The herons are back

Three observers, Daryl Johnson, Carol Hartwig and Kurlene Wenberg, conducted a Coastal Bird Survey on Cowichan Estuary North-Khenipsen Road Sunday, December 8, 2013 from 10 AM to 11:25 AM. Visibility was excellent during the high tide and there was no human disturbance. There were a total of 15 species that included 515 American Widgeon, 230…

A total of 8 species of waterbirds (111 birds) were observed on the North Side of Cowichan Bay at high tide at 6 PM on September 13, 2015, a partly cloudy day by Daryl Johnson, Christine Gilbertson and Carol Hartwig. Double-crested Cormorant 1 Great Blue Heron 8 Mute Swan 12 Mallard 3 Common Merganser 3…

On May 8th a group gathered at Cowichan Bay for the last Coastal Waterbird Survey until September.  The Waterbirds were scare – apart from Double Crested Cormorants and Glaucous- winged gulls, we only observed a  few Bufflehead and one female Common Merganser. The resident Mute Swans graced us with their presence.  Great Blue Herons were…

Cowichan Bay South 11th Nov Donna Zipse. Ken Bendle, Linda Hill, Gail Mitchell, and John Scull met in Hecate Park at 9 am on a clear, crisp, cold morning. The estuary was full of life, with Fox Sparrow and Towhee in the bushes, Mink, Seal, and Otter in the water, and the voices of the…

There are several things that have become apparent from the first few weeks of our counts, the swans are late coming, the eagles are early returning and the counters can do very well without me, well maybe. The swans left their breeding grounds on time and departed their northern rest spots, but between there and…

Only Linda Hill and I were there to do the count without a telescope.  It was chilly and overcast, but the sea was perfectly still, reflecting the sky and the mountains,  We were accompanied on our walk along the shore by two river otters.  We saw on the south side of Cowichan Bay: 71 Bufflehead;…