Delta Naturalists Society

A small contingent of 6 (Pat, Manli, Lidia, Gabriel, Noreen & David) started at the parking lot and walked the road to the start of the Shirley Trail checking the slough for Roger’s Pied-billed Grebe from Tuesday that had been there as we drove in.  It was hidden, but Mallards, a Great Blue Heron, and Northern Flicker were evident as were a few Song Sparrows that flitted in the bushes.  Lots of chipping was heard along the first part of the trail but few birds showed themselves other than an Anna’s Hummingbird and Song Sparrows. A large flock of American Robins and European Starlings were busy feeding in a Pacific Crab Apple and a Virginia Rail was heard here and another two after we crossed the first bridge.

Later arrivals Margaretha and Marion joined us before we reached the second bridge and our group of 8 was then complete. There were many Snow Geese overhead and an occasional Bald Eagle as a light mist passed and cameras were quickly tucked in plastic covers but this lasted only briefly as we entered the park.  A pair of Bewick’s Wrens teased us with their chatter and a Pacific Wren made a brief appearance as we unsuccessfully looked here for Jays remembering their presence in the park last winter. We later saw several Steller’s Jays on our return walk along the road.

A pair of Ruby-crowned Kinglets challenged us in the middle of a young Grand Fir (~20′ tall) and Marion picked out the sound of a Brown Creeper which transferred trees and revealed itself just above us while a second called near-by. We passed the stump where the trifecta of Jays were frequently seen feeding last winter butthere was no evidence of them or the leucistic Spotted Towhee.  A Hermit Thrush briefly posed on a dirt mound along the trail and then melted into the dark undergrowth.  We were unable to find a Snipe out at the point and only saw a few Robins.

On the return walk which finished by following the access road, a Fox Sparrow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet and small group of Bushtits were seen along with Song Sparrows but the bushes were rather quiet other than a singing House Finch and the chattering Steller’s Jays. We were back to the cars by 10:30 and some decided to forgo the Ladner Marsh trails so Lidia, Noreen and David headed to 104th dyke as the tide would be high at 13:47 and we had the DNS spotting scope with us.

En route, as we turned onto 104th we saw a Red-tailed Hawk on a power pole and as we exited the cars a Peregrine Falcon streaked past.  Up on the dyke we could see thousands of ducks, Black-bellied Plover, and peeps which as the rising tide drove them in closer turned out to be Sanderling, Dunlin, Least, and Western Sandpipers.  Using the spotting scope we found a Marbled Godwit amongst the Plovers which was first identified for us by another scope-user.  Craig arrived and showed us a photo of a Pectoral Sandpiper and the Ruff standing together from a few days ago, and a Pacific Golden Plover photographed earlier this AM down by the pilings.

The Peregrine put up the shore birds and snatched a peep in the process which she then did a fly-by with as she headed inland to a perch. Craig caught the fly-by on camera and this permitted the ID of a Dunlin for its dinner.  The shorebirds scattered and so we headed to the pilings where Craig had photographed the Golden Plover.  No luck as the tide was well up by now and the majority of shorebirds were in the back of the bay or seeking a landing spot on the few offshore logs.

On the return walk a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, House Finches, a Fox and Song Sparrows were in the bushes and a two male Eurasian Wigeon were spotted in the thousands of ducks dominated by Pintails.

All told there were 24 species seen at 104th and 28 seen at Ladner Harbour Park for a grand total of 45 unique species.  The sun coming out about noon was welcomed by the three of us on the return walk as it had been a cool morning.
David Hoar

photos on flickr

David’s ebird lists

Yellow HIGHLGHT seen in both locations

Ladner Harbour Park, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, CA
13-Oct-2021 7:58 AM - 10:34 AM
Protocol: Traveling
3.17 kilometer(s)
28 species

Snow Goose  509
Mallard  7
Pied-billed Grebe  1
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  8
Anna's Hummingbird  3
Virginia Rail  2     Heard only different locations
Glaucous-winged Gull  8
Great Blue Heron  3
Bald Eagle  4
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  4
Steller's Jay  6
Black-capped Chickadee  4
Bushtit  12
Ruby-crowned Kinglet  3
Brown Creeper  2
Pacific Wren  1
Marsh Wren  1     Heard
Bewick's Wren  3
European Starling  22
Hermit Thrush  1
American Robin  25
House Finch  3
Fox Sparrow  3
Dark-eyed Junco  1
Song Sparrow  7
Spotted Towhee  4
Red-winged Blackbird  1

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S96084561

Boundary Bay – 104th St., Delta, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, CA

13-Oct-2021 11:11 AM - 12:54 PM
Protocol: Traveling
1.2 kilometer(s)
24 species

Snow Goose  16
Northern Shoveler  10
Eurasian Wigeon  2
American Wigeon  X     Hundreds
Northern Pintail  X     Thousands
Green-winged Teal  X
Eurasian Collared-Dove  4
Anna's Hummingbird  1
Black-bellied Plover  X
Marbled Godwit  1
Sanderling  X
Dunlin  X
Least Sandpiper  X
Western Sandpiper  X
Glaucous-winged Gull  6
Great Blue Heron  5
Cooper's Hawk  1
Bald Eagle  4
Peregrine Falcon  1
American Crow  12
European Starling  11
House Finch  5
Fox Sparrow  2
Yellow-rumped Warbler  4

View this checklist online at https://ebird.org/checklist/S96084226

45 SPECIES for the day