Post by kestrel on Jun 6, 2020 19:53:51 GMT -8
The next day (June 3), we headed up McKinney Road near Oliver. The weather was much sunnier than the previous day, which made for good birding. We got our first and only Pygmy nuthatch of the trip along this road, along with a Gray flycatcher. A Mountain chickadee fed a begging young one, while a House wren was seen emerging from a twig-filled nest hole.
A cooperative Gray catbird was singing away, along the lower stretch of the road:
Gray catbird by Joel Schmidt, on Flickr
ebird.org/checklist/S70031344
After this, we went to Vaseux Lake. At the cliffs, we had a few White-throated swifts zipping around overhead. There was a family of Killdeers in a farmer's field. Cedar waxwings were very abundant here, while a Canyon wren sang several times but never showed itself.
We really enjoyed seeing this small herd of Bighorn sheep up on a cliff ledge:
Bighorn sheep by Joel Schmidt, on Flickr
Down at the lake, waterfowl included a pair of Red-necked grebes and half a dozen Redheads. Marsh wrens sang noisily among the cattails. We tried for a Long-eared owl that had been reported recently at the old banding station, but came up empty.
The Redheads were another lifer for me:
Redheads by Joel Schmidt, on Flickr
ebird.org/checklist/S70037470
ebird.org/checklist/S70033355
Venner Meadows was next on the list. A Wilson's snipe called from a treetop, and we also saw an empid that turned out to be a Dusky flycatcher. There was a brief altercation between a Yellow-rumped warbler and a Dark-eyed junco, probably over territory or food. A Golden eagle flew over, chased by a raven. It had been a few years since most of us had seen one of these eagles.
Mourning cloak by Joel Schmidt, on Flickr
This Ruffed grouse was an unexpected bonus:
Ruffed grouse by Joel Schmidt, on Flickr
ebird.org/canada/checklist/S70068613
ebird.org/canada/checklist/S70039712
A cooperative Gray catbird was singing away, along the lower stretch of the road:
Gray catbird by Joel Schmidt, on Flickrebird.org/checklist/S70031344
After this, we went to Vaseux Lake. At the cliffs, we had a few White-throated swifts zipping around overhead. There was a family of Killdeers in a farmer's field. Cedar waxwings were very abundant here, while a Canyon wren sang several times but never showed itself.
We really enjoyed seeing this small herd of Bighorn sheep up on a cliff ledge:
Bighorn sheep by Joel Schmidt, on FlickrDown at the lake, waterfowl included a pair of Red-necked grebes and half a dozen Redheads. Marsh wrens sang noisily among the cattails. We tried for a Long-eared owl that had been reported recently at the old banding station, but came up empty.
The Redheads were another lifer for me:
Redheads by Joel Schmidt, on Flickrebird.org/checklist/S70037470
ebird.org/checklist/S70033355
Venner Meadows was next on the list. A Wilson's snipe called from a treetop, and we also saw an empid that turned out to be a Dusky flycatcher. There was a brief altercation between a Yellow-rumped warbler and a Dark-eyed junco, probably over territory or food. A Golden eagle flew over, chased by a raven. It had been a few years since most of us had seen one of these eagles.
Mourning cloak by Joel Schmidt, on FlickrThis Ruffed grouse was an unexpected bonus:
Ruffed grouse by Joel Schmidt, on Flickrebird.org/canada/checklist/S70068613
ebird.org/canada/checklist/S70039712