Delta Naturalists Society

COVID response measures meant that we could have large group outings. The previous official DNCB Outing was on 10 March 2020 (2020-10 to Iona Regional Park).

Here is a summary of some individual and small group outings since then (with Flickr photo links). Some people added photos to the group Flickr site. (Flickr)

June 4, 2021 Sturgeon Slough by David & Noreen
Noreen and I had seen the alert to the Yellow-breasted Chat on Melissa’s Rare Bird Alert and again considered if we would try to find one locally this year. Last year we tried a couple of times for the one at Surrey Bend, but the area was flooded and we were skunked. Early in the week Richmond Brian sent a photo of the one seen near the Swaneset Golf Course in Pitt Meadows, and we decided to be Twitchers on Friday. In preparation, we asked Brian about his search, and he said patience and perhaps a chair were needed, and it was about a mile off the road. All good information as it turned out.

At 07:15 we departed Tsawwassen with a packed lunch and coffee headed for Grant Narrows in Pitt Meadows as the road to the Narrows passes over Sturgeon Slough and past the Swaneset Golf Course.
Several fishers had arrived before us at the Sturgeon Slough, and there were about 6 or so cars parked on the roadside. As we were getting organized, we noted a “long-lens” ahead of us and heading west on the levy along the slough, so we were encouraged.

As we struck out, we would pass openings on the left down to the slough where you could see fishers with their gear, and on the right were blueberry bushes. In the distance we could see a couple of people far ahead, past the right angle turn walking towards the distant Swaneset Golf Course. There were lots of swallows (Tree and Violet-green) swooping over the water and overhead, and we kept hoping some would land on the pilings in the slough so we could get a good look; however, they did not cooperate.

Just before the right hand turn along the river, the fellow ahead of us stopped and beckoned to us. Ron from Surrey had also been here the previous day, and he showed us a photo and where he had taken photos of a Lazuli Bunting. From the top of the levy you looked down on the perch on some Broom in flower. The photo was great, and he told us to spend some time here on our return. A Willow Flycatcher’s “fitz-bew” caught our attention at the corner and all 3 of us captured images before we turned north. Immediately we were stopped by the call of a Lazuli Bunting which we recorded although we could not actually see the bird. A second one also called further back in this small copse towards where Ron had taken his photo the previous day, but as our goal was the Yellow-breasted Chat, we proceeded with a plan to spend some time there on our return.

Several Willow Flycatchers were calling, and along the blueberry field we could hear Chipping Sparrows. Noreen and I watched and photographed two, one with nesting material in its beak as Don continued. As we continued, Don waved and pointed to the east. We hustled along, and there was an Eastern Kingbird perched on a branch busily thumping a catch which turned out to be a small bumble bee. A Bullock’s Oriole called just as the Eastern Kingbird overflew the levy and headed towards the trees along the Pitt River. Although distant, it was nice to hear the Oriole and record its song as the photos were of dots in distant trees.

As we approached the next 45 degree bend to the left we could see Ron and another person (Robert from Langley) around the corner beckoning to us, so we hustled along and arrived opposite the bare branched tree to learn the Yellow-breasted Chat had just departed! With Richmond Brian’s warning that it would be at least a 20 minute wait before the Chat returned, we enjoyed the multitude of Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, Yellow Warblers, a singing Swainson’s Thrush and Bullock’s Orioles flitting on our side of the slough and across where the Chat had made its appearance.

It was longer than 20 minutes before the Chat returned, but in the meantime a Gray Catbird, Pine Siskins, and Bullock’s Orioles made appearances, along with a Rufous Hummingbird. This spot is just beside the back corner of the Swaneset Golf Course, and we could see the golfers and a mower working, while in the tall cottonwoods above us a group of crows were harassing something we could not discern.

We first heard the Yellow-breasted Chat but could not see where it was initially. I recorded a long segment with its various chatter, raucous rattle, occasional whistles and abstract noises. Before looking for this bird it would be a good idea to listen to recordings as it is so varied and loud for a bird of this size, and was our first indication that it had arrived. It did become evident with binoculars that the Chat was looking right at us and on a perch in the middle left of a tree two south of the bare branched tree it was known to frequent. Ron told us it tended not to arrive when the tree had Cedar Waxwings in it, and also that it had briefly crossed the slough the previous day and landed in the cottonwood near where we were standing. Of course this unexpected behaviour did not produce a photo. We waited about an hour and watched the bird return three times, often to the same perch, but moving through the bare branched tree and the two trees to the south. Without a super long lens, we settled for good memory photos and some wonderful chatter to post for eBird.

On our return walk to the corner to wait for a Lazuli Bunting, we again encountered the Chipping Sparrows, Bullock’s Orioles and Willow Flycatchers. There were so many Willow Flycatchers that it was hard to keep track; however, they were all on the far side of the slough so not ideal for photography. At the corner we set up our back-pack stools at the SE corner of the corner copse as we could hear a Lazuli Bunting singing and located it in the foliage. Our hope was for it to move to a reasonable position. It left the copse and went east along the levy before returning to the exact perch that Ron had told us he photographed it on the previous day. We got our photos, along with ones of American Goldfinch, and another Bullock’s Oriole before heading back to the car about 11 AM.

We headed to Grant Narrows to see the Osprey nest and use the facilities before lunch, only to find out the port-a-potties have all disappeared, so after walking to the tower and seeing the Ospreys, we headed to the Surrey Bend picnic area to enjoy our packed lunch. All in all a good day.

Now as I write this Melissa has just informed me the recording I submitted as a Bullock’s Oriole was in fact a Black-headed Grosbeak. Although with similar characteristics, the recording I did of the Oriole across the river had too much crow noise close by, so I chose one I did blind in the cottonwoods behind us, and had just assumed it was the Oriole I had just watched flying into the tree. There is an easy web site to check audio recordings on that is run by Cornell University, and I had not run this through it. So we could have seen a Black-headed Grosbeak also!

This is the link to the eBird report which has some recordings and photos: eBird Checklist – 4 Jun 2021 – Pitt Meadows–Sturgeon Slough – 28 species.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S89628011
Map:
https://www.google.ca/maps/@49.2995968,-122.6454581,2281m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

New Trails

• Huston Road, Tilbury Island – park here then walk along the Fraser, going West from the parking lot till you find the road out into the river – this is Fisherman’s Bar – and you can go further West along the river till the trail dead ends.
• Panorama Ridge – park here – officially this is all part of the Delta-South Surrey Regional Greenway and it can be accessed from several places. From this parking spot head East along the trail. West would take you back in to Watershed Park. There are some trail markers and maps along the way and many choices for how to proceed. Can head down to Colebrook Road then back up and and over to Joe Brown Park and up the ridge to New McLellan Road.
• Colebrook Park – park here – this park has an interesting half hour loop through thick forest, an open area and a wetland.
• Godwin Farm Biodiversity Preserve – park here – wonderful trees, small pond, decent trails, only 30-60 minutes.