Sundew Main Hawk Watch

With spectacular September weather and a day off together, Donna and I loaded the bikes on the car and drove up to the end of Sundew Rd in Nanoose Bay. We off-loaded the bikes and rode around the closed gate on the Sundew Mainlibe logging road, headed for the north flank of Siwash Ridge, about 5 kms and 500 further up the road. It was hot riding, but it only took us about 45 minutes to reach our goal, and hike the last remaining bit through every prickle and sticker bush found on Vancouver Island, to a little bare knoll where we plunked down and waited for migratory raptors to come sailing by. It was slow going this afternoon, but we stuck with it, and eventually saw 19 raptors. Not exactly like the east flank of the Rockies, but not the worst hawk-watching I have ever done on Vancouver Island. Not by a long shot.

Turkey Vulture: 16
Osprey: 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1
Red-tailed Hawk: 1
Band-tailed Pigeon: 37
Rufous Hummingbird: 1 (this is getting late-ish for this species on Vancouver Island)
Steller's Jay: 2
American Robin: 88
Varied Thrush: 12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet: 1 (my first this fall)
Purple Finch: 3
American Goldfinch: 2
Pine Siskin: 205