Recent Birding Highlights in Canada (1 Viewer)

[Carson]

February has been a very good month for birding here in Vancouver. Yesterday I finally took it upon myself to see one of the two GREAT GRAY OWLS temporarily residing in the city area, this one at UBC. I don't generally "chase" rarities; I prefer the thrill of discovery. But this owl was in a pretty area, and (very agreeably) it took us an hour to find him, during which we had some excellent birding--saw a pair of PILEATED WOODPECKERS at their nest, bright and noisy in the brand new bluesky morning, fog rising like steam from the forest.

The owl himself was everything a Great Gray is paid to be. Huge, staring, completely filling one's consciousness, as though here was the very centre of the universe. AND I had the real joy of my companion seeing it first--and it was a life record for her, the second owl in just a week, and somewhat larger than the "cute, adorable" SAW-WHET OWL that was her previous.

Later at infamous Iona Island (one of Canada's best birding spots--and a sewage lagoon site), we walked out the several miles on the jetty, and saw about two dozen RED-THROATED LOONS, loosely together. They were classic winter loons; very nice telescope views, replete with salted backs and bills carved upward. Very graceful compared with the several COMMON LOONS close by.

I scanned a few thousand SURF SCOTERS, with perhaps a hundred WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and one or two OLD SQUAW [don't sterilize MY vernacular] mixed in. There just HAD to be a few BLACK SCOTERS in there, but I was straining my scope all out of shape, and I saw none. I've had a really tough time finding Black Scoters this year, although there seem to be--and it is only my impression--more White-winged Scoters than I'm used to seeing.

It's interesting; the White-winged Scoters prefer to keep their own company at the edges of the rafts of Surf Scoters. They mix in, but not really. BARROW'S GOLDENEYE in large numbers maintain distinct flows within the Surf Scoter masses, but if there are just a few goldeneye, they seem to mix amongst the Surf Scoters more freely than do just a few White-winged Scoters.

I've never seen the various species squabble at all. The White-winged Scoters just seem to be more aware of their separate identity.

I don't usually watch numbers, but this year I'm keeping fairly intensive records, as I did in 2000. I've had acceptable-or-better views now of 113 species in Greater Vancouver this year, and 110 species this February. (I'm a bit surprised that February has so closely duplicated January's sightings.) Although, I emphasize, it ain't the length of the list that matters to me--nor even the impressiveness of such a bird as our beautiful Great Gray Owl. I find such beauty and such wonder in hearing the song of a single WINTER WREN in the darkness that precedes the dawn, that I really need no further miracles to make my day.

And you?

 

[Art Thorn]

I wish I could be as happy here in southern Ontario, but the winter that started in January has not given an inch. A foot of snow covers everything except the area that I keep clear under my feeders, and they are busy, but unchanging. Redpolls and BC Chickadees are constant, with a few Blue Jays, Cardinals and WB Juncos. The regular Mourning Doves come, though in small numbers, as do the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers.

I understand that large numbers of ducks have started to appear at Presquile, but the weather and some back problems have kept me at home. It is too hard to trudge through even deeper snow down there.

So I'm heading for Cancun in two weeks! When I get back I'm sure the migrants will be passing through my yard, and I'll have better reports.

 

[Beverlybaynes]

I can't imagine being able to see all those species at once!

And to have a Great Gray right in the city -- now there's a bit of heaven for you! Perhaps one day I'll get far enough north to see one -- doubt I'll ever be lucky enough to have one come this far south.

 

[Carson]

February was a good month, partly because I was trying to make up for a lot of birding I DIDN'T do in January. I closed the month with 114 species seen in Greater Vancouver in February. My 15-year old friend, a great birder in his own right, had 107 for the month, but he's seen 141 species in Vancouver this YEAR, which is quite a few more than I have.

Vancouver birding is a little strange, because mid-winter birding is better than mid-summer! July is perhaps the worst month here. Then there is a really surprising and sudden upswing into August, which is second only to September.

I've always found the following statistics rather delightful. They apply to here, but perhaps to where you live as well:

(1) No matter how long the day (i.e. in June or any month), you'll see most of your day's species before lunchtime.

(2) In one single morning or LESS, and in one single good location, you will see half as many species as you will see all MONTH in ALL your nearby locations combined.

(2b) ...and that will be more than one quarter of the species you will see all YEAR in all nearby locations combined.

(3) In one month (any month) you will see more than half as many species as you will see ALL YEAR in the same location.

You can see the implications: In birding, if a person were to be really superficial, he could run around accumulating single-day lists here, there, and everywhere, and he would end up with a really impressive species list. In fact, that would be the most "efficient numbers" listing he could do!

I write this only for your amusement. I have nothing against the accountants of bird-watching, but I'm really much happier to get to know the birds I see. Lists are deceiving, because the best day in your life might well be a time you spent in a canoe on some beautiful lake someplace, when you saw Red-necked Grebes with their youngsters--and not much else. But you'll never forget it.

Good birding!

 

[Charles Harper]

We are not amused.

... so you're advocating going out only once a month, for the morning? Or just staying home and reminiscing on the Red-necked Grebes? Seems to me going out 'here, there and everywhere' could generate a lot of pleasure for some folks, without being superficial.

 

[Carson]

Three Great Gray Owls are now in the Vancouver area. They were all seen on the same day, in widely distant locations. As far as I know, this has never happened before.

 

[snowyowl]

No Great Gray Owls here in the east but there have been persistent reports of a large white raptor in Charlottetown. It has been reported by half a dozen people during the last 3 weeks, all in the same general area. It has been tentatively id'd as a light morph Gyrfalcon. So far none of the regular birders have succeded in turning it up. There seem to be more of them reported each year for the last three years dating from the time that I found the injured one by my feeders.
This year there was also a possible siting of a dark morph, unfotunately spotted from a moving vehicle while the person was driving a cross a bridge, no place to stop and verify.

 

[Carson]

Man, that is a fantastic situation! Like a good Sherlock Holmes background; it must keep you wide awake and watching every minute! Good luck in seeing your mysterious visitors!