Blue river

With Jenny's sister arriving tomorrow from merry old England, we had a post-work shopping trip to take care of. Having resigned myself to a birdless evening, we actually got the groceries in the car and back at home by 6.30 or so. So you guessed it, I managed a quick dash down to the estuary.
First up was a lovely male yellow-rumped warbler near the big oak. Then, seeing as a family (rug-rats in tow) was bumbling around, I decided to forego a scan from the platform and headed out onto the marsh to see if any owls were out there.
I spotted a distant bird on a post and checked it out through my bins. Huh? That looks like a mountain bluebird? Deciding it was probably a dusky female swallow, or something, I walked on extending my tripod legs as I went. Raised my bins again. Bloody hell, it does look like a mountain bluebird! Got my scope on it and bagged it. What a crippler! I've only ever seen this species once before, in Alberta - several years ago so - I was well chuffed with this - a BC tick!
I watched this handsome chat for some time before deciding to have a look around at what else might be lurking in the area.
A short-eared owl came out to play, as did a female northern harrier but other than a handful of violet-green swallows it was all quiet. I had another good look at the bluebird, which was getting restless and heading toward the long hedge, then decided to leave at about 7.30pm. Just as I got in the car I noticed a raptor gliding in from the estuary. It was obviously another harrier, this time a stunning adult male. Nice way to finish a visit that almost never happened...      

Coronata Street

The weather was on my side, for once, today. After it raining most of the night, and most of the morning, it actually stopped and brightened up for my lunchtime sorte down to the Nanaimo waterfront.
And, as most optimistic birders know, a bit of spring rain means dropped migrants. And as most optimistic birders also know, a calm spell between the showers means hungry migrants actively feeding up.
Armed with this optimism (when aren't I?) I headed down to the hideously named Sutton-Mafeo Park (apologies, if Mr or Mrs Sutton or Mafeo were hugely important Nanaimo-ites, but really, it's crap name for a park). First up - a turkey vulture overhead... ok, not really what I had in mind.
Then I heard a 'chip', and looking up I saw the expected culprit - a lovely male yellow-rumped warbler. Smart. Then another 'chip', and a female appeared. Good stuff.

Then the male Anna's hummingbird showed up and I pointed my happy snapper at it, and took the rubbish picture you see here.
Buoyed by my first warblers of the spring, I headed back to work, passing a cracking adult white-crowned sparrow grubbing around some ornamental shrubbery in front of the Pacifica building. Not exactly Cape Clear, but it was pretty encouraging!

The weather deteriorated again and it rained for most of the afternoon, and into early evening. With a Jon-friendly clear spell just after 6pm I legged it down to the Nanaimo River estuary. As I got out the car, I noticed the female northern harrier hunting over the fields.
Checking the bushes and shrubbery on my way to the platform things didn't look overly promising...
From the viewing platform I noticed that 200ish violet-green swallows were still feeding at the river's mouth. Then I noticed a short-eared owl sat on a post, nearby. Jolly good.
Finding nothing interesting among the few ducks present I thought I'd check the hedges for migrants. And then POW! A group of 11 yellow-rumped warblers - of which 9 were pristine males, resplendent in fresh breeding plumage - came through at knee height. They were frantically feeding and flitting through the weedy vegetation. Fabulous stuff.
I carried on along the hedgerow, but no more passerine migrants materialised. Then I noticed another short-eared owl. I could still just about see the other one, so it was definitely another bird.
Finding nothing else I returned for a quick look from the platform - from where I could clearly see both owls.
It was now 7.45pm and getting a bit dusky, and showery, so I headed back to the car where I got ace views of another short-eared owl hunting over the fields.
I just adore spring - there's the potential for something new every day... Roll on, April!    
    
    
              

Owls about that...

Following a very pleasant day doing family stuff, I found a window of birding opportunity in the late afternoon, so I headed - guess where - yep, you guessed it, down to the Nanaimo River estuary.
It was pretty cool and showery, and I had the place pretty much to myself. There was one other person there, wandering around in a small area of riverside marsh carrying a clipboard, tape measure and field guide of some kind... I guessed from his behaviour, he was engaged in some kind of botanical survey? Unfortunately, our paths didn't cross, so I didn't get to ask him.

Again, a pair of red crossbill were showing really well, this time also accompanied by 3 pine siskin, in the small trees (crab apple?) near the viewing platform.
Heading up the long hedge, I came across a short-eared owl - the first I've seen here for quite some time.

A northern shrike was doing the rounds and a few violet-green swallows were moving through.
The hedge was quiet with just the 'resident' towhees, song sparrow and Bewick's wrens present.
A savannah sparrow was again in the weedy area near the gorse patch. Not sure if it was the same bird as yesterday, as it seemed brighter and better marked, with a much 'warmer' tertial/secondary patch.

Retracing my steps back to the viewing platform I noticed a cloud of hirundines feeding over the river mouth. Scanning through the 200 or so birds, they all appeared to violet-green swallows.
Then a tell-tale call alerted me to a Wilson's snipe - it flew up off the marsh on the other side of the river and rose high over me before flying out and plummeting down back onto the saltmarsh. When I say, 'tell-tale call' I mean I knew it was a snipe, not that I could distinguish it specifically as Wilson's, as opposed to common... I'm sure you know what I mean...

With it being high tide, at least the gulls and wildfowl were close enough to scope through - though, I couldn't find anything to get excited about.  

Oh, of note: we had our first red-breasted sapsucker in the yard* this morning.
* UK readers may wish to know that 'yard' in Canada means garden... not, like a back yard in Britain. And a shop is a shed, and a store is a shop... there's probably an entirely different blog in this...    
        

Tasty sandwichensis...

It was a touch cool & breezy down at the Nanaimo River estuary this morning, but there were at least a few more birds around.
Unfortunately, the gulls and ducks were, again, miles away so there was no chance to give them a grilling. So, armed with little other than a heap of optimism, I went for a trample around looking for migrants.

I was swiftly rewarded with views of my first savannah sparrow of the year (pic right). My starter for ten so to speak, as this is a very common species - just not so in winter.
A northern shrike was hunting from the scattered trees out on the marsh.
Then I heard the distinctive and delightful call, of what was a new patch bird for me. Yes, the evocative sound of the magnificent pheasant. Hmm.
Back to proper birds, and a few violet-green swallows were moving through, though an hour's bush bashing failed to reveal any other migrants.
A single female crossbill turned up and posed nicely for a while.

I decided to head around to Holden Creek for a peek. The fields by the creek were teeming with American robins - at least 100. And, not one, but two more northern shrikes were hunting from the barb-wired fence. A flock of 30, or so, violet-green swallows were feeding over the fields.
Only a few green-winged teal and a couple of mallard were out on the marsh. More crossbills and a couple of siskin were scooting around. A pair of red-tailed hawks were out hunting, or seeing off passing bald eagles, while a female northern harrier was being bothered by a raven.    

Patch lowlights

It was pretty quiet down on the Nanaimo waterfront at lunchtime today, single pigeon guillemot and common loon offshore the only things of note.
A Bewick's wren was singing from one of the ornamental conifers, and the male Anna's hummingbird was perched up in his regular spot.

On my way home from work I noticed a merlin in pursuit of a starling over the highway near Petroglyph.
I went straight to the estuary for an hour, but it was painfully quiet. The ducks and gulls were miles out, with the tide, and there were no songbirds to be seen or heard at all. And I mean none. Not a song sparrow, not a towhee - nothing. In fact, other than a multitude of ravens, there was nothing until a lone flicker appeared. Its starring role was soon eclipsed by the appearance of a northern shrike - phew!
I need a better local patch...
Back in Blighty, I would have been trampling along the Lune estuary flushing smart wheatears and hearing chiffchaffs singing from the hawthorns on a day like today - mind you, I can't remember ever finding an American kestrel down there, so I suppose it's all relative!

The Lake Late Show

Despite, or probably because of, the rain, decided to have a look around Quennell Lake this evening.
Not too much really to report, though there was an apparent increase in lesser scaup. I counted 56.
Also, around 60 common merganser were also there. Still approximately 60 or so shoveler, plus 30ish bufflehead and a few green-winged teal, pintail, mallard and American wigeon.
Good numbers of both tree and violet-green swallow were feeding over the lake and a bald eagle was cruising up and down.
As usual there were great-blue herons all over the place... oh, and best of all a beaver swan across! Forgive me, but I doubt I'll ever tire of seeing those...

Yesterday evening, Jenny and I walked to Hemer Park. Not excessively birdy, but it was great hearing the melancholic varied thrushes' haunting whistles throughout the forest.
A couple of ring-necked duck were on the pool along with pied-billed grebes, hooded mergansers and, er, mallard. A very loud barred owl was barking away from the depths of the forest, and kindly totally took no notice whatsoever of my crappy efforts to imitate it. On the way back home, a Cooper's hawk flew past us.
Incidentally, on my way home from work yesterday, a sharp-shinned hawk was being harried by a northwestern crow near the dump, and a turkey vulture drifted over the road at Cedar. Oh, and a pair of 'doves' flew across the road near the Co-Op gas station near the Cedar Rd junction. They looked like collared doves from the brief view I got...

And I'm starting to think that the current mystery bird is wwwwaaaayyyy too easy..!

Raptor raptures

Despite the only bird of note yesterday being the female northern harrier, I decided once again on a post-work trawl around the Nanaimo River estuary, this evening.

My optimism was actually rewarded, and I found a lovely female American kestrel. Despite the occasional unwanted attention from a couple of ravens, the bird seemed quite content and was hunting from a variety of posts and small trees. Nice.
A couple of tree swallows zipped through. I think I'm getting the hang of telling these from violet-greens, without having to clinch any salient plumage points, on the overall shape and jizz - the longer tail of tree seems quite apparent. Or am I deluded?
Again, the female northern harrier appeared from across the river and headed straight to the same area as last night - presumably to roost.
A belted kingfisher was rattling around.
Other than 7 great-blue herons bill-snapping in the big oak, it was fairly quiet.

Gulls just wanna have fun

Headed up the island a wee bit today for a grockle's day out. After a trip to Coombs, we dropped by Parksville to have a cup of tea at Rich & Lori's before heading out, Rich in tow, to see if we could find a slaty-backed gull. Two of these Asian vagrants have been seen recently, amongst the mass of birds along this stretch of coast, here for the annual herring spawn.

We went first, to French Creek. Offshore there were hundreds of long-tailed ducks & surf scoters, while there were almost constant fly-by's of birds, including numerous white-winged scoters. There were a few gulls on the beach, amongst them the commoner species: glaucous-winged, California, mew, and a cracking adult ring-billed gull - I think this may be the first RB gull I've seen on the island..? A large 1st winter glaucous gull dropped in, dazzling white. Guy Monty and Donna had arrived to do some gulling too, so we had a bit of a chat before heading round to another stretch a short distance along the coast where Guy informed us a mass of gulls were gathered.
We arrived to find the water's edge teeming with brant and gulls. Another glaucous gull was quickly found as we scanned through the birds, in search of something with a dark mantle. Today was not to be the day for such exotic rewards, but we thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle.

Back in Cedar, Jenny and I paid a quick visit to Quennell Lake for an early evening check. Still 70ish shoveler present, but only a few pintail and American wigeon. There was no sign of the large number of common mergansers that have been a feature of late, and only a handful of bufflehead.
There were, however, around 200 hirundines feeding over the lake - a mix of tree and violet-green swallow (approx. 70/30 respectively).
A northern shrike was hunting from a fencepost in the nearby fields and the single cackling goose was with just 36 Canada geese. A merlin flew through.  

Stop Press: we were obviously in the wrong place yesterday - see Mike Yip's pics of slaty-backed gull here: http://vancouverislandbirds.com 

Sprinkling of migrants...

Things looked good as I arrived at the Nanaimo River estuary this morning - there seemed to be robins all over the place. Had there been some overnight movement? I counted about 60 in the area around the big oak, plus a group of 30ish starling. There didn't appear to be anything associating with them though, and I was quickly distracted by a northern harrier hunting over the fields. It was an adult female, presumably passing through.

From the platform, it all looked pretty quiet - just the usual distant gulls. I could discern the regular glaucous-winged, mew and Californias only. Wildfowl continue to decline in number, the expected species were all present but with individuals. A drake Eurasian wigeon was still present, as can almost be determined by the accompanying photo. Not quite as good as last week's snow goose pic, but I'm trying. Now I come to look at it again, I'm assuming it wasn't someone doing a wildfowl puppet show behind that hump...
A sharp-shinned hawk flew through, briefly landing up in the hawthorns, and my first 'patch' turkey vulture passed over. Two tree swallow also came through. A western meadowlark was singing out in the fields and a northern shrike was hunting out there.

I squeezed in an hour at Buttertubs Marsh in the early afternoon but it was fairly unremarkable. Despite the profusion of yellow-rumped warblers that are around the island, I didn't find a single one! A lone male Anna's hummingbird showed well, and yet more tree swallows and 2 violet-green swallows were seen. Another 2 turkey vulture passed over.
The only waterbirds seen were hooded merganser, ring-necked duck and pied-billed grebe. Unless, of course, you count mallard and Canada goose, which generally speaking, I don't. Or 'The Heron'.
A few American goldfinch brightened things up and a group of 6 golden-crowned sparrow were by the feeders along with bushtit, chestnut-backed chickadee, etc.

Quintessential Quennel

Headed over to Quennell Lake this evening for a spot of post-work spotting. And what a lovely evening it was. Jenny even joined me, though chose to sit in the car doing a sudoku...

The frogs were croaking, the Brewer's and red-winged blackbirds were making their funny noises, and the mosquitos were emerging.

Approximately 400 Canada geese were feeding around the lake, and a single cackling goose was among them. As the geese left the lake area in small, noisy, gaggles the group containing the cackling goose passed overhead. Pretty easy to spot which one it is from the photo, huh? Any Brit readers, who have never seen this species, may well be surprised just how small it is!
Honestly, I haven't been at the Photoshop... nor is it actually a Canada goose just 50 feet further away...

Anyhoo, the usual small numbers of American wigeon, green-winged teal and mallard were around. Pintail numbers have gone down a bit, as have bufflehead.
I counted a total of 72 shoveler. About a dozen common merganser, 4 ring-necked duck and 22 lesser scaup were also present. 5 American coot were feeding along the weedy edges.
A belted kingfisher was sat on a snag.
A pair of killdeer were along the water's edge - the first I've seen here. Local returning breeders, or on passage?