Hi
Our numbers are growing, both in counters and swans. 6 people in two cars headed out through roadworks and dikes hoping that the good weather would hold and yes it did with ideal if not a little bright conditions for the whole count. This week I teamed up with Eric & Dorothy and the trouble makers followed on behind connected by the walkie-talkies.
We managed to count a nice group of geese at the golf driving range before moving on to Somenos Lake where a handful of Trumpeters and 1 Mute Swan were found.
Soon we were on our way along the Hwy where out the corner of my eye I spotted a large group of Elk off to our left, but with traffic coming behind us fast we were past them before we could stop, but the girls in the following vehicle managed to stop and count around 30 lovely beasts feeding in the field.
It was now north to Quist’s Farm where we managed a meager count of swans and a large herd of geese, did I say herd, I meant cackle. This season has been a bit disappointing in the north end of our count with most birds favoring the warmer weather in the south end. The Bald Eagles are starting to return and we had a healthy count of both them and Red-tailed Hawks for the day.
Westholme Road had a nice bunch of swans. Our lookout at this location is starting to grow over with broom and it took me two attempts to find my way through, maybe some loppers might be added to the trunk in the weeks to come.
Well that was it for a while, our pit stop at A&W produced both cookies and chocolates which were well received before we moved on to the south. Corfield and Sahilton were a bust so across the Hwy to the west we went, the cornfields on Koksilah was our next stop although no big birds were visible some smaller feathered friends were skulking in the stubble. It was time to put all my promises together and produce a Wilson’s Snipe, well what can I say we had them coming out our ying-yang. At one time I had 10 snipe in the scope at once, but if they didn’t move some had problems seeing them, in the end all had good looks and we moved on. YES Daryl SNIPE!
On and on we went with just goosies to count and it was not long before we had reached Cowichan Bay and Dinsdale’s Farm where this year we have got our numbers made up with large flocks of both Swans and Geese and of course our wannabe Swan, Sandy the Sandhill Crane.
It amazes me that the Swans roost this season out on the water in the bay but the Crane fly’s in and out with them both early and late, I just wonder where it sets up it’s bed in the evening. Could it roost on the back of a swan or maybe on a close by log, who knows?
After much counting we had increased our swan numbers from the previous week and even added a Tundra Swan and 9 Greater White-fronted Geese who appeared to be worn out and maybe had just arrived from the great white north. One of our counters tallied the geese and had arrived at about 700, which is one of the largest counts per location that we have ever had. Our overall numbers for geese decreased a little this week as I guess some had moved further down through into Washington State.
The Dock Road was next and we were greeted with a really nice surprise when we spotted 5 Bonapart’s Gulls mixed in with both California and Thayer’s Gulls. Earlier in the day I had seen a adult Herring Gull on the car park at Art Mann Park so it was a good gull day. I know not everyone’s cup of tea and some would say a gulls a gull, well not in my eyes.
That was just about it we said goodbye to the Marshalls and I jumped in with the trouble makers, one especially caused a lot of trouble and accused me of mis-conduct which in turn caused the woman to take me in the wood yard, where I feared for my life and after much begging I was taken back to my car with my scope in tact.
That’s it folks have fun and until we meet again next Wednesday.
Take Care
Derrick