Sketch and story by Tom Godin,
October 19, 2001

Mid October has its charms. The leaves are taking their time leaving, although we’ve had a few minor snowfalls, the hills are quite golden and the weather is still relatively mild.

I decided to take myself on a guided tour through Centennial Park to see what effect our weather is having on local birds. I can’t afford my rates but I decided to grant myself an off season discount seeing as how the group was so small.

I decided, after entering the park parking lot, to keep a list of the birds I encountered. Here is what I saw in the order in which I saw them: Dark-eyed Junco, Mallard, Great Blue Heron, Hooded Merganser, Wigeon, Crow, Mountain Chickadee, Merlin, Raven, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Red Crossbill, Red-tailed Hawk, Song Sparrow, Canada Goose, Common Snipe, Green-winged Teal, White-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pileated Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, Three-toed Woodpecker and the American Dipper.

Seeing the Three-toed Woodpecker is always great. I have often been heard to remark that this Woodpecker is only seen on one type of tree, the Spruce. This bird showed me how wrong my opinion was. It was hammering noisily on a Lodgepole Pine.

It was a nice outing with some interesting sightings. I gave myself a little tip for the extra effort I put in.

Housesitting Gets Me Out of the House

Once again I find myself on the south side of Canim Lake doing a few days of house-sitting. I look forward to seeing the big bay where Bridge creek flows into Canim Lake. Last year, on October 5 at this same location, I was able to add the Pacific Loon to my life list. I didn’t have great expectations this year since I heard most of the big flocks of Loons, Scoters, and Grebes moved through a week or so earlier.

The first afternoon on CanimLake I saw three Western Grebes. This is the only time of year that I get to see this particular bird.

Several smaller Grebes also plyed the waters. I did my darndest with my 15 power scope to see the salient features of these small waterfowl. On some I could make out a rather warm brown on the cheeks and the neck. In the bird book such a feature usually indicates the first year plumage of the Eared Grebe.

By scanning the rollicking waves I was able to detect one lone Common Loon. It was in winter colour which is grey over most of the body with white highlights on the fore-neck and face. It appeared and submerged like a phantom.

Buffleheads and Coots were the most plentiful waterfowl.

The next morning I was down at the dock with my scope before the day had brightened. At first it seemed as if there was nothing to see. I scanned the open water back and forth. Finally I saw a Western Grebe. Near it, floated an interesting duck. Both were about 100 metres away on the other side of the bay. I don’t know why it is but they’re always that far off!

Again I cursed the 15 power lens on my scope. A gusty wind was blowing. The scope was trembling in the cold. The duck was bobbing. The waves were rolling. My eyes were watering from trying to peer so intently. So, what did I see?

At first I thought I was seeing a female Harlequin. I could see a brown bodied duck, with tail held out of the water. I could see a round head held high on a sturdy but moderately long neck. I say long when one thinks of Buffleheads which essentially have the head set directly on the body with the neck really not seen. The bill seemed smaller than that of a Surf Scoter.

I must have watched this bird for an hour. It continued to parallel the opposite shore. I could get no more details so I went to the house for a coffee. I saw that the sun was creeping slowly down to the water’s edge. Perhaps its light would illuminate my quarry by the time I got back.

Unfortunately the morning only got darker. When I got returned to the shore the duck was off to my right but no closer. Suddenly it began to fly. It came toward me and passed by about 50 metres out. I stared at it through the binoculars. The face was that of a Scoter. The wings showed no white, There was a little lighter coloured patch on the central stomach area but it was essentially a dark brown bird with moderate face markings.

I let go of my Harlequin identification. This was a Scoter but which one? I studied the Sibley’s but I could not be convinced that it had the large bill of the Surf Scoter. That left the Black Scoter. If I had only had a clear look at the markings of the face I would have made a call. The duck disappeared after making a few circuits of the bay. With it went any hope of calling it a specific identity.

Steep Trails

Walking the hills on the south shore of Canim Lake is definitely a workout. Old Cat trails provide some clearing but generally it is goat-trails all the way, only metaphorically though, there are no goats.

I was able to record a Winter Wren on one of my walks. I also got to ‘pish-pish’ some Golden-crowned Kinglets into the open. One, a male, had its orange and yellow crown all ablaze ready to take on the intruder. I should explain the ‘pish-pish’. It’s an easily made sound that attracts small birds when they hear it. Dick Canning gave a demonstration of this tactic on a bird walk this spring and I have used it to successfully draw otherwise hard-to-see birds into the open.

I pish-pished a Grey Jay recently. It seemed mesmerized by the sound and sat staring down at the spot where I first made the sound. It was still siting transfixed on the same tall tree when I returned 15 minutes later. I guess one shouldn’t pish around so casually.