Victoria, British Columbia September 16-22 2004

Matti & Hanna Koivula

We spent a week in southern Vancouver Island (Victoria) late September. We had return flights Edmonton-Victoria and accommodation in James Bay Motel (total costs ca 1800 CAD). We rented a small car (Toyota Corolla) from Budget, ca. 250 CAD. We had a "side insurance" from our Edmonton insurance company (cost 15 CAD). We spent most of the days within 20-30 km from Victoria, and made a one-day trip to Port Renfrew (at W coast). Total driving kms was 640. We observed 120 bird species (may have forgotten one or two?), including such goodies as Barn owl, Western screech owl, Franklin's gull, and Wandering tattler. On 19 Sept, we joined a whale trip East from Victoria to see Orca (Killer) whales, and saw some 15+ at close distance (3-hr trip total 80 CAD).

Weather was fine almost all the time, despite occasional light rain. Daily temperatures varied +10...+15 C.

Abbreviations in the table: a = flock (e.g. a2 means a flock of two individuals), juv = juvenile, ad = adult, 2-cy = second-calendar-year bird, capital letters usually indicate flight direction (e.g. NE = North-East), sexes separated by / ; e.g. 2/1 = two males and one female. Some subjectively-chosen highlights marked with bold.

Nr	Species	Scientific	Information
1	Red-throated loon	Gavia stellata	17.9. Gordova Bay 1
2	Pacific loon	Gavia pacifica	+
3	Common loon	Gavia immer	+
4	Slavonian grebe	Podiceps auritus	17.9. Gordova Bay 14 (+ 6 aur/nig), 18.9. Sidney ca 5
5	Red-necked grebe	Podiceps grisegena	+
6	Western grebe	Aechmophorus occidentalis	20.9. Jordan River 4
7	Pied-billed grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	19.9. Swan Lake 4
8	Brandt's cormorant	Phalacrocorax penicillatus	17.9. Clover Point 4
9	Pelagic cormorant	Phalacrocorax pelagicus	+
10	Double-crested cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus	+
11	Great blue heron	Ardea herodias	Trip total ca 15
12	Mute swan	Cygnus olor	21.-22.9. Esquimalt 10 ad 1 juv
13	Canada goose	Branta canadensis	+
14	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	+
15	Pintail	Anas acuta	+
16	Gadwall	Anas strepera	+
17	American wigeon	Anas americana	+
18	Shoveler	Anas clypeata	+
19	Green-winged teal	Anas carolinensis	+
20	Harlequin duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	+
21	Surf scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	+
22	Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	+
23	Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	+
24	Goosander	Mergus merganser	Trip total ca 120
25	Red-breasted merganser	Mergus serrator	22.9. Island View Beach 6
26	Hooded merganser	Mergus cucullatus	+, best sum 17.9. Oak Bay 29
27	Turkey vulture	Cathartes aura	+
28	Northern harrier	Circus hudsonicus	21.9. Helmcken/Camosun 1-2 juv
29	Cooper's hawk	Accipiter cooperi	Trip total 4
30	Sharp-shinned hawk	Accipiter striatus	21.9. Helmcken/Camosun 1
31	Red-tailed hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	Trip total 5
32	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	Trip total 3
33	Bald eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	Trip total 4-5
34	Peregrine	Falco peregrinus	22.9. Esquimalt 1 ad, 22.9. Island View Beach 1 juv N
35	Virginia rail	Rallus limicola	18.9. Saanich 2
36	Black-bellied plover	Pluvialis squatarola	18.9. Clover Pt - Ogden Pt 3
37	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	17.9. Oak Bay 1, 21.-22.9. Esquimalt 2
38	Black oystercatcher	Haematopus bachmani	+
39	Greater yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	17.9. Oak Bay a2
40	Lesser yellowlegs	Tringa flavipes	21.9. Helmcken/Camosun 1
41	Spotted sandpiper	Actitis macularia	20.9. Port Renfrew (Botanical Beach) 1
42	Wandering tattler	Heteroscelus incanus	20.9. Port Renfrew (Botanical Beach) 1; this superior bird was earned by wading ca 50 m, at ca 1-m depth, in the cool sea water for proper views! (photo)
43	Surfbird	Aphriza virgata	Trip total ca 50
44	Black turnstone	Arenaria melanocephala	+
45	Sanderling	Calidris alba	Trip total ca 25
46	Dunlin	Calidris alpina	21.9. Ogden Point 1
47	Western sandpiper	Calidris mauri	Trip total ca 40
48	Common snipe	Gallinago delicata	21.9. Helmcken/Camosun 1
49	Red-necked phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus	Trip total 12
50	Short-billed dowitcher	Limnodromus griseus	Trip total 4
51	Skua (Jaeger) sp	Stercorarius sp	19.9. whale trip E from Victoria 1 juv NE
52	Bonaparte's gull	Larus philadelphia	+
53	Franklin's gull	Larus pipixcan	17.9. Gordova Bay 1 juv (photo)
54	Mew gull	Larus brachyrhynchus	+
55	Ring-billed gull	Larus delawarensis	21.9. Esquimalt 1 juv, 22.9. Esquimalt 1 ad (+2-cy) 3 juv
56	California gull	Larus californicus	+, trip total >1000
57	American herring gull	Larus smithsonianus	+
58	Glaucous-winged gull	Larus glaucescens	+
59	Western gull	Larus occidentalis	17.9. Oak Bay 1 ad
60	Heermann's gull	Larus heermanni	+, trip total >100
61	Common murre	Uria aalge	Trip total ca 15
62	Pigeon guillemot	Cepphus columba	+, trip total ca 1000
63	Marbled murrelet	Brachyramphus marmoratus	+, trip total >100
64	Rhinoceros auklet	Cerorhinca monocerata	+, trip total >300
65	Rock dove	Columba livia	+
66	Barn owl	Tyto alba	18.-19.9. Southern Vancouver Island 1/- (sex based on contrasting primaries)
67	Barred owl	Strix varia	20.9. Port Renfrew 1 on the road at dusk
68	Western screech-owl	Otus kennicottii	20.9. Port Renfrew 1 responded to whistling
69	Belted kingfisher	Ceryle alcyon	Trip total ca 10
70	Vaux's swift	Chaetura vauxi	Trip total ca 40
71	Anna's hummingbird	Calypte anna	Trip total 5 (+ 3 hummingbird sp)
72	Northern flicker	Colaptes auratus	Trip total 4
73	Downy woodpecker	Picoides pubescens	Trip total ca 10
74	Hairy woodpecker	Picoides villosus	20.9. Jordan River 1
75	Hammond's flycatcher	Empidonax hammondii	22.9. Witty's Beach 1
76	Pacific-slope flycatcher	Empidonax difficilis	Trip total 8 (+ ca 10 Empidonax sp)
77	Steller's jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	Trip total 7-8
78	Hutton's vireo	Vireo huttoni	20.9. Jordan River 1
79	Warbling vireo	Vireo gilvus	Trip total 7
80	Cassin's vireo	Vireo cassinii	18.9. Beacon Hill Park 1-2
81	Northwestern crow	Corcus caurinus	+
82	Raven	Corvus corax	+
83	Violet-green swallow	Tachycineta thalassina	Trip total 4
84	Barn swallow	Hirundo rustica	+
85	Chestnut-backed chickadee	Poecile rufescens	+
86	Bushtit	Psaltriparus minimus	+
87	Red-breasted nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	Trip total ca 10
88	Brown creeper	Certhia americana	Trip total 6
89	Marsh wren	Cistothorus palustris	19.9. Swan Lake 1
90	Bewick's wren	Thryomanes bewickii	Trip total >10
91	Winter wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	Trip total ca 10
92	Golden-crowned kinglet	Regulus satrapa	Trip total ca 20
93	Ruby-crowned kinglet	Regulus calendula	Trip total ca 10
94	Varied thrush	Ixoreus naevius	17.9. Beacon Hill Park 1/-, 22.9. Island View Beach 1
95	American robin	Turdus migratorius	+
96	Hermit thrush	Catharus guttatus	Trip total 6 (+ 3 Catharus sp)
97	Swainson's thrush	Catharus ustulatus	Trip total 4
98	Buff-bellied pipit	Anthus rubescens	Trip total ca 75, of which 22.9. Island View Beach 60
99	Cedar waxwing	Bombycilla cedrorum	Trip total ca 100 (includes Bombycilla sp)
100	Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	+
101	Orange-crowned warbler	Vermivora celata	+
102	Yellow warbler	Dendroica petechia	+
103	Black-throated gray warbler	Dendroica nigrescens	18.9. Beacon Hill Park 2-3, 22.9. Witty's Beach 1
104	Townsend's warbler	Dendroica townsendi	Trip total 5
105	Yellow-rumped warbler	Dendroica coronata	+
106	Spotted towhee	Pipilo maculatus	Trip total ca 15
107	Savannah sparrow	Passerculus sandvichensis	+
108	Fox sparrow	Passerella iliaca	+
109	Song sparrow	Melospiza melodia	+
110	Lincoln's sparrow	Melospiza lincolni	Trip total 4
111	Dark-eyed junco	Junco hyemalis	+, all "oregon"
112	White-crowned sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	Trip total ca 5 (all juv)
113	Golden-crowned sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	+
114	Lapland longspur	Calcarius lapponicus	20.9. Jordan River 1, 21.9. Clover Point 1
115	Red-winged blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	Trip total ca 10
116	Rusty blackbird	Euphagus carolinus	Trip total 10 (+ ca 30 blackbird/cowbird)
117	House finch	Carpodacus mexicanus	+
118	American goldfinch	Carduelis tristis	Trip total ca 70, of which 18.9. Sidney a50
119	Pine siskin	Carduelis pinus	Trip total ca 5
120	House sparrow	Passer domesticus	+