After something of a whirlwind weekend, I was on my way again early Monday morning on a supposed quest for the Say’s Phoebe seen on Saturna Island on Friday.
There are several “rules” for rarity chasing and rule #1 is to get to the bird quickly once it’s been sighted. While some rarities will stick around for a few days or even months, many can be one-day (or even one-minute) wonders. It had been days since the phoebe had been reported, but given the dearth of birders on Saturna, that didn’t mean it wasn’t still around. However, I really didn’t expect that I would see it. Saturna was an island I’d never visited, and the phoebe was a good excuse to make the trip. I also thought that maybe, just maybe, its proximity to the mainland might increase the chances of some birds from the other side of the Salish Sea.
Ferry schedules to Saturna are unlike most others. There was a 5:10 am and 9:10 am sailing, but that was it until late in the day. Returning would mean that I’d have to catch the 4:10 pm sailing or wait until 9:40 pm, arriving home after 11 pm. I caught the 9:10 over and planned on returning late, giving me ample time to explore the island.
The first stop was East Point Park, the site of the Friday phoebe. It was a perfect setting for a Say’s. An open grassy meadow opens onto sandstone beaches, with forest along the northern edge. Lots of fences, shrubs and towers for perching, but sadly, no phoebe.
A Red-tailed Hawk was clearly scoffing at humans’ attempts to keep birds from the roof of the foghorn building.
Below, thirty-five Black Oystercatchers flew among the rocks, occasionally dislodging the Harlequin Ducks that were resting there.
It was a beautiful, peaceful scene, until… The phone rang. There was an adult Glaucous Gull at Cattle Point in Victoria, discovered by Geoffrey and David Newell. Huh. And I might as well have been on the moon. As much as I would like to say I was unphased, it wasn’t true. There was nothing I could do about it, but I couldn’t get that darned gull out of my head!
With a stiff upper lip, I set out to see what I could find on Saturna. If I could find something new, the pendulum could easily have swung back the other way.
Saturna is a small, but beautiful island. Half of it is parkland, and as a result, it’s never likely to be too much more developed than it is now. All along the shoreline are beach accesses and viewpoints, allowing everyone opportunities to see incredible views and just enjoy the peace of the island.
At the other end of the island is another park at Winter Cove. Very different from East Point, it was probably the birdiest spot I came across on Monday. The forest was filled with the usual suspects, the bay had a good variety of ducks, and the marsh was roaring with the sound of Pacific Tree Frogs. I even managed to catch a river otter trying to sneak by.
Nothing new for the bird list, though, although I did get to add Bonaparte’s Gull to my Capital and Victoria Checklist columns.
It was now just after 3 pm and I decided to grab a sandwich and catch the 4:10 ferry. This might seem like something would be easy to do, but not so! I headed to the general store–the only store on Saturna and was greeted with this sign.
Yep, if you didn’t get your groceries by 2 pm on Monday, your next chance would be 10 am on Friday! Life on Saturna may be laid back, but it can’t have a lot of spontaneity! Not easily defeated, I noticed a sign that said the sandwich shop up the street was open until 4:30. Leaving my car in the ferry line, I hiked up the hill only to discover that they stopped making sandwiches at 2:30. They recommended the pub, so down the hill I went. I couldn’t quite bring myself to get a $15 sandwich, so I opted for an order of French fries. Mmmm comfort food!
On the return trip, I got to have a new experience: ferry transfers! The ferry stopped at Mayne Island and we all had to get off and wait in line for another ferry. It was like changing planes at an airport, but something I didn’t even know existed! When I got back to Victoria, it was getting dark, so I opted for a sunset at Maber Flats. Lots of waterfowl showed up as the sun went down, but no owls.
Tuesday morning included a walk around Rithet’s Bog and, as you might expect, a trip to Cattle Point.
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The gull had been seen leaving at 1 pm on Monday, but there was a chance (wasn’t there?) that it might have returned for the same tide. It wasn’t there, but Kim Beardmore was, so we decided to do a Victoria waterfront search.
Checking out the hotspots, we worked our way west. There were some interesting birds at Clover Point, including a group of resting Dunlin.
From there, we headed out to Esquimalt Lagoon for some gull study, and then to the Royal Bay gravel pit. Good company, decent birding, but nothing new to add.
Wednesday morning, I met up with Rick Schortinghuis to walk up Observatory Hill. There were at least 25 Yellow-Rumped Warblers calling and several singing as we made our way up the hill. A lot of birds were behaving as if spring was already here, and the flowers were popping up everywhere. Near the summit, there was this:
Northern Pygmy Owls have nested on Observatory Hill in the past, and if this fellow is able to find a mate, maybe they will again this year. We couldn’t locate the bird, but hearing it was satisfying enough. Which leads me to make this Avian Service Announcement. We are heading into breeding season. Regardless of whether you think using call playback is acceptable or not, it is NOT a good idea to use it on potentially breeding birds. If you need to listen to your iBird Pro or Sibley on your phone, do it well away from the birds (in your car, for instance), or use headphones. The good news is that this time of year, you don’t really need to use it. The birds are singing spontaneously. Use your birding skills to find them.
Wednesday afternoon included a brief stop at Cattle Point for another try for the Glaucous Gull. I found Marie O’Shaugnessy, Gordon Hart, and Jacques Sirois, but no Glaucous Gull.
Thursday was a drizzly and dreary day, but I headed out anyway. An area that had been recommended was the old Sandowne Racetrack. It looked awesome, but I was greeted with many signs like this one:
I knocked on the caretaker’s door to see if I could get permission, but no answer. The neighbourhood was pretty good as well, and I searched a lot of hedgerows looking for a Long-eared Owl. I met some of the neighbours.
Walking through a forested area, I found Trilliums in bloom. My yard used to be filled with these, but most have become deer food in recent years.
The rain got heavier, so the camera had to be put under cover, but before my walk was out, I had two new additions for my Capital Region list: California Quail (finally!) and Northern Shrike.
My last bird of the day was unexpected in this area and is another controversial species. There are feral populations around so I might try to sneak one on the list at some point, but the proximity to homes is keeping this fine fellow off the list.
Friday morning, I head out of the count zone for a few days to go to Oregon and check on the owl nest boxes at the Boardman Tree Farm. What we find this weekend will affect how many days I’ll be away from the island in the next few months.
I’ll be back looking for list birds on Monday! If you find something good on the weekend, please keep your eyes on it until I get back!