A Whale of a Week

A Bigg’s killer whale or transient killer whale swimming through the channel to Bentinck Island (Heather Tocher)

Week 5 (August 17 – 23) at Rocky Point Bird Observatory is coming to an end, and it was certainly a memorable one! Banding has been steady but we are awaiting busier days soon. The wildlife sightings extended well beyond the birds this week, with wolves seen on the shoreline at Rocky Point and a Biggs orca spotted swimming through the strait, subsequently covering its dorsal fin with kelp and hunting in the shallows!

Sunrises at Rocky Point never disappoint (Gaelin Armstrong)

Rocky Point Station

Rocky Point recorded 235 new birds and 64 recaptures this week. The most banded birds at the station were Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrows with 44 individuals, followed by Western Flycatchers with 29, Willow Flycatchers with 24, Wilson's Warblers with 24, and Bushtits with 12 banded. For recapture highlights, a Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow banded on August 3, 2023 as a hatch-year bird was recaptured this week, showing strong site fidelity.

After-hatch year previously banded August 3, 2023, (Gaelin Armstrong)

Observational highlights at Rocky Point included a Crossbill explosion that continues, with most days having detections of upwards of 250 individuals. Large numbers of Red-breasted Nuthatches are heard all day long, while Least Sandpipers and Western Sandpipers have been seen foraging in the bay during low tide. A Parasitic Jaeger was seen during sea watch. Good numbers of California Gulls were detected, with over 2,000 being seen on most days. A Lewis's Woodpecker was a rare highlight, observed on a snag near the front pond. A Baird's Sandpiper was observed making an uncommon stopover during its migration from its Arctic breeding grounds on its way south. Good numbers of Band-tailed Pigeons are starting to be seen, with large flocks flying overhead. Relatively low numbers of alcids and cormorants were noted, aside from the odd raft of Common Murres.

Hatch year Male Western Tanager (Note the vibrant yellow and white wing bars) (Gaelin Armstrong)

Pedder Bay Station

Pedder Bay recorded 132 new birds banded and 39 birds recaptured this week. The top species caught in the nets were Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrows with 30 individuals, Purple Finches with 23, Common Yellowthroats with 8, Red-breasted Nuthatches with 7, and Willow Flycatchers with 7. For recapture highlights, a Swainson's Thrush was recaptured this week, previously banded as a hatch-year bird on July 22, 2023.

It never gets old to see Red-breasted Nuthatches up close! (Gaelin Armstrong)

The Pedder Bay station was closed for two days on August 22, 23, and 24 due to an influx of Purple Finches as a measure to ensure the safety of these priority birds.

Observational highlights at Pedder Bay included Semipalmated Plovers, Greater Yellowlegs, and Lesser Yellowlegs flyovers. A Common Nighthawk was heard making its call high up, foraging for bugs in the pre-dawn light. Least Sandpipers and Western Sandpipers were observed foraging in the bay at low tide.

Female type Red Crossbill (Heather Tocher)