Have you ever left something someplace where you’d know where to find it, only to find it gone when you returned?  Well, that happened to me today.  I am absolutely positive that I left a couple of Tundra Swans at Royal Roads University a couple of weeks ago, but they were nowhere to be seen today!

A constant rain prompted me to focus on waterfowl today.  In the Pacific Northwest, if you let the rain stop you from going out, you’d spend an awful lot of time inside.  Someone should have told this to the ducks!  Even they were in short supply today.

Admittedly, I waited until afternoon in hopes of a break in the weather, but when none was forthcoming, I headed out into the soggy weather.  I made stops today at Viaduct Flats, Esquimalt Lagoon, Albert Head Lagoon and Royal Roads University, but only managed a single addition to my year list, an expected Mute Swan.  There is a large flock of these swans at Esquimalt Lagoon, along with a Trumpeter Swan that has been hanging out with them for several years.  For a few days in December, they were joined by a pair of Tundra Swans that moved between the garden ponds at the adjacent university and the lagoon, making it a three swan species stop.  Not so lucky today!

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My most interesting find today was another birder, Rob Gowan, also trying his luck in the rain.  I know why I was out there.  I wonder if he might have a goal of his own for 2015.  Rob, are you doing a big year?  🙂

Although I only added one species to the year list today, I was able to add several more to my Capital Region (county) and Victoria Checklist lists.  I expect that I will have close to half of the birds I will expect this year checked by the end of the month.  To keep things interesting, I am also going to keep “county” lists for each of the regional districts on Vancouver Island. Since I live in the Capital Regional District, I expect this list to be the longest, but I hope to give reasonable coverage to all of the areas.

At this point, I suppose it’s only fair to put my friends on notice that they should not expect me to be on time for anything for the 361 days.  I was driving home in the rain just as the sun had set when I realized that there were geese and gulls on a school field.  My birding habits have definitely changed!  I turned the car around and spent what light was left picking through the flocks.  Mostly Canada Geese and Mew Gulls, but sooner or later, I’m going to find something good!

After dipping on my first two owl chases of the year (Western Screech and Great Gray), I couldn’t have been happier when I received a message from Dave Fraser–the Owl Whisperer, as I call him–to go owling when I got back to Victoria.  The weather forecast for the next few days is decidedly damp, so we didn’t dally.  A status check shortly after 5 am started things rolling for the most diverse owling adventure of my birding experience.

There is a semi-secret place in Victoria known as the most reliable for Western Screech Owl.  BBO (Before Barred Owls), the Western Screech was the most commonly heard owl in this area.  Since the arrival of Barred Owls to Vancouver Island in 1969, their numbers have dropped precipitously.  When I started birding in the mid 1990’s, I found screech owls at three locations, but I hadn’t heard one here in at least ten years.  Although there are reports of the occasional call, you have to be pretty lucky to find one these days.  Dave, Jim Danzenbaker and I returned to the spot I’d started my big year and listened.  Nothing. We waited about five minutes.  Still nothing.  Timing is everything, though, and Dave has found this male to be more responsive in the morning than in the evening.  Dave whistled.  Within about a minute, there was a distant response.  Within three, the bird was probably within about 80m of us.  Success!

With a bit of time left before sunrise, we headed back towards Dave’s home, just a few miles away.  We stopped at the entrance to a golf course, where Dave had detected a Northern Saw-whet Owl  two weeks ago on the Victoria Christmas Bird Count.  We were barely out of the car when one flew right across the street in front of us!  Boom!

We continued to Dave’s home where his wife Leah Ramsay and I were exchanging tweets on the progress of our owl run, and where the hot tub has produced one of the best yard lists in Victoria.  (Dave highly recommends installing a hot tub to increase your yard list.)  It would be possible, on a good day, to pick up three more owls here.  It was a VERY good day!  Within  minutes of a few more toots and calls from Dave, we had added Barred, Great Horned, and Northern Pygmy Owl to our day list, and it wasn’t even sunrise!  On that happy note, Jim headed for the ferry to take him back to southern Washington. I am grateful for both Jim and Dave’s help in getting this big year off to a great big start.

But wait, there’s more!

Rumors of Horned Larks on Saanichton Spit sent me out birding as soon as I refueled with a cup of Tim Horton’s tea and the sun peeked through the clouds.  A drive through the Martindale Valley with visions of another possible owl (Barn or Short-eared) failed to produce, but a few more species were added to both the day and year list.  At Saanichton Spit, more new birds, but no Horned Larks.  But a very promising owl pellet has encouraged me to do some night birding there very soon.

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At lunchtime, I met up with Rick Schortinghuis and Liam Singh to hike to the top of Jocelyn Hill in search of Pine Grosbeaks and Townsend’s Solitaires, both species seen before Christmas.  There was fog and drizzle and a lot more “up” than I remembered.   I’ll definitely  need more of this kind of walk to prepare me for a White-tailed Ptarmigan quest in August! American Robins were the bird of the walk, with hundreds feeding on the Arbutus (Madrone) berries along the path.  It took us about two hours to reach the summit, picking up two new species (Cedar Waxwing and Hermit Thrush ) along the way.

While we were at the summit, we heard the spontaneous call of a Northern Pygmy Owl, my second of the day!  I also took my first selfie.   I don’t expect to make a habit of this as I’d much rather show you pictures of the birds, but let’s just say conditions weren’t great for that today.

A very full day of birding added fifteen new species to my big year list, and after a correction of a species seen but not entered from Quadra Island,  my total at the end of Day 3 stands at 101.  Not a bad start for the year.

Sunday and Monday are forecast to be wet and possibly windy.  I’ll spend time on both days to pick up other regular species around the Victoria area, and keep my fingers crossed for something unusual to show up as well.

Features on this site will evolve as the year goes on.  One new one is a map with the areas I’ve been birding coloured in.  I’ve got more than a third of my target, but have barely scratched the surface (area) of this island!

They say you should go big or go home.  I didn’t go home last night after the Duncan Christmas Bird Count, but headed instead to Campbell River in hopes of seeing a Great Gray Owl on Quadra Island today.  This would be a fantastic bird to get for many reasons: LIFER!!, probably the only one that will be chaseable this year, and just an all-round very cool bird.

Despite a lovely but cold evening last night, Jim Danzenbaker and I had noticed that the clouds were coming in while we travelled north on the highway.  This morning we awoke to a light drizzle and a bit of snow on the car and on the roads.  Catching a pre-dawn ferry, we were set for a morning of exploration on Quadra Island, a place neither of us have visited before.  We knew we’d add to the year list and had our fingers crossed for that particular bird.

The Great Gray Owl, unfortunately, had not been reported since just before Christmas, so we knew it was a longshot.  A couple of island residents had been keeping an eye out for it, so we had a good idea of where it wasn’t–just no concept of where it might be.  A drive around the island showed lots of great owl habitat, and there was probably a lot more that we didn’t see, reaching far into private properties.  We scoured the south end of the island, then along the east side to Rebecca Spit, a beautiful Provincial Park.

The east and west sides of the spit are only about 100 m apart, but have very different characters.  The windblown east side is covered in driftwood and provides a vantage point to see species like Pacific Loon, Surf Scoters, Horned Grebes, and Common Murres.  The west side is a sheltered bay that had many of the same species, but also birds seeking a bit of shelter from the wind, including Common Mergansers, White-winged Scoters and a Belted Kingfisher.

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We spent a bit of time near the Cape Mudge lighthouse and ended the morning with 38 species from Quadra Island.  Although the Great Gray wasn’t among them, it wasn’t really a miss.  To the best of our knowledge, no one has seen this owl in 2015.  If it turns up again, you can bet that I’ll be heading back!

Most of the afternoon was spent counting Bald Eagles and Common Ravens as we made our way south on Hwy 19.  Although there were a lot fewer along the highway than I have seen in the past, the eagles kept ahead of the ravens all the way to Nanaimo.  Just south of city, we headed to the Nanaimo River Estuary Conservation area in hopes of seeing a Rough-legged Hawk that has been there for a while.  This bird knows how to put on a show! We were barely out of the car when we could see the hawk perched on a snag a short distance away. As we walked along the path to the viewing platform, the hawk made a hunting strike on something on the ground and then flew to a fence line a little farther into the estuary.  For the next 30 minutes, it flew back and forth, stopping on a variety of perches, ensuring that we had as good a look as we could have possibly wanted.  Maybe the Great Gray Owl could pick up a pointer or two here!

Tomorrow morning, weather permitting, Dave Fraser is going to help us on our second attempt to find Western Screech Owl, after which Jim will return home to Washington State.  It’s been great having him start the year with me.

Just as expected, January 1  arrived on schedule.  And just as expected, I was not!  Many things I thought I’d have done by the end of 2014 are still on the to-do list.  But big years wait for no one, and by 12:15 am,  I was parked on the side of the road in a quiet location yearning to hear the ping-pong ball call of a Western Screech Owl.  With the alarm clock set for 5:30 am, this was a longshot–if I didn’t hear it within minutes, it would have to wait for another night.  It will have to wait for another night.  A few other stops on the way home yielded similar results.  All I can say is that I’m glad this is a big year, not just a big day!

The reason for the early wake-up call was an annual tradition that could not be ignored.  No, not the polar bear swim that Andy McKinnon hosts each year.  A MUCH more sane event–the Duncan Christmas Bird Count.  This year, the Mt. Prevost/Drinkwater team was stacked.  Not only were leader Alan McLeod and team regulars Jan Brown, Bruce Whittington, and Wanda  Dombrowski on hand, but Andrew Harcombe, Jim Danzenbaker and Syd Cannings had joined as well.  In tow, was videographer Ian Toews, gathering potential blackmail material as well as footage of birds and habitat for an upcoming production on birders.

It was cold before the sun woke up, but eventually turned into a very nice day.  We split into two groups, which then split into even more, allowing probably the best coverage our zone has ever received.   The end result of this group effort was a record of 60 species for our portion of the Duncan circle.   If you check out my species list, you’ll see that I have fewer than that for my first day of my big year.  While my group found 47 species in our section, there were several that were only seen by others, and several more that were seen by the other group. However, for my big day, those zone boundaries meant nothing, and I was able to add several species for my personal count, poached from other zones while there was still a bit of light.  I have 55 species checked at the end of day 1.

Skin-lightening products contain cheap viagra in usa a mixture of active ingredients, which are often unfamiliar to the users. Everyone enjoys driving and the convenience and flexibility of a rigorous online curriculum backed by the stellar in-car training by SafeWay Driving Centers top professionals. cialis fast delivery Sometimes one might become bored of the routine and find the whole game of viagra viagra sildenafil love making monotonous in spite of having a very attractive partner. Sometimes this leads even to divorce as these people do not do http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/10/20/elderberry-part-medicine-part-poison-and-part-food/ viagra prescription uk anything important over the internet, while they do gaming, watching porn, doing unnecessary activates etc. After dark, Jim and I headed north to Campbell River.  We’ll be on an early ferry tomorrow morning, heading to Quadra Island.  Before Christmas, a Great Gray Owl was seen several times on this island between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland.  It might still be there–or it might not. We’re going to look.  If we don’t find it, we’ll still have an adventure.  Neither of us have ever visited Quadra Island before.  The plan is to spend about a half-day there, then head south through Nanaimo (stopping to hopefully spot a Rough-legged Hawk at the Nanaimo River Estuary) and then on to home.  Jim will be returning to the US on Saturday, and I’ll be birding a little closer to home–unless, of course, someone spots something for me to chase.

I am very grateful for all of the encouragement and enthusiasm I’ve received for my quest.  Thank all of you for your positive thoughts and wishes, and I look forward to birding with as many of you as I can this year.

By the way, I will be adding links to the bottom of this page for others who are doing their own big years.  Check out Noah Strycker’s blog!  He’s not going for 275, or even 500 species. He’s chasing 5000, worldwide!

 

 

 

Definition: A big year. A year in which a birder seeks to find as many species of birds as possible in a designated geographic area, typically North America.

Big years are inspirational, foolish, challenging, frustrating and sometimes, amazingly satisfying. In 2013, Neil Hayward broke Sandy Komito’s longstanding record with 747 species (+3 under consideration by records committees)  found on his “accidental” big year. While scouting for his planned big year in 2014, Neil was doing so well that he changed his plans on the fly in March and made 2013 “his” year. Stepping into the 2014 Big Year gap, Dorian Anderson took on what many consider the ultimate challenge—a bicycle big year. As of November 30, Dorian has ridden his bike more than 16,000 miles (24,000 km) and has recorded an amazing 607 species while not using any kind of motorized transportation at all. In 2015, Noah Stryker will undertake the biggest year of them all—a worldwide big year.These feats of focus and stamina are huge personal accomplishments, but also bring attention to birds and conservation to the public.

A Vancouver Island Big Year!

My aspirations for 2015 are on a much smaller scale. Instead of a whole continent, I will focus on my home “turf”, Vancouver Island. Despite having been born here and having lived in Victoria my whole life, and being grateful for that every day, I have not yet discovered much of this beautiful island. In 2015, that will change. In my quest for 275 species, I plan to spend time in many of the nooks and crannies of the island and surrounding waters.

According to eBird, the number of species reported in the last five years from the six regional districts — Mount Waddington, Strathcona-Comox, Alberni Valley, Nanaimo, Cowichan Valley, and Capital – has ranged from 276 to 296. There may have been a few species seen that didn’t make the eBird list, but many of those counted were individual birds, sometimes only seen by one person. A target of 275 will mean some serious chasing of rarities, and hopefully, discovery of a few myself.

I will start my Vancouver Island Big Year on January 1, participating in the Duncan Christmas Bird Count, on a team lead by my birding mentor, Alan MacLeod. This is long-standing tradition for me, as well as an essential strategic move to appease the birding maven of the Cowichan Valley, Derrick Marven. I’ll need his reports throughout the year!   (BTW, Derrick is always looking for more counters for the Duncan area.  It’s a great way to start the new year!) The zone I count in is not one of the most prolific in terms of species, so I’ll expect about 40 to 50 species on my first day. The next 10 days will be spent chasing known rarities on the island and then trying to get as many of the wintering species as I can before I head south for a birding festival.

Life happens

Yes, that’s right, I’ll be leaving the island during my Big Year. If you know me, you will know that I have many things going on in my life. While my VIBY birding will be a priority, it won’t keep me from doing some of the other things I have committed to do or even just want to do. In that sense, it will be more like a Brad Harris big year than a Kenny Bostick big year (inside reference for fans of the movie). I expect that I will be off-island for up to 9 weeks in 2015, thankfully in short bursts. If I was to wait for a clear year, a big year of any sort would not be in the cards, ever!

Lists, lists, lists
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Well, of course there will be lists—multiple. I will have an overall list, including the offshore waters and islands that surround Vancouver Island. It is this list that has the 275 species target. There will also be a list of birds that I see while my feet are firmly planted on Vancouver Island proper, and since I’m keeping lists, I will be diligent about my Victoria checklist area list. eBird will help me keep track of my “county” lists—one for each of the regional districts on Vancouver Island, and then there will be the dreaded “ones that got away” list.

Aspirations and goals

As I’ve mentioned, I hope to see 275 bird species as part of my Vancouver Island Big Year, but it’s big for me for a couple of other reasons, too. It will be a year of discovery—of the island, of the birding community, and of myself. My plan is to spend a week a month away from my usual comfort zone, and that’s bound to turn up something interesting!

I also hope to use this adventure to help raise awareness and support for Rocky Point Bird Observatory. Monitoring birds and providing critical population information for the last twenty years, RPBO has relied on tens of thousands of volunteer hours and private donations. RPBO is growing up and fulfilling its mandate for monitoring, research and public education in increasing ways every year, and that takes money as well as volunteer efforts. I hope that by finding some sponsors for my quest (which will be entirely self-funded), an organization that has become a huge part of my life will also benefit. More about how you can help out later.

It’s all about community!

A big year is a personal thing but it’s not necessarily a solo thing. In these days of social media, cell phones, and digital photography, big years are becoming more and more collaborative. And so, I invite you to join me, either online, or periodically in person. I’ll be using eBird to keep track of birds being posted, but I welcome your sightings as well. I will post where and when I’ll be birding on many occasions, and there may be more, gadget-girl that I am—but I’ll save that for another post. I’m looking forward to meeting some new birders and spending time with those who have travelled the birding roads with me in the past.

In summary

A Vancouver Island Big Year!  Target: 275 species

Can I do it?  Stay tuned!