A-ten-SHUN!

Walkway Wildlife 4

I'm not going to belabour you with all the birds I see on my morning strolls along the West Bay and West Song Walkways as there are many, but these are one of the largest and most common, our own Canada Goose. Like the deer pictured yesterday they are considered to be a pest by some people but having harmless wildlife in the city seems like a privilege to me. With many species going extinct due to human behaviour, animals who have managed to learn how to survive with us in harmony should be treasured. People complain about the mess these geese make but when I get home from a walk I more often have to clean my shoes of dog messes than of anything these geese leave.

Out for a Stroll

The sun came out on Wednesday and warm weather brought Victorians of all kinds out for a stroll or a run or a graze. These Canada Geese went for a swim later but the rest of us were content with walking or running around. The photo was taken in Rainbow Park, a tiny little green space on the Songhees Walkway.

Family

I know, I know, I've already posted a photo of some Canada Geese goslings earlier this month, but can you ever have enough baby geese? And this group is a little bit special since they must have hatched right along the Westsong Walkway somewhere. They were swimming just offshore when I was walking there yesterday morning and these babies are too young to be flying yet. I say this family group is "special" because while many different kinds of birds hang out along the urban shoreline, most go elsewhere to nest and raise their young.

Afternoon Nap

After a busy morning paddling around after their parents these Canada Geese goslings took a break to nap in the warm sunshine. One of the goslings was so tuckered out that he just had to stretch out full length for a real snooze (take a look at the guy in the back row on the left in the photo below).

Grazing in the Grass

I went out to Esquimalt Lagoon recently to take photos of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) for an artist acquaintance. For much of the winter there is a large flock of these birds that graze on the vast spread of lawn between Hatley Castle and Esquimalt Lagoon. Hatley Castle has been featured here many times.

Until I became a birdwatcher I was not aware that Canada Geese are primarily grazers. Grass and other foliage form the major part of their diet. The geese in the above photo are grazing very much like cattle or horses.

For those of you who may have other associations with "Grazing in the Grass", below is a link to the famous musical composition, one of my favorites, written and performed by Hugh Masakela.

More Esquimalt Lagoon

When I listed the birds I saw on Monday at Esquimalt Lagoon I forgot to mention the Bald Eagles (3), the Brewer's Blackbird flock and the numerous Canada Geese. These last make good practice "birds in flight" shots since they fly fairly low and slow when they are around the lagoon.

Cadboro Bay from Cattle Point

I visited Cattle Point on the eastern shore of Victoria to see if there were any shorebirds there. It's a beautiful viewpoint, especially for looking north towards Cadboro Bay, which view is pictured above. I didn't see any shorebirds aside from a few Black Oystercatchers but thanks to a friendly birder who alerted me, I was able to add a new species to my life list, the Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata). The photos below are only suitable for identification. My only excuse for such poor photos is that the Rhinoceros Auklets were so far offshore as to be little more than black dots to the naked eye and not much larger through a 500mm supertelephoto lens. However, in the photos below the distinctive white eye plumes and projecting horn at the base of the upper bill are clear identification features.Cattle Point seems to be a good place in general to view some of our urban wildlife. The photo below shows a Northern Otter, a Crow and two Canada Geese sharing a bit of rocky shoreline, quite unconcerned by a photographer and a class of primary school students roaming around in the near vicinity.

Work Point House

When I snapped this photo on my morning walk a few days ago it was mostly because I liked the goose standing so alertly on the top of this rocky little island. When I got home, however, I was also pleased to see that it was a nice capture of the interesting stone house on Work Point in the background. The house was built by John Henson, a stone mason. He and his family lived there from 1929 to 1939 when Work Point became of wartime strategic significance since it marks one side of the entrance to the Inner Harbour. The house then became a part of the Work Point Barracks. Apparently it is still as solid as when it was erected, a tribute to John Henson's skills.

Proud Parents

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

Well, I've finished moving and all I have to do now is to unpack(!). So here's another shot from the archives, of a bird I neglected to mention in my roundup of winter residents, the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis). These birds are actually year round residents here and are often quite tame, allowing one to approach closely. Since they are grazers they often visit grassy areas such as are found along the oceanside walks and walkways. They are large birds and their copious droppings on the grass sometimes irritate passersby, especially (I suspect) those who have to clean up after their dogs.

Canada Goose

I've pictured this bird before, the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis), but since it's named for the country and is resident here in Victoria all year round and is so photogenic and big and tame I thought I'd take another look at it. Many Canada Geese do migrate between winter grounds in the southern USA and Mexico and summer breeding areas in Northern Canada and most of us have nostalgic memories of the Vs of wild geese heading southwards in the autumn with their plaintive honking high overhead. Many years ago I lived near a high south-facing cliff and always enjoyed watching the geese when they reached the updraft from this cliff. Then they would float in spiraling circles in the updraft while they gained altitude in this natural elevator. When they had risen up a few thousand feet they would re-form their V and continue their journey.

Like many birds, Canada Geese are monogamous. They choose a mate when they are young and remain mated for a life that may last over 20 years. Considering that these birds are often migratory, flying thousands of miles yearly, and often travel and graze in fairly large flocks, it seems quite remarkable to me that in the absence of moral strictures or social pressures they maintain such stable relationships.

Goosenecking

Generally I don't have much interaction with birds but this goose made it clear that I was getting a little too much into his personal space. Up close these Canada Geese are quite large, muscular creatures. Look at that bow wave he's making. I backed off.A little later I was attracted by a lot of honking, hissing and squabbling out on the lake and caught the sequence below. I don't know whether this is territorial fighting - the leftmost goose had just landed with some friends before undergoing this meeting - or whether it is a mating ritual, or both.

Canada Goose (Branta canadensis)

I've posted photos of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) before because they are large, relatively tame and attractive year round residents of this area. Their copious droppings sometimes make walking perilous on lawns where they have been grazing but stepping carefully is no doubt easier than trying to house-train these birds. Those that live here get quite tame and will tolerate fairly close approaches. The goose on the left was honking agressively the whole time I was watching him. The American Wigeons at his feet don't seem to be perturbed and I suspect the honking was intended to warn other geese away from this little island as a precursor to nesting. Both of today's photos were taken from the Westsong Walkway.

More Westsong Walkway

Rainy, gray days lately so I've been catching up on housework and looking a little more closely at photos I've taken over the last few weeks. This is one from a short stroll I took down the Westsong Walkway, which provides a different beautiful view with nearly every step.

Fisgard Lighthouse 3

Here's a couple more images I shot while out at the Fisgard Lighthouse. This Canada Goose and another were zealously guarding this rock near the shore below the lighthouse. It wasn't until the goose stood up that I realized why they were being so protective. Below is the goose when I first saw her, while a sailboat glides past on her way into Esquimalt Harbour and provides a nice segue into this weekend's big event, the Swiftsure Sailing Races. The races kick off on Saturday morning so let's all keep our fingers crossed for a nice sunny day with generous winds for the sailors.

Canada Goose

Here's another bird that remains still long enough for a neophyte to get a photo, the Canada Goose. This one was photographed at Esquimalt Lagoon, which shelters a large flock of these geese year-round. They are quite tame.

Esquimalt Lagoon - Canada Geese

Last time I was out at Esquimalt Lagoon a flock of about 100 Canada Geese was foraging along the shore. I approached very warily so as not to frighten them but found them quite unafraid, as evidenced by this photo of a father and daughter offering them some bread.