Hi Birders
It always amazes me that so many weather forecasters can only get get conditions right about once a week, well much to our delight their forecast of rain on Wednesday did not materialize.
Six eager beavers set out and it was not long before we were adding Canada Geese to our list and a Northern Shrike that sat in a tree at the corner of TCH and Beverley Street before taking off over the highway to Thrifty’s, they must have House Sparrows on special this week.
Red-tailed Hawk and Bald Eagles were quickly added before we reached Somenos Lake. At the lake we soon found the Ruddy Ducks that were Awol last week and after counting we had 99 birds dozing in front of a group of Double-crested Cormorants.
Many eagles were noted by the time we hit Quist’s Farm and between here and Westholme Road we added just under 40 trumpeters. Richards Trail was found wanting as it has been for the last few weeks. We did add another Red-tailed Hawk and 3 Bald Eagles on Tom Windsor and a large group of Geese on Herd Road, another Red-tail was very close to the road sitting in a small ornamental tree, strange place for this bird.
As we headed down and around to the fields off Drinkwater Road I mentioned to Eric that it’s been a while since we had any birds to count down this way and low and behold 130 Geese and 2 Trumpeters were added. We headed down Sherman Road and I caught a glimpse of a accipter sitting high in a cottonwood, Eric quickly stopped the car so that everyone could get a look at this adult Cooper’s Hawk; as is always the case, us stopping did not go down well with the locals who sounded their horns in displeasure.
After a quick break we headed for Sahilton Road here we had much better looks at another Northern Shrike sitting up on the hydro wires. We did manage to add a few more swans here before we headed west. Koksilah Road west was a bust and only 9 swans were on Riverside Road, but this all changed as we come up the hill on Bench Road and a big white cloud sat on the fields, just under 180 Trumpeters were found and 2 adult Tundras, one of which had a blue neck band. This same bird had been around since the Christmas count on the 1st and it was not until now that we had chance to get it’s number. This bird P927 was our first banded Tundra Swan and one of only a few ever seen on Vancouver Island and big thanks to Peggy Smith who quickly sent in the data, below is it’s details.
Banded: 07/28/2009
Sex: MALE
Age of Bird: Hatched in 2008
Location: Smelt Lake – south of Smelt Island
Bristol Bay Borough, Alaska
Bander: Susan Savage
Alaska Peninsula / Becharof NWR
King Salmon AK
At Dougan’s Flats we added just under 50 swans and a gaggle of geese, there were more swans hiding down behind a large bank which we were unable to count. A Northern Harrier cut across the fields and landed so we all got looks at this bird. Jim’s Pond came through with a few geese, Lesser Scaup and several Bufflehead. Telegraph Road had another 200 geese before we hit Koksilah east. The first stop found 35 swans and then the flood gates opened for geese with almost 1000 birds between Koksilah and Wilmot Roads. It didn’t take long to find the 18 Greater White-fronted Geese, but a bit longer to see a Cackling Goose.
Just under 20 trumpeters were in Cowichan Bay and another Red-tailed Hawk was counted on Dinsdale’s Farm.
That was it. I was given a free transfer to Bob’s car and it was off back to the dog park where waiting to greet us was Christina who turned up late and waved to us somewhere along the roadside before giving up. I think she was ready to go round for another count, but that will have to wait, until we meet again, stay fit and stay healthy and keep counting.
Derrick