Dear Naturalists
This week found us lacking in participants but getting better with swans. After last weeks low numbers we found a total of 396 swans so four times better than last week.
Five birders took off for the route and it wasn’t long before we knew that this week was going to be different, 48 swans on Somenos Lake was a good start.
Quist farm took the honors with most Trumpeters with just over 130 swans and just under 250 Geese.
As we worked our way around, Richards Trail fell flat with no birds at all and just a solitary immature Trumpeter on Richards Creek seen from Herd Road.
On this day we had a new person doing the numbers sheet and what a great job she done, she has a real “passion & killer” detail for this position especially when shes kept warm.
We pushed on and were rewarded with a adult Northern Shrike on Hwy.18 opposite the golf course, this brought everyone out of the truck for a bit of cold air and a few yards of exercise.
Nothing was seen again until we reached Corfield /Sahilton Roads were we had some closeup views of Trumpeters right beside the truck, 75 in all with 9 Greater White-fronted Geese which appear to be settled in for the winter if their not too disturbed. Also along this road were 60 Bald Eagles in all variations of plumage. A family group of swans at the foot of Corfield had 5 young – a wonderful sight and the most from one family that I have seen.
Bench Road produced our first of the season for this location with 23 swans and Dougan’s Flats had 34 swans but no geese, where did they all go from last week?
Koksilah Road east produced 21 swans with 9 being immatures what a wonderful ratio this was.
A quick run down through Cowichan Bay found us looking at a massive flock of geese and 41 swans on Dinsdale’s Farm, I made a suggestion that a good guess would be better than me counting them all, but then what an opportunity to get some accurate figures saw me set up the scope and relay numbers to Daryl, a 100 here and a 100 there were joined by a Snow Goose here and a Cackling Goose there and when I had finished a total of just over 700 geese were counted. So that’s where they were.
The Cowichan Bay Dock Road had 10 swans and a nice Northern Harrier and as we stood there we heard this incredible sound as all the birds took off from Dinsdale’s Farm and circled around, I do hope this was not a dog that put them up as they all looked so contented together in the fields.
Our last bit of good luck on this cloudy day was a dark figure that senior Derrick spotted sitting low in the cottonwoods opposite the Dock Road, at first I think we all thought it was an Owl, but no it was a Dark Red-tailed Hawk of the Harlan’s race – a real beauty.
Thanks to all participants for a great treat of a day.
Good Birding
Derrick