ESQUIMALT LAGOON, BC - MARCH 25, 2002

I couldn't resist taking advantage of the spring weather to do some birding
at Esquimalt Lagoon/Royal Roads. I didn't get going until about 11:30 a.m.,
so my expectations were rather low. The numbers and variety of waterbirds
was disappointing, however it was more than made up for by a nice assortment
of songbirds, etc. I ended up with 60 species during my 2 1/2 hour visit.
Nothing too startling, with highlights being HUTTON'S VIREO, HERMIT THRUSH
and TOWNSEND'S WARBLER.

Here's the list:
Red-throated Loon - 9, all in basic plumage, or just starting to change
Pied-billed Grebe - 1
Double-crested Cormorant - 6
Mute Swan -2
Canada Goose - 38
Mallard - 67
American Wigeon - 11
Northern Pintail - 27
Canvasback - 15
Ring-necked Duck - 3 (1 male sitting on the lawn with Mallards)
Greater Scaup - 22
Lesser Scaup - 24 (I was expecting more, but I guess they have already left)
Common Goldeneye - 42
Bufflehead - 101
Red-breasted Merganser - 14
Bald Eagle - 1 adult
Red-tailed Hawk - 2 adults
California Quail - 11
Ring-necked Pheasant - 1
Black Oystercatcher - 2
Mew Gull - 460
California Gull - 8
Glaucous-winged Gull - 76
Rock Dove - 18
Rufous Hummingbird - 2 males (1 displaying)
RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER - 1 drumming
Downy Woodpecker - 3
Pileated Woodpecker - 3
Northern Flicker - 3
HUTTON'S VIREO - 2 (they gave me a complete review of all their songs and
calls)
Violet-green Swallow - 2
Steller's Jay - 1
Common Raven - 1
Northwestern Crow - 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee - 30
Bushtit - 12 (all in pairs)
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 6 (1 male excavating a nest cavity in a dead alder
top)
Brown Creeper - 9
Bewick's Wren - 6
Winter Wren - 19
American Robin - 35
HERMIT THRUSH - 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 6
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 16 (probably at least some were migrants)
European Starling - 1
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 1 (Audubon's)
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER - 1
Spotted Towhee - 11
Fox Sparrow - 9 (all very dark birds)
Song Sparrow - 11
Golden-crowned Sparrow - 1
Red-winged Blackbird - 2 males
Brewer's Blackbird - 4
Dark-eyed Junco - 12
Purple Finch - 1
House Finch - 6
Red Crossbill - 4
Pine Siskin - 10
House Sparrow - 8

Cheers,

Michael G. Shepard
North American Bird Information Web Site:
http://www.islandnet.com/~mgs/birds/