Rock Sandpiper Time!

For Ilya's birthday present I promised I would take him to Sechel to see the Rock Sandpipers and shorebirds. We were so busy so didn't get there until months after his birthday but sure glad we made it.We have always wanted to get good shots of Rock Sandpipers and it is hard to do anywhere but we tried our luck in a more reliable spot. Rock Sandpipers rarely come into the Vancouver area but are sometimes seen at Klootchman and Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver. I met up with Arnold Skei who was birding the area and we went on his property to bird. We birded and had a delicious fish and chips lunch in Gibsons and then went back when the tide was low and like a miracle it was full of shorebirds.

Arnold screamed to us from his property that he had a Rock Sandpiper we got to him but at that time he had lost it and it had flown across the channel. We walked around as it was too deep to cross and were greeted by Surfbirds, Black Turnstones and Black Oystercatchers. There was no sign of the Rock Sandpiper but we knew he must be around. We looked at the Black and Surf Scoters, Common and Red-breasted Mergansers, Harlequins, Common and Barrow's Goldeneyes and Bald Eagles while we waited. Well we didn't have to wait too long... soon enough the lone Rock Sandpiper flew in. He was fearless and walked right in front of our faces. It was so painful lying on the rocks full of barnacles but we were scared to move as we were surrounded by shorebirds and didn't want to flush them. Shorebirds need to eat and rest during their long migration so it is imperative they are not flushed if at all possible. It wasn't long before a Juvenile Bald Eagle flew in and flushed all the birds. He landed nearby and we were able to sit up and readjust our painful bodies thanks to the eagle.

It was a great day on the beautiful sunny Sunshine Coast!


Rock Sandpiper in Sechelt - Photo: Melissa Hafting
Bald Eagle in Sechelt - Photo: Melissa Hafting
Surfbirds in Sechelt - Photo: Melissa Hafting
Black Turnstone in Sechelt - Photo: Melissa Hafting
Black Oystercatcher in Sechelt - Photo: Melissa Hafting
Large Raft of Black and Surf Scoters (this photo was taken the year prior) - Photo: Melissa Hafting

Comments

  1. denise kitsonSeptember 5, 2017 at 4:57 AM

    stellar shot of the rock sandpiper mel

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Dowitcher Identification

Image
Birders notoriously find it difficult to tell Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers apart. I have got a request to do an identification explanation on them so here goes, I hope it will be helpful. Short-billed Dowitchers and Long-billed look so similar. Using their habitat is helpful but not diagnostic. Short-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer Salt water and brackish water and Long-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer fresh water. However, I have OFTEN seen Short-billeds in freshwater and Long-billeds in brackish and salt water. Therefore, DO NOT rely on habitat. Another feature many people will tell you to rely on is spotting on the side of the flanks of Short-billeds and barring on the side of Long-billeds. Usually this is a mark that you can use but it is not always as distinct as you like. I have seen Short-billeds with a barred appearance to the flanks. It is only at the side of the breast where you have to look for this diagnostic feature for the spots on a Short-billed and t
Read more

Hawk Identification Tips from every angle (Sharpie vs Cooper and Red-tailed Subspecies)

Image
I get several questions about the difference between accipiters. The most common ones are between Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks and between Cooper's Hawks vs Northern Goshawks (to a lesser degree). Next, I get many questions dealing with a certain race of buteos the Western Red-tailed Hawk and Harlan's. So I thought I would do a post on these to help answer those questions. I will deal with Cooper's and Sharpies and not Goshawks because they are much more common here and look much more alike. My friend John Reynolds inspired me to write this up. COOPER'S AND SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS EYE COLOUR - YELLOW OR ORANGE? RED? Normally a juvenile Cooper's hawk has a bright yellow eye and a Juvie Sharpie has a orange eye but some cooper's can have a dull yellow eye that looks a bit orangish. Cooper's Hawks usually only transition to the orange eye colour when they are sub adults, so in good light, it's a very very reliable feature. However you
Read more

STINT IDENTIFICATION

Image
As per request, here are some tips that I hope will be helpful in identifying and differentiating Red-necked Stint from Little Stint. I will also do a brief intro on Long-toed and Temminck's Stint... if you build it they will come right?😉 Red-necked and Little Stints look very much alike in worn breeding plumage. The amount of Red on the face, throat and breast in Red-necked Stint is vary variable). They look even more alike in non-breeding plumage, that is why it is essential to learn structural differences to separate the two. They are similar to Semipalmated Sandpipers as well as Sanderlings. Both species are often confused for Red-necked Stints. Little Stints rarely get confused with Sanderling because they have a hind toe which helps differentiate it from this species. Sanderlings in breeding or worn breeding are usually confused with Red-necked Stints but they are much larger than Red-necked Stints. Let's first start with Bills in this complicated ID proces
Read more

*Updated - The most famous Red-tailed Hawk is eating fish on the ground just like a Bald Eagle!

Image
Update - There are plans in the works to make a documentary film on this young Red-tailed Hawk who thinks he's an Eagle. You can read the latest news about that on CBC HERE . Watch this incredible footage of the little Red-tailed Hawk who grew up in a family of three Eaglets and 2 Bald Eagle Parents. He is imprinted now on Bald Eagles. He looks and acts just like one, as you can see here in the video below. He is standing over a large salmon carcass, just like a Bald Eagle would and he's eating the decaying flesh. Red-tailed Hawks like to eat voles and rabbits etc. not fish! Imprinting is usually irreversible according to raptor expert David Bird. However, I hope it's reversible so that he doesn't attempt to mate with a Bald Eagle, as the Eagle would kill him because it would view him as a Hawk. Eagle expert David Hancock said that the bird will likely starve and get killed by an eagle. He said this possibly can be prevented if someone grabs it and takes it to O
Read more

My First Mother's Day Without My Mother

Image
This is my first Mother’s Day without my mom. I am still deeply affected and afflicted with emotional pain. I took the day off from the RBA to just remember her and honour her. My dad, sister and I visited her grave with a bouquet of flowers. I cried a lot but it gives me a bit of comfort that she now has a head stone that I can touch. I didn't want to leave. I can’t believe it’s been just over 4 months since I lost her. To my Mom: Mom you were so great. You were so loved. I miss you so much today. I wish every day that you were here with Meghan, Dad and I.  I will never be truly happy again until I see you once more. Thank you for being such a wonderful mother. I will never ever forget you. I cannot wait to see you again in Heaven. Since you died in my arms, this is one of the hardest days I have been through without you. Normally I would be taking you out for brunch today, hugging you and telling you how much I loved you. Mom, you watched me take my first breath and I unfortunate
Read more