Shore Birds at Whiffin Spit

posted in: Birds, British Columbia | 0

We loved taking a lot of different walks on our trip to British Columbia this past July.  We are always on the lookout for birds that we don’t see here in Ontario.  This time we spotted a couple of different shore birds on a walk at Whiffin Spit.

There are so many varieties of shore birds and many of them have similar features.  Some have very distinguishing marks and are easy to identify.  Some we saw were harder to put a name too.  Our daughter out west has been searching through their birding books.  I’ve been searching the internet and I even found I had to ask on Birding in British Columbia forum for help with the ID.  The wonderful birders helped me almost immediately with the positive ID.

The short billed dowitcher was certainly a new shore bird sighting for us.  This ID was a challenge … common snipe or dowitcher?

short billed dowitcher spotted at Wiffen Spit, Sooke, British Columbia

They love mud flats, tidal flats and lagoons where they wade in the shallow water and poke their long bills into the mud looking for food.

short billed dowitcher spotted at Wiffen Spit, Sooke, British Columbia

Success!  A greater yellowleg captured itself a small fish for dinner.  This was also a new sighting for us.

oyster catcher at Whiffen Spit, Sooke, British Columbia

A black oyster catcher walks the rocky shores looking for some food.   We had also seen this bird a few years ago when we visited Whiffin Spit.

water birds at Whiffen Spit, Sppke, British Columbia

Besides the shore birds there were geese, ducks, a heron, gulls and cormorants.

throughmylenslg

Have a look at some of the other BC birds we have spotted.

stellarjay5  oyster catcher4  barheadedgoose1b

red shafter flicker4  dark eyed junco1  a bald eagle at Wiffen Spit, Sooke, British Columbia, Canada

the gardener side at craftygardener.ca

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