Today’s journey started with the first ferry of the day over to the Vancouver Island (Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay as Michelle wanted to go to the Butchart Gardens north of Victoria.) Whilst waiting for the ferry, I had Black Turnstone and Western Gull as well as what looked like three Western Sandpipers. The journey was quite quiet, but did manage to get a Common Guillemot, several Pigeon Guillemots, and two Rhinoceros Auklets. Tom also managed a raft of Scoter that included Black Scoter.
The gardens didn’t produce the hopped for Hummers (probably too late in the year, with most having already left) but were enjoyable all the same, though the baking temperature made it rather tiring at times. Leaving the gardens we took a second short ferry from Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay, saving us a couple of hours drive. Harbour Seals were noted on the way, and then a Steller’s Sea Lion jumped out of the water on to the ferry dock just as we were coming into dock, making quite a racket.
By this time (mid-afternoon) it was very hot and the children went for a swim in the sea before we carried on our journey north.
Not much was seen on the drive apart from Turkey Vultures, but we made a stop at Somenos Lake as I had read that Marsh Wren could be found here (we’d missed it at Reifel as I foolishly forgot to specifically look for it.) We found the small pull-in that leads to a broadwalk over the (dried) marshes and soon scored with our target as well as Savannah Sparrow, a small flock of Brewer’s Blackbirds, and a Merlin. The Merlin, being the dark, Pacific form, had us quite confused for a while, particularly as it spent it’s time dragonfly catching in a manner similar to a Eurasian Hobby. It would take its prey midair before carrying and consuming them at the top of a tall tree before going on another sortie. This was something we’d never witnessed from a Merlin.
We continued down to the lake itself, but it held little, so continued on to Nanaimo where we had an excellent meal on the seafront (including “Nanaimo Bars”.) At dusk we then strolled along the promenade watching the buskers the people crabbing.
