Coastal Waterbird Survey March 10th, 2019.

South side of Cowichan Bay.
Six intrepid birders (who had all remembered to change their clocks) watched sunrise on a cold but beautiful morning by the Cowichan Estuary Nature Centre: Donna Zipse, Ken Bendle, Bruce Coates, Linda Hill, Gail Mitchell, and John Scull saw two harbour seals, a group of pine siskin, and the following:

Trumpeter Swan, 10; Mallard, 20; Bufflehead, 96; Common Goldeneye, 5; Hooded Merganser, 4; Common Merganser, 5; Duck sp., 100; Gull sp., 15; Double-crested Cormorant, 3; Great Blue Heron, 12; Northwestern Crow, 4.

On a clear cold day with rippled seas at high tide at 10 AM on March 10, 2019, a group of three birders identified 14 species of waterbirds from Khenipsen Road on Cowichan Bay North.
The birders with cold fingers included Daryl Johnson, Kurlene Wenberg, and Carol Hartwig.

Canada Goose, 12; Horned Grebe, 1; Great Blue Heron, 1; Trumpeter Swan, 27; American Widgeon, 4; Mallard, 43; Common Goldeneye, 2; Surf Scoter, 17; White-winged Scoter, 4; Bufflehead, 48; Common Merganser, 2; Red Breasted Merganser, 4; Bald Eagle, 4; Gull sp., 53.

On a calm, clear March 10, Bryon Thompson, Jim Wisnia, and Lyn Wisnia saw in the Verdier Point area:

Surf scoter, 11; Bufflehead, 22; Common goldeneye, 34; Barrow’s goldeneye, 11; Red-breasted merganser, 14; Horned grebe, 14; Western grebe, 275; Mew gull, 26; Glaucous-winged gull, 30; Gull sp., 7; Common loon, 2; Pelagic cormorant, 1’ Cormorant sp. 1; Bald eagle, 2; Belted kingfisher, 2.

And in the Mill Bay area:

Mute swan, 10; American wigeon, 18; Mallard, 6; Surf scoter, 23; Bufflehead, 45; Common goldeneye, 18; Hooded merganser, 4; Common merganser, 6; Red-breasted merganser, 7; Horned grebe, 15; Red-necked grebe, 2; Mew gull, 18; Glaucous-winged gull, 47; Gull sp., 7; Common loon, 5; Pelagic cormorant, 2; Double-crested cormorant, 2; Cormorant sp., 1; Great blue heron, 1; Northwestern crow, 8; Cooper’s hawk, 1.