This week I was unable to take part due to family commitments, my good friends took up the reins and saw some wonderful sights and good numbers. A 3 Peregrine Falcon day is always a treat.
Some of the photo’s were from just after the count, but who cares, I even have added one for good luck I took while out.
Below is a counters take on the day.
Derrick
Overnight it had been very wet and even shortly before we were due to meet it was raining; however, much to our surprise the day turned out to be a nice sunny one. Usually Derrick, our worthy leader, sees that the weather is good on Wednesdays and today he was not able to join us but sent an email saying he had made his usual arrangement with the weather gods. Just five of us met at the usual place and we set off in two cars – one was detailed to record the swans and geese and the ladies in the other the raptors.
There were many geese around the marsh area and again at Quist’s Farm. It was not until we reached Dougan’s flats that we found many more geese. At this point one car had stopped and was trying to count a small flock in a large clump of reeds and the other car, which had stopped a few yards further up the road, called to look behind the barn where there was a huge flock. Jim’s Pond was the only other place with geese.
As for finding any swans before lunch we only saw eight in the Westholme area. After our lunch break we found a dozen on Bench Road trying to hide in a dip in the field. So we were thinking our count was going to be a very low one. However, we really hit the jackpot near Blackey’s Farm where there were over 100 in a field – this raised out total of Trumpeters to nearly 140. There were eleven mute swans down on the Bay.
Bald eagles were abundant along the lower reaches of the river along Boys and Sahilton Roads – presumably feeding on the dead salmon in the river where we expect to see them for the next few weeks. A dozen red-tails were seen on our route. From Tom Windsor Drive we could see a bird on one of the distant hydro poles but it was not until one of the photographers managed to get a good shot of it that we could see it was a Peregrine.
All pictures by Zan Stenhouse except the Elk is Derrick’s