Sightings Board Postings for 2003

Return to RPBO Sightings and News

Note that after September 19th 2003 the Sightings and News were combined to the one page.

Date submitted: Friday, September 19 at 04:51 PM
Name: David Allinson
Date Visited: N/A
Time on site: n/a
Sightings:
For the time being, please visit RPBO News section which for now incorporates sighting details.

Thank you,
David Allinson
RPBO President.

Date submitted: Saturday, May 03 at 08:38 PM
Name: David Allinson
Date Visited: 05/03/03
Time on site: 8
Sightings:
Chris Saunders and I took up Jukka Jantunen's challenge to compete in the ever-growing and now "worldwide" fifth annual Battle of The Towers -- where birders sit atop a man-made platform/tower and tally as many birds as possible from 0500 to 1300 on May 3. Teams were competing in Yukon, throughout BC, Ontario, and Finland. Chris and I chose the roof of the boathouse at Rocky Point as our locale (happily, the roof held up fine for the seven hours!). This elevated spot gave us a unique perspective on birds moving in area.

While we fell a tad short of my goal of 85, we still ended up with a respectable 82 species (1130 individuals). An apparent lack of migrant songbirds overnight kept some of their numbers down, but shorebirds and raptors were moving through.
Here are our highlights:
1 Cinnamon Teal (only 3rd site record)
35 Greater White-fronted Goose (in migrant flock high overhead)
481 Brant (migrating east to west in flocks of 10-40)
1 American Kestrel (gorgeous male with an aberrant bright orange-red cere)
1 Merlin
1 Peregrine Falcon
1 Osprey

Our misses included Red-necked Grebe, Hooded Merganser, Pileated Woodpecker, Warbling Vireo, Steller's Jay, Bushtit, American Pipit, and Dark-eyed Junco.
RPBO year-list now stands at 102 species.

On another note, on our way out the commissionaires pointed out the newly constructed Osprey nest on top of last hydro pole on left side of main road into ammo dump beyond gatehouse. If you stand in front of main gate and use binoculars you can see the pair at nest; hopefully their young won't get fried on wires there! I have long suspected breeding for checklist, but it is nice to get confirmation.

Date submitted: Tuesday, April 15 at 12:48 AM
Name: David Allinson
Date Visited: 04/12/03
Time on site: 3
Sightings:
STOP THE PRESS!

Incredible day at RPBO Saturday...

First day back at Rocky after re-establishing limited access this week (now "standard" annual process with DND)...

On the drive in, not far from banding station trailers, I noticed some bird remains right on dirt road underneath a well known Bald Eagle roosting tree. I got out of car to discover a relatively fresh, but picked clean, dark-phase Northern Fulmar (complete skeleton with wings and feet and unique bill, and very little flesh remaining). It is currently triple-bagged in my freezer at moment (yes, we have a station salvage permit)! It is hard to determine when the bird died, but I estimated it was 2-3 weeks old and represents a very good March-early April record not only for RPBO, but also Victoria.

Guess what else I found today?!

Even though I arrived "late" at about 11:00 (after rain stopped) at the parking area by boathouse. I was casually admiring the view and enjoying the territorial displays and calls of Red-winged Blackbirds at Glover Pond. All of a sudden, the blackbirds all gave a frantic, loud 'raptor alarm' call. I looked up and here is this medium-sized, pale brown falcon coming in from west. It is only about 20 meters away working its way east over lower field at a very low height (just over Nets 1 & 2). To confirm my suspicion, the falcon banks nicely for me (I have bins on it now) and it shows off its diagnostic dark auxilliaries! PRAIRIE FALCON! Nice thin moustache, pale tan brown upperparts, and whitish belly. No doubt about it -- pale brown colour, rounded not really pointed wings, and auxilliaries. I last saw it motoring its way northeast towards Victoria. Of interest, I later saw a typical dark Merlin for comparison and the Merlin was quite a bit smaller. The Prairie was approaching size of a Peregrine, but more like a long Cooper's....Holy cow! #282 for our checklist.

But wait...

About two hours later after scouring the place for other gems, I hear the distinctive drawn out 'pee-weet' of a Pacific Golden Plover flying overhead for Rocky's third record!

Awesome day! A total of 73 species tallied on day.

Other highlights:
1 Cassin's Vireo
1 Greater Yellowlegs
6 Black Turnstone
2 Brant
2 Lincoln's Sparrow
2 Western Gull
1 Herring Gull
1 Brown-headed Cowbird