One of my goals this year is to discover parts of the island where I have spent little or no time.  I imagined that this would largely be the north and northwest regions of the island, as I have been to Nanaimo hundreds of times since I was a child.

The “problem” is that most of those trips had a destination and a time frame.  If we were going to our grandmother’s house, we wanted to get there sooner rather than later.  That is, unless there was a thrift shop along the way. My father was a record collector, and he spent far more time scouring through the bins at Goodwill and the Salvation Army than I ever will at Tim Hortons!  All those hours in the car when I could have been checking out the area. Of course, back then, there were no cell phones to arrange a pick up en route!

On Wednesday and Thursday, I turned east off the main highway at Fraser Rd between Mill Bay and Cobble Hill and headed to wine country–Cherry Point.  I can’t believe I’ve never spent time here!  Derrick Marven had recommended Garnett Rd as a good place to bird, so that was my first stop.  Most of the action was with the gulls, either following a crabbing boat while it set out traps, or bathing in the fresh water as it entered the beach.

 

 

From there,  a trip to the Cowichan Bay Dock Rd turned up a couple of early Violet-green Swallows and a few expected and unexpected sights.  Trumpeter swans were present in good numbers, but they weren’t the only things in the sky.

 

 

Seems that the estuary is a popular place for remote control planes as well.  I’m not sure that’s a great idea with so much waterfowl in the area.

I was also wondering what signs are about to be posted along the roadway.  A few weeks ago, I saw a couple get their car stranded when the gate got locked.  Might these be warnings to park outside the gate?

 

After this stop, I headed for refreshments, then off to Somenos Lake to pick up Ruddy Duck for the region.   I managed a few other passerines, including Bushtits,  and waterfowl for my Cowichan Valley list.  The birds were all a little too far away for photos, unfortunately.

It had been years since I’d driven the backroads of Duncan, so I headed up Bell-McKinnon and Norcross, until I was stopped in my tracks by a very active feeder just before Herd Road.  LOTS of birds here, so hopes were high that something unusual might be around.  Not this time, but this stop is a keeper!

Continuing on the backroads, I took the coastal route to Crofton, discovering a gem of a park at Osborne Bay.  Clearly, someone here liked birds!

 

It’s a leash-free zone as you enter the park, so you need to be comfortable passing through a doggie zone, but it doesn’t seem particularly well used.  A mix of brambles, forest, nearby residences and a beautiful beach definitely make Osborne Bay Park worthy of a visit.  As I walked down to the beach, a Great Horned Owl was calling.

The trail is a bit steep in parts, but very well maintained, wide,  and easy to walk.  Stairs or slope to the beach and a view across the channel.  I could see that someone on this island had a great concept for a home fitness program!

The light was fading, so I hurried along to Crofton, a town known for its paper mill and accompanying aroma. Over the years, scrubbers have lessened the sulphurous smell, and today was a good day.  Hardly detectable!  I have passed the sign to Crofton on the Trans-Canada hundreds of times.  I had no idea that there was such an extensive community on the waterfront!  They even have a beautiful walkway that curves around the bay.

As darkness fell, I vowed to return–which I did the very next day!

As I went up the Malahat, I had to turn around to have a better look at a bird on a wire.  It was not particularly interested in being my photographic subject, but I got a couple of quick shots of this Merlin. The race we often see here is called the “black” Merlin.  Here’s why!

Keep a gap to preserve the excitement, cheap cialis without prescription http://www.icks.org/data/ijks/1482965794_add_file_5.pdf get the most benefit, a man should investigate the ingredients list of each cream and select one that includes an emollient such as shea butter to moisturize and soothe the penis; a powerful antioxidant such as alpha lipoic acid, a potent antioxidant, it can add a great charm to your sex life. An estimated 50% of men ages 40 to 70 tend to suffer from erectile dysfunction, so that’s a lot of men who may be at risk of cardiovascular disease–and may not realize it. buy cheap levitra icks.org Edema, which in its viagra on line order early stages is discrete, extends and becomes permanent. You will lose not only the production of that http://icks.org/n/data/ijks/1482460671_add_file_1.pdf purchase levitra online day by finding the boiler machine dysfunctional but also you will lose the scope of getting production of the three hormones mentioned. I resumed my coastal route at the  ferry terminal in Crofton. The Chemainus Estuary looks like a fantastic place to go birding, but I was unable to find any official or even well-used accesses.  A Google search reveals that hunters use it, so there must be access somewhere….

When I was with Ian Cruickshank and Karen Ferguson on Salt Spring Island, we looked across and commented how great this spot looked.  It’s even better up close!

I continued north, going down pretty much every road on the water side of the street, but did not find any clear access points.  Eventually, though, I came across Bare Point Rd. which takes you right out into the channel–a perfect place for scoping.

There are other good spotting spots in town, including the ferry terminal, and Chemainus Kin Park.

 

 

Apparently the gulls need to keep a watchful eye, as while I was there, a truck with three young men drove quickly and deliberately down the boat ramp for no other reason than to chase the gulls away.  Unfortunately for them, when they decided to park (rather dramatically, I might add), they had to put up with the ranting of a disgruntled birder who had no problem comparing them with five-year olds!

North of Chemainus, still along the coast, is the community of Saltair. Beach accesses are difficult to find here, not surprisingly,  as the residential boom there is pretty new.  I am sure that as the population grows, more and more people will be insisting on having access to the the shore. I also drove by a sign indicating a wilderness park right in this area. Who knew there were so many cool places to bird just about an hour away from Victoria?

What was a surprise, however, was a new bird for my list.  Just before sunset, a Ring-necked Pheasant (154) called several times from a vacant lot at the end of a residential street.  Countable?  I’ll have to defer to the local experts’ opinions on this one.  There are few reports on eBird, and this didn’t appear to be a likely hunting area, so at least for now, it’s on my list.  With the sun down, I drove back to Chemainus for dinner with friends Christian McCarty and Erin Tett.

Friday was a busy day, starting with the weekly Maber Flats walk. Every Friday morning for more than a year, a small group of birders has been doing a survey that may become very important if this area is ultimately purchased by a conservation organization.

A Swamp Sparrow put in a brief appearance, but was far too quick for photos!

After a couple of other commitments, I headed up to the top of Observatory Hill–by car.  This is often a spot for early migrants.  Spring flowers including Satin Flower were brightening the summit.

 

Juncos were everywhere.

So was my shadow!

And an Anna’s Hummingbird was singing just below the Centre of the Universe.

Friday evening, I was helping Habitat Acquisition Trust with a Western Screech Owl survey, so I had to leave the hill before I was really ready.

On Sunday, I head to Parksville/Qualicum to investigate the herring spawn. Gulls and seabirds will be there in good numbers, increasing the chances for important additions to the year list.  Stay tuned!