And With a Vengeance!

Here in English-speaking North America, Labor Day marks the end of recreational, if not of astronomical, summer. And when summer ends in coastal British Columbia, does it ever. What a drizmal day it was out there!

Two dozen birders joined me late this afternoon for a high-tide walk at Iona Beach; it was billed as a shorebird trip, and we all felt more than a bit limicolous ourselves by the time we dragged our chilled sogginesses back out of the ponds at the end of it. But we had a good time anyway, I think, and I’m already looking forward to my next shorebird tour at Iona, scheduled for October 2. Can you say sharptail…?

Today’s walk didn’t find all that many shorebirds, alas: lots of Western and Least Sandpipers, a few Lesser and a Greater Yellowlegs or two, and a few Semipalmated Plovers. Once again I learned just how little value “scouting” has for a shorebird walk: on the days before our trip, I’d seen Semipalmated and Baird’s Sandpipers and Long-billed Dowitchers on the ponds, but no luck with any of those today.

But there were compensations. Thanks to the hordes of Barn Swallows, we learned a bit about hirundinid flight styles (and how rain and fog can make small birds look big). Caspian Terns were chasing high overhead, and a beautifully marked, still fresh juvenile joined the loafing Ring-billed Gulls on the pond to give us great looks (and some of us their first looks) at this attractive plumage. But the real excitement was provided by an adult Peregrine Falcon that flashed in to haze the roosting birds before swooping to a commanding perch atop one of the light poles.

The day’s second high tide is moving deeper into darkness now, so it may be a few days before I can check Iona again. And maybe next time it will be a bit drier!