The Swallow Eggs Have Hatched!

Introducing . . . Tiny, Tadpole and Merlin. And possibly Peregrine, (I just can't see him or her). Stay tuned for more swallow updates soon to come! Or to meet the proud parents, see my blog post, Swallows, Swallows, Swallows ...
http://birdymcbirdface.blogspot.ca/2016/05/swallows-swallows-swallows-oh-and-some.html

Tiny, Tadpole, Merlin . . . and possibly Peregrine (underneath!)
Such a soft warm nest

Snowy Plover!

Lately I have had bad luck with finding rare birds. We didn't see the code 5 White Cheeked Starling or the code 4 Scissor Tailed Flycatcher on Chesterman's Beach. After a very disappointing mission to look for a White Winged dove in Ucluelet, we got a call from Adrian Dorst stating that there was a Snowy plover at Florencia Bay. So we set out again, readying ourselves for another defeat. Following the instructions, we walked to Lost Shoe creek, then headed southwest after about 20 paces. We set up the scope and this is what we saw. A Snowy Plover, very rare here and we were the second ones to see it!

Snowy Plover in breeding plumage

Thank You Pentax

Thank you to Sun Camera Service, who repair all Pentax equipment. They fixed my broken monocular at a discounted price. I'm so happy to have my trusty companion back by my side!

Neighbourhood Rescue!

Our neighbour Joey found a crow making off with a baby robin yesterday. She saved the robin from the crow. It dropped the robin, but we had to prevent the crow from returning. All the robins in the forest were very angry at this one crow. Joey's daughter Aqua and I took care of the baby robin and every once in a while it would open its mouth wide and gaping – and squeak! We fed it salmonberries. We put it out of reach of cats, in a box, near its parents. When we came back later to check on it, we found it had made its getaway into the trees. The evidence is here:

Before

After

The story of a small duck called a... SMEW!

This is a bird only rarely spotted in Canada on the Aleutian islands 

but found commonly in Europe and Asia. I love this bird (I have to confess mostly because of its unique name,) but also because of its perfect combination of adorable and elegant.
Even before my big year, my family I loved this bird and we have a standing joke about it.

Swallows, swallows, swallows... oh, and some other new birds

Since my pelagic boat trip, I've reached my goal – and passed it! I'm now at 128 birds.
In the last few days I've seen short and long-billed dowitchers, blue-winged teal, a peregrine falcon, red knots, golden plovers and black scoters, northern rough-winged swallows – which I have also seen in the last few days are one of my favourite swallows and I'm sad because these adorable plump little brown birds are often overlooked in comparison to the beauty of violet-green, tree or barn swallows. Every bird has its own special personality and I can't choose a favourite.
Thanks you for all the help from Adrian Dorst, Pete Clarkson and Artie Ahier. It is very nice for me to live in a community with some of, in my opinion, the best birders in BC.

After our martial arts demonstration at SOBO restaurant,
Pete Clarkson told me there were red knots at Greenpoint.
We raced out there with 30 minutes of daylight left and ... there they were!

Last year we had two barn swallows that built a nest under the ramp at the Crab Dock. They've returned this year and are building another nest in the same spot. I've had some really fun times with these two swallows and have named them Rufus and Tawny. I can't tell them apart but I still feel like they need to be named.

Our Pelagic Trip, photos by Marla Barker

Black Footed Albatross

Black Footed Albatross and gulls

Northern Fulmar

 

Prawn Dragger

Birdy

Dad and ornithologist, Mark Maftei

Birdy and Dad

Rhinocerus Auklet

By the Wind Sailor jellyfish (velella velella)

Fur seal thermoregulating

Northern Fulmar