Eight birders had a very enjoyable trip to Sidney Spit. The weather was perfect after the stormy weather of the previous day. Brian A, Lidia, Margaret, Lorna and Terry took the 7am Victoria ferry.
From the windows on the walkway to the departure lounge we saw some cute gull chicks. At the Tsawwassen terminal were large groups of Surf Scoters and Cormorants. Most of the Cormorants had the thin bill of Pelagic Cormorants or the white face patch of Brandt’s Cormorants. A few had the yellow throat patch of Double-crested Cormorants.
We spent the ferry trip outside on the bow watching for birds and mammals. Most of the gulls were Glaucous-winged and California. A few seals and sea lions popped up, and a pair of Common Murres flew by. Going through Active Pass we saw a Bald Eagle, Turkey Vultures, Cormorants, Kingfishers and 2 deer. Unfortunately my hat blew into the water.
When we arrived in Swartz Bay we were told that the express bus to Victoria was broken down on the highway (again). So we took the milk run bus. Luckily it got us to Sidney in time for the 9:30 ferry to Sidney Island. At the marina we met new member Joanna, who had stayed overnight in Sidney, and previous members Marg and Rick Woolley, who now live on Vancouver Island. It was great to see Marg and Rick again, and they said to pass on their greetings to DNS members who know them.
On the 30 minute boat trip to Sidney Island we saw herons, cormorants and Pigeon Guillemots. It was a very low tide so we walked along the spit looking for shorebirds. First we saw a group of Killdeer, then some smaller Semipalmated Plovers with their single breast band, and smaller still, Western Sandpipers and a Least Sandpiper (with yellow legs). We walked closer to the shore to see some Black Oystercatchers and large flock of Western Sandpipers. Brian also identified a Semipalmated Sandpiper. He also picked out a Heermann’s Gull in a large flock of California Gulls. A Caspian Tern flew over, and we heard several noisy Ravens.
We returned to the picnic area for lunch, where we saw White-crowned Sparrows and a Song Sparrow. Joanna managed to do the morning spit walk on crutches. In the afternoon she took photos and snorkelled. The rest of us took the southern loop trail through the forest. Although there was much woodpecker evidence, the only woodpeckers we saw were Northern Flickers. A real highlight was watching a Belted Kingfisher alternate between sitting on a post, hovering, diving, and finally catching a fish.
The woods were very quiet but we did see or hear White-crowned Sparrows, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-breasted Nuthatch and Brown Creeper. There were a few people camping in the National Park campsite. We did not see any European Fallow Deer on the island. There is a First Nations and Parks Canada controversial plan to eradicate them by shooting them from helicopters this winter.
From the 3pm ferry back to Sidney we added Red-necked Grebe and Brian photographed a Herring Gull harassing some Bonaparte’s Gulls. On the 5pm ferry back to Tsawwassen we had a quick view of 2 Orca. It was a long but enjoyable day.
Next Tuesday and Wednesday, September 5 & 6, the outings are to Blackie Spit at Crescent Beach. Meet at 8am in the gravel parking lot at the NE end of McBride Ave in Crescent Beach. Go past the paved parking lot and sailing club.
Terry Carr
Photos are on Flickr.
Delta Naturalists Society 
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