25 March

 No eBird data entered

The day promised intermittent showers.  As planned I made my way up-island to see what has happening with the various migrations.  It was time well spent.


I'd never stopped at the Nature Study Area at Qualicum Beach before, but certainly shall do so in the future.  It was very lively with flocks of gulls and shorebirds.

The turnstones were very busy, guess what?  Turning stones.


I guess that's why they call them that.

Further north, I found the Little Qualicum Estuary Wildlife Preserve.  I still haven't found my way into its trails, but the shore was apparently the destination for the Brant migration this season, after the herring spawn...


...perhaps not the most wonderful photo aesthetically, but an example of the banks of herring roe along the shore.  It draws all manner of wildlife, including many species of gull.


In the foreground of this photo there are three oystercatchers, then brant and gulls.  I've never been very good at identifying gulls--they are rather complex what with different seasonal plumage, different ages, and interbreeding.  I took lots of photos (not really the thing for this blog) and have spent time with my bird books and have made some progress, I think, in identifying them.  


It wasn't the biggest flock of brant I've seen along the coast here--there may well be more enroute.  And at times it's seemed as though I could walk across Bodega Bay in California on Brant backs.  But it was a good representation.



And then there were oystercatchers--one of my favourite birds, just because they're such characters.  And the orange beak is pretty striking.

I spent a couple of hours watching the birds (and there was a herd (?) of sea lions on a sandbar offshore as well), and then dropped by Deep Bay a bit further north.  It's known among birders for often having species that aren't seen elsewhere because--duh--the water gets deep offshore very quickly.  Today the deep water birds weren't in evidence, but there was a pair of nice red-necked grebes.


There was also a pair of scuba divers in the most spectacular wetsuits I've ever seen.  I guess I've been out of the picture for too long--I wasn't aware of camouflage on wetsuits.  Anyhow, they were pleasant and chatty and I enjoyed meeting them.  I didn't photograph them...

I stopped at the fish shop at Bulkley Bay and bought (slurp!) FRESH HALIBUT, and made my way home where I created and consumed a feast.  Truly a fine day.


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