Delta Naturalists Society

The DNCB trip to 104^th on Tuesday was unfortunately rained out and Terry decided to try again on the following Thursday. There was a wonderful number of species, but it was impossible trying to keep the binoculars, cameras, and telescopes dry.

Having signed up for both days, I was excited at the prospect of having the same species on the predicted sunny Wednesday. Unfortunately, there was a strong breeze and no shorebirds visible anywhere! The distant shoreline lacked the normal crowds of plovers, and gulls and there was nothing to see there except the odd patch of gulls (mostly Glaucous-winged), and a few groups of Great Blue Herons.

While deciding what to do, Kevin Louth came by on his bike, telescope on his back as usual, and informed us that there were several White-fronted Geese on the recently ploughed fields across from the “pilings”, so we decided to head up there. Along the path we made several attempts to get a look at the shore at the few access areas along the way. The American Pipits that had been seen in numbers the previous days were reduced to 7, and the Merlin who daily patrols the dyke was absent! The only raptors seen were a single Peregrine Falcon, and a female Northern Harrier. Along the way we made a point of searching the ploughed area for the White-fronted Geese but could only see the Canada Geese which suddenly decided to head for the beach, leaving the fields empty (we thought)!

Having passed the “pilings” we encountered Kevin again, and Roger Foxall, and they asked us if we had a good look at the Greater White-fronted Geese, and they proceeded to point them out in the field we had carefully canvassed… missing the 18 geese sitting out in the open! Looking at photos taken of the geese one sees how their colours demonstrate the effectiveness of “protective colouration” as they blend in so well with the background (I’m excusing us for missing them)!

On the return trip, we paused again at the “pilings” where we saw a few tiny shorebirds in the mud. Some were Least Sandpipers and Melissa later identified others as Baird’s Sandpipers. Aside from a few Black-bellied Plovers, and a distant flock of Westerns, that was it for the shorebirds. Check out David Hoar’s e-bird list for the complete species and numbers! Thanks, David, for carrying the DNCB extra heavy telescope (along with your big camera, & binoculars)!

Despite the lack of the species we had hoped to see, it was a beautiful day for a walk, and we had a great group of regulars, and it was great to see Elizabeth Perrin and Joanne Van Snellenberg out in the field! Also, Lori d’Agincourt coming all the way from Bowen Island… that’s determination. Terry will finish off the disrupted walk from yesterday tomorrow afternoon and we await his list.
Roger Meyer

David’s eBird Report
19 species (+1 other taxa)
Greater White-fronted Goose  17 In corn stubble
Canada Goose  185
Mallard  2     Flyovers
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  12
Black-bellied Plover  4
Baird’s Sandpiper  3
Least Sandpiper  2
Western Sandpiper  44     Flight of 40 off tide edge
Ring-billed Gull  1
Glaucous-winged Gull  36
gull sp.  85
Great Blue Heron  14
Northern Harrier  1
Peregrine Falcon  1
American Crow  2
Black-capped Chickadee  2
Barn Swallow  6
American Pipit  7
Savannah Sparrow  2
Song Sparrow  1

View this checklist and David’s photos online