One of the surprises to me this year has been just how difficult it is to find reported birds.  Normally, I’m not much of a bird chaser, in part because my “find” record is not that great.  I typically am not willing to put in the time or energy required tp relocate the bird and often leave without the sighting.  This year, though, I’ve brought much more focus to my bird chasing, getting to the spot as quickly as possible, and staying as long as necessary (or as long as I can) to try to find the bird.  Even with that, I come up empty more times than I succeed.  Of course, there are the “big” misses like the Crested Caracara in Nanaimo, the Northern Mockingbird at Long Beach and the legendary Great Gray Owl on Quadra Island, but there are many smaller chases that have been equally unrewarding.  This week, that included several trips to Swan Lake looking for a Bank Swallow, a Great Egret chase at Esquimalt Lagoon, and  rushing out to Pedder Bay in search of a Nashville Warbler sighted by Robin Robinson.

There were lots of swallows around, and some were gracious enough to sit on the railing for me, but not Bank Swallows. Young Tree Swallows can sometimes have a faint breast band, which can get a big year birder pretty excited, but fail to deliver that official “tick”.

Then there are the misses because I didn’t learn about the bird until too late.  Last Wednesday, two birders regaled me with photos of a Western Kingbird they had seen just ten minutes from my home on Tuesday.  I’m still 0 for 3 on kingbirds for the year.  If you see a kingbird, ANY kingbird, please give me a call!  🙂

My sister, Esther, and her husband, Bruce, almost did the “late” report thing to me during their visit when they casually, but sincerely, mentioned that they had seen a “Blue Jay” —- ten hours earlier.  When I suggested that they probably meant “Steller’s Jay”, they said that the jay they were looking at had a white belly, blue back and a crest.   The location at Pat Bay was less than 500 m from where I had seen a Blue Jay in Victoria eight years ago. Esther tells me I actually blanched.  I believe her!  Thankfully, in getting a more detailed description of the bird’s location and behaviour, it became clear that they had been looking at a Belted Kingfisher.  That’s probably for the best in keeping family relationships positive!

Bad luck, late reports, and mis-ids were all forgotten though, on Sunday when Heather Tronsden reported a small tern  hanging out with Bonaparte’s Gulls near Whiffen Spit.  Although I’d just returned  to town from Pedder Bay, I turned right around and headed to Sooke. While en route, the tern was tentatively identified as a Common Tern.  Elegant Terns have been reported recently near the mouth of the Columbia River, and I wanted to keep my mind open for that possibility.  Either way, the bird  had the potential to be species #236 for my year list.  I would arrive about two hours after the sighting.  What were the chances the bird would still be there?

I left a message for Heather asking for more details, and the answers were in my phone when I reached the spit.  The bird had been feeding on the inside of the spit,  and with a quick scan, I could see it!  It was a long way away, though, and I couldn’t see it well enough to ID it.   After firing off a few quick shots with my camera, I packed up and headed to the public wharf behind the Best Western Hotel to try to get a better look. There were plenty of seals and fisherman, but no tern, so I went back out the spit.

 

Aziza Cooper had arrived in my absence and had been watching the bird close to shore while I was at the dock.  By the time I got back to the spit, it was back where I’d originally seen it.  Of course.  Patience was a virtue in this case as about every fifteen minutes or so, the tern would come close to the spit and fish, well within camera range.  Between the two of us, I suspect we took about 200 photos, certainly enough for an ID.  Terns are quick, though, and the majority of the photos were blurry.  However, we were able to see enough of the wing pattern to be pretty sure it was an Arctic Tern, not a Common as first thought.

I could never have imagined that I would be even a tiny bit disappointed in seeing an Arctic Tern in Victoria. It’s a good bird, and a nice addition to my regional (county) list, but I already had it for the island this year.  A successful search, but still stuck at 235.

Even on days when I’m not chasing, I’m still birding.  I’ve been doing census at both the Rocky Point and Pedder Bay migration monitoring sites, and stopping at a lot of hotspots between other commitments. Sometimes the birds aren’t unusual, but there are often opportunities to get some interesting photos.

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While shopping with my sister and niece, I got a call from Marie O’Shaughnessy.  She and Mike Ashbee  were looking at a Great Egret at Saanichton Spit.  Even though I’ve already got one for my list, it’s always worth a trip to see another one!  We headed to the spit and saw it flying around the lagoon.  Jody Wells got there just after us and kept an eye on it for other birders heading to the site.

 

The week turned up some non-bird subjects as well.

Not all interesting items were even natural.

I just have one question.  Can I count Snowbird as a Big  Year species?

And last, but not least, another early morning text from Chris Saunders, and another scramble to Swan Lake, and finally, a Bank Swallow for species 236!

We followed this bird for several minutes as it flew over and behind vegetation, did an aerial manoeuvre with a Barn Swallow, zipped here, there and everywhere.   Its flight pattern was noticeably different than the other swallows in the crowd, and finally it crossed over us close enough for a distant photo.  I have to say, this is one I’m really glad to have checked off, but I’d still like a better look.  Maybe now it will sit on the railing for me!