It couldn't be!

[kastern]

Last weekend we were up in the Tunkwa Lake area. On the Sunday we drove to Desmond Lake which is a small lake just off of the Surrey/Sussex Lake Road (for those familiar with the area). Desmond Lake is a favorite canoeing spot as we have never seen anyone else there any time we've been there. It is a shallow lake with several large reed beds. We had gone to see how the pair of Loon that had had a nest with two eggs in it when we had been there in late May had made out - I'm pleased to say they had two almost full grown young.......anyway, when we were leaving we had one of those 'What the heck was that ' followed by 'It couldn't be!!' moments. A jay sized bird that flew like a woodpecker, flew right across the road in front of the truck, this bird had a white head and a black body. We have spent many frustrating hours in the Okanangan searching for a White headed Woodpecker which is what this bird looked like - but there is no way a White headed Woodpecker could be in that area - could it

Here is a bird list from Desmond Lake:
Loons - 4 - 2 adult & 2 young
Bufflehead - approx. 16
Scaup - at least 4 different females with fairly young families
Mallards - 7 or 8 grown young
Marsh Wren - 5 or 6 just finishing up family duties
Yellow Headed Blackbird - a few
Spotted Sandpiper - 1 adult still spotted and 2 full grown young
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Gray Jay - 5 *a family and the first time we've seen them in the area
Red Breasted Nuthatch - could hear in the forest
Mountain Chickadee - could hear and also saw a couple bathing
Black Cap Chickadee - also seen bathing
Yellow Rump Warbler - bathing with the Chickadees
Olive Sided Flycatcher - 3
Red Tail Hawk - 1 juvenile

Tunkwa Lake bird list: *main reason for the trip was to check on the loons as I am doing BSC Loon Lake survey. In early July there had been two pairs of Loon, each with 1 young on the lake.
Sadly this trip we only saw 1 adult Loon - no sign of any young.

Canvasback - 1 female with 3/4 grown young
Mallard - several females with full grown young
Goldeneyes - several dozen all moulting
Coots - large raft of all adults, a lot of young ranging in age from full grown but still in the juvenile plumage to quite young.
Killdeer - 1 only
Spotted Sandpiper - 2 young - adults appeared to have left.
Yellow Headed Blackbird - 6 or so in non breeding plumage
Osprey - 3 at least
Canada Geese - 3 only - 1 with white leg band on left leg
Savannah Sparrow - quite a few
American Crow - a doz. or so
Common Nighthawk - 6 the first night, never saw them after that
Bald Eagle - 2 adults and at least 1 juvenile
Raven - 1
Red Neck Grebe - a few, no sign of the white one and hardly any young which we found strange as in early July there had been a lot of very young ones.
Eared Grebe - 2 in winter plumage
Gull - 2 Herring Gull and 2 that I think were 1st year
Red Breasted Nuthatch - could hear in the trees
Sora - 1
Blue Wing Teal - 2
Marsh Wren - a few
Northern Harrier - 2
Merlin - 3 at least - they were catching dragonflies
Ruddy Duck - a doz. or so
Green Wing Teal - a family of full grown young
Red Tail Hawk - 1
Song Sparrow - 2
Great Blue Heron - 2
Am. Widgeon - 1 female with 3/4 grown young
Robins - 2
Dark Eyed Junco - 3

Kathy

[Gord]

Nice list of birds you saw on your trip!

A very enticing woodpecker you saw as well. I guess beyond some freaky bird with partial albino head, there isnt much else a black bird with white head could be. Sure, it's not exactly where one would expect to see one, but that usually doesnt mean much when it comes to birds. Wowsers!

Do you have an exact location to post as I wouldnt be surprised if local birders there wouldnt be interested to check there and the surrounding area out.

Good eyes!

[kastern]

Directions are: If you take the Coquilla, take Exit 336 (Lac le Jeune exit) and head towards the town of Logan Lake. Surrey Lake Forest Service Road goes off of 97C on the left hand side (watch the cattle guard - there is a big dip when you go over it - there is a map of the area erected right beside the road) and is about half way between the exit and the town - if you get to Paska Lake Rd on the right - you've gone past it. Desmond Lake is I think about 5 km (maybe 7Km) down the Surrey Lake FS road on the left hand side. There is one section of the road, heading to Desmond Lake, where you climb a fairly short steep hill - that is the area where the possible White Headed Woodpecker flew across the road. We had left the lake and were heading back towards the highway, going down this hill which also curves a bit - when it flew in front. The entire head of the bird was white....when we got back and checked the field guide the amount of white on the head did match perfectly. I didn't see any white on the wings, but the glimpse was so short and the position of the wings such that I don't think it would have been visible. The only impression we had was of all black, back, wings, tail, body. The area right in that spot is fairly dense forest - the road itself is gravel but in good condition, no 4 X 4 required.

Kathy

[fouram]

The dearth of young, especially the loons, perhaps the Grebes as well, sings to me as if there is a "common predator", is it possible that there are some northern pike in the area? Also, I know that crows will very often take young directly from the nest. I know that it is often not "within our purview" to directly link cause and effect, and only look at the beauty that surrounds us in the form of birds to notice, catalogue, take note of certain behaviours, or "different" behaviours, however I try to take note of the "certainties, anomalies", that are there to see, if we look. The question that I previously had with regards to Water Dippers (ouzels) was directly related to the question (benign) of the overall water quality in the area, as Ouzels will certainly not be found in a watershed, or course, if there is any hint of pollution. I enjoy all of your posts Kastern, and eagerly look forward to all new posts here on the site, it is an informative site, not only giving an individual such as myself an insight as to the diversity (if given a chance) of any given region of our homeland, but also a direct and, I am sorry to draw the similarity, however, a very indicative look at our (collective) good earth health, likened to the "Canary in the mine" good bird populations attest to both their continued ability to adapt (90%) and the health of our local wild areas(10%) --again--Kudos to all that observe/post here--thank you--Al