Interesting Fall Visitors

Hi There,

I made it out to the Nanaimo River Estuary today for the first time this week. Lots of bird activity going on out there right now in conjunction with the salmon runs that have been happening. Hundreds of Sea Gulls and Crows and the local population of Eagles has also picked up somewhat.

I have been keeping close tabs on the place hoping to spot some Short-Eared Owls. I wasn't dissapointed today as I managed to flush one out of the hedgerow about thirty feet in front of me! Unfortunately, he got away pretty quick and I had no time to set up and get any good shots. Oh well, at least we know that they are back. This particular owl sighting was at least two or three weeks earlier this year than the ones I had spotted last year.

There were some other interesting Fall visitors as well. I was busy trying to keep my equipment dry from a deluge of rain when I noticed a small flock of Snow Geese heading across the estuary towards Holden Creek. I managed to get off a few shots from some distance before the flock dissapeared. To my knowledge this is not a usual occurance in these parts although there have been reports before of a single Snow Goose mixed in with the Canada Geese sometimes. They were probably trying to avoid the rain storm and needed to take a detour as they are normally seen on the mainland side during their migration.

Another note worthy individual that I could only see from a distance was the male Harrier that seemed to be playing the usual game of chase with the local Ravens. No sign of Trumpeter Swans at the estuary yet but I would think that they should be arriving any day now.

Until next time take care,

Steve

Thornton Creek Bears

Hi,
I decided to make a small change today. Instead of calling this blog a "Birding Blog", I have decided to make it into a "Wildlife Blog". This way more people can benefit from some of my animal photos as well.

Yesterday I went with my family to Thornton Creek on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Here we visited the Black Bears that were fishing near the mouth of the creek for the incoming runs of salmon. Lots of fish in the river and of course a few bears around as well. There were three large bears there when we arrived and a couple of times I had to reposition myself in order to maintain a safe distance from them.

Thornton creek is a must see at this time of year for anyone out there who is a Bear lover. However, I would exercise extreme caution in situations like that which involve wild animals. On one occasion I had to retreat to the safety of my car and leave my camera gear behind. In my opinion, not the place to take small children.

One last thing. You won't need a big lens to catch the action at Thornton Creek. I took my 500mm - Big Mistake! Even 300mm is overkill as the bears are usually less than 50 feet away.

Take care until my next entry.

Steve