“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” The Good Today we found the rarest bird ever seen on the Swan & Goose count when a Gyrfalcon zoomed across the fields at the Hwy 18 park and ride, the bird did finally land about a mile away on top of a fir and Barry…
Here we go, another new year and the second half of this season and what a wonderful day full of sunshine and laughter. Six counters headed out from the dog park and one straggler met up with us at Drinkwater Road. A nice Belted Kingfisher stood guard over one of the few remaining open pieces…
The snow falling on the south side of Cowichan Bay was heavy enough to be very beautiful but not heavy enough to obscure our view of the birds except for some distant cormorants. We had lots of birders enjoying the weather: Adam, Jackie, Malcolm, and Fiona Taylor; Jane Bailey, Linda Hill, Carol Milo, John Scull,…
Seven eager counters turned up on this the first day of winter, did I say winter, so what was that we had last week? It was a lovely day with no wind and a nice bit of sunshine and for sure the swans knew it was winter as they turned up…
Many years ago I used to do surveys with a very good friend Dr.J.Murray Speirs in Ontario mostly in the winter, well today it felt like I was back there in Ontario as it was frigid as the 7 swan counters headed out from the dog park. The fields around the…
Carol Milo reports that on the south side of Cowichan Bay on Dec. 11th she (on her own), at high tide counted 7 species of seabirds for a total of 135 birds: 2 Double crested cormorant; 40 Canada Geese; 70 bufflehead; 8 common goldeneye, 4 Barrow’s goldeneye; 1 herring gull & 10 glaucous winged gulls….
Because of circumstances beyond my control I had to sit out on today’s count, but like all good leaders l made sure that the sun shone down on the troops today. I guessed today’s count was going to be a long one as sun and photographers go hand in hand. Time doesn’t…
I have to admit that I am becoming a little concerned about the lack of Trumpeter Swans in the valley at this late time, we are well below our norm. Having seen data from other areas we are the only ones that appear to be missing large numbers. We will just have…
Some say I have a gift for this and others just think I’m lucky, but the way I slipped that wonderful count day in among two stinkers, well you be the judge. This week saw a bumper crop of counters with three vehicles heading off with 10 counters and picking…
It was a nice start to our count with sunny skies but a little nippy for some. A Merlin entertained us as we stood gossiping in the car park. Seven birders set out in two cars and it only took a few minutes before we were counting some Geese, the golf driving range had a…
On October 9th Carol Milo, Wilma Harvey, John Wheatley, Dorothy & Eric Marshall and Todd Carnahan covered the south side of Cowichan Bay. A toral of 141 birds were observed. 2 Unident. grebe 3 Double crested cormorant 56 Canada goose 11 American wigeon 45 Unident. Duck 21 Glaucous winged gull 3 Belted kingfisher Carol…
This week 7 birders headed out on the incredibly warm day, word had got around that it was going to be warm and there were no signs of brollies and wellies seen the previous week. We got many Canada Geese on the school fields before arriving at Somenos Lake, here the lake looked bare but…
On a very rainy overcast November 13th day at high tide, 2016, Kurlene Wenberg and Daryl Johnson spotted 17 species of waterbirds on Khenipsen Road, Cowichan Bay north side for the BC Coastal Bird Survey. A total of 1000 birds were observed. 6 Double-crested Cormorant; 7 Pelagic Cormorant; 28 Mallard; 58 White-winged Scoter; 126 Surf…
On October 9th Carol Milo, Wilma Harvey, Dorothy & Eric Marshall and Todd Carnahan covered the south die of Cowichan Bay. A toral of 141 birds were observed. 2 Unident. grebe 3 Double crested cormorant 56 Canada goose 11 American wigeon 45 Unident. Duck 21 Glaucous winged gull 3 Belted kingfisher Carol Milo On October…
There were lots of volunteers but not so many birds for the first count of the season. Laurie Vasey, Linda Hill, Kathy Coster, Gail Mitchell, and Carol Milo strolled along the shore on the south side and saw the following birds 1 Canada Goose 17 Common Merganser 2 Double-crested Cormorant 7 Glaucous-winged Gull 26 gull…