Title photo - A Shortie Surprise at Farquharson's Farm Wildlife Area. (more photos later)

November Monsoons Continue

Nov. 15/09 - Winds up to 80 k and continuous rain is the menu for the whole week, which means birding and photography has been and will be severely limited until the weather gods decide otherwise. In fact, even my usual day on the links was voluntarily cancelled this morning, so I've decided on a brief update on my website was in order. Perhaps I should be grateful for the bad weather as it has been a hectic month. Last Sunday I had to put on my entrepreneur's hat for the Fairwind's Craft Fair; Tuesday I donned my presentation cap for a show with the Denman's Seniors; and yesterday I wore my PR cap for a photo art display at Graham's Jewellers in Courtenay. All these activities require a fair amount of preparation like designing calendars, producing note cards, and building display racks so I've been busier than usual. Fortunately, I only have three events left for this month: Nov. 21 "meet the author" at Chapters in Nanaimo; Nov. 26 presentation with the Cowichan Photo Club; and Nov. 27 - 29 Village Craft Faire in Qualicum. You're invited to come and visit at any of those occasions.

As you can gather from my opening paragraph, I haven't had many opportunities for photography despite the fact that there have been several excellent sightings in the past week. Guy Monty and Rich Mooney scored big with a Bean Goose in Port Alberni. The bird was seen flying towards Mt. Arrowsmith. Other interesting sightings include a Black-tailed Gull at Clover Point, and a Franklin's Gull at Ogden Point. My best sighting was a Short-eared Owl which I was able to photograph at close range. Other than that, I don't have much to offer, but tat's the way it is sometimes.

I know I just posted a female Common Merganser in my last journal, but that's no reason not to post again. The photos are all different and they display the bird in different situations and poses.

You can probably guess that this is at French Creek. There's usually a Merganser or two lounging on the creek bank for a little preening, cleaning, and rest. I can drive along the opposite bank and shoot from the car. If I'm really careful, the ducks won't leave, but sometimes they leave even if I'm careful.

It's a constant challenge to get the better photos so I'll be taking a few more shots of these ducks before the winter's over.

Surprise, a new bird for the fall. It's interesting that I've had about 4 emails this fall from a variety of locations like Quadra Island about a strange goose which turned out to be a Greater White-fronted.

I found this fine looking speciman at Parksville Park on Friday when I was taking a quick break from my work. Hold it - taking pictures is my work. How can I take a break from work to do more work? Does that make any sense? (Sounds like cabin fever doesn't it?)

I was fortunate that we had a sunny break while I was photographing the greater White-fronted.

If I had been on the ball with my birding that day I might have checked a few other fields. Apparently, there were some Cacklers and a Snow Goose at Winchelsea. Yesterday a Brant showed up at Parksville Park but I was in Courtenay.

On Thursday my break from work took me to Piper's Lagoon. After strolling to the end of the road I hadn't seen any birds except for a Common Loon far offshore and a few Mallards in the Lagoon. I was complaining to myself on the way back and grumbling that there wasn't even a Savannah Sparrow when guess what landed on the path in front of me?

The Savannah was backlit by the sun so I tried to sneak around to get to the other side.

The Savannah took evasive action and flew across the road. When I relocated it, it was perched beautifully on a blackberry bush.

As mentioned, I had my PR hat on for my photo display in Courtenay, but we were an hour early. Normally I would check out the Airpark, but today my amazing birding intuition pointed me to the Farquharson's Farm which is now a DU conservation property and a habitat for Trumpeter Swans. After my requisite check of the swan flock for a possible Tundra Swan and the Cackling Geese flock for an Aleutian I drove to the end of the access to turn around. Half way back, look what flushed out of the tall grass. It was my first Short-eared of the fall. Jon Carter has been reporting them at the Nanaimo estuary, but I hadn't been there lately.

I think Shortie was just annoyed at our presence and not really frightened. It just stood in the field wondering when we were going to leave.

After I took about a hundred shots a Northern Harrier buzzed Shortie, and he flew across the road to a metal structure.

A minute later he dove into the grass. When I relocated him, he was peaking out from a depression in the grass.

Later on Shortie dove into the grass about 100 feet from me. I was sure I would catch him with a mouse, but I couldn't find him. I would have hung around for a few more shots but I had to leave for my exhibit. Regardless, I was grateful for that once in a lifetime close encounter with a Short-eared Owl.

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The rest of my day was spent with the pleasant task of meeting and chatting with interested birders and photographers from the area. It is no wonder that I enjoy visiting the Comox Valley. Besides the beautiful scenery and amazing birds, the valley is full of wonderful people. I am terrible with names (and dates), but I do remember a few like an impressionable young birder named Aidan as well as Malcolm, Jim, Anne, Dave, Lena, and Kim.

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Bird Poster

My posters are on display at: Victoria - Swan Lake Nature House; Nanoose Bay - Credit Union; Courtenay - Graham's Jewellers

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PUBLICATIONS

VOLUME I & II BOOKS AVAILABLE AT

PARKSVILLE & QUALICUM - MULBERRYBUSH BOOKSTORES

NANAIMO - SAVE-ON FOODS (WOODGROVE),
SAVE-ON FOODS (COUNTRY CLUB), CHAPTERS, FALCONER BOOKS

PORT ALBERNI - CLOCKTOWER GALLERY

COURTENAY - GRAHAM'S JEWELLERS

SIDNEY - VICTORIAN BIRD HOUSE, TANNER'S BOOKSTORE

COMOX - BLUE HERON BOOKS

BOWSER - LIGHTHOUSE GIFTS

DEEP BAY - SHIP & SHORE

SAANICH - WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

VICTORIA - BOLEN BOOKS, MUNRO'S, CROWN PUBLICATIONS, IVY'S

CAMPBELL RIVER - SAVE-ON FOODS, COHO BOOKS, CAMPBELL RIVER MUSEUM

DUNCAN - VOLUME 1 BOOKSTORE

CHEMAINUS - WILLOW"S WILD BIRD STORE

LADYSMITH - SALAMANDER BOOKS

NANOOSE - SCHOONER COVE MARINA

LAKE COWICHAN - GALLOPING MOON GALLERY

TOFINO - BOTANICAL GARDENS

QUADRA ISLAND - EXPLORE & BOOK BONANZA

LANGFORD - WILD BIRD CENTER

SOOKE - READING ROOM BOOKSTORE

SOOKE - MUSEUM

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