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Bird Photo Gallery

Name	American Bittern
Species	Botaurus lentiginosus
Size	25ins 63cms Wingspan 45ins 1.14M
What to look for	Head pointing up, obvious stripes
Female	same
Where to find it	In rushes at lake edge. Seldom seen.
When	Not in summer

Name	Anna's Hummingbird
Species	Calypte anna
Size	4ins 10cms
What to look for	Bright green back. Very long bill. Male black throat that flashes iridescent red. Quick darting flight, also hovers to feed. Males perch on exposed branches, Feb to May and again in Oct.
Female	green back, speckled throat with small red patch.
Where to find it	Mainly near Nature House, but almost anywhere.
When	Year round - Nest here

Name	Anna's Hummingbird
Species	Calypte anna
Size	4ins 10cms
What to look for	Bright green back. Very long bill. Male black throat that flashes iridescent red. Quick darting flight, also hovers to feed. Males perch on exposed branches, Feb to May and again in Oct.
Female	green back, speckled throat with small red patch.
Where to find it	Mainly near Nature House, but almost anywhere.
When	Year round - Nest here

Name	Barred Owl
Species	Strix varia
Size	17ins 43cms. Wingspan 44ins 1.1M
What to look for	Large plump and brown. Brown stripes on belly, with bars across below face. Brown eyes.
Female	same
Where to find it	In thick woods,both deciduous and evergreen. Sits close to trunk. Usually 3 to 6 Metres up.
When	Early fall to late spring.

Name	Bewick's Wren
Species	Thryomanes bewickii
Size	5.5ins 14cms
What to look for	Very active, brown, cocked tail, white eyebrow, long bill.
Female	same
Where to find it	Almost anywhere
When	Nests here

Name	Bushtit
Species	psaltriparus minimus
Size	3.5ins 9cms
What to look for	Tiny brown -grey bird, round body and long tail. Often lands on twigs upside-down.
Female	light eye.
Where to find it	Anywhere. Straggling flocks most of the year
When	Year-round. Nests visible as 8 inch hanging socks, April onward. Pairs of birds active around nests if you stay 6 metres away

Name	Cedar Waxwing
Species	Bombycilla cedrorum
Size	5.75ins 15cms
What to look for	Dark back, yellowish belly, raccoon mask, pointed crest. Sits very erect
Female	same.
Where to find it	Often perched in groups on bare trees. Forest and tall shrubs.
When	May through Sept. Rare otherwise. Some nesting here.

Name	Chestnut-backed chickadee
Species	Poecile rufescens
Size	4.25ins 11cms
What to look for	Black cap, white cheeks, Chestnut back and sides, white below.
Female	same.
Where to find it	Almost anywhere except rushes.
When	Year round. Nests here in tree cavities.

Name	Common Merganser
Species	Mergus merganser
Size	18ins 40cms, Wingspan 37ins 86cms
What to look for	Very dark head and back, white sides, long slim bill
Female	brown head, dark grey back, lighter sides
Where to find it	On lake
When	October through March, most common December and January

Name	Cooper's Hawk
Species	Accipter cooperii
Size	16ins 41cms Great size range, female can be 30% larger than male.
What to look for	Sits quite upright. Hooked bill. Dark head and back, banded narrow tail, rounded end. In flight, several flaps and a glide, unless soaring.
Female	same.
Where to find it	Perched almost anywhere. Most often on the wing.
When	All year, November through April, common. Uncommon rest of year.

Name	Double-crested Cormorant
Species	Phalacrocorax auritus
Size	33ins 84cms
What to look for	Mature, all black with orange throat pouch. Sits erectly or with wings spread. Neck crooked in flight This is the only cormorant that comes inland.
Female	same.
Immature	- black with pale belly.
Where to find it	On water, edges and raft. Swims partly submerged.
When	Common year round, but less so in May.

Name	Golden-crowned Kinglet
Species	Regulus satrapa
Size	3.5ins 9cms
What to look for	Tiny, very active. Dark above, light gray below, dark wings with two wingbars. White eyebrow, gold crown with red.
Female	same, but no red
Where to find it	Usually in conifers and less often in tall shrubs
When	Common November through March. less common in shoulder seasons, none June, July and August.

Name	Hooded Merganser
Species	Lophdytes cucullatus
Size	13ins 33cms.
What to look for	Dark back, neck and face, very small bill. Large white cockade, which will be lowered when diving, reddish side, but black stripe on white near neck.
Female	brown and gray, large brown crest.
Where to find it	On lake
When	Fairly common most of year, but less in May and June.

Name	Hooded Merganser
Species	Lophdytes cucullatus
Size	13ins 33cms.
What to look for	Dark back, neck and face, very small bill. Large white cockade, which will be lowered when diving, reddish side, but black stripe on white near neck.
Female	brown and gray, large brown crest.
Where to find it	On lake
When	Fairly common most of year, but less in May and June.

Name	House Finch
Species	carpodacus mexicanus
Size	6ins 15cms
What to look for	Bright red crown and breast, brown back, brown striped belly.
Female	gray-brown, with striped breast.
Where to find it	Feeds on ground and feeders, perches in shrubs and on tree tops.
When	Common year round.

Name	Mallard
Species	Anas platyrynchus
Size	24ins 61cms
What to look for	Most of the year Green head, green-yellow bill, chestnut breast. Midsummer to early fall, plumage like female, bill yellow-green.
Female	brown-streaked, whitish tail, bill orange on sides.
Where to find it	On lake and boardwalk, very tame.
When	Year round, from a few to several dozen. Ducklings from March through May.

Name	Marsh Wren
Species	Cistothorus palustris
Size	5ins 13cms
What to look for	Mostly brown, extremely cocked tail. Loud scolding chatter.
Female	same.
Where to find it	In rushes or close by. Globe-shaped nests about six inches high, with bullrush fluff on exterior.
When	Fairly common year round, but secretive except in breeding season.

Name	Osprey
Species	Pandion haliaetus
Size	22ins 55cms Wingspan 54ins 138cms
What to look for	Mostly white below, dark above. Dark eye-stripe and white cap are distinctive. Conspicuous crook in wings, black patch at 'elbows'. Flaps more than glides, except at altitude.
Where to find it	On the wing. Occasionally hunts for fish.
When	Occasional, but not in Midwinter.

Name	Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Species	Sitta Canadensis
Size	4.5ins 12cms
What to look for	Gray back, black cap, white face with black eyeline, rusty below.
Female	gray cap, underparts less vivid.
Where to find it	On trunks and large branches, always goes down.
When	Uncommon May through September, not here rest of year.

Name	Red-winged Blackbird
Species	Agelaius phoeniceus
Size	7.25ins 18.5cms
What to look for	All black, red wing-patch,lower edge yellow (not always visible).
Female	brown, streaked breast, light eyebrow.
Where to find it	Rushes and shrubs, sometimes high on exposed branches. Feeding on the boardwalk.
When	Year round

Name	Spotted Towhee
Species	Pipilo maculates
Size	7.5ins 18cms
What to look for	Black cape, rufous sides, white belly. black back with white spots.
Female	same except fewer spots.
Where to find it	Often on ground, but up singing in spring.
When	Year round.

Name	Tree Swallow
Species	Tachycineta bicolor
Size	5ins 12.5cms
What to look for	Iridescent blue back, blue cap straight across below eye, whitebelow.
Female	same, except may have brownish forehead.
Where to find it	On the wing, erratic flight catching insects.
When	Occasional April through June, Common July and August.

Name	Violet-green Swallow
Species	Tachycineta thalassina
Size	4.75ins 12cms
What to look for	- Violet-green back, dark wings, very white belly. Face shows white behind and above eye. Shows white rump when turning.
Female	may be drab, but not necessarily.
Where to find it	On the wing
When	common March through August, a few in September.

Name	Yellow-rumped warbler
Species	Dendroica coronata
Size	4.75ins 12cms
What to look for	Fairly dark, but yellow rump, yellow side patches, narrow yellow crown.
Female	drabber.
Where to find it	Usually in shrubs near water.
When	Year round, but commonest in April and May.

Land and Water

We acknowledge the lək ̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the Nature Sanctuary stands, and the lək ̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
We respect the vital relationships of First Peoples with these lands and waters for countless generations. We are honoured to receive Indigenous guidance and welcome collaboration in stewardship and appreciation of the Nature Sanctuary.

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3873 Swan Lake Road,
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info@swanlake.bc.ca
(250) 479-0211
Charity #: 11920 7157 RR0001

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