Tag: birds

Neil Hughes & Pierre Geoffray – “Birding Belize”

Welcome to Belize!
Belize is a small, hot country – with exceptional diversity in habitats
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
and consequently birds! Here’s a Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Wandering Tattler (Tringa incana)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Green Heron (Butorides virescens) fishing in mangroves
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
The ubiquitous Great-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Coastal Lagoon with mixed heron flock
– N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
The best way to bird to “pay the money and do the boat trip” – great value even at $120 !!
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Boat-billed Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Wood Stork (Mycteria americana)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Yellow-crowned Night-heron (Nyctanassa violacea)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Yes, Snail Kites (Rostrhamus sociabilis) REALLY DO eat snails!
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
The best thing about boats is that you can get REALLY close!
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Amazon Kingfisher (Chloroceryle amazona)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Aracari (Pteroglossus torquatus). Yes it’a a Toucan!
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Turquoise-browed Motmot (Eumomota superciliosa)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
One of our better camping spots!
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Pierre in his element
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Neil enjoying some of the other attractions. Mayan ruins at Lamani
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
White-whiskered Puffbird (Malacoptila panamensis)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Yellow-olive Flycatcher (Tolmomyias sulphurescens)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
A deadly Fer de Lance – about five feet long. We kept our distance!
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Red-capped Manikin (Ceratopipra mentalis)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Not the most reliable vehicle on the planet – but it did the job!
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
This Howler Monkey was not happy with us…
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
Laughing Falcon (Herpetotheres cachinnans)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray
The National Bird of Belize – the amazing Keel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos sulfuratus)
-N. Hughes & P. Geoffray

Neil Hughes & Pierre Geoffray – “Birding Belize”
by Andrew Bryant, 15 Sep 2022.

We had a treat for our first meeting of the 2022-23 Invited Speakers season.  Neil Hughes teamed up with Pierre Geoffray to revisit their recent birding adventures in Belize – and what adventures they had!

Belize is a small country (about 73% of the size of Vancouver Island) but extraordinarily rich in habitat diversity.  It also has the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world, has the lowest human population density in Central America, and English is the official language.  All of these things make Belize a magnet for tourists – and birders!

Pierre spent five months there last year, driving 3000 km (with 3 different vehicles), visiting 2 cays, and counting 414 bird species.  He saw a few large cats, a few snakes…and got over his fear of the ocean by snorkeling with sharks!

Neil was in Belize for only 13 days, but still managed to drive 1000 km (walking 78 of them) and tallying 265 bird species.

For me, I thoroughly enjoyed Neil and Pierre’s vastly different speaking styles.  Not to mention their extraordinary photographic skills.  The other wonderful trick was that Neil had many of the bird calls on his smart phone…so as Pierre was advancing through the slides we could also hear that bird in real time.

Well done!

 

 

 

Ken & Kathie Pritchard – “Passionate about our feathered friends”

Pacific Wren, Apr-02-2021;
– Kathie Pritchard
American Kestrel, Apr-11-2022
– Kathie Pritchard
Song Sparrow, Apr-10-2022
– Kathie Pritchard
Wood Duck (male and female), Apr-18-2020;
– Kathie Pritchard
Bewick’s Wren, Feb-13-2022
– Kathie Pritchard
Dark-Eyed Junco, Jan-08-2021
– Kathie Pritchard
Northern Pygmy Owl (adult), Mar-4-2022;
– Kathie Pritchard
Purple Martin, Jun-25-2021
– Kathie Pritchard
Red-breasted Sapsucker., Jan-09-2022
– Kathie Pritchard
Whimbrel. May-19-2021
– Kathie Pritchard
Willow Flycatcher, Aug-13-2021
– Kathie Pritchard
Yellow Warbler (male), Jun-07-2021
– Kathie Pritchard

Ken & Kathie Pritchard – “Passionate about our feathered friends”
by Andrew Bryant, 17 Apr 2022.

In only our 2nd “in person” meeting since last November, Ken and Kathie Pritchard came to speak to us about their passion for birds.

There was no concert upstairs this time – but we again had some technical issues with the Zoom meeting, and not many stayed to the end.

For the 20-30 persons who attended in person, it was a terrific talk.  Ken got the ball rolling with a very professionally-done short video (see below).  Kathie then took over and took us on a virtual tour “Powell River birding though the seasons“.   In between we learned LOTS of helpful tips about identifying (and photographing) local birds.

Once again the photography, and the delivery,  was exceptional.  Check out the video!

Watch now

 

 

Winnie Ferrier – “The Great Backyard Bird Count”

Greater Scaup at Myrtle Rocks
– W. Ferrier
Glaucus-winged Gulls at Random Road
– W. Ferrier
Bald Eagle at Random Road
– W. Ferrier
Golden-crowned Kinglet at Cranberry Lake
– W. Ferrier
Pacific Wren at Lang Creek
– W. Ferrier

by Winnie Ferrier, 6 March 2022.

The Global GBBC (Great Backyard Bird Count) celebrated its 25th anniversary this year in February.  For me it was just one year ago that I tentatively recorded in a notebook bird sightings from my yard, and for the first time put into my computer the species and numbers onto eBird.  I spent half an hour each morning and afternoon of the four days of the GBBC observing birds and accumulated 15 species, and a total of 147 birds.

I have learned so much since then.  Firstly, it doesn’t have to be just in my yard that I count birds for the GBBC.  It can be anywhere in my neighborhood or community.  So this year over the four days I submitted 9 checklists – 2 from looking out of my home window, 3 from walks around my neighborhood, and I went birding to Cranberry Lake, Myrtle Rocks, Brew Bay, and the Beach Gardens Marina.

I was fortunate enough this past year to participate in a Zoom course through Rocky Point Bird Observatory in Victoria that gave me the confidence to tally birds on my  iPhone using an eBird app – I’ve been inputting the birds that I observe on outings ever since!  Me – who has always been intimidated by anything “techy”!  My observation times for the GBBC this year ranged from 15 minutes to 1 ¾ hour each.  I had a terrific time with binoculars on my front, a backpack on my back and my point-and-shoot camera over my shoulder.  I felt like an adventurer, excited about what I might see next.  My goal was to try and find some birds that I hadn’t seen before. I was gratified in that I found three that were new to me.  In total I recorded 38 species and 863 birds in total.

I look back from just a year ago and celebrate my successes!

 

 

118th Christmas Bird Count

Pilieated Woodpecker [PIWO] at Penticton Woods
– A. Bryant
Our Coordinator (Heather) kept us all on course – just as she has thanklessly done for years!
So…Thank You!
Smart phones are, well, smart!
Here’s the track of my personal 2017 count.
– as uploaded to Google Earth
He’s late! The very unusual Wilson’s Warbler [WIWA] spotted at Wildwood Bluffs
– I. van Veen
A COHU – the first record for Powell River!
The very unusual Costa’s Hummingbird (Calypte costae) who’s been hanging out south of town
– K. Prichard
One of our newer members, here’s Mark Fetcher diligently taking notes…
no doubt wondering what the four-letter-code for this one is!
– A. Bryant

118th Christmas Bird Count
by Andrew Bryant, 16 Dec 2017.

 A number of club members participated in the Christmas Bird Count this year – the 14th time we’ve done so!

We had 17 participants, with another dozen who recording birds seen at feeders.   In total, we counted 6021 birds of 88 species.  This is somewhat lower than numbers recorded in previous years, a trend seen in other counts around Georgia Strait.  This we found curious, given that we had a reasonable break in a week-long string of storms.  Results from all our previous counts can be found here.

Highlights?  The Costa’s Hummingbird south of town is a first for Powell River, the Wilson’s Warbler at Wildwood was exceptional, and the large flocks of Ancient Murrelets moving far offshore were impressive.

Thanks to all who came out – and special thanks to Heather Harbord for coordinating it all, and to David Bedry for hosting the wonderful follow-up pot-luck!
Merry Christmas – and see you next year!

Tiny Brown Birds

Mister and Mrs. Purple Finch
– M. Stewart
Clyde checking out some movement in the bushes
– H. Harbord
Male Anna’s hummingbird showing black iridescent feathers
– M. Stewart
They’re really impressive close up!
– M. Stewart
David Bedry and Johanna Moore watching the feeders
– H. Harbord
Chestnut-backed Chickadee at the feeder
– H. Harbord
A Spotted Towhee comes around
– H. Harbord
Purple Finch at the feeder
– H. Harbord
Another view of the male Anna’s – with very different lighting…
– H. Harbord

Tiny Brown Birds
by Heather Harbord, 14 January 2017.

Eight members joined Clyde at 8am on Saturday for the Tiny Brown Birds trip.  After carpooling from town, we drove to the Lang Creek Hatchery, crossed the road and walked among the prime TBB habitat.

At the start, Clyde explained how carefully and quietly we should move to avoid scaring the birds.  Unfortunately, the sun went behind a cloud and it was very cold so only a few Towhees and Ruby-crowned Kinglets cooperated.  At the Hatchery, we saw a Pacific Wren beside the creek where the Dippers are often found at this time of year.

Next stop was Michael Stewart’s feeders which were much more fruitful for our purpose.  Hidden inside her house, after a slow start we enjoyed prime views of seven birds on Heather’s hand-out of TBBs plus several Anna’s Hummingbirds which sat on twigs to display their black throats and shocking pink and orange lapels, an iridescence caused by the way light hits microscopic barbules in their colourless feathers. Oregon Juncos were the commonest birds.  The red squirrel-proof feeder had both male and female House Finches on one side and Purple Finches on the other often interrupted by Spotted Towhees and Juncos.  Clyde showed us how to distinguish between them.

Both Song and Fox Sparrows put in brief appearances and also demonstrated Clyde’s distinctions.  We were grateful to him for sharing his vast knowledge of birds and their behaviours and setting us on track to become more competent birders.  The area has potential for a birding or tree frog field trip in the spring when the weather should be more clement.

Note: Apart from leading the trip, Clyde and Heather have produced a really useful “mini-field guide” to some of our local TBBs…you can get it here.

Neil Hughes – “Ethiopia: a birding extravaganza”

This was our intinerary – it was a busy few weeks!
We started out the the Rift Valley – the cradle of civilization
Fishermen amidest White-backed pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and Maribou storks (Leptoptilos crumenifer)
Blue-breasted Bee-eaters (Merops variegatus) are amazing – and they really do eat bees!
Wow. A kingfisher that doesn’t eat fish! This is a Woodland Kingfisher (Cinnyris venustus), which hunts insects, lizards on the forest floor
The Kush Escarpment and Forests were amazing – although forests were few and far between
Abyssinian Woodpecker (Dendropicos abyssinicus) – one of the rarest birds of the trip – seen on day One, in the hotel gardens
It wasn’t all birds…here’s a Colobus monkey
The perfectly-named Superb Starling (Lamprotornis superbus)
The Gray-backed fiscal (Lanius excubitoroides) is widely distributed throughout Africa
Onwards to the Highlands, which is where most people live – and farm
A typican African scene. Every usable inch is cultivated
Hummingbirds are confined to the Americas, but in Africa the sunbirds occupy the same ecological nicsh. This is a Variable Sunbird (Cinnyris venustus)
The Abyssinian ground hornbill (Bucorvus abyssinicus) is an active predator – on mice, lizards, snakes, or pretty much anything
Few are aware that Ethiopia has the highest mountains in Africa – up to 15,000 footers – and it sometimes snows
Onwards to the savannah and desert
The trip routine was birding at dawn, and when it got too hot, find some shade and cook breakfast – we were usually pretty hungry by this time
One of my trip favorites, the Lilac-breasted roller (Coracias caudata)
Here’a an Abyssinian roller (Coracias abyssinica) in flight – another of my favorites
The local “spotters” were key to birding success. Our guides would call them a few days before, saying “we’ll be arriving at such-and-such-a-time. Can you find us an X, Y and Z please?”
Classic Ethiopian “multi-use” of natural resources. Everyone, and every thing, congregates down by the river.
90 million people live in Ethiopia, and the cattle population is huge, also leading to overgrazing and deforestation.
Deforestation is visible everywhere. Note the bright reddish termite mound at left, which is testiment that this area was only recently cleared.
There are some positive development notes, exemplified by this windfarm.
The Warka tree is massive, and of great importance for the shade they offer. Note the size of the people standing beneath it, on the right side.

Neil Hughes – “Ethiopia: a birding extravaganza”
by Andrew Bryant, 17 November 2016.

Long-time club member, professional forester, and die-hard birder, Neil entertained us last year with his talk about spring migration in the eastern Mediterranean.  Although he’s moved away from Powell River and now calls Victoria home, Neil made a special trip back to share his latest amazing adventure – to Ethiopia!

It was more than a succession of marvelous bird photographs (although there were a lot of those).  I did not know, for example, that Ethiopia had such a diversity of landscapes, including not only the famous Rift Valley, but deserts, savannahs, forests, and montane habitats.

Nor was I was aware of the tremendous bird diversity to be found there (over 800 species), or of the extraordinary challenges facing not only birdwatchers, but the country as a whole.

In between the fascinating tidbits of natural history (sunbirds are the hummingbirds of Africa) and birding humor (“this is a drab, little brown bird…indeed it positively revels it its drabness”), there were some wonderful insights into the sense of the place.  I liked the all-essential “spotters”, without whom visiting birders would see little, and the quite extraordinary “meeting at the waterhole”.   Brilliant.

Twin Islands and Mitlenatch

Steller’s sea lions at Mitlenatch – H. Harbord
Sea Urchins – H. Harbord
Black Oystercatchers – H. Harbord
Two Mikes and the Treens aboard the Zodiac – H. Harbord
Twin Islands Lodge – H. Harbord
Belted Kingfisher in the swamp– H. Harbord
Fledgling American Robin – H. Harbord
Twin Islands Workshop
Mike Yip and Joan Treen examine dock life– H. Harbord
The Misty Isles under sail – H. Harbord
Lunch on board – H. Harbord
Phyllis Ogis talks to Joan Treen – H. Harbord
Mike Yip dries h is shoes – H. Harbord
The dining room – H. Harbord
Lounging in the lounge – H. Harbord

Twin Islands and Mitlenatch
by Heather Harbord, 26 May 2016. 

Ten members boarded the schooner, Misty Isles, at Lund on May 26th bound for Mitlenatch and Twin Islands.  It was great to have extra time on Mitlenatch especially as the Tiger Lilies were coming into bloom in the meadow and the Glaucous-winged gulls were beginning to sit on eggs.  The Stellers and California sea lions, Harbour seals, Pelagic and Double-crested cormorants, Black Oystercatchers and a few Pigeon Guillemots gave star performances which we watched from the zodiac.   As the wind was a bit strong we only circumnavigated the southern part of the island on both sides of Camp Bay instead of going all the way round.   As usual, Mike and his staff gave a knowledgeable presentation of what we were seeing supplemented by two of us (Janet May and I) who had been wardens the previous week.

We then went on to Twin Islands stopping at the rock where the Arctic Terns had been seen for the previous four years.  Unfortunately, they did not return for us.  The lodge at Twin Islands was fascinating and we enjoyed Mike Yip’s talk and photos of butterflies and birds. He is a wonderful photographer and some of us bought his books which he gave us a special rate on.  The following morning, we were on the go at 7am for a bird walk with Mike.  We did a bit too much exploring and didn’t have much time to spend at the swamp in the centre of the southern island where there was a Kingfisher and a Red-winged blackbird.  In the well-fenced garden a wobbly fledgling robin looked down on us from a tree.

After breakfast, the owner of the lodge, Mark Torrance, showed us his solar power system which he can control from his computer.   This was quite fascinating.  As we sailed away after lunch, we put up the red sails, got into the dingy and admired our handywork.

Thanks, Mike and Jonah, for another wonderful trip on Misty.

 

Birding by Ear Part VI

Day One was frankly a bust, with me getting the time wrong. The birds were mostly uncooperative, like this Song Sparrow… – A. Bryant
Pierre and I walked a long way … – A. Bryant
…without seeing very much – A. Bryant
But the rafts of Pacific and Common Loons were a nice treat – A. Bryant
And this was my first blue of the season.
14 May: This was so much better – Pierre and I showed up at the right time this time!
The birds were a bit more cooperative, like this Purple Finch – A. Bryant
See? – A. Bryant
Ah…springtime – A. Bryant
We had a brief glimpse of a young black bear – A. Bryant
Pierre showing some diagnostic bird features– A. Bryant
Like the wedge shape of raven tails – A. Bryant
A nice Orange-crowned Warbler – A. Bryant
Always nice to get out! – A. Bryant

Birding by Ear Part VI
by Andrew Bryant, 30 April 2016

Both Pierre Geoffray and I thought it a bit strange that nobody had showed at the Italian Hall by 8:00 AM – so we hung around for a bit, and decided to go birding anyway.

Thus I was horrified to later learn that I’d mis-remembered the time – our advertised walk was scheduled for 8:30 AM, and not 8:00 AM as I’d discussed with Pierre and announced at our last club meeting.   The fault is all mine, folks, and mine alone.  Fervent apologies to all who showed up after we’d prematurely left the scene.  Oops.  So Pierre and I decided we needed to do it again…

Birding by Ear Part VI !!! 
by Pierre Geoffray, 14 May 2016

This morning a group of 10 birders walked the trails at the Wildwood Bluffs. The weather was perfect for birding, sunny but not too hot.  AND the birds were there for us too, specially in the first 2 hours and they kept us busy trying to unravel the threads of their songs!

We found 20 species and that was pretty good for such a big group… The Black-headed Grosbeaks took first prize. They were everywhere, calling their “spik” notes or singing their long melodious whistles with the long upward note we learnt to recognize this morning? ( am I right?)

I stopped counting them after 15…Another bird we heard a lot this morning was the Wilson’s Warbler.  A cascade of “chi chi chi chi” going down… The Yellow Warblers which just arrived in the last days were also omnipresent, further complicating things with their “sweet, sweet I’m so sweet!”, a song that can be easily confused with the MacGillivray’s two part (one high, one low) song… You are still following me?

Another warbler we had was the Orange-crowned Warbler.  A thin trill dropping at the end like the bird had suddenly lost steam, and we compared it to the even pitched trill of the Spotted Towhee.

Today was also the first sighting of Swainson’s Thrush freshly returning from their South American wintering grounds.  We had a small group of 4-5 birds at the beginning of the walk.  They were not singing yet but giving instead they “huit” call so typical of our summer evenings…

At the end of the walk, one more warbler, the cute Common Yellowthroat played hard to get with us as he called and sang incessantly near the parking lot, allowing only short glimpses of its beautiful plumage.  Birds can be difficult sometimes!

I really enjoyed the walk this morning and getting to know new birders in town was a real bonus.  Thank you to all participating.  Special thanks to Andrew Bryant to coordinate it.
Good Birding to you all.

 

Rand Rudland – “Melanesian marvels”

Unknown dragonfly sp., Mt. Austen, Honiora (Guadalcanal), Solomon Islands – R. Rudland
This is Melanesia – specifically, one of the marvelous dancers at Choiseul – R. Rudland
The Spirit of Enderby (Professor Khromov) is a fully ice-strengthened vessel, built in 1984 for polar and oceanographic research. With 50 berths, she’s perfect for expedition travel – R. Rudland
Where’s Melanesia? Here’s the context…the Pacific is a very BIG ocean…
…and here are the places we stopped…
There’s clear water in the Solomons – R. Rudland
Before we explore some of the natural and cultural marvels of the region, let’s remind ourselves of the important military significance of the area. Guadalcanal, the sinking of John F Kennedy’s PT-109, the Battle of the Coral Sea, all of these and many more events took place here.
Relics of World War II abound. These are the remnants of a Japanese aircraft, in this case a Mitsubishi “Zero” fighter – R. Rudland
Others sail these waters too – this is a Spinner Dolphin at Tetepa – R. Rudland
and this is a Dugong at Vanuatu – one of the creatures on my “wish-list” – R. Rudland
Flying fish are neat – and hard to photograph! Exocetus sp, Solomon Islands – R. Rudland
Everywhere we landed we encountered music – and dancers. This lady is at Bipi Island, Papua New Guinea – R. Rudland
The traditional trade and culture was impressive. These are models of ocean-going canoes at Vanuatu – R. Rudland
Life is hard, and people face growing challenges in the region. But everywhere the children were smiling – expecially these guys with their homemade surf boards at Makira Island– R. Rudland
Barred Owlet-nightjar at Varirata National Park, Papua New Guinea – R. Rudland
Beach Thick-knee at Aravon Island, in the Solomons– R. Rudland
Unknown butterfly sp at Mt. Austen, Honiora (Guadalcanal), Solomon Islands – R. Rudland
Claret-breasted Fruit-dove at Tetepara, Solomons – R. Rudland
Dancers at Famla Village, Vanuatu – R. Rudland
Hawkbill Turtles, Arnavon Island, Solomons. – R. Rudland
Banded Sea Krait (Laticauda caulubrina), beautiful and deadly, as photographed by one of our divers.
Wedge-tailed Shearwater at Makira, Solomon Islands – R. Rudland
Unidentified skipper sp, Malaita Island, Solomon Islands– R. Rudland
Ornithologists have long known that Australasia is a world hotspot for bird species found nowhere else (endemic).
…as illustrated by the lovely Rufous Fantail, Queensland, Australia – R. Rudland
So how many bird species are there in Melanesia? The jury’s still out, but the easy answer is a lot
Here’s one: the endemic Makira Honeyeater, Makira, Solomon Islands– R. Rudland
Here’s another. The wonderfully-named Welcome Swallow, Makira, Solomon Islands– R. Rudland
Finally, a White-capped Monarch, Tetepare, Solomons – R. Rudland
NICE place – R. Rudland

Rand Rudland – “Melanesian marvels”
by Andrew Bryant, 21 April 2016. 

Rand Rudland, MD,  is just one of those people who’s hard to pin down. Physician to high arctic communities, whitewater rafting guide, globetrotting birder, Antarctic explorer, and Director of the Sunshine Coast Natural History Society,  Rand visited Powell River to speak about his recent travels in Melanesia.

As Ship’s Physician aboard the Spirit of Enderby, he was able to visit some of the most remote places in the southwest Pacific – islands with exotic names like Nissan, Mussau, Vanikoro, Duff, Bipi, and Espiritu Santo – together with places that might resonate for some – like Guadalcanal, the Coral Sea, and Rabaul.

Did I mention that Rand is also a very talented photographer?

Although he mostly focused on birds – and the incredible level of endemisn to be found there – he also regaled us with images of seldom-seen tribal “sing-sings”, artifacts from the second world war, scary spiders, even scarier snakes, gorgeous butterflies, orchids, flying fish, and some of the happiest children in the world!

It’s not every day that you have a guest speaker casually say “oh and that’s a Superb Pitta…I think that’s only about the 4th or 5th time this species has ever been photographed…sorry for the poor quality, but the jungle was a bit dark, and it was about 42° C in the shade…”

A talk not to be missed.  A more detailed description of his adventures was published in his own club’s wonderful Marsh Wrenderings, which I’ve made available here.

Gulls with Art Martell

Mew Gull at Willingdon Beach – L. Hamoline
Mew Gull at Willingdon Beach – H. Harbord
Mew Gulls with California Gulls in background – H. Harbord

Gulls with Art Martell
by Heather Harbord, 18 March 2016. 

Ten members accompanied Art Martell to Willingdon Beach and Sliammon on Friday.

On the way down to the creek mouth at Willingdon, we stopped to look at a lone Mew Gull with magnificent mirrors on its tail feathers.  At the creek, we found three mature California Gulls which loomed clear in Art’s scope showing off their heavy bills with red and black spots. Unfortunately and eagle put all the gulls up and the Californias did not return, leaving only a small huddle of Mews.

Out at Sliammon, we saw Thayers Gulls, Glaucous-winged and Glaucous-winged x Western crosses.  Also, Art identified a group of Glaucous-winged x Herring Gull crosses which we likely would not have noticed without him.

He reminded us that among the previous night’s slides were some showing that dark or light eye colour by itself is not a sufficient identification mark.  It must be combined with size, beak configuration, shade of grey on the back and tail feather mirrors which all have to match.

Gulls likely to hybridize are those whose breeding colonies overlap such as Glaucous-winged and Western in the Pacific North West or Glaucous-winged and Herring (Larus smithsonianus) in the Gulf of Alaska.  The progeny of the former migrate up the centre of Georgia Strait and the latter come down from Alaska in the winter.

75% of Puget Sound gulls are Glaucous-winged x Western crosses and in the Seattle area are often referred to as Olympic Gulls.  Unlike popular beliefs about hybrids, these gull hybrids are not sterile and can reproduce with each other quite happily and continuously causing further confusion among birders.  A new species could be in the process of evolving.

 

Art Martell – “An Abundance of Gulls”

Glaucus-winged gull, Mitlenatch Island – A. Bryant
Bonaparte’s Gull, Myrtle Rocks – A. Bryant
Mew Gull, Willingdon Beach– A. Bryant
Thayer’s Gull, Sliammon– A. Bryant
Western Gull -J. Avise
American Herring Gull, Acadia National Park – J. Daniel
California Gull, Mono Lake– A. Bryant
Ring-billed Gull, Lake Erie – P&G. Counselman

Art Martell – “An Abundance of Gulls”
by Andrew Bryant, 17 March 2016

Dr. Art Martell worked for decades as a research scientist with the Canadian Wildlife Service, publishing numerous papers on caribou, small mammals, ticks, birds and other creatures. Now retired to the Comox Valley, Art visited us to provide an introduction to the diversity and characteristics of gulls found in the Salish Sea.  The photos above show our more common species.

Once one accepts that “there’s no such thing as a seagull”, it soon becomes apparent that identifying gulls is tricky – and becoming good at it takes work.

Starting with the basics, Art began by “narrowing down the field”, noting that of the 25 or so species which have been found here, only 8 are commonly encountered.  Much can be quickly learned from the general size, shape and “gestalt” or “jizz” of the bird.  Is it small, with a delicate, even dainty flight pattern?  Is it medium gray, or is it distinctly paler than others in the flock?  Much more can be determined by learning the common ones first, and then determining what a given bird is not!

 A handy gull ID chart can be found here.  Like anything else, but especially with gulls…practice is good!  

Art’s complete talk is below (note that you can enlarge slides to full-screen, and go backwards or forwards at will – hover over the 1st slide to see the controls).

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A low-tide stroll out to Myrtle Rocks

Some gaze upwards… – A. Bryant
…and some gaze downwards – A. Bryant
…and some gaze outwards – A. Bryant
…and some gaze at us – A. Bryant
…and some coalesce to share their discoveries – A. Bryant
…and some disperse to find their own – A. Bryant
Some come prepared…David brought his rake! – H. Rohard
Here’s one of several unidentified polychaete worms that we found– H. Rohard
The beautiful Pisaster brevispinus – H. Rohard
Almost a full house at the martin colony – H. Rohard
another happy tenant – H. Rohard
…although some behaved more like incoming torpedoes – A. Bryant
…gender notwithstanding – A. Bryant
lurking around the pilings…– H. Rohard
…we saw a few ochre stars– H. Rohard
and various crabs, like this lined shore crab – H. Rohard
…there were a few “one-offs”, like the solitary Bonaparte’s Gull – A. Bryant
out towards the rocks – H. Rohard
…we found more cool stuff – H. Rohard
…and some hardy survivors – A. Bryant
and even a few social climbers – H. Rohard
…some things defied explanation…even enlarged (see inset), I have no idea what exactly this oystercatcher was doing… – A. Bryant
What a great day! – H. Rohard
Thanks to all who showed participated– H. Rohard

A low-tide stroll out to Myrtle Rocks
by Andrew Bryant, 14 June 2015. 

David Bedry, Heidi Rohard and I arranged (led is too strong a word)  a leisurely stroll out to Myrtle Rocks on a fine Sunday morning.

Fifteen club members and a few interested passers-by participated. Together we braved the bright sun, quiet winds, noticeably low tide conditions, and still waters  to cross the 500 metres or so that separate mainland B.C. and Myrtle Rocks.

Along the way we watched the noisy antics of purple martins, and were ourselves watched by a family of harbor seals.

My personal highlights were the solitary Bonaparte’s gull, a yellowlegs, a willow flycatcher and a pair of black oystercatchers that I’m convinced nested there.  David, Heidi and others happily overturned pebbles, finding crabs, worms and other intertidal critters.

I think most of us were content to watch fishing boats, converse about this or that, and chalk this one up as another nice day in paradise.

Postscript:

David Bedry wrote me the next day to say “Thanks for the tip yesterday.  I went back this AM for a look.  Found them, but not where I thought you said. Unfortunately all the wrong exposure conditions, and this is the best I got. Dark subject, dark background and into the sun, but still a great experience. I didn’t want to push the bird’s comfort level.   Pictures at 500 mm.”

Nicely done David!

I just LOVE Black Oystercatchers – D. Bedry
Loud, boisterous, improbable…a perfect mascot for our Club! – D. Bedry
…and now we can understand a little bit more about their strange behavior the day before…what a delightful little youngster! – D. Bedry
…and unrelated to oystercatchers, but this was just too good a shot not to share…a stranded moon jelly – D. Bedry

 

A day on Mitlenatch

Coming in on the Misty Isles – C. Dalcourt
The sea-lions were amazing – A. Bryant
Our vessel – C. Dalcourt
Hanging out at the Warden’s cabin – C. Dalcourt
A modest but comfortable abode! – C. Dalcourt
There were fields of blue camas – A. Bryant
and a few Western Terrestrial Garter snakes – A. Bryant
and of course gulls…lots of Glaucus-winged gulls – A. Bryant
What a fantastic place! – A. Bryant

A day on Mitlenatch
by Cindy Dalcourt, 9 May 2015. 

On a beautiful, sunny morning 12 members carpooled to Lund where we met Captain Mike Moore aboard the Misty Isles for a trip to the B.C. Park nature preserve Mitlenatch Island. The very personable Captain briefed us on what the trip would consist of and shared his vast knowledge of the area and surrounding islands as well.

Mitlenatch is approximately half way between the coast and Vancouver Island and its name means “calm waters all around” in the Coast Salish language. Being in the rain shadow of Vancouver Island it is considered semi-arid, even having prickly pear cactus growing on it. When the tides come in around Vancouver Island from the north and the south they meet at Mitlenatch, bringing with them lots of nutrients and sea life. This attracts all kinds of fish, sea mammals and birds. It is home to the largest seabird colony in the Strait of Georgia.

Upon arrival at the island we were divided into two groups. The first group went ashore and were met by members Janet May and Heather Harbord who were volunteer wardens for B.C. Parks that week. They toured a small part of the island keeping to the existing trails as the island has a very sensitive ecosystem. They walked through a meadow full of spring flowers including common camas and chocolate lilies. In small groups they went into a bird blind where they could watch the gulls more closely. The surrounding cliffs were full of birds, courting and nesting. They ended their tour at the rustic cabin where Janet and Heather were staying.

During this time the second group did a circumnavigation of the island by zodiac where they were curiously watched by large groups of noisy stellar sea lions. They also saw harbour seals as well as many different kinds of birds including Pelagic Cormorants, Black Oystercatchers, and Pigeon Guillemots. The birds were nervous about the presence of a few eagles and displayed some interesting flying manoeuvres to distract them. When the zodiac came back to shore the two groups exchanged places and were once again off to explore.

Too soon it was time to reboard the Misty Isles and after a snack of tea and cookies we arrived back in Lund. Everyone agreed that we had a wonderful day.

 

Birding by ear Part V

We went birding…by ear! – A. Bryant
The gang heads out – A. Bryant
We were quickly greeted by migrant flocks of Yellow-rumped (Audubon’s) warblers – A. Bryant
and sparrows, in this case Golden-crowned – A. Bryant
Spotted Towhees never failed to impress even our most experienced birders with their seemingly inexhaustible vocabulary – A. Bryant
Everywhere there were salmonberries… – A. Bryant
and, consequently, lots of Rufous Hummingbirds, although they mostly kept their distance – A. Bryant
Of course that’s why we call it “ear-birding”! Here Neil and Pierre show how it’s done – A. Bryant
As we travelled deeper into the 2nd growth forest, it was nice to see Pacific bleedinghearts in full bloom – A. Bryant
The occasional maple was distinctive, and noteworthy for the abundant nectar and food resources it provides for insectivorous birds during early spring – A. Bryant
…like this Orange-crowned Warbler – A. Bryant
This Red-breasted Sapsucker was unexpectedly cooperative…thank you! – A. Bryant
We eventually reached the scenic bluffs overlooking the Strait – A. Bryant
…which offered some different perspectives – A. Bryant
…and expansive views – A. Bryant
Here’s Andrew getting up close and personal with sea pinks – H. Harbord
…a veritable sea of sea pinks! – A. Bryant
and finally, seemingly in a galaxy far away, this very uncooperative Common Yellowthroat bid us farewell! – A. Bryant

Birding by ear Part V
by Andrew Bryant, 25 April 2015.

Pierre Geoffray and Neil Hughes led eight of us on a leisurely ear-birding expedition along along the muddy trails behind the Italian Hall.  We started at the crack of eight and walked neither fast nor far.

The rains held off, but the woods were relatively quiet.  There were a few warblers (Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped, McGillivray’s, Black-throated Gray, Townsend’s  and Common Yellowthroat) which were skittish and hard to photograph, but provided wonderful practice for the ears.  The Spotted Towhees and Song, White and Golden-crowned sparrows also showed off their amazing repertoires.  We saw or heard a total of 30 species.  Pierre has posted a complete checklist on eBird that can be seen here.

Highlights for me were hearing a Common Loon from the bluffs, encountering a very cooperative Red-breasted Sapsucker, seeing the nice gaggle of Turkey Vultures as we were leaving, and hearing and watching numerous Rufous Hummingbirds performing their vibrant and wonderful “J”-shaped courtship flights.

Also of note were the flowering salmonberries, Pacific bleedingheart (Diocentra formosa), and carpets of sea pink (Armeria maritima) atop the rocky outcrops.

All in all an enjoyable and educational day out, even if that Yellowthroat was more than a little bit exasperating!

 

Neil Hughes – “Spring migration on the Isle of Lesvos”

This is a Red-backed Shrike, one of many species I was hoping to see
– N. Hughes
One of my favourites, the beautiful Barred Warbler
– N. Hughes
The beautiful Greek Isle of Lesvos is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, close to the Turkish coastline. This is Molivos Harbour
– N. Hughes
Because of its location, Lesvos has a fascinating, and very rich history dating from the 11th Century BC through Byzantine and Ottoman Empire times – Wikipedia Commons
Getting there was not a sure thing! This is the volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland, 23 April 2010 – Wikipedia Commons
The resulting dust plume soon travelled around the globe, grounding most air travel – graphic by the MAAC Project
In a lot of ways, Lesvos is a typical tourist destination in the Aegean Sea…nice!
– N. Hughes
It has some unusual features. The town of Erresos is home to the Annual Erresos Women’s Festival. But it’s pretty quiet in April, apart from a few other birders and myself!
– N. Hughes
This bridge was very, very old, very sturdily built, and only as wide as my outstretched arms. Definitely built for one-way traffic!
– N. Hughes
One of the nice things about Lesvos is the great system of walking trails
– N. Hughes
Greek is a tough language to learn, so Lesvos becomes Λέσβος… but fortunately some of the map signage was in English!
By the way, most of these images were made with my small point-and-shoot, through a telescope. This is a lovely Collared Flycatcher
– N. Hughes
So you’ll notice a lot of wires in my photos…they made it easier to focus! This little guy is a Black-headed Bunting
– N. Hughes
Birds, of course, don’t need maps. Lesvos is situated on one of the major African-European migratory flyways, where many species follow coastlines to avoid long overwater flights
Just as they do between North and South America
The Red-throated Pipit is just one of many such long-distance migrants between Europe and Africa
– N. Hughes
The island itself is mountainous, with considerable habitat diversity
Some of the scenery was wonderful. This is driving along the north coast
– N. Hughes
I loved all the old olive orchards, filled with poppies…and birds
– N. Hughes
Newer orchards tend to be more agriculturalized, and without the poppies!
– N. Hughes
Africa has lots of bee-eater species, but Europe has only one, named, appropriately, the European Bee-eater
– N. Hughes
Just a scenic village…
– N. Hughes
This Common Nightjar was sleeping on a rock, and didn’t even blink when I got this shot
– N. Hughes
Another pastoral setting…
– N. Hughes
We have several oriole species in North America. This is the beautiful Eurasan Golden Oriole
– N. Hughes
The riparian areas were calm, beautiful…and full of birds
– N. Hughes
I finally got to see a Citrine Wagtail…and then one showed up in Courtenay!
– N. Hughes
Cretzschmar’s bunting
– N. Hughes
The flight pattern of the European Roller is quite amazing, as they literally do roll and convort their way through the air
– N. Hughes
My last night on Lesvos. Note the Common Nightjar bidding me a fond farewell
– N. Hughes
Did the European Collared Doves follow me home?
– N. Hughes

Neil Hughes – “Spring migration on the Isle of Lesvos”
by Andrew Bryant, 21 Apr 2015. 

Neil is a Powell River-based forester during regular business hours, and a keen birder and globe-trotter at all other times.  In 2010 he travelled to the Greek island of Lesvos (or Lesbos) to experience spring migration there.

And what an experience it was!  After the difficulty of getting there (a volcanic eruption had grounded air travel around the globe), Neil was treated to a magical mixture of quiet off-season resort restaurants, pastoral  landscapes, and olive groves.  And, of course, birds!

Lesvos is Greek in name, but Asian-minor in terms of biogeography.  Situated closer to Turkey than mainland Greece, the island is also the epicentre of several major bird migration flyways.   Thus it is similar to Canada’s Point Pelee, but it also unusual in that the avifauna of Europe and Asia meet here, so it presents a rare opportunity for European birders to see many Asian species that rarely show up further west.

For anyone interested in learning more about birding on the Isle of Lesvos, there’s a really nice website with annual reports, bird checklists and more located here.

Finally, Neil only touched on some of the conservation issues facing migratory birds in Greece, particularly regarding the illegal trapping of birds with mist nets or limesticks.   You can learn more about the severity of the issue from the Hellenic Ornithological Society or BirdLife Cyprus.

Casual birdwalk

The gang sets out – L. Hamoline photo
Goldeneye and a few Surf Scoters – A. Bryant photo
I like his style…Neil leads from the middle… – L. Hamoline photo
Oystercatcher and wigeon – A. Bryant photo
Heatwaves, harsh light and my 300 mm zoom is still not long enough…but here are the sea-lions out at McRae Rocks – A. Bryant photo
Neil thought this was a hybrid something or other…certainly it was smaller, and getting picked on by other Glaucus-winged gulls. I have no idea. Clyde? – A. Bryant photo
Onwards to Stillwater Bluffs – A. Bryant photo
Ulrike finds a comfortable vantage point – L. Hamoline photo
Enjoying the views – A. Bryant photo
What a day! – A. Bryant photo
Even further away, but the sea lions were still noisy! – A. Bryant photo

Casual birdwalk
by Andrew Bryant, 28 February 2015.

Saturday was sunny and calm as nine of us gathered for a low-key birdwatching excursion with Neil Hughes and myself.

We began at Palm Beach Regional Park, where we saw a hundred or more Surf Scoters, together with smaller numbers of the “usual suspects” (Horned Grebes, Harlequin ducks, Buffleheads, Barrow’s and Common Goldeneye, American Wigeon, a few loons in the distance, and the ever-delightful Black Oystercatcher.  The woods were pretty quiet, with only the occasional Spotted Towhee or Song Sparrow breaking the silence.   We did get some nice views of a Red-tailed Hawk.

After a couple of hours spent happily spent peering through spotting scopes, comparing binoculars, and discussing the finer points of identifying Lesser versus Greater Scaup, a few of us ventured out to Stillwater Bluffs.  It was again very quiet, except for a quick glimpse of a hummingbird (Anna’s?) and the continual din of sea lions way over at McRae Rocks.

All in all, a quiet but deeply satisfying day, and much more fun than staying home to mow the lawn!

 

Two landings on Jedediah Island

Starting out – H. Harbord photo
Sheep on Texada – H. Harbord photo
Horse’s grave – H. Harbord photo
Roger Mattice’s house, which is used for goat research – H. Harbord photo
Long Bay – H. Harbord photo
Edge to the central meadow – H. Harbord photo

Two landings on Jedediah Island
by Heather Harbord, 21 January 2015. 

7 Jan 2015 trip:  The fog horn sounded every 2 minutes as nine of us crossed over to Egmont and then drove to Secret Cove where the fog began to lift.

From there John Dafoe on the HiBaller II, a small landing craft, took us over smooth seas to Jedediah Island.  En route, we saw Long-tailed Ducks, Marbled Murrelets and a few Ancient Auklets.  At the south end of Texada, John pointed out some sheep grazing the cliffs.  Once we got ashore on Jedediah, we found lots of sheep traces and glimpsed some black and white animals in the distant meadow.  Sure enough the tops of the young conifers had been nibbled off.  Probably the flowers in the meadow are no more either.

While some of the group hared off to Deep Bay, the rest of us hiked over to Long Bay visiting the grave of Will, the horse, en route.  The banks of lush wet green mosses were like jewels contrasting with the black trunks of several fire survivors.  Although there was no rain, at lunch time, we were glad we had brought waterproof things to sit on as the land was very soggy. Small creeks ran along the trails.

Getting on and off the boat was a bit of a challenge as the shallow water, meant we had to do so up and down a slippery rocky cliff.  On the way home, we detoured into the strait where we saw more Long-tailed ducks and a Rhinocerous Auklet that disappeared before it could be photographed.   It was cool on the boat but we were dressed for it and the temperature was around 7 degrees.

Long-tailed ducks – H. Harbord photo
Ancient murrelets – H. Harbord photo
Bundled up – H. Harbord photo
House – H. Harbord photo
The Highballer II – H. Harbord photo
Ungulate research – H. Harbord photo
Meadow – H. Harbord photo
Pacific white-sided dolphin – H. Harbord photo
…and more dolphins! – H. Harbord photo
Muddy boots – H. Harbord photo

21 Jan 2015 trip:  For the second Jedediah trip, nine of us drove to Secret Cove where we boarded the Comintagetya Hiballer II landing craft with John Dafoe at the helm.  The seas were calm and we had excellent views of about 150 Long-tailed ducks packed together in 3-4 groups along with a number of Ancient murrelets, a few Murres and Marbled murrelets.  The Steller’s sea lions, cormorants and gulls on the rock just outside Home Bay put on a show for us too.

We landed just below the old farmhouse and were glad of the steps they had cemented into the rock.  After a quick lunch, we hiked across the meadow and on to Deep Bay where we saw three of the goats.  Laurette later found this informative article.

We left just as the wind started to rise.  After a good look at Napier Falls, we started back but soon noticed a line of small waterfalls in the distance.  When we caught up to it, we found a pod of about 200 Pacific white-sided dolphins heading north which were very entertaining.  We got back to Secret Cove in time to catch our desired ferry back to Powell River.

 

3rd Christmas Bird Count for Kids!

Glaucus-winged gull in a very Powell River setting – A. Bryant photo
Some new birding talent is emerging… – A. Bryant photo
I was really amused to see how quickly these young ladies became proficient with using a spotting scope. – A. Bryant photo
A few Surf scoters and Buffleheads. Hey, we missed that Black scoter! – A. Bryant photo
A great excuse for a Saturday morning! – A. Bryant photo
Classic winter in Powell River scene. – A. Bryant photo
An unusually cooperative Varied thrush. – A. Bryant photo
Mew gull by the water. – A. Bryant photo
Ok, so how many Kildeer do you see here? I count 11. – A. Bryant photo
Had I not seen them fly in, I never would have known they were there. – A. Bryant photo
Elizabeth tallies the score. – A. Bryant photo

Christmas Bird Count for Kids!
by Andrew Bryant, 6 December 2014

For the third year in a row,  the Young Naturalists participated in the Christmas Bird Count for Kids.  Although not an official Audubon event, it’s a great excuse for families to get out and about, learn some new birds and socialize with others.

Nicely organized by Elizabeth Tenhoeve and Michael Stewart, nine children and about a dozen adults braved the somewhat scary-looking weather and showed up at Willingdon Beach.  In fact the rains parted and it proved to be a great day.   Thanks also to John Treen, Neil Hughes, Heather Harbord, Janet Bingham, Clyde Burton and Nick Hauser for the scopes and birding expertise, and to Angelique Veerman and Gillian Andrew for the hot chocolate!

In all we counted 26 species and 156 individuals.  Highlights for me included a Thayer’s gull, Mew gulls, a very cooperative Varied thrush, and a flock of about 30 Kildeer that showed off their amazing ability to hide in plain sight!

2nd Christmas Bird Count for Kids

Steller’s Jay
– A. Bryant
Some of our data
– A. Bryant
Elizabeth helps with ID
– D. Bedry
Some of the team
– D. Bedry

2nd Christmas Bird Count for Kids
by Elizabeth Tenhoeve, 7 Dec 2013.

Once again a few of us braved the wilds of Willingdon Beach and added to our birding identification skills.

 We’re pleased that our kids are participating in the Audubon Christmas Bird Count – and having fun in the process!

Rob Hope – “Raptors”

Great Gray Owl
– A. Bryant
– O.W.L.
Burrowing owl
– A. Bryant
Rob Hope – “Raptors”
by Sherri Wretham, 25 September 2013. 

Rob Hope is the senior rehabilitator at Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society in Delta.  O.W.L. is one of the premier raptor rehab centres in North America and has featured on the television program Hope for Wildlife. Specializing in raptors, the facility cares for injured and orphaned birds of prey ranging from the tiny pygmy owl to the majestic golden eagle.

Rob gave insights into the quirks and personalities of each species, both in care and in the wild.  An avid outdoorsman, he knows the habitats and conditions required for each species, and has advised on provincial protection and recovery programs, such as the one for the spotted owl. 

He spoke about various aspects of raptors (owls, hawks, eagles and vultures) in the wild,  and answered questions about the species commonly seen in Powell River.