#373: HARRIS'S SPARROW

It took 11 months and 17 days, but finally I nailed a HARRIS'S SPARROW! I chased them high and low last winter but didn't fret, assuuuuming one would turn up in the Okanagan this winter. Well I was beginning to doubt myself but finally yesterday (Dec 17th), I was able to re-find an adult bird first discovered a few days earlier on the Lake Country Christmas Bird Count (Thanks Don+Don+Margaret!). This was my second try at the spot so it was quite disappointing to pull up and see no sparrows whatsoever. But once the ever-lucky Tanya Seebacher dropped in, I spotted it 100+m away in a hedge down the road... not just another LBJ!

It's impossible to know, but perhaps this will be my final bird for 2010, as time is running short, and there are few birds to add.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately! I've been pretty sick, plus I had my computer stolen in Richmond last week. More on that later probably. I think I'll just do a big write-up at the end of the year and explain what I did to cap things off.

Merry X-mas all!

Russ

Texas Itinerary now available!

Hi all,

Check out the itinerary for my upcoming TX tour in April 2011. Can't wait! Be sure to book ASAP as we're trying to keep the group to an intimate size. My Dad and I birded Texas in April this year and saw over 300 species... it's different every time so who knows what the highlights will be next year?! Not just for the hardcore, this trip will be fun for all skill-levels!

http://www.avocettours.ca/tours/2011-texas-coast.php

Also, let me know if you're interested in hearing about my birding tour to India in October, 2011!

Ancient Murrelet meets its end in Okanagan Lake

This morning I woke up to a report of an Ancient Murrelet washed up on Okanagan Beach. There were no specifics in the report so I scoured the entire beach from the Penticton Yacht club over to the S.S. Sicamous. It was probably close to -20 with the windchill coming off the lake, so it's no surprise I missed the little dude covered in ice. Highlgihts of my walk include a single YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER at the yacht club and a single RUDDY DUCK hiding behind a tugboat with some coots and a PIED-BILLED GREBE.


Later in the day my Dad got a call from the woman who first found the bird. We followed her instructions right to the bird. As you can see it was fairly hard to spot!

Dad got out the ax and we rescued the specimen from the ice... I wonder if the Little Blue Heron will suffer the same fate this week? Someone should be checking regularly!


From the ice to our sink! (then to the freezer)


Typical Cannings Family dinnertime moment:

Dad; "Achk! There's an ancient murrelet feather in my potatoes!"

Little Blue Heron, White-winged Scoter, Northern Parula, Gyrfalcon and Lesser Black-backed Gull in just over 24 hours in the Okanagan---what a mix!

This weekend I joined up with 2 ol' birding friends in Avery Bartels and Ilya Povalyaev (now of Calgary, AB!). We birded West Kelowna region Saturday morning and after a few hours of squinting into the wind and snow we finally found the LITTLE BLUE HERON at a Beach Access of Whitworth Road. In its weakened state, I doubt it will survive the next couple nights. Also in the area, we spotted 4 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS heading south-- a nice Okanagan year-bird and only my 2nd fall sighting.

The rest of the day was spent in the south where we failed to turn up the parula thanks in part to a bitter north wind that shook the trees constantly. Avery turned up a HERMIT THRUSH and roosting GREAT HORNED OWL though!

Nov 21- We started off back at Inkaneep PP and it didn't take long to nab the NORTHERN PARULA which is still energetically feeding away but like the heron it was looking kinda cold! Afterwards we headed south to Osoyoos, picking up a gorgeous GYRFALCON along Black Sage Road! What a bird and my third close-encounter with this species this year (4 total I think!).

[crappy shot of it flyin away!]

Later that day, back in Kelowna we sighted the LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL (probably recently returned from an unknown breeding site). This bird winters in Kelowna every winter (for the past 8+ years I think).

All in all, a great weekend despite the cold!

Russ

Anyone wanna go to Texas?

Join me in April for the spring spectacle!

http://www.avocettours.ca/tours/2011-texas-coast.php

NEW ZEALAND TOUR FEB 2011 !!!!!!

Anyone wanna check out New Zealand in the austral summer? I lived there for a year back in 2008 and I'm very excited to take some people down to "the seabird capital of the world." The tour is 20 days out of Vancouver for only $5350 plus airfare. Yes it's a little pricey but if you compare to other bird-tour companies like WINGS and Eagle Eye, it's actually quite cheap! We'll visit all my favourite spots both on the ocean and in the interior. New Zealand is home to a variety of unique endemic species (many of which are flightless thanks to thousands of years without mammalian predators) and I'll do my best to get them all for you! So essentially the trip will focus on 1) Having a good time, 2)Seeing some amazing scenery 3)mainland endemics and 4) Seabird bonanza!

Feb 13-March 4 (2011)

Highlights of the trip include:

-Hauraki Gulf pelagic trip: targeting the recently rediscovered NZ STORM-PETREL, as well as several other petrel and shearwater species.

-Kaikoura pelagic trip: should get arodn 5 species of albatross on this trip alone!

-3 species of penguin!

-visiting the only mainland albatross colony in the world (Royal Albatrosses at Taiaroa Head near Dunedin, NZ--- my home town!)

-Several night-time KIWI expeditions

-Black Stilt (one of the rarest shorebirds in the world)

-Wrybill (one of the weirdest birds in the world)

-Kea [alpine parrot](according a recent BBC study, the smartest non-human animal in the World)

much more!!! Please email me directly and ASAP as this thing will start to fill up soon. (russellcannings@shaw.ca] I can send you all the info you need, and of course answer questions on the birds, other animals, plants, and locations we will visit.

Here are some photos to tantalize your brain!


[White-capped Albatross-- a guarantee on this trip!]

[Campbell Island Albatross--- should see!]

[Battling Gibson's (Wandering) Albatrosses (3.5m wingspan) --- guaranteed!]

LITTLE BLUE HERON!!!

[Photos by Jukka Jantunen]

Just when I thought I could get back to some casual Vancouver birding, my Dad calls me at 7am (still trying to catch up on sleep). "Russell, it's a Little Blue. I'm going for it right now. Watch out for snow on the Coq."

4 hours later I arrived at Power's Creek in West Kelowna, only to find out that the bird was "missing." Luckily within 10 minutes Doug Brown pulled up announcing that he had found it. Sure enough, there it was on some random beach about 1km away. After a few minutes it got up and flew off... back to the creek. After that I got to watch it along with several others from around 15 feet away as it hunted in the shallows. What a bird! 1rst record for the Okanagan and 3rd for the province!