April 29, 2021

South Side of Cowichan Bay. We met by the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre in Hecate Park at 3 pm on a breezy Sunday, September 8. John Scull, Linda Hill, Kathy Coster, Donna Zipse, Ken Bendle, and Pamela Williams were joined by Derrick Marven and his telescope. Derrick seemed to be with us to polish his…

This week saw 8 counters head out in 2 vehicles and we put all the girls in together and Barry who needed some tender care after a couple of weeks with the girls came in with myself and the Marshalls. It had to happen sooner or later and a dramatic change occurred as more than…

South side of the Bay Partly cloudy, calm, no rain. No boat activity. Few walkers with dogs. Eight counters: Janice Creed; Melanie Circle; Michael Mascall; Hilary Abbott; Alison Perry and Katie Smith from Victoria; Robin Lawson and Gail Mitchell. 80 Bufflehead; 30 Common Goldeneye; 2 Barrow’s Goldeneye; 6 Doublecrested Cormorant; 3 Western Grebe; 3 Horned…

Eight birders — David Aldcroft, Diana Aldcroft, Kathy Coster, Pamela Williams, Robin Lawson, Gail Mitchell, John Scull and Tony Sneep — counted birds in intermittent showers. Horned grebe 1 Double crested cormorant 10 Mute swan 2 Green winged teal 1 Greater scaupe 10 Surf scoter 4 Bufflehead 58 Common goldeneye 52 Barrow’s goldeneye 4 Hooded…

I am enjoying visits from a pair of Violet Green Swallows as they perch on our deck railing above their nest box.  Their presence always makes me smile and I hope the aerial insect population is healthy this year.  Therefore it was timely when this came into my inbox recently.  Thanks to Kerry (kj finley)…

      “And there they were gone” Was it the wind and rain or the barmy temperatures that drove our birds away this week, the swans were gone and the eagles followed suit, our numbers tumbled like the Canadian dollar and the price of oil. With only 75 swans total this week and 59…