Deryl's Western Road Trip

Vancouver Island: Part 1

On previous trips to Vancouver Island, we found the Northern 

Pygmy-Owl near Parksville. Deryl added this stop to his summer trip.

It has been mating season on a couple of the adventures, 

so finding the owl is relatively easy.... IF it is calling!

Always a thrill to find a male Anna's Hummingbird!

Spotted Towhees were in abundance at Buttertubs Marsh in Nanaimo.

This marsh is the best birding spot within Nanaimo City limits.

Similar to our Carolina Wren, Bewick's Wren is common on the west coast. 

It has a slightly longer tail and a grayer colour than it's Eastern counterpart.

 Black Oystercatcher taking a break!

Who you lookin' at??

During our 2019 visit, we hoped to find an American Dipper. We spent an hour traversing the creeks on the property with no luck. When we had basically given up, we walked back to the car, only to find the little guy in the water next to the parking lot. He didn't come very close, but it was a life bird for us both!

One of my favourite birds is the Black-capped Chickadee. It was 

fun to find its west coast relative, the Chestnut-backed Chickadee!