Outdoors

TheReview Wednesday, October 30,1991 — A16

Winter residents land on Peninsula

This has been a week character-
ized by the arrival of a large
number of winter residents and the
passage of many flocks of
migrants en route to more southem
winter quarters.

The shores of our bays and
estuaries feature tremendous accu-
mulations of widgeons and mal-
lards particularly, the males of the
former readily recognized by their
snow-white crowns or “bald”
pates; the latter, familiar to all.

Intermittently, the airways
resound to the resonant honking of
Canada geese.

Offshore, the waters are teeming
with masses of scoters, particu-
larly surf scoters, jet-black except
for the brightly contrasting white
patches on nape and forehead.

Observing white-winged scoters
closely, one becomes aware of the
white patch at the flanks of resting

They slip beneath
the surface with
barely a ripple,

remaining
submerged for
lengthy periods’

birds which becomes a prominent
bright wing patch when the birds
are in flight.

Otherwise, this scoter, too, is

predominantly black. Common
Scoters appear virtually entirely
black with no white areas of relief.

Common loons are everywhere

but are generally observed singly
as they forage for fishy prey in
shallower water.

They slip beneath the surface
with barely a ripple, remaining
submerged for lengthy periods.
The greyer young birds lack the
brilliant checkered pattern on the
upper surface so compelling in the
mature adults.

Long, slender, dark cormorants
knife the air swiftly as they speed
by in loose flocks, almost skim-
ming the gleaming surface of the

Greater Scaup Ducks

CY HAMPSON photo

Smash and grab neis cigareiies

Police arrived on the scene with-
in minutes of an alarm sounding
about 1:24 a.m. Friday.

But they weren’t fast enough to
catch two males who smashed the
$350 front window in the Bren-
twood Shell station, then loaded
an undetermined amount of loose
cigarettes into a plastic garbage
can.

Police estimate the thieves were
inside the store for about 40
seconds before fleeing south on
West Saanich Road, from the
Keating Crossroad intersection in

Brentwood Bay.

With recent high prices for
tobacco products, police are find-
ing the incidence of cigarette thefts
increasing.

“The protection is, don’t sell
cigarettes,” deputy police Chief
George Lawson said. “It’s a valua-
ble market but it’s also a big
target.”

Large quantities of cigarettes
have been stolen from several
Peninsula stores in recent weeks
by thieves who smash windows,
grab the merchandise and run.

ge

4a

By reservation only

Visitors welcome!

Glen Meadows Golf & Country Club
- 1050 McTavish Road, R.R.2,
Sidney, B.C. V8L 381

Phone: 696- ©. pbk or r 656- 9072

BRUNCH

Sunday, November 3rd from
11:90 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

12°

a ERT Fe I

Gulls of several species and
varied plumage are ever present.
At the moment, the small, buoyant
Bonaparte gull may be seen in
great numbers in open waters off
shore.

The slim white wedge in the
upper surface of the wing of this
species is most helpful in recog-
nizing it.

Unbelievably handsome harle-
quin ducks share the shallower
waters with striking hooded mer-
gansers, other ““saw-bills,” and

several species of grebes. But more

of these in a later column.

Greater scaup have arrived too.
In front they appear dark to the
water-line with pale grey ‘backs
and lighter sides. (See photo).

But viewed in good light, the
head has a greenish gloss rather
than the dark purplish cast of its
close relative, the lesser scaup.

The greater scaup is a more
northern breeder and is generally
observed in larger bodies of water
than is the lesser which commonly
frequents smaller lakes and
sloughs.

While both scaups sport promi-
hent white wing-areas in flight,
that of the greater tends to extend
farther towards the wingtips while
that of the lesser is more abbrevi-
ated and is generally confined to
the region of the secondary wing
feathers.

In both species the chocolate-
brown females tend to exhibit a
whitish area at the base of the bill.

Our Reputation
is on Your Head

HOUSE OF RUSSEL

HAIRSTYLISTS LTD.

UNISEX ¢
656-1522 se

@ Precision Cutting

_IN SIDNEY CENTRE
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(Next to Safeway)

You are Invited
to a

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(Price $10.00)

ON
SATURDAY, NOV. 2; 6:00 p.m. SUNDAY, NOV. 3, 6:00. p.m.
PEACOCK RESTAURANT GOLDEN CITY RESTUARANT

2493 Beacon Ave., Sidney 721 Fisgard St., Victoria

Followed by slides of Ghina and places to be visited on the
Canada-China Friendship Tours in 1992. :

Reservations required before noon of the previous day.
Phone 658- 5594 or 384-3853
TOURS INCLUDE: Price Range $2900-$3800 which
Women’s Tour, Apr. 17-May 7 includes Air Fare from Vancouver,
Learning & Leisure, May 1-24 all Land Arrangements, Meals & Visa

Silk Rd., Aug. 31-Sept. 20 _ INFORMATION RE TOURS AVAILABLE
Scenic, Sept. - Oct. from Molly Phillips —
China & S.E. Asia, Oct. 4-26 658-5594

Learning & Leisure, Oct. 16-Nov. 8 988 Claremont Ave., Victoria, V8Y 1K8

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