White Wagtail photo, from the internet

 

White Wagtail: Photo from the internet.

"White Wagtail update"

 

 

Hello Fellow Bird Watchers & "Twitchers",   

This morning we again visited the site of the WAGTAIL off the Dyke road.As we first  reported on Wednesday Nov:14th @ 11:30.(See previous report BCVIBIRDS )

 We had a repeat sighting today,same 'place,same 'time.(Sorry you 'just missed it Neil & Marilyn. It was up the farm track a little further toward the burn piles.)

It was mixed in with a few sparrow species,mostly GOLD- CROWNED SPARROWS & FOX SPARROWS feeding on the ground,under the bushes,sheltering out of the south wind. Also a NORTHERN SHRIKE darted in for a 'strike at a wounded GOLD-CROWNED SPARROW while we were standing watching.'Gotta love those 'butcher birds at work.

 Upon closer examination and longer looks at the wagtail, the bird appears to be a juvenile,but, the facial pattern is similar to a"WHITE WAGTAIL"(Moncilla alba) juvenile.

 

Light silvery gray back, two wing bars,very pale white from the forehead right down the neck,to the breast areas.  No other colour noted.

                                     But, with NO sign of a breast band!!

(This is why we thought  juvi; YELLOW WAGTAIL at first. As per Sibley's bird guide.)

 

The bird also has long 'Black legs NOT 'Flesh coloured(As per Nat;Geo;bird guide 4th edition) A thin 'Black beak,with a slight eye line was noted.

It constantly wags its long tail,with white edges,as it runs and walks around catching insects on its own.We now believe this could be a "WHITE WAGTAIL" (Moncilla alba)

 

               No pictures were taken by us, at this time.    A bird of interest ?

 

                 ------------- GOOD BIRDING/TWITCHING EVERY ONE -------------

 

NOTE....

For those visiting the edge of this large rural farmers hay field a telephone number is on the 'For Sale' sign on the side of the farm road to obtain permission.

Please be very considerate to this local farmer,the crops etc.& wildlife.  Thank you.

 

David & Adel Routledge,

 

 

 

 

YELLOW WAGTAIL

Just recieved and email of a YELLOW WAGTAIL seen at the Courtenay River Estuary on November 14. Please let us know if you have any further sightings.

"Hello Fellow Bird Watchers,

        The excellent autumn weather today produced a really good bird sighting.

First we went down to the Courtenay Estuary. Going along the Comox Courtenay road from Courtenay we stopped at the sewage pumping station parking lot, on the right hand side. Directly across the road is a dirt farm road heading north thru the trees,with a large 'For Sale' sign posted. Up this farm road 100 meters there is a steel cable blocking vehicle access. Going under this we noticed an unusual gray and white 
medium sized bird bobbing its very long tail (With white outer tail feathers) Walking around in the mud and grass catching insects on the left hand side,just passed a small pond.It was quite tame and allowed us to get within 10 meters of it in excellent sunny/light conditions.The field marks and 'G.I.S.S.'suggests this was a first year bird. 
It did fly, in an undulating flight (Woodpecker style) And gave out a distinctive call, a very sharp loud descending buzz.We stayed around for a while and it returned to its original feeding spot while we watched it for over half a hour.
Having experienced the Wagtail species in Sussex,England, fifty years ago! It was great to see this type of bird once again in Canada. A good V.I.'life bird for both of us."

Parksville/Qualicum Beach Tuesday bird walk

                         

Brown Creeper: Ralph Hocken Photos.

 

 

The Tuesday bird walk went to Rathtrevor Provincial Park in Parksville. The morning was cloudy. As we neared the Strait of Georgia we were greeted with a strong, biting wind. The walk through the forest was wind free and quite warm. The highlights included seeing hundreds of Dunlin, Black Turnstones and Black-bellied Plover feeding along the tideline. We saw several Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Pacific Loons and Common Loons on the rough water of the strait. A Cooper’s Hawk was spotted circling above the edge of the forest. We had great looks at two Brown Creepers creeping up the trunks of conifer trees.

Sixteen birders saw and heard the following forty-two species:

American Wigeon

Mallard

Northern Pintail

Harlequin Duck

Bufflehead

Common Goldeneye

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter

Common Merganser

Red-breasted Merganser

Pacific Loon

Common Loon

Horned Grebe

Red-necked Grebe

Double-crested Cormorant

Bald Eagle

Cooper’s Hawk

Bonaparte's Gull

Mew Gull

Thayer’s Gull

California Gull

Glaucous-winged Gull

Dunlin

Black Turnstone

Black-bellied Plover

Western Sandpiper

Northern Flicker

Steller’s Jay

Northwestern Crow

Common Raven

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Pacific Wren

Bewick's Wren

Brown Creeper

Varied Thrush

European Starling

Spotted Towhee

Song Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Dark-eyed Junco

Pine Siskin

The Tuesday bird walk on November 20 will be going to Columbia Beach.--- High Tide is at 11:20 a.m.

Good birding

Neil Robins

Parkville

British Columbia

SNOWY OWL

A report today of a Snowy Owl sitting on a house roof on Thalia Place which is off of Cariboo Drive and College Drive above the university.