 Song Sparrows, 5 Golden-crowned Sparrows, 4 White-crowned Sparrows, 3 Dark-eyed Juncos, and 1 Fox Sparrow all in the bushes on either side of the road! A fly-by Double-crested Cormorant was a nice addition to the list too. <br />
<br />
Well, it was a excellent two hours of birding at BB, with three photos I was happy with, and a lifer! <br />
<br />
Thank you for looking, and Part 2 and Part 3 are coming up soon! <img alt=":)" src="http://birding.bc.ca/community/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif" title="Smile" /> <br />
<br />
Logan Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-79079847128117348182014-03-05T16:20:00.003-08:002014-03-05T16:23:31.869-08:00Catching up..... I has been a looong time. FAR too long. I'm sorry I haven't updated; I've been busy as usual. Let's catch up on how birding's been for me the last month and a half. <br />
<br />
<strong>January 23rd</strong> - Got two fly-over Cackling Geese near Munson Pond. <br />
<strong>January 24th</strong> - Heard a Western Screech-Owl at Sutherland Hills Park at dusk <br />
<strong>January 27th</strong> - Found a winter Northern Shoveler near the H20 swimming centre ( shovelers are rare in winter in the Okanagan. ) <br />
<strong>February 7th</strong> - Went to Abbotsford, getting a fly-away Gyrfalcon at Sumas Prairie - Happy Dance Lifer Time!!! :) <br />
<strong>February 8th</strong> - Went to Boundary Bay, 72nd Street, and got both Long and Short-eared Owls! ( Short-eared Owl - Lifer #279 for BC! ) <br />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2812/12731445914_6d75959271.jpg" /><br />
Short-eared Owl - Lifer #279 for British Columbia <br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2870/12731445844_99831ff8f6.jpg" /><br />
Long-eared Owl <br />
<br />
<strong>February 9th</strong> - Did a mini-big-day with Liron Gerstman, another 13 year old birder like me. We racked up 71 species for the day! :D Here are some of the highlights : <br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3806/12472919255_d8a4481984.jpg" /><br />
Double-crested Cormorants<br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/12472920885_a0aa4c535e.jpg" /><br />
Black-bellied Plover<br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7433/12472918745_194e824f11.jpg" /><br />
Black Turnstone <br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/12488515873_e015114f25.jpg" /><br />
American X Eurasian Wigeon hybrid <br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5501/12527141903_e7ed6c8c8c.jpg" /><br />
Inter-sex Northern Pintail <br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7292/12527143663_65743abb3d.jpg" /><br />
Black Oystercatcher<br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3794/12556118905_6e8c05d6ef.jpg" /><br />
Eurasian Wigeon <br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3696/12599856993_4dc93da01c.jpg" /><br />
Western Sandpiper <br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/12623145183_42836fd96c.jpg" /><br />
Snow Bunting <br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7373/12663386164_c6a9b6bc4a.jpg" /><br />
And finally..... the cute, adorable Dunlin! <br />
<br />
<strong>March 5th</strong> - Oh, that's today! I heard a Ring-necked Pheasant along Spiers Road in Kelowna - year-bird #125, and saw my first of the yard Peregrine Falcon at my house- yard-bird #114! <br />
<br />
Thank you for looking, and a three-part detailed report of my weekend from February 8th to 9th in the Lower Mainland is coming up very soon! <br />
<br />
Have a great evening; <br />
<br />
Logan :) Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-43310343347486139862014-01-22T20:19:00.003-08:002014-01-23T19:44:51.326-08:00#80 Today, while doing school, my mom said, "Is that a bird?" I swung open the back door, and what is calling, but a Blue Jay! Congratulations Mom!!! <br />
<br />
Upon heading outside, I spotted the jay flying across the woodpile at the back of the yard with a large nut in its mouth, and then situated himself in the middle of a short conifer to dissect and eat his nut. After his filling meal, he floated over to a massive evergreen at the left side of the property, and started to imitate such things as Black-billed Magpie and Steller's Jay. After a good while amusingly watching the Blue Jay on my part, the corvid decided I had paid attention to him enough, so he moved to another, but more distant tree, doing his unique "queedle - ee - dee" call all the way. <br />
<br />
Numero 80 for the year, and I give all the credit to my mother for hearing, then seeing it! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-16350730296037923992014-01-16T22:24:00.002-08:002014-01-17T00:00:11.348-08:00Glaucous Gull!!! Finally. I finally busted my clean record of no Glaucous Gulls in British Columbia today. <br />
<br />
<br />
I was at Kinsmen Park in Kelowna today, and I was searching through around 70 Herring Gulls, 9 Glaucous-winged Gulls, 10+ Glaucous-winged X Western Gulls, 8 Ring-billed Gulls, and 1 California Gull for something uncommon. I did pick out 2 Thayer's Gulls in the group, which is always nice, but the bird to come was the best of all. Briefly putting down my binoculars from scanning, I saw a very white gull swim out from a group of Herring. Raising the binos back up revealed a very large gull with a light gray back, thick neck, heavy head, thick beak, and the tell-tale feature: white primaries. <br />
<br />
<br />
I had found my nemesis Glaucous Gull!!! An adult at that. Happy dance time......! :) <br />
<br />
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<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/11992142576_9f27d10b91.jpg" /><br />
Glaucous Gull <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-58925315350979140942014-01-07T20:21:00.005-08:002014-01-07T20:27:23.298-08:00Birding over the weekend Here is a recap of the birding I did last weekend. <br />
<br />
January 4th : <br />
<br />
I went to Rotary Marsh, here in Kelowna; on a gorgeous sunny day, with a cool, brisk breeze swirling around. On the outermost pond of the complex, I was greeted with a sight I just had to photograph. There was golden sunlight pouring down on the tall grass by the water, and a heron situated in the most perfect location and position. Also in my frame of view were three Gadwall swimming away. I called this picture "Nature at its finest" for the whole gist of the photograph.<br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7426/11828083076_2cbc8038c3.jpg" /><br />
Nature at its finest - Great Blue Heron and three Gadwall <br />
<br />
Walking along the path that skirts the inner ponds at Rotary Marsh, I was counting far too many people walking up and down the path. I mean FAR too many. ( 50+ in five minutes of walking! ) I guess they were there for the same reasons I was - fresh air, the great outdoors, and all of that beautiful sunshine. But I was there for two other reasons; birding and photography.<br />
<br />
Getting back to the birds, I continued on, looking over the 100 plus Mallard busying themselves in the crowded pond. There was a lone male Bufflehead though, apparently keeping the Mallards in line, as he dove up and down in the middle of the other ducks. <br />
Rotary Marsh's paths fork as the main trail reaches Okanagan Lake. The left fork loops around, and continues on almost forever along the water until it reaches Bennett Bridge. I took the right fork, which leads to a jetty at which you can scan the lake all you like. At the point, there are usually many dozen bay ducks out in the water ( scaup, Redhead, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck ). Not today, though. No ducks were to be seen excluding the omnipresent Mallards nearby. A few minutes of scanning the lake did produce some rewards, however. I counted 2 Horned Grebes, 1 Red-necked Grebe, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, and 200 American Coots. After a few more minutes of waiting, I noted Hooded and Common Mergansers, and a few more Gadwall; which flew past for a picture. <br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/11828083586_0ebd51d50a.jpg" /><br />
Gadwall<br />
<br />
On my way back to the car, I watched two Sharp-shinned Hawks fighting as they flew passed. That was an interesting sight! <br />
<br />
Next up was Sutherland Bay, which is about a 3 minute drive from Rotary Marsh. At the bay, there was more of the same birds I saw at Rotary Marsh, but this Ring-billed Gull was preening and posing nicely for some low-angle shots.<br />
. <br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/11828083976_b5cb00012d.jpg" /><br />
Ring-billed Gull preening <br />
<br />
January 5th : <br />
<br />
I happened to be in Salmon Arm on January 5th, so naturally, as a birder, I had to check out Salmon Arm Bay for a quick visit. In general, there were not too many birds around, as the whole bay was iced over, but in a tiny, LITTLE patch of water near shore, I found a cute male Green-winged Teal, which was a year-bird. Other birds around the bay were : Mallard, Bald Eagle, Song Sparrow, American Goldfinch, 2 Marsh Wren ( those are fun to get in the winter ), and this Black-capped Chickadee. <br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3746/11828083096_2394210883.jpg" /><br />
Black-capped Chickadee<br />
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Thank you for looking, and good birding to everyone! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-22528360834517045892013-12-24T15:03:00.001-08:002013-12-27T10:44:38.560-08:00Yard Bird #113 Now don't get your hopes up - this is not the long-awaited Christmas Bird Count blog post. This is, however, a post about <u>birds</u>...... near <u>Christmas</u>....... and I <u>count</u>ed them. <br />
<br />
Today, at around 12:30pm, I finally found a new bird for the yard list after several months without one. I was sitting in the truck at the bottom of the driveway, and I glanced up at the 35+ Canada Geese flying past. In the flock was my new yard bird : Snow Goose! I was elated as the sun shone on the bird's black wing-tips and white body before the group of geese fell out of sight behind the trees. I didn't have my camera on hand, so I do not have a picture for you. Sorry! ( Cue the LOUD booing. ) <br />
<br />
Yard list - + Snow Goose = 113 species <br />
<br />
Also in the area were around 40 Bohemian Waxwings jovially playing about on the top of a huge conifer, and 3 Bald Eagles surfing the sky, joined by 2 Red-tailed Hawks. <br />
<br />
Thanks for looking, and please keep from exploding as you wait for the bird count reports. Again, thank you for your patience. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-32472483029394621292013-12-21T23:46:00.000-08:002013-12-27T10:45:03.436-08:00You'll have to wait just a little longer...... I sorry to say this, but the awaited blog posts of the three Christmas Bird Counts I did last weekend in the Okanagan have been delayed. It has been so busy with Christmas just around the corner, and I have not got around to organizing everything completely. Just to keep you hanging on, I will give you a puzzle to one of the birds we saw on one of the counts :<br />
<br />
The name of the bird has two words; the first letter of the first word is <strong>F; </strong>the first letter of the second word is <strong>S</strong>. <br />
<br />
Good luck on the puzzle, and thank you for your patience. <br />
<br />
Logan<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-83670888576466036292013-12-12T13:29:00.000-08:002013-12-12T13:30:25.761-08:00"Oh, gee! It's a blog post!"Hello readers;<br />
<br />
I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately. I have been very busy, so I will try to summarize the past week of birding.<br />
<br />
December 6th : Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary - <br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3704/11262549173_cc7e6bab91.jpg" /><br />
Tundra Swan<br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7377/11262609016_55213da393.jpg" /><br />
Tundra Swan ( mid-dip pose! )<br />
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December 6th also : Rotary Marsh - <br />
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<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2823/11262510816_fa87bf7c22.jpg" /><br />
House Sparrow ( These birds should be called Common Weaver-Finches, as they are a member of the Weaver-Finch family. They are not even a small amount related to sparrows! )<br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/11262521254_72a03ff7e5.jpg" /><br />
Fence Pals <br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3804/11262622524_1c96927daa.jpg" /><br />
Common Weaver-Finch male<br />
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<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5477/11262546894_ba0e984840.jpg" /><br />
Great Blue Heron hunkering down from the bitter-cold wind with a Mallard. <br />
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December 7th : Rotary Marsh - <br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3773/11262614694_7af143a7e3.jpg" /><br />
Gadwall <br />
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<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2886/11262588144_57b77f1531.jpg" /><br />
American Dipper ( my first dipper for Rotary Marsh. It called, then proceeded to feed on all of the invisible munchies on the underside of the rocks. It made an effort not to be cooperative; the dipper didn't make eye-contact, was playing hide-and-go-seek, AND it was moving sooooo fast, that it was hard to keep track where he/she was! )<br />
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<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2821/11262550195_82fb6ab17c.jpg" /><br />
"Now where did that penny go?"<br />
<br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7290/11262602253_69dc3b14ce.jpg" /><br />
Song Sparrow ( probably my best capture of the species ever! )<br />
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<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5491/11262486565_35b9635960.jpg" /><br />
Common Merganser - BADLY over-exposed.<br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7326/11262527145_55a74d8672.jpg" /><br />
American Wigeon BIF = bird in flight <br />
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<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2859/11262556415_f4f6f74d7a.jpg" /><br />
Red-necked Grebe <br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7316/11262539156_1f197143c4.jpg" /><br />
Ring-billed Gull in <strong>very dark</strong> lit water. <br />
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<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5489/11262566874_a55b69b88c.jpg" /><br />
American Goldfinch <br />
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Thank you for looking, and <strong><u>Keep Your Eyes Peeled On This Blog As I Am Going To Be Doing A Blog Post For Each Of The Three Christmas Bird Counts I'm Doing On The Weekend!</u></strong> <br />
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Logan Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-16557936972415831722013-12-03T21:22:00.000-08:002013-12-12T10:25:44.882-08:00Up in the mountains.......On Saturday, I went up to McCulloch Road for a Christmas tree hunt with some of my relatives ( and some of their friends ). When I say relatives, I mean a ton of 4 and 5 year old balls of fire, with a few adults mixed in. <br />
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I decided to bird along the way to the pull-off spot in the Southern Slopes area ( on the way to McCulloch ). I counted several Red-tailed Hawk as we started to ascend into the Southern Slopes, and a pair of Eurasian Collared Dove careening across the road. Also, some Dark-eyed Juncos and BC Chickadees were playing about in the bushes along the road. Now, as light snow is starting to fall, we have ascended greatly to a plateau where orchards are abundant. Floating and flying up in the sky in perfect formation are around 50 Bohemian Waxwings. As usual, there are insane amounts of starlings EVERYWHERE. Rounding a bend, and near McCulloch Road, I spotted a sleek Townsend's Solitare atop a pine; my first of the winter. <br />
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Now we started to climb as we had reached the end of pavement; on to our destination road. Along the way, there was not a bird to be seen until a brief stop at a sharp corner. To my delight, there was my goal bird of the day - Northern Pygmy-Owl - on a dead snag HIGH up the mountain. It was easy identification because of the distinct shape : squat head, round, stocky shape, and short, narrow tail. <br />
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After about fifteen minutes later, we ( the four cars with around 10 sub - 7 year kids and around 6 adults ) arrived at the snowy pull-off way up in the mountains. On the left side of the road, there was one of the resident Gray Jays of the area amiably sitting at the top of a young fir. Too far away for photographs, though. <br />
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Post-lunch, everybody except me and a few adults went into the forest to search for a Christmas tree to chop down. As soon as the young children left, and little rambling flock of Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches showed up to see if their turf was ready for re-claim. The chickadees were tentative in their approach, but the nuthatches were very cooperative. One even posed for some photos :<br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7327/11184317914_4b65a5511d.jpg" /><br />
Red-breasted Nuthatch - flutter fluttering<br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3714/11184426603_baf593587f.jpg" /><br />
King of the Stalk! - Red-breasted Nuthatch <br />
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In my opinion, the Red-breasted Nuthatch has a special endearing quality; always making you watch them constantly, because they are so cute!<br />
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It was a great day, with great birds, and beautiful weather coupled with the location. <br />
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Thanks;<br />
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Logan Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-57639333355459105142013-11-25T12:26:00.001-08:002013-11-25T12:27:32.053-08:00Scan for Icys you Okanagan birders!Here's a fairly old picture of an Iceland Gull immature from Robert Lake this March. If you live in the Okanagan, start keeping your eyes out for this eastern stray, as one may be back by now. <br />
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<img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3815/9987466304_a58b645056.jpg" /><br />
"Kumlien's" Iceland Gull in centre of picture - March 22nd, 2013 <br />
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Have a great early winter everyone, and good gull scanning! Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-15349900361239631212013-11-23T10:57:00.000-08:002013-11-23T11:00:12.272-08:00DEJU, RBME, TUSWs, and RTHA from WednesdayHere's a couple shots from Wednesday. <br />
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This Dark-eyed Junco was posing prettily at the Maude Roxby Bird Santuary. <br />
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<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5499/10984931596_36032da71d.jpg" /><br />
DE J<br />
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Also a Maude Roxby, these Tundra Swans were preening daintily. ( There's a Ring-billed Gull in this picture too. )<br />
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<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2862/10985011734_523155b330.jpg" /><br />
TUSWs <br />
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Later that day, I went to the mouth of mission creek, ( for the millionth time ).<br />
I caught up with this backlit Red-breasted Merganser, which is a good bird for the Okanagan. RB Mergs are uncommon in the valley, but they are fairly tame if you spot one. They like to forage and dive near shore.<br />
<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7301/10985042513_678d2282e8.jpg" /><br />
Red-breasted Merganser <br />
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After looping around, the merganser took off. <br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/10984833765_365c0487f5.jpg" /><br />
By, by Mergy! <br />
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Finally, with the golden sun setting, I shot this Red-tailed Hawk at the Thomson Brook Marshes - close to Mission Creek. <br />
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<img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2886/10984997944_7bded30388.jpg" /><br />
RT Hawk <br />
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Thanks for looking!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1094520513375724381.post-22514242429111544192013-11-20T12:43:00.000-08:002013-11-20T12:47:39.162-08:00Low-light Birding On Sunday, I happened to be in Vernon, so I decided to check out the Allan Brooks Nature Centre for Short-eared Owl. <br />
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Upon arriving at the prairie-like expanse, a Red-tailed Hawk was spotted hunching in a tall barren tree. ( There are trees here too, not just prairie. ) I waited until dusk to make my way here, for that's when the Shorties are active, but some passerines were still around; in the form of Song Sparrows. As I made my way up the steep, narrow, roadway, there were Song Sparrow everywhere. <br />
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All of a sudden, BLAMMO! A crazy Ring-necked Pheasant called then popped his head out of the grass. He then started to sprint away from me on the right-hand side field.<br />
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<img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/10953134406_2f8a38cd26.jpg" /><br />
Ring-necked Pheasant<br />
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Bad shot, but fun to see. Then, as this fleeing pheasant was running away, another joined him. <br />
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<img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7297/10953047205_879334178f.jpg" /><br />
Ring-necked Pheasant (x2) <br />
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I counted five in total while I was there. I continued up the road, and my ears kept picking up an unknown sound, which may have been the Short-eared Owl's roosting call. He/she may have been getting ready to hunt, but seeing me scanning around may have discouraged him/her. I'm not counting that just yet. A flock of American Goldfinches floated around near-by, then settled in a new evergreen ( planted weirdly right by the field ). A female Northern Harrier sparked my interest for a split second, as it looked like a SE OW hunting. <br />
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Northern Harrier </div>
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Up in the sky was another harrier, and guess what was on a post, doing his best Short-eared Owl imitation - a third Northern Harrier. I see another bird behind the harrier in the sky.......... another NOHA. Four false alarms - a personal best for 15 seconds! The birding was still good anyway; a Rough-legged Hawk was surfing the sky overhead. Then, a bird swooped over my head. A late Western Meadowlark! My first ever for November. Not "Rare Bird Alert" quality, but still great to see, and it brightened my mood. ( The meadowlark still had its yellow chest! ) In the fading light, I picked out three European Starlings and one Ring-billed Gull in the dark sky to round out the list. <br />
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On the way back to Kelowna, I stopped at Rose's and another smaller pond for ducks. ( By then, it was CRAZY dark. ) On Rose's Pond, there were eight Northern Pintails, and on the other smaller pond, there was an abundance of ducks. On that pond, I squinted out Barrow's Goldeneye, Mallard, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and Pied-billed Grebe. In the dense tree behind the little pond, I heard some 'staying up late' Dark-eyed Juncos and Song Sparrow. I also heard a blackbird in some swampy vegetation that puzzled me. Maaayyybbbeee Rusty??? It was a sound that was different than what I had heard before. Oh, well. A POSSIBLE Short-eared Owl and a POSSIBLE Rusty Blackbird. ( I have a recording of the weird blackbird. ) <br />
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Anyways, it was a good evening of birding. Thanks for looking. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15460787304547887912noreply@blogger.com0