Delta Naturalists Society

Twelve DNCBers enjoyed a spectacular outing to Mt Baker in Washington. Besides the scenery and flowers, highlights were an American Dipper, 25 American Pipits, 2 Red-breasted Sapsuckers and a Mountain Goat with one horn (a unicorn?).  We did not see any other animals but we heard Pikas.  Check out the photo evidence at our DNCB Flickr site.

The 12 participants were David & Noreen, Lorna, Jack, Valerie W, New Yorkers Bill & Carolyn, Tony, Lidia, Brian & Louise and Terry.  We missed our leader Tom who is golfing in Newfoundland.

Our first stop on the mountain was at Picture Lake.  A Whisky Jack (AKA Gray Jay, Canada Jay) greeted us but it soon disappeared.  We crashed an advertising photo shoot with a young lady in a wedding gown.

Mt. Shuksan was reflected in the lake where there were four Common Mergansers.  There were still a few blueberries on the bushes.  In the trees were Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-crowned & Golden-crowned Sparrows and Juncos.  A Belted Kingfisher posed on a tall snag.

Our next stop was Austin Pass for a walk down to Bagley Lakes where we found the usual American Dipper.  Here we added Flicker, Cedar Waxwings, Pine Siskins and Savannah Sparrows.  After eating our lunches here we walked around the Fire and Ice Trail where we saw many American Pipits and 2 Red-breasted Sapsuckers.  See David’s eBird List below.

Our last stop was at Artist Point (elevation over 1500 metres) to walk part way along the very scenic Ptarmigan Ridge/Chain Lakes Trail.  Here we got our first views of Mt Baker and saw the Mountain Goat.  Many wild flowers were still blooming and attracting butterflies.

Next Wednesday, September 11, is our quarterly Birds on the Bay walk at Centennial Beach.  It begins at Cammidge House at 9am, and in Tom’s absence, will be led by Anne Murray.

Report by Terry Carr

Mount Baker–Picture Lake, Artist Point, Chain Lakes Trail, Whatcom, Washington, US
17 species

Common Merganser 4
Belted Kingfisher 2
Red-breasted Sapsucker 2
Northern Flicker 3
Canada Jay 2
American Crow 2
Common Raven 2
American Dipper 1
American Robin 10
Cedar Waxwing 19
American Pipit 25
Pine Siskin 6
Dark-eyed Junco 7
White-crowned Sparrow 8
Savannah Sparrow 4
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon’s) 8