Delta Naturalists Society

We had a beautiful morning for our DNCB trip to Iona.  Even before I got out of my car, I was enjoying the sight of a Cooper’s Hawk sitting just a few metres away.  Snow Geese were calling overhead and gathering on the shore as the tide went out and there were many Ring-billed and other gull species, and some Great Blue Herons.  I spotted a single Caspian Tern through the scope.  A strange, very closely-huddled group of about 30 Coot out on the water seemed to be trying to avoid a predator: maybe one of the several Bald Eagles was trying to get at them.

The outer lagoons were fairly quiet with only a Bufflehead and a Pied-billed Grebe to excite us. Walking along the trail between lagoons, we heard and saw Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrows (arrived for the winter), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, House Finches, Spotted Towhees, DownyWoodpecker and a few Flickers.  A flock of Pine Siskin flew over. Just before we went into the gated lagoon area the front walkers had stopped to check on some warblers foraging in the bushes.  They turned out to be an Orange-crowned Warbler and a male and female Common Yellowthroat, showing very nicely; we also had 2 Yellow-rumped Warblers today.

The gated lagoons had the usual broad selection of duck species but no shorebirds for once.  The bushes around the edge had many Towhees, Song Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows and largely juvenile, White-crowned Sparrows.  I searched diligently for Lincoln’s Sparrow and suspected I had one beside the central path but it dove for cover before I got a definitive look.  Luckily, we found two more together, sitting on bushes in the open, on the south side of the lagoons.  I love the delicate colours and face markings of these pretty little northern sparrows.  This part of the habitat at Iona is quite reliable for them in Fall.

Our well-spaced birders eventually all headed back to the car park via the trail through the little woodland (another Anna’s Hummingbird), along the river bank (more Snow Geese flocks on the north bank and a second chance to view the Cooper’s Hawk that posed nicely in a tree), and across some of the sandy area north of the beach.  Here, some of our group spotted exciting fungi (we are not just birders!!) as we made our way back to the car park.

We saw 45 species of bird on a beautiful 4 hour walk.
Anne Murray

Photos will be on flickr

Anne’s eBird list