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| Lion's Gate Bridge |
We arrived in Vancouver
at dawn, passing through the lovely islands and under the iconic Lions Gate
Bridge in some uncharacteristic sunshine. This was the one time having a
balcony room paid off.
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| Arriving in Vancouver |
I grabbed some quick
photos of wheeling Hybrid Western/Glaucous Gulls ...
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| Western/Glaucous Gull |
... and a Northwestern Crow at the dock as I was
packing to leave.
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| Northwestern Crow |
Northwestern Crows are recognized as separate from American
Crows. They look the same, but have a different call.
After disembarking, our group split up. Cathy, Michelle, Rich and Mike headed home and Sue, Bryan, Rick and I headed to Victoria, B.C., to look for Eurasians Skylarks.
I must say that disembarkation was a pain. The ship wants you to put your luggage outside THE NIGHT BEFORE (great for last minute packing). You then get off the ship, reclaim your luggage at the dock and go through customs.
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| Vancouver Harbour |
We decided to take our luggage
to speed things up. Maybe not a good idea. We had to wait forever
to get elevators and witnessed near fisticuffs among several passengers as they
argued over elevator access. Are we having fun yet?
Our departure point from the ship was a lounge that they required us to walk through to get off the boat.
The
lounge was crammed with chairs, tables, people and luggage and we had to
navigate through with all our bags, only to find that we could have just walked
across the boat outside the lounge instead.
What a supreme and unnecessary pain!
Customs was fairly quick
and we were outta there! We crammed ourselves into a cab and headed downtown to
pick up a (very nice) rental van.
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| Vancouver Harbour |
Unfortunately, we didn't really spend in time in Vancouver, which is a beautiful city, especially the flowers. But, I have been there many times before.
Vancouver
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| Much of Vancouver's "Britishness" is reflected in the glorious gardens you see everywhere |
To get there, we took the ferry from Tsawwassen to Sidney
and back. Both ways, it was overcast. But, it was still very pretty. But, on a
sunny day it is spectacular (I have done it on a sunny day).
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| BC Ferry to Victoria |
And, we saw lots
of birds.
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| Great Blue Heron |
Before we even got to the ferry, we stopped a Great Blue Heron
Rookery just off the highway by the ferry in Tsawwassen. There were Great Blue Herons
everywhere – and they were making the most bizarre racket I have ever heard. It
was an almost metallic whirring buzz, possibly in response to a nearby Bald
Eagle. I guess I have just never heard Great Blue Herons.
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| Nesting Great Blue Herons |
But, the Herons were not the big treat. I got another Lifer
– a cute little Pacific Wren that jumped around in the underbrush for quite
awhile before finally giving us a (partially blocked) pose.
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| Pacific Wren |
The area was alive
with song, but most of the birds were hiding. I did get some nice shots of a Song Sparrow ...
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| Song Sparrow |
... and a Downy
Woodpecker ...
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| Male Downy Woodpecker |
But, then it was time to go. On our drive to the Ferry
Terminal, we passed some jetties occupied by Gulls, Surf Scoters, Brants ...
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| Brant, far away from a moving car |
... and Greater
Scaups.
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| Female and Male Greater Scaup |
Oh, how I wanted
to get closer. But, I had to make do with photos from the car. Bird photography does make you obsessive.
The BC Ferries travel back and forth from Vancouver to
Victoria all day long. The trip crosses the Strait of Georgia, winding among
lush rocky islands and past a wide variety of sea life. During the trip over and back, we saw quite a few seabirds, making me realize how little attention I had paid on previous trips.
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| BC Ferry winding through the islands |
Surf Scoter
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| Male Surf Scoter |
Fortunately, almost as soon as the ferry pulled out, I was able to rectify my Surf Scoter situation. There were about 20 of them right by the dock and they were quite obliging for photos.
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| Lots of Surf Scoters right by the dock |
The Surf Scoter, a large sea duck native to North America,
is distinctive because of the male’s large, strangely shaped white, red
and yellow bill. Adult males are entirely black with white patches on the
forehead and the nape.
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| A graceless landing |
Adult females are slightly smaller and browner.
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| Female Surf Scoter |
Like all sea ducks, Surf Scoters become flightless during
the simultaneous month-long molt of their flight feathers in late July through
early August. Before molting the flight feathers, all waterfowl undergo a
complete body molt, replacing the bright colors of the basic plumage of males
by the duller alternate or eclipse plumage.
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| Male Surf Scoter in flight |
Obviously, the ducks we saw were in
full plumage. Although Surf Scoters breed exclusively in boreal forests near northern freshwater lakes North America, they migrate widely to spend the winter in more temperate environments.
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| And landing |
Small numbers regularly winter in
western Europe as far south as the British Isles, but the majority winter along
the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North America.
A “diving duck,” the Surf Scoter feeds on ocean invertebrates, primarily mussels.
During the breeding period, Surf Scoters forage in pairs or small groups; the rest of
the year, they can be seen in flocks ranging from a few individuals to several
thousands birds. Surf Scoters usually capture food underwater and consume it
whole.
Flocks appear to dive in a highly synchronous fashion correlated with
the group size.
In, 2007, an oil spill in San Francisco Harbor killed
thousands of birds, of which 40 percent were Surf Scoters. The species is not
endangered, but has declined 50 to 70
percent over the past 40 years. The global population is estimated to be
between 250,000 and 1.3 million.
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| An amusing bird |
Rhinoceros Auklet
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| See that Rhinoceros horn? |
We saw Rhinoceros Auklets at much closer range than we had seen from the ship. And, while we saw a few flying …
… most were just floating on the water ...
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| The last Rhinoceros Auklet of the trip |
Common Murre
We also got a much better look at a Common Murre, a bird we
had also seen on our trip over to Santa Cruz Island and I had seen
before in Alaska. But this one was far closer and more cooperative …
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| Floating Common Murre |
Even putting on a preening show ...
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| Common Murre |
The Common Murre (also called the Common Guillemot or Thin-Billed Murre) is a large auk that lives in low-Arctic and boreal waters in
the North Atlantic and North Pacific. It spends most of its time at sea, only
coming to land to breed on rocky cliff shores or islands.
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| Breeding Common Murres in Alaska |
Common Murres have fast direct flight but are not very agile in the air. That changes underwater, where they dive to 200 feet and, possibly, even twice that depth.
They breed in colonies at high densities. The ones we
saw on this trip were in non-breeding plumage. Breeding plumage is far more
dramatic; I photographed some in Alaska during breeding season.
Common Murres make no nest, laying a single egg on a bare
rock ledge on a cliff face.
Twenty days after hatching the chick leaves its
ledge and heads for the sea, accompanied by its male parent. It can’t fly at
first, so it glides and flutters its wings. It can, however dive as soon as it
takes the big leap from its birthplace.
Both male and female Common Murres molt after breeding and
become flightless for a month or two. This may explain why so many of the
non-breeding ones I have seen are floating rather than flying.
Pigeon Guillemot
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| Look at those feet! |
We also saw many, many of the Common Murre’s cousin, the Pigeon Guillemot. I love these birds for their pretty black-and-white breeding plumage and their brilliant red legs and feet (plus, my research tells me the inside of its mouth is a matching red).
The Pigeon Guillemot breeds and sometimes roosts on rocky
shores, cliffs and islands close to shallow water, which is exactly how we saw
them.
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| Pigeon Guillemots in their habitat |
They feed on small fish and marine invertebrates, mostly near the sea
floor, that they catch by pursuit diving. Pigeon Guillemots are monogamous,
nesting in small colonies close to the shore. They lay one or two eggs, which
are incubated by both parents. After leaving the nest, the young bird is completely
independent of its parents.
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| Breeding Plumage |
Adults molt into their winter or non-breeding plumage between August and October, taking about a month during which the bird cannot fly. They molt into their breeding plumage between January and March. The wings of the Pigeon Guillemot are shorter and rounder than other Auks, reflecting greater adaptation towards diving than flying.
They
have difficulty taking off in calm conditions without a runway, but once in the
air can fly up to 48 mph.
Pigeon Guillemots are generally diurnal, but have been
recorded feeding before dawn and after sunset. They typically sleep in loose
groups in sheltered waters or on shore close to water.
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| Hard to see, but a large number in the water |
They typically rest
spaced apart, but mated pairs rest close together. Bathing and preening can
also happen on shore or at sea.
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| Two floating near the ferry |
Pigeon Guillemots forage alone or in small groups, diving
underwater up to 150 feet underwater for food, usually close to shore. The
dives can range from ten seconds to over two minutes seconds. Smaller prey is
probably consumed underwater, but larger organisms are brought to the surface
to eat after capture. Their foraging method differs from other Auks; Pigeon Guillemots hang
upside down above the seafloor, probing with their heads for prey and using their
feet and wings to maintain position. Smaller prey are probably consumed
underwater, but larger organisms are brought to the surface to eat after capture.
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| And, as is more typical, flying away |
We did see a few Bald Eagles …
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| Bald Eagles |
… a Canada Goose – in Canada! I just had to grab a shot …
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| Canadian Canada Goose |
... Lots of Glaucous Gulls ...
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| Hovering Gull |
... I got a very nice shot of a Pelagic Cormorant in
breeding plumage, with those two bright white patches …
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| Pelagic Cormorant as I hadn't seen them before |
... and a distant Pacific Loon ...
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| Pacific Loon |
There was an entire raft of Harbor Seals lazing on a small
islet. I would say they were enjoying the sun, but there wasn’t any.
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| Harbor Seals |
And, as we left Vancouver, we saw – very briefly – a few
Harbor Porpoises. These tiny dolphin are quick and barely surface as they swim
by, so no pix. But, it was cool to see another critter. Later, a man on board
told us that we had just missed a Pilot Whale. I can’t imagine, with four sets of
eyes glued to the horizon, how we could have.
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| Sue and Bryan searching the horizon |
Rick thought he had seen the
Harbor Porpoises and gotten confused. That would be a pretty bad mistake, since they are vastly
different in size and shape. But, whatever …
As I said, the trip over was lovely ...
... with islands ...
... and picturesque lighthouses ...
... and seaside homes ...
Victoria
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| Victoria is beautiful |
When we reached Victoria, we immediately headed off in
search of the Eurasian Skylark. Seeing Eurasians Skylarks was one of Sue’s
goals because, despite her very impressive bird count, she had never seen one.
When we originally planned the trip, I had not seen one either. But, on my
first trip to Maui earlier this year, I heard many of them. And, on my second
trip, I photographed one. I wrote about them in my blog on Halaeakalā National Park’s Summit District.
The Eurasian Skylark is widespread in Europe and Asia with
introduced populations in New Zealand, Australia, on the Hawai’ian Islands and
in Victoria. Oddly, its favorite spot in Victoria is inside the chain-link fence at the
Victoria Airport. Certainly, not an attractive photo location.
Although we made two attempts at the airport, we heard a few
but didn’t have any good sightings, probably because a helicopter was
undergoing some sort of maintenance that resulted in very noisy lift-offs and
landings. How dare they fly a helicopter at an airport!
While we were searching, however, I did grab some pictures
of a few birds, including Brewer’s Blackbirds …
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| Brewer's Blackbird |
A Savannah Sparrow, taking advantage of the fence
for a perch …
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| Savannah Sparrow |
Some White-crowned Sparrows …
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
And, a very curious male Anna’s Hummingbird that posed on the
fence ...
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| Male Anna’s Hummingbird |
... and then did some very dramatic fly-bys …
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| What a shot! |
Eurasian Skylark
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| Eurasian Skylark |
When we failed – twice – at the airport, we went to another
area nearby where Eurasian Skylarks had been reported. Bingo!
We found one in a recently plowed field, which is appropriate
for a bird normally found in open farmland.
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| Lift-off |
The Eurasian Skylark was introduced to Vancouver Island off
the west coast of Canada in 1903; additional birds were introduced in 1913. The
population grew and, by 1962, there were around 1,000 individuals.
The numbers
have subsequently declined due to loss of habitat, and, in 2007, there were
estimated to be only around 100 individuals.
The Eurasian Skylark walks over the ground searching for
food on the soil surface. Its diet consists of insects and plant material such
as seeds and young leaves.
Although the Eurasian Skylark isn’t particularly exciting-looking,
it has some spectacular characteristics. The male has a beautiful, melodious
song that is delivered high in the air while the bird is rising, circling or
hovering at heights of 150 to 300 feet. The song generally lasts two to three
minutes, but later in the mating season can go on 20 minutes or more.
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| Eurasian Skylark |
We were fortunate to see some of this behavior – as one male
repeatedly hurtled upward and hung in the sky for quite some time.
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| Singing and hovering |
A Kestrel got in on the act for a while, too.
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| American Kestrel |
When the word "lark" is used without
specification, it usually refers to this species. A collective noun for
Eurasian skylarks is an "exaltation."
But, we weren't done yet. We made one more stop before retiring to the evening, heading to Clover Point to see some Harlequin Ducks.
Harlequin Duck
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| Taking a break from the surf |
The Harlequin Duck is a small sea duck that takes its name from Harlequin, a colorfully dressed character in Commedia dell'arte, because of the male's ornate markings. And, as is typical, the females are not as bright.
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| Female Harlequin Duck |
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| A male stretching his wings |
The males we saw were not quite as bright as I expected – not nearly as pretty as a Wood Duck – but it was cool to be able to get a photo. Obviously, they were not fully in their breeding plumage.
I was excited because we finally had some sunshine, expecting crisp photos.
I was surprised that they came out a bit smudgy-looking, but I think it was actually because the ducks were a little bedraggled.
Harlequin Ducks breed in cold fast-moving streams in northwestern and northeastern North America, Greenland, Iceland and eastern Russia. Short-distance migrants, they winter near rocky shorelines on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. They can usually be found near pounding surf or white water. Studies show that many adult Harlequins have had broken bones, probably a result of their rough surroundings.
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| A male and a female |
The eastern North American population is declining and is considered Endangered, possibly because of oil spills near coastal areas and loss of habitat due to hydroelectric projects.
Harlequin Ducks feed by swimming under water, diving or dabbling (by tipping headfirst into the water), often using their bills to pry food items off of rocks underwater. The water was shallow enough where the ducks we saw were that all they had to do was stick their heads underwater. They eat mollusks, crustaceans and insects.
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| A bit of dabbling |
Their smooth, densely packed feathers trap a lot of air, keeping them warm in cold climates and chilly water. It also makes them exceptionally buoyant, making them bounce like corks after dives.
When interacting with fellow ducks, the Harlequin makes unducklike squeaks, giving it the nickname, "sea mouse."
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| Male Harlequin Duck |
The oldest recorded Harlequin Duck was a male that was almost 21 years old. He had been banded in Alberta in 1995 and was encountered in the wild in British Columbia in 2014.
While watching the ducks, I grabbed some photos of other beach inhabitants, including a lone Dunlin ...
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| Dunlin |
... some Hybrid Western/Glaucous Gulls, adult ...
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| Hybrid Gull |
... and juvenile ...
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| Young Hybrid Gull |
... a pure Glaucous Gull ...
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| Glaucous Gull |
... and, some Northwestern Crows ...
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| Northwestern Crows |
Then, we moved to one other location, Harling Point, where the wind had picked up to the point that most birds were hunkering down. We heard a Bewick's Wren and saw a lovely little Anna's Hummingbird, but that was it ...
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| Anna's Hummingbird |
In my next blog, I will write about our last day in Victoria and Vancouver.
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| Victoria flowers |
Trip date: May 7-14, 2019
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