Greater Victoria birdwatchers flock to Saanich wetland to eye rare cranes
Victoria birdwatchers are flocking to Panama Flats after a pair of Sandhill cranes swooped in for a stopover.
The pair of rare cranes have been spotted feeding in the long grass of the Saanich wetland. Local bird experts say it is not uncommon for Sandhill cranes to migrate over southern Vancouver Island, but it is uncommon for them to land in the region.
“These guys are late and we’re quite surprised to see Sandhills still moving through the area,” said Rock Point Bird Observatory’s Ann Nightingale. “People may remember last fall Sandhill cranes were the big talk of the town because a couple dozen of them were in Metchosin, held up because of the fires (in the B.C. interior) and here we are lucky again to have Sandhill cranes here in Saanich.”
Nightingale says Sandhill cranes are a species that are quite common in Northern B.C., the Okanagan and in areas as far east as Saskatchewan. She says the birds are also more common on Northern Vancouver Island due to a small breeding colony located there.
“We don’t typically get a good look at them here, usually they’re just flying over our heads,” said Nightingale. “It is a treat for local birders because fall is usually the best time to see Sandhill cranes in the area (rather) than in the spring, so if they stick around like these two have it gives the birders a chance to get them on their 'year list.'”
The annual migration of the Sandhill crane takes it from as far north as the Yukon and Northern B.C to the southeastern United States. Nightingale says there may be a good reason why this pair has chosen to roost in Panama Flats on their flight north.
“What often happens is the non-breeders may not get all the way to the breeding grounds, so maybe these guys aren’t breeding this year,” said Nightingale. “They’re still moving north, but not in the same kind of hurry that a mated pair that intend to breed might be.”
Nightingale says it is unclear if the two cranes are a mated pair because it's common for Sandhill cranes to migrate in twos.
“You get birds travelling together, the old safety in numbers thing. They may be from the same flock and got separated from the main group or they could be siblings,” said Nightingale. “I don’t think they are off course. Because we have had such strange weather this spring we have seen a lot of birds in June that are not normally here in June.”
Nightingale says Panama Flats in Saanich has been hopping with rare birds in the past number of weeks. She says part of the reason for the sightings is the wetland still has water, which makes it a refuge for birds when they are migrating through the region.
“We see a turnover in birds here as they pass through,” said Nightingale. “It's a great feeding spot and a great resting spot for them.”
The pair of Sandhill cranes have been feeding in the long grass of Panama Flats for a few days and it is unlikely they will stay for much longer. Nightingale expects them to continue on their flight north in the next few days.
“They’re a bird that you can’t count on seeing and these are the first Sandhill cranes that have stuck around long enough that people can actually go to where the cranes are to try to get some good photos of them,” said Nightingale.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
"It's a bit of a complicated pattern; we've got a lot going on," said Jennifer Smith of the Meteorological Service of Canada in an interview with CTVNews.ca on Wednesday. "[As is] typical with weather, all of these things are related."
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.