Delta Naturalists Society

Last Friday, Hans-Ulf, Anne, John & Kay and I (Rochelle dropped in briefly to give an update on Don) enjoyed a windy, cool morning outing along the dyke between 96th and 88th Streets. We left Petra’s at 9:00 a.m. through the back roads past Boundary Bay Airport. There were lots of dabbling ducks, Great Blue Herons and a few Bald Eagles in the fields and a few American Coots and one Snow Goose in the waterways along the road. We stopped briefly at the foot of 64th; an interesting group of 5 Northern Harriers (4 females) were hunting together. No Short-eared Owls seen today. The tide was out, but coming in. Lots of ducks and shorebirds on the horizon. We met two people at 88th Street studying (SFU) the Peregrine Falcons feeding on the Dunlin. We walked toward the hydro tower in search of the Gyrfalcon, but it wasn’t there. We scoped lots of neat birds up-close-and personal including: Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Gadwalls, American Wigeon, Mallards and Shorebirds: Yellowlegs (mostly Greater), Dowitchers (mostly Long-billed), Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers. We were waiting to see the Dunlin flocks raised by a Peregrine, but were blanked. We met a photographer who showed me a photo he just took closer to 96th Street of a Peregrine eating a Dunlin. So I guess they were no longer hungry. Several flocks of Snow Geese flew over us and six Brant Geese were spotted out a bit. After Anne left us, we drove along the dyke and met Mark of Wildbirds Unlimited. We spotted the Gyrfalcon on the tower, so our outing was a little more gratifying. Nice bird!