Hi Birders: Unfortunately, our stalwart leader Derrick, was unable to man the helm on the weekly Wild Goose Chase and Swan Count today. So I offered to pitch in along with Eric the dutiful driver and wife Dorothy, always sharp eyed for perching raptors whilst recording the accurate tallies for the day. On another threateningly…
Hi This week we once again had good weather to start and rain to finish. I sat patiently waiting for the participants to arrive and as 10.00:am drew near there was know one to be seen, then finally they started to arrive and when we were ready to leave we had six participants in two…
Hi Our day started out with just three counters meeting at the dog park, a bit disappointing to say the least. Anyways we had a nice Red-tailed Hawk being harassed by crows in one of the last standing trees in the path of the Great Somenos Dike. We soon found some geese with a reasonable…
Hi Birders The last count of the season has come and gone and we had almost an identical number of swans as the last count last season. Swans were found in only four localities this week with the main flock on Koksilah Road west and even these were trying their best to hide from us….
Dear Birders Four D’s and a E, it is possible that these were my grades when I left school back in England many moons ago, but no, these are the first initials of the participants in this weeks survey. While 2 D’s and an E kept watch for birds, two D’s were doing a crossword;…
Hi Birders Not sure what we have done to deserve the weather we have been subjected to this week, wind, rain, even a bit of sunshine, but nothing stops the swan and goose counters. Five hardy souls set out from the dog park and it was not long before we started counting geese with over…
Hi Birders Talk about Rag, Tag and Bobtail, that was the swan and goose counters this week. I arrived at the dog park with just Daryl waiting, after few minutes Bob turned up to let us know that he would meet us half way round later on. So into the car the two of us…
Hi Birders There are times when one wishes they had stayed at home instead of going out birding in such horrible weather, but not so for those hardy counters who join us each week. Having said that one less than hardy counter did not want to get out of her car, she fumbled with her…
Dear Birders And this is why you should never let Swan & Goose counters go out for four hours un-supervised: Derrick PS. well done counters a record number of swans for the season. On 22nd February four stalwart birders set off swanning around the Cowichan Valley with a borrowed scope. The sky was blue, the…
Hi This week I put into the weather forecasters for some nice skies and boy did we get some, according to the square box the Cowichan Valley was the warmest place in Canada. Seven counters got under way and it was not long before we found our first swans at the rest stop beside Somenos…
Hi This week I had great expectations of some large numbers having gone up island and seen a big flock of swans at Quist’s Farm on Sunday. Things don’t always happen the way you think as was the case as we started our count, Somenos Marsh had 27 swans near the rest stop on the…
Hi all naturalists This weeks count was attended by 6 counters and the weather gods smiled upon us today with clear skies and moderately nice temperatures. The count this week saw numbers similar to last weeks with a rise in Canada Geese and amazingly the same number of immature Trumpeters. We counted the geese around…
Hello Birders The day started with 7 birders meeting at the dog park, one was sent packing as he had a nasty cold, didn’t want him contaminating the van. With senior Derrick away counting Zebras and Hippopotami, Peggy had the honors of driving us around our route and what a wonderful job she made of…
Hi Birders Due to the winter falling on a Wednesday again this year the count was canceled. Winter came on the 12th last year, so take it from me that winter is late this year. It is time for reflection with our count, the Raptor count has got off to a good start although the…
Hi Birders This week saw a major infusion of birds but a lack of counters. The day started at the dog park with just me and Daryl, so 10:00am came around and we started to pull out just as Sheila was pulling in. The three of us then left and started the count with a…