Bank Swallow Surprise

Unfortunately, the forecast rain today didn't really start until after 8am, a little too late to drop any nocturnal migrants. Nevertheless, I headed down to Panama Flats just in case any late moving shorebirds had stopped off for a probe in the mud.
It was seriously unbirdy! The total wader count comprised a pitiful 1 western sandpiper, 3 least sandpipers and 7 killdeer...
The good stuff however, was hirundine-shaped. In among approximately 50 barn swallows were single juvenile cliff & tree swallows and a bank swallow. Although a very common bird in the UK, (where it goes by the name of sand martin) this is the first one that I've seen on Vancouver Island.
The collected swallows alerted me to the arrival of a juvenile peregrine, which dutifully reduced the British Columbia European starling population by one.
A young red-winged blackbird was kicking around, as were several savannah sparrows and a couple of common yellowthroats.

Yesterday afternoon, I took a stroll down to the Government House woodland trail. In amongst a couple of chickadee flocks I came across 2 Wilson's warblers and a couple of orange-crowned warblers, plus brown creepers, red-breasted nuthatches, downy woodpecker, Bewick's wren and bushtits. Single juvenile chipping sparrow and white-crowned sparrow were also seen.
Best of all however were a couple of variegated meadowhawks (one pictured). 
 

Mid-Island Year-Tick Fest

Yesterday (Tuesday) Jenny had to go up to Nanaimo for much of the day for work purposes and so I decided to do the decent thing and keep her company. Of course this meant that I had to fill my day somehow, and I eventually chose to spend several hours on my old stomping grounds.
I started off at Holden Creek.
Although somewhat disappointing on the shorebird front with just a pair of least sandpiper and a couple of killdeer present, the wet fields had attracted a flock of c40 American pipit, and around 20 savannah sparrows. An American goldfinch was singing near the sluice, and a single northern rough-winged swallow came through, joined by barn and violet-green swallows.
An osprey circled over, and several turkey vultures cruised over the firs. A pair of greater white-fronted geese were among the Canadas in the fields.

I then headed along Gordon Road where I added common yellowthroat to my yearlist in the marshy area near Harmac Road. The ubiquitous red-winged blackbirds were here too, as was a showy, singing marsh wren.

Arriving at the Nanaimo River estuary, I noted a hefty and ominous cloud headed my way. Could be good, I thought... and indeed it was as a pair of purple martin preceded it and showed well above me for a few minutes.  Further hirundines came trickling through including my first cliff swallows of the year. No swifts materialised, but you can't have everything...
A female northern harrier was hunting over the marsh and a lone cackling goose was hanging around with 4 Canada geese on the river mouth. A handful of green-winged teal, American wigeon, pintail, bufflehead and common mergansers were also present. 
The tell-tale call of yellow-rumped warblers revealed a couple of males - one each myrtle and Audubon's. Since my last visit on 9th April, the number of savannah sparrows had gone through the roof and they were all over the place. White-crowned sparrows, having been absent all winter had replaced golden-crowneds with just on of the latter seen. A single Lincoln's sparrow was in the brambles by the big oak.

After grabbing some barely edible grub in Cedar, I went to see if anything was happening at Quennell Lake. Not much, as it happened. 12 northern shoveler, a few GW teal and lesser scaup were pretty much the best of the bunch. Tree, violet-green and barn swallows were all present in good numbers.

My next port of call was the airport where I hoped to see vesper sparrow. The first bird I saw as I stepped out of the car was however a lovely bright chipping sparrow, one of a pair present. I soon heard what I thought sounded right for a vesper singing and eventually located it sat in a distant bush.
It soon came a little closer but refused to stay still long enough to allow me to get a pic.
It then flew toward me and started feeding on the ground just about 6 feet away from where I was stood, scope and tripod at the ready. Way too close to focus, follow and photograph with my primitive set up... oh well, i got a really good look at it and even managed to read one of the numbers (2) on its metal ring! I probably could have seen more but for the fact that it was constantly moving, and favouring short grassy areas that obscured the ring somewhat.
It also sported darvic rings: orange over blue on the right, and a black over the ABA ring on the left. That should identify the individual - not sure who uses this info but if anyone reading this wishes to pass this on to the relevant person/people or let me know who to contact, I'd appreciate it.
I did get some nice sharp pics of it with its back to me, and the one here is the only one that shows its head. Not too sharp though... apologies.

After having my fill of this fine bird, I left it grubbing around in the dirt and headed off to Buttertubs Marsh before picking Jenny up. 
On my way, I noticed another osprey - adding sticks to a nest just by the highway south of College/5th. Noticing the time, I realised that my time at Buttertubs would be short and I barely had time to walk up to the platform. There were a handful of yellow-rumped warblers along the way, as well as downy woodpecker, Anna's hummingbird and marsh wrens blasting out from the rank vegetation. On the water there were just hooded mergansers and a pair of wigeon.

All in all a decent day's birding, and a reminder of why I love birding around estuaries.  

Cinnamon adds spice to the day

A late afternoon check of Quennel Lake proved rewarding. The rain had stopped, and the sun was even having a go at shining.

Amongst the many hirundines, mostly tree and violet-green swallows, were reasonable numbers of barn swallow, at least 1 cliff and 1 northern rough-winged swallow.
A brown-headed cowbird was sniffing around the Brewer's blackbirds - a year-tick.
3 dunlin and 5 smaller waders were feeding on a distant muddy spit but at that range, I was hard pushed to confirm their identity.
They actually looked most like semi-palmated sandpiper, very grey overall in appearance with no discernible 'warmth' to the plumage, looked short billed and dark legged but, as I say the distance was too great. I do realise, also, that this species is highly unlikely here in spring, as opposed to the much commoner western and least. Sometimes, having a 'scope is even more frustrating than not having one!

Then came the real beauty - a drake cinnamon teal, which, while also being miles away, at least had the decency to be bright ginger, and stand out like a sore thumb. Despite this, it spent considerable time lurking and dabbling in the emergent vegetation at the lakeside and would disappear frequently. It seemed to be keeping close to one particular female, which appeared clearly paler than the nearby female green-wingeds. At one point a bald eagle flew over the lake and all the wildfowl took to the air, the male cinnamon and the female, took off with a group of wigeon and pintail while the other teal went in the opposite direction. The pair were spectacular in flight and easy to pick out, and at least I could confirm that the female wasn't a GW, though blue-winged couldn't be ruled out.
I've made the drake obvious in the pic, just in case anyone thought that it was an old rusty paint can floating in the lake....          

Wetter is better...

Despite, or rather thanks to,  the almost constant drizzle the morning's birding at the Nanaimo River estuary was pretty good today.

The 'new' northern shrike was still in the same area as yesterday evening, and was entertaining me with a collection of extraordinary sounds - I don't believe I've ever heard this species sing before, what a weird bunch of sounds! It's a rather pale bird, and has a striking, almost pure white, rump in flight.

A female northern harrier was sat, soggily, on a snag in the fields.

The rain had obviously dumped a few birds and I was aware of an increase in the number of white-crowned and savannah sparrows around the place. Also, I came across a trio of Lincoln's sparrows.
There were several orange-crowned warblers feeding along the long hedgerow, plus a pair of yellow-rumped. Then I bumped into a fall of yellow-rumped warblers - all males, totalling at least 16 birds, of which 5 where 'Myrtles'.

The hirundine numbers were through the roof and there were approximately 500 feeding over the river. I picked out at least 1 cliff and 2 barn swallows from the mass of violet-greens, plus around 5 tree swallows. I was nearly fooled into thinking I'd seen northern-roughed winged by a couple of very drab female violet-greens. At one point the swallows were spooked by a passing peregrine, forcing them up into a whole whirling mass - quite impressive.
Then, just as I was about to give up, I noticed a very dark, larger, bird coming in - it was the first of a group of 6 purple martins. They came over the river, never really joining the other birds, and passed by me on the viewing platform at eye level. Cool. Not a new bird, but a BC tick.

I decided to have a quick look at Holden Creek on my way home. No sign of any pipits or waders out on the marsh. Another 100 or so violet-green swallows, and 3 barn swallows, were feeding over the fields. A red-tailed hawk was sat out on a small tree.
Of interest, a very bright fox sparrow was here too. Much 'redder' than any I've seen previously on the island and suggestive of what Sibley refers to as 'slate-coloured' - is this a form often found here on passage?