ON THE MOVE

TRUMPETER SWAN CYGNUS BUCCINATOR

RUFUS HUMMINGBIRD SELASPHORUS RUFUS

HERRING CLUPEA

GRAY WHALE ESCHRICHTIUS ROBUSTUS On the Move

ANNUAL MIGRATIONS ALONG THE WEST COAST

by Quintin Winks

It feels like you can almost set your watch by the annual comings and goings of animals here on Vancouver Island, although strictly speaking, Mother Nature can surprise us.

We are fortunate to be the destination for many annually migrating species, and for others we provide a popular waypoint on their journeys to more northerly feeding grounds and breeding grounds. Its popular appeal as a rest stop and eatery for wildlife makes the Island one of the best places to witness the migrations of hundreds of varieties of winged and finned creatures each year.

The largest of these travelers are the humpback and gray whales, whose journey northward each spring, hugs the west coast of Vancouver Island on their way to the Arctic Circle. These baleen behemoths can be seen from shore as early as February and into early May and are known to feed in the sheltered bays along the coast beginning in March. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival in Tofino and Ucluelet each spring celebrates these whales and the role they play, and have played, in Island culture. At 30 tons it is smaller than the humpback, but the gray whale boasts one of the longest migrations of any animal on earth. Covering about 120 kms per day, each whale can travel up to 22,000 kms round trip annually, depending on how far north it goes.

You can increase your odds of seeing gray whales from one of the many whale watching tours available, but for those with time and patience there are alternatives.

“Because of the unpredictability of exacting which beaches they use, recommending a wine and binoculars

spot is tough,” says Mark Sawyer, naturalist and boat skipper for Jamie’s Whaling Station in Tofino. But you can try spotting them from atop a cliff along the Juan de Fuca Trail, Port Renfrew’s Botanical Beach, Cox Cone in Tofino, or from any elevated position along the shore. Although the occasional whale may wander closer “typically when they move up the coast they do so around a nautical mile from shore, which means when viewing from land you may see the blows, or breaths, but not the whales themselves.”

When the whales do move closer to shore, they are often looking to feed. Barclay and Clayoquot Sounds, near Tofino, are popular places for the whales and during the migration they can be seen in nearby bays fuelling up before continuing northwards. To the delight of boaters and enthusiasts, some whales remain in BC waters all summer long before migrating back to Mexico.

“The migration itself is an incredible spectacle,” Sawyer says. “I’m originally from the UK, where I would never have expected to see one. There are times during the migration when we head out with people who’ve never seen a whale, and they can watch a dozen or more pass by.”

While the enormity of a humpback or gray whale is a thing to behold, the relatively diminutive herring also puts on a show during its annual commute between the beginning of February and late March. The herring run marks the beginning of spring when there are typically blossoms and shoots beginning to show. During the run, these silvery fish are difficult to see, schooling deep so as to avoid predation. When they do rise to spawn, an act that erupts over just

GRAY WHALE ESCHRICHTIUS ROBUSTUS

six hours, the sheer volume of sperm left by the male herring to fertilize the females’ eggs turn the near-shore waters a spectacular turquoise colour.

Once the herring schools are in shallower water, the predators go to work. Herring is a rich food source for seals, sea lions, and eagles. This initial feeding frenzy attracts killer whales, who dine on sea lions. While the big mammals are mesmerizing to watch, sometimes the smaller animals are just as interesting, if not more so. “A huge flock of seagulls is a spectacle too,” says Danny Claire, owner of Comox Harbour Charters. “You’ll see 100 eagles lined up on the beach, but 10,000 seagulls!” Claire runs boat charters out of Comox, at the northern edge of the herring’s spawning range that stretches to just south of Nanaimo. His boats allow guests to take in the spectacle up close.

“As the slaughter is going on, the sea lions are down below gorging,” Claire says. “But the birds can be the spectacular part of it.” Vancouver Island is on the path of the Pacific Flyway, a major migratory route that stretches about 15,000 kms from Alaska in the north to Patagonia in the south. Consequently, the Island serves as a pit stop for scores of bird species. Among them is the Brant, a black and white goose that migrates each year from Mexico to Alaska and northern Canada. The Brant's arrival in Parksville and Qualicum Beach coincides with the herring run, the spectacle of which inspired the launch of the Brant Wildlife Festival in the early 1990s. Today it is organized by the Nature Trust of BC and supported by local community groups and businesses. Events include the popular Pacific Brant Carving and Art Show, the Brant Count, bird-watching, and identification presentations to share the knowledge, and increase the awareness and enjoyment of this annual migration. With a late fall arrival, the trumpeter

A Selection of Brant Wildlife Festival Events

Birds of the Salish Sea—Birdwatching at Seaside Nature Park in Qualicum Beach (March 21)

All About Brant—Presentation by bird expert and researcher, Sean Boyd at Bayside Resort in Parksville (March 27, 6 – 8 pm)

Eagle Release—at North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre, Errington (April 4)

Pacific Brant Carving & Art Show—Organized by Vancouver Island Woodcarvers Club and Oceanside Woodcarvers in partnership with DeCosmos Fine Arts Society at Parksville Community Centre (April 4 – 5)

Hamilton Marsh Tour—Hosted by the Friends of French Creek Conservation Society and Arrowsmith Naturalists (April 19)

For more events and information visit: brantfestival.bc.ca

swan is also a much-loved bird that stays here well into March. Its populations were decimated in the early 1900s by the demand for feathers used in women’s hats, but the trumpeter has since made a healthy comeback thanks to legislation protecting them. A popular spot to see these magnificent white birds is Hemer Park, just south of Nanaimo. “They are a good success story as we damaged the population and were then able to reverse that,” says Ann Nightingale, vice president of Victoria’s Rocky Point Bird

Observatory and the coordinator of the city’s Christmas bird count. Other popular birds that migrate to and from Vancouver Island include the Rufus hummingbird, which like the Brant travels to Mexico and back each year.

Interestingly, it returns to exactly the same spot to feed, despite its annual journey of several thousand miles. May through June is the best time to see the Rufus on Vancouver Island, and there is evidence that the hummingbirds visit the same feeders each year along their entire migration. Ms. Nightingale, who participates in programs to band species for future identification, says she tagged a hummingbird one year, and eight years later, found the same hummingbird at the same feeder. So if that bird in your backyard looks familiar, your feeder just may be part of its annual migratory tour. There are many reasons to celebrate the spring migration. It marks the end of winter, with longer days, and warmer weather ahead. What better way to celebrate this annual event than to get outside and revel in it? See you out there!