More photos at our DNCB Flickr site
It was another wet and rainy Tuesday morning with only six DNCBers braving the “normal” BC elements at Brunswick Point. Check out the photo evidence on our Flickr site at: www.flickr.com/groups/dncb, then click the magnifying glass icon in the “Photo Pool” row, and add 2017-11 to “
DNCB Photos” in the Search box at the top of the page.
I got to Petra’s at 7:30 am in the pouring rain, expecting/hoping no one would show up. David H, Mike B and I left Petra’s at 7:40 am, still in the rain. Brian A was waiting at Brunswick Point, in the rain, when we arrived at 8:15 am. On entering the trail, still raining (get the Picture, it was bloody wet!) a nice pair of Bufflehead were diving in the Fraser, and a Mute Swan was loafing on the other side.
The Double-crested Cormorants were on their pylons, but no Black-bellied Plovers, although we saw flocks of these Plovers throughout the morning.
Sparrows (Song, White- and Golden-crowned, Fox) and Finches (House, American Gold) in the bushes along the trail.
We heard Marsh Wrens and Roger, who arrived later, saw a Pacific Wren. Jim K came later too, when the rain had eased to a spit.
Killdeer were there and we regularly heard a Ring-necked Pheasant calling, but couldn’t spot him.
The main attraction this morning was the 2000 Snow Geese in the field, which swelled to 20,000 as flocks arrived from the Bay, flying low right over our heads. We searched for banded birds, and Brian finally got a photo of a leg band.
Also, coming and going in the fields were swarms of Shorebirds, mostly Dunlin. We estimated 60,000 shorebirds (wish we could ID the different species) were feeding at Roberts Bank this morning, along with the thousands of ducks, mostly Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon and Mallards. About 20 Trumpeter Swans were along the distant shoreline too. Of course, Bald Eagles and Northern Harriers were there too, but we didn’t see a Peregrine Falcon this morning, nor a Short-eared Owl.
A nice raft of Red-breasted Mergansers showed up near the Fraser mouth.
Brian photographed David taking the Group Photo while we six posed behind a barrel of Daffodils just about to break out into bloom. We sure know how to have fun, don’t we?
We saw other common stuff, and perhaps a Lincoln’s Sparrow, but nothing earth shattering. We chatted on the walk back about how fruitful and important this Roberts Banks was to so many birds and wondered about the impact the expanded Port might have on their survival.
Then we five went to Speed’s Pub again (Mikey likes it) to dry off. Their Schnitzel and my Soup and Sandwich Special (B&E&T and Potato soup) were delicious, of course, with an Okanagan Springs 1516 Lager.
Roger didn’t join us, but went instead to 104th Street dike path to photograph a Long-eared Owl. Since Tuesday (actually on Thursday), he and others photographed the annual arrival of the Mountain Bluebird at Boundary Bay Regional Park (BBRP). Anyhow, despite the rain, we had an almost enjoyable morning at Brunswick, bonding with the boys. And the rain held off for Tuesday afternoon’s Opening Day of my Tsawwassen Men’s Golf Club.
Next Tuesday, March 28, Nat Debbi Hlady will lead us on our annual outing to the UBC Botanical Garden. We will leave Petra’s at 7:30 am and plan to meet at the Garden entrance by 8:30 am (hopefully 8:15 am). Map at goo.gl/BrhbMc
As always, your comments are encouraged, check out our website for more info, reports and photos and, let me know if you want off my List to receive these weekly missives of misguided musings (an alliteration which means annoying). Cheers: Tom
Tom Bearss, President, Delta Naturalists Society
Delta Naturalists Society 
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