Hi Birders
We got this seasons count off to a roaring start with 6 participants in two vehicles and we have to thank Kurlene and Eric for doing a wonderful job of driving. Deb took over the duties of keeping our records and other than a few corrections made a great job of the numbers.
I’m afraid we started a little early this month and we failed to find a migrating swan although we did count 3 resident Trumpeters and 11 Mute Swans.
Most of the early counting consisted of resident Canada Geese around Somenos Marsh with a single Red-tailed Hawk sitting up in a large willow.
At Somenos Lake we interrupted a little love fest with a couple who were entrenched in the back seat of a car wondering what all these people with optics were going to be looking at. All we spied were a pair of Common Loons and a few Double-crested Cormorants, we then headed off up the highway to Quist’s Farm where there were an assortment of ducks and geese and we added a couple of Cackling Geese and a couple of Bald Eagles. A single Dusky Canada Goose was in the group of regulars.
We drifted along Westholme and down onto Richards Trail where we were lucky to spy two Coopers Hawks, one an adult and the other a small male immature. I pished out a group of sparrows but nothing uncommon stuck it’s head up, not with a Coopers looking down on them.
On Tom Windsor Drive a Great Blue Heron sat way up on top of one of the steel hydro towers whilst a Red-tailed Hawk favored a lower perch on a wooden pole. It was then slow until we hit Hwy 18 and at the park and ride we had a group of geese with one having a white neck collar, but I was unable to read the letter which preceeded the numbers 660. I believe this could be one of the Parksville birds which were all given white collars.
Nothing more was seen in the north end and so we ended up at A & W for our break, while some went in for the ablutions I tried a bit of trick or treating and was given a nice big bag of treats to look over, so after a short choco fix we were back on the road and heading for Sahilton Road, we drove all the way up and found a group of Canada Geese in a field and while was counting the others got a good look at a Northern Harrier. As we came back down the road I spied a white object across the fields and with the scope set up we could see an immature Snow Goose and a group of Cackling Geese with a large group of Canada’s.
The west side of town was a bust with just a couple of Deer to excite us.
Jim’s Pond had a nice assortment of Hooded Mergansers and the males were showing off to the girls, throwing their heads back and looking real dapper.
From here on in to Cowichan Bay it was very slow and it wasn’t until near Hecate Park that we saw 3 Mute Swans swimming over by the Dock Road, so we quickly headed around and set up shop halfway down the road. I picked up a pair of Trumpeter’s way over the far side, these were two which i think have taken to the people on Khenipson Road and will possibly end up being resident for years to come. What was nice to see was a pair of Mute Swans with 6 Immature birds in tow, it is amazing that they have managed to keep all six young with all the predators in the bay. Whilst checking the gulls out on the log booms a group of Scoters swam by and i immediately spotted a male Black Scoter which is a very scarce bird in the bay and while i looked it was followed by a female, these had to be our best sightings of the day.
It then started to rain very heavy so we said our goodbyes to Dorothy and Eric and headed home back to the dog park. We disembarked from the vehicle and i loaded my gear into my car and headed off home.
All was fine until the next day when my wife found this bag full of trick or treat goodies in my car and she exclaimed where did this come from, me being a little dumb said, oh Deb, who was on the count gave them too me, my wife then said I want to meet this woman and of course dumb me said why, it was then that “she who must be obeyed” showed me the bag and printed on the side it says in big bold letters ” MY LOVE” what can I say I am now on the sofa down stairs with my treats.
Until next week if I survive.
Derrick
PS
Hi
A single adult Trumpeter Swan was on Dinsdales Farm, Cowichan Bay early this afternoon (Friday), possibly our first migrant.