Outdoors Black Brant geese have again made their appearance in our area, having moved up the west coast from further south where they wintered. They may be currently seen along the shores of Bazan Bay and in Esquimalt Lagoon where they are feeding upon the abundant supplies of seaweed in shallow waters. Brant are essentially a salt water species, rarely seen inland and breeding primarily in westem regions of the Arctic and High Arctic. Most viewers will recall the hoarse “h-ronk, h-ronk” calls of the members of the small flocks of these attractive diminutive geese which grace our shores at this time of year. It is to be hoped that the Valdez oil spill which occurred a year ago did not make significant inroads into their migrating popu- lation. Handsome, fork-tailed barn swallows have returned from South America to breed here. The com- bination of their steel-blue backs, long tails and cinnamon-rufous underparts will assist in distin- guishing them from other species. They will plaster their open mud nests on beams, electric wires or against the inner walls of farm buildings and line them with a layer of soft feathers. The graceful adults will be seen hawking for air-borne insects throughout the spring and early summer. Races occur in Europe, Asia, Africa and the New World. And our handsome violet-green swallows have returned from their wintering ranges in Mexico and northern Central America. While they may be recognized by the unforked tail, greenish upper parts (often with a bronzy tint), delicate- violet upper tail coverts and white underparts, by far the most import- ant identification character con- sists of the extension of the white underparts up the sides of the Tump. This field mark is very conspicuous, even at a distance, when the bird is in flight. Se a natural setting” a unique blend of 75 adult orientated carriage spring marked by While violet-greens will nest in cavities in cliffs, trees or buildings, they take very readily to nesting boxes. For some reason they seem to scout around a good deal before making their choice and this is the time when house sparrows may pre-empt such nesting sites. I usually cover the entrance until the sparrows have made other choices or live-trap the would-be resident male sparrow with a but- terfly net placed over the entrance when he is briefly occupying the box. According to the telephone calls received, less common tree swal- lows and rough-winged swallows are yet to arrive. Tree swallows have steel-blue upperparts and all- white underparts but totally lack the white areas which run up the sides of the rump of the violet- green. They tend to nest either in abandoned woodpecker cavities or nesting boxes. Rough-wings have brown backs and tend to nest in burrows in banks. Cliff swallows are widely distri- buted right across Canada. These are the swallows which tend to nest often in great colonies, construct- ing their gourd-like nests of mud pellets and plastering them close together on vertical cliffs, under the eaves of buildings and under bridges. They have short squarish tails, cinnamon throats, a white patch at the base of the beak and buffy rumps. =] H id [ homes nestled throughout 75 acres of manicured and prestine parkland. OPEN DAILY 10-5 1255 Wain Road, Sidney 655-3111 Sold @ Choice Locations! 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Communications and graphics will also be explored To register call: Stellys School 652-4401 COMPUTER Skills for living Both the Victoria Real Estate Board and the Garth Homer Centre believe the community comes first. The Board supports the Centre where hundreds of disabled people are involved in vocational, recreational and integration programs which help them to become more self- sufficient. As shown in the photo, a centre member, Tracy, 1s learning to make fish and chip bags for a local restaurant with assistance from her supervisor, Theresa. It may only be fish and chip bags to you and me but to Tracy, it’s a job that needs doing. She can be proud and dignified in doing that job well and knowing that her contribution leads to a better community. The end result is that we all benefit. That’s why the Board and the Garth Homer Centre put the community first. Lal Victoria Real Estate Board “the CoN COME frst”