Vancouver Island, Canada - day two

A pleasantly full schedule for day two in our long Canadian weekend included much of the afternoon on Protection Island, a beautiful, lush, highly desirable island a fifteen minute small boat ride into the sound. For starters, lunch and delectable local real ale on the floating pub-restaurant (oh yes), before wandering the trails in warm sunshine.




Brown Creeper, Dark-eyed Junco

Past the aromatic, noisy Great Blue Heronry just behind the pub, woodland birds here included Spotted Towhees, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Dark-eyed Juncos (Oregon ssp.), Swainson's Thrushes, White-crowned and Song Sparrows (local ssp.), Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Brown Creepers, Pacific-slope Flycatchers (at the nest), Yellow-rumped and Wilson's Warblers, and Bald Eagles (including a tame and noisy juvenile in the pines).





juvenile Bald Eagle, Pacific-slope Flycatcher at nest, House Wren

On the stunningly intricate Smuggler's Beach - a hidden geological marvel tucked away beyond the trees - Caspian Terns screeched overhead, Pigeon Guillemots and Glaucous-winged Gulls were close in, and genuine Canada Geese pottered around in the rock pools.





Smuggler's Beach

The highlight, however, came on the walk back to the boat, where an alarm-calling California Quail kicked up a comical fuss from the surprising position of high in a conifer. (This species is on the very northern limit of its range here and was an unexpected bonus).




California Quail

Vancouver Island, Canada - July 2011 (day one)

Anna's Hummingbird

After a truly rich and varied fortnight based in (much-missed) Seattle, we finally hit the road again, this time northbound and deserving of fresh ink in the passport. Being close to the border for so long, especially in Washington, it would've been rude not to, and luckily for us, we'd old friends waiting to receive us on the other side.

Particularly lucky in that we'd only reconnected with Dave and Susan a fortnight earlier after a couple of year's radio silence, and they kindly agreed to drop everything and give us their undivided attentions (and local tour guiding) for a long weekend.



Chestnut-backed Chickadee

We got to know them a good six, maybe seven years ago, when Dave co-promoted the legendary Gilded Palace of Sin in Brighton, and booked a fledgling Morning Bride on the strength of our first, self-released single (a man of fine taste, it goes without saying). Much water under the bridge since then, and they now reside in Vancouver Island's second 'city', Nanaimo.

We arrived after Greyhounding from Seattle over the border to Vancouver City on the mainland, where we transferred to another, this time for the short journey to Horseshoe Bay. Suitably dramatic, with snow-capped mountains alongside us, Vancouver City to the south, and our destination west across the Salish Sea, we boarded the ferry (not dissimilar to the Calmacs, for Hebridean fans) and kicked back for the couple of hour's sailing.




Three views from the Ferry leaving Horseshoe Bay, North Vancouver

Landing in Departure Bay, our long weekend began with the town centre, a gear-drop back at their apartment, and a walk around Piper's Lagoon in the late evening sunshine. A tidal inlet and rocky, pine-covered promontary hosted Caspian Terns, Least Sandpipers, Glaucous-winged Gulls and Black Oystercatchers at the former, and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Brown Creepers, Spotted Towhees etc. (typical species in this habitat locally) on the latter.



This immature Glaucous-winged Gull gained a small round of applause for achieving what looked like the impossible


While this one remained in Poirot mode



Back at the homestead - a third-floor apartment on the outskirts of town - the first Anna's Hummingbirds of the trip sparred and buzzed around the feeder on the balcony, a sweet way to close day one on the island.






adult Glaucous-winged Gull


Great Blue Heron

Harlequins - Olympic peninsula, June 2011

As mentioned in the recent Olympic peninsula post, our choice of basecamp at Salt Creek on the northern coast turned out to be a winning one.



After putting up tents and unloading, we wandered all of 30 seconds down the handful of steps and onto the exposed, black volcanic rock on the shoreline as the tide came in. A millpond-calm Strait of Juan de Fuca (and Vancouver Island beyond) hosted Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Pelagic Cormorants, Marbled Murrelets and Black Oystercatchers, while the trees behind us buzzed with hummingbirds and Chestnut-backed Chickadees; meanwhile, several small groups of ducks swam straight towards us in orderly lines, wonderfully turning out to be Harlequins.




A species which i'd been very happy to catch up with in the dead of winter on the New England coast for the first time a couple of years back, to see them in mid-summer without any searching was a real treat; and to have them actively approach to within metres of us was a vaguely surreal and very special experience.

Sea Lion - Olympic peninsula, June 2011

Out of the blue, at some considerable speed, and so close as to prevent full shots, this Sea Lion was a wonderful surprise at Cape Flattery...