Delta Naturalists Society

Eight of us met at the washrooms or beach area about 8 AM.  David & Noreen were a few minutes late as they stopped to photograph a pair of Caspian Terns sitting on a log along the causeway to Iona.  Chris, Jim, Kirsten, Roger 2, Mike B2 and Lidia were already at the beach and shortly after, Roger 1 and Rose arrived but said they were headed to the ponds and were not joining us.

We decided to head directly to the ponds as it was just after high tide and only gulls and Great Blue Herons were obvious although Chris, who was further south on the beach, captured photos of a pair of Baird’s Sandpipers that landed in the sea lettuce beside him.

About 8:20 we drove to the east gate and entered by the SE pond where lots of Sandpipers (Least and Western) a singleton Red-necked Phalarope, some Yellowlegs, and numerous gulls (mostly Ring-billed although Jim K captured an unusual one with his camera) and ducks (Mallards) along with occasional Killdeer.  Roger 1 and Rose had scopes, and scanned the ponds for odd ones, but it was not until they got to the NE pond that they sighted a Pectoral and a Baird’s mixed in with many other ducks, crows, Yellowlegs (many Lesser and a few Greater) and one Long-billed Dowitcher.

The main group went west between the two ponds and observed a Merlin flying over Green-winged Teal, and Mallards in the NW pond, and a Brown-headed Cowbird on the road.  Circling the SE pond, we did not see any other unusual birds, but an Anna’s Hummingbird was flitting in the bushes.

We returned to the washroom area, and did a circuit past the Bird Banding hut (in operation with mist nets) and then north along the fence where a female Black-headed Grosbeak was feeding on blackberries, and although a Willow Flycatcher was heard, it was not seen here.

As we completed the circle of the outer ponds we encountered Northern Flickers, Savannah Sparrows, and, in the pines along the shore, a Yellow Warbler challenged the photographers by moving quickly through the vegetation.  As the tide was well out by now, there were lots of gulls, a few Great Blue Heron and a flight of Double Crested Cormorants evident flying past.

As it was 11 AM when we got back to the parking lot, we called it a day and headed home.
David Hoar

Photos are on flickr

eBird Checklist – 25 Aug 2021 – Iona Island (General) – 19 species (+1 other taxa)

eBird Checklist – 25 Aug 2021 – Iona Island Inner Ponds – 17 species (+2 other taxa)

There were 33 species plus the extra gull Jim K photographed if we get an ID.

Iona Island Inner Ponds, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, CA
Aug 25, 2021 8:22 AM – 9:28 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.8 kilometer(s)
17 species (+2 other taxa)
Mallard 24
Green-winged Teal 8
Anna’s Hummingbird 1
Killdeer 3
Baird’s Sandpiper 1
Least Sandpiper 120
Pectoral Sandpiper 1
Western Sandpiper 15
Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 1
Red-necked Phalarope 1
Greater Yellowlegs 2
Lesser Yellowlegs 17
Ring-billed Gull 5
gull sp. 24
Merlin 1
American Crow 57
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 8
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S93739946