A bright and beautiful morning in Cowichan Bay, just after sunrise. On the south side of the Bay Carol Milo, Gail Mitchell, Laurie Vasey, and John Scull where joined at the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre by two visitors inspired by the Wildwings Festival: Bruce Coates and Karen Jarvis. There were very few waterbirds in the south side of the estuary this Thanksgiving morning but on shore we were treated to Varied Thrush, Song Sparrow, House Sparrow, and American Goldfinch.
The waterfowl we saw were: Horned Grebe, 1; Double Crested Cormorant, 7; Great Blue Heron, 1; Western Gull, 1; Glaucous-winged Gull, 7; Gull sp., 25; Belted Kingfisher, 2 ; Northwestern Crow 2
Kurlene Wenberg, Bob Nation, and Daryl Johnson saw the following birds on the north side of the Bay: Canada Goose, 1; Mute Swan, 10; American Wigeon, 279; Mallard, 23; Surf Scoter, 19; Common Merganser, 10; Pelagic Cormorant, 1; Great Blue Heron, 7; Bald Eagle, 1; Mew Gull, 14; Gull sp. 68; Belted Kingfisher, 2
Jim and Lyn Wisnia counted the following (12 species total):
In Mill Bay Area: Canada Goose, 79; Mute Swan, 4; Mallard, 1; Western Grebe, 199; Double Crested Cormorant, 1; Cormorant sp., 1; Mew Gull, 12; Glaucous- winged Gull, 15; Gull sp., 2; Belted Kingfisher, 2; Northwestern Crow, 2.
Verdier Point area: Surf Scoter, 5; Common Loon, 5; Brandt’s Cormorant, 1; Mew Gull, 18; Glaucous-winged Gull, 20; Gull sp., 2; Belted Kingfisher, 1.