Just like life all things have to come to an end and so endeth the 6th season of the swan and goose count. Like Downton Abbey, will we be back next season? Only time will tell. The lord of the manor is not getting any younger and as for the dowager duchess, she seems to just keep on going even though she is entering her senior years. We need the young blood to take over the estate and look after the herds of birds.
This years crew has done an amazing job with wonderful photos, good humour and a knack for spotting things that I seem to have missed. The driving duties have been wonderful with great competence under sometimes adverse conditions by those that took the wheel. Special mention to Christina, Kurlene and Eric, you done us proud. Then there is the lady behind the numbers Dorothy who week after week made sense of all the numbers shouted at her, without her we would not be able to remember all the totals.
Let’s not forget the birds and animals that have treated us week after week, some wonderful views and sights has made this season one to remember. The swans appear to have rebounded from the slight lows of the past two seasons and what a wonderful sight to see so many immatures this year. What a treat it was to see the Sandhill Crane that appears to have followed us around the valley, the Short-eared Owl that waited to going home time before putting in an appearance. Who could forget nearly 200 Bald Eagles in and around the field on Boy’s Road. The many other little feathered things that brought us joy this season we thank you. Those lovely Elk that showed us what a great place we have here in the valley, where birds and animals come to rest through the winter before heading back off to the breeding grounds. We must keep fighting to protect what we have here.
The weather person finally caught up with us today and got revenge for all those lovely Wednesdays we had this season; I was hoping that he/she could be wrong just one last time but it weren’t to be. See how politically correct I’m getting, this comes with spending too much time with the ladies on the count. Is their such a thing as a male weather person anymore. Yes, that little fellow on Chek 6, I just remembered.
Today’s count went as expected with a major reduction in numbers as most Swans and Geese have left the area, just under 70 Trumpeter Swans, funnily enough there are not many times we have more immature than adults and 160 Canada Geese were tallied. It seemed like we were never going to see many birds until we hit Quist’s Farm where a nice group of 27 swans were had. On Boy’s Road a single swan was way down the fields and possibly could be injured as it has been there a few days now, will have to keep a watch on this fellow. Also at this location was a breeding plumage Dunlin who looked so small next to a Killdeer which did create a problem for some who could not find the Killdeer.
The Red-tailed Hawks have most certainly got the spring fever as a pair which at first we thought were fighting ended up copulating, such is love in the world today. Down Sahilton Road I saw a pair of Greater Yellowlegs dive down into the field, but they must have gone down some burrows as they completely disappeared, also a American Pipit flew up from the side of the road, but it was gone in a flash and I was left to protect my bird identification skills to those that missed the birds.
A few more swans at both Dougan’s Flats and St. Catherine’s Road added to our total and along the Dock Road 1 Trumpeter and 9 Mute Swans, that was it for our count birds.
This weeks count did not go without a bit of excitement as when we reached Jim’s Pond a bird was seen fluttering on the far bank and then totally disappeared. I could just make out where the bird was but most of the crew were having a hard time, so I brought out the scope in hopes of showing what was now identified as a Wilson’s Snipe. My scope which is not the best at any time had been waterlogged since our trip up to Parksville, so was not performing to it’s best potential but after many agonizing minutes all but one of us had seen the bird as it hunkered down about a hundred yards away, then suddenly it started to move and preen and the last of our group finally got the bird. Everybody was happy.
That is it for this seasons count, thanks to all those who came out at different times and to all you who thought about it, you don’t know what you’re missing.
Derrick