Elkwater fallout and local birds

American Robin, Bufflehead, Caspian Terns, Chipping and Clay-coloured Sparrows, Least Chipmunk, Red-necked Grebe, female Red-winged Blackbird and Song Sparrow

three sparrows; Golden-crowned, Lincoln's and Song

Lincoln's Sparrow is one of those subtle but very attractive sparrows but they are a bit skulky and always seem to place something between them and the camera; the Song Sparrows of the Pacific North-west are very dark and dingy looking birds --

a few more birds from Ucluelet

In general passerines were few and far between in the coastal woodlands with a few American Robins, Pacific Wrens, large numbers of Golden crowned Kinglets always very difficult to see, a few Ruby-crowned Kinglets, flocks of Chestnut-backed Chickadees and a few Dark-eyed Juncos plus one Audubon's Warbler and Song Sparrows on the woodland edge, offshore there was a passage of adult Pacific Divers but disappointingly none ever came close and I failed to get any decent images of a species I had hoped to see well in summer plumage

day two ferry to V Island

a beautiful sunrise but not light until 06:50 so my early start on Westham Island was a bit of a waste of energy but did see Lincoln's Sparrow, Song Sparrows, Marsh Wren, a female Northern Harrier and Common Yellowthroat -- by the ferry terminal at Tswwassen were 50 Surf Scoters, 10 Harlequins, Double crested Cormorant, Brant's Cormorant, Great Northerns and Red necked Grebe with Glaucous-winged Gull juvs begging around cars in the car park -- the crossing was predictably bird free -- the long drive from Nanaimo to Ucluelet revealed the woods were very quiet with Steller's Jay and Savannah Sparrow the only note book entries