Delta Naturalists Society

It was a windy windy day on the Dike at 104th St.  All ten of us (*see below) managed
to keep our hats on and the rain stayed away.  We were a little early at 9am
but the tide came in quickly – it didn’t bring that many shorebirds with it.
The crows and Eagles were having a grand time soaring slowly along the dike
and tacking into the wind as they went Westward and then turned and zipped
past us to the East.

Colin volunteered to carry the DNS scope but his sharp eyes didn’t need much
help.  He picked out some Harriers way out across the fields.  There were a
few species in the trees – Robins, House Finches, but no Owls.  Out in the
approaching water we saw mostly Pintails and some Wigeons, with one Shoveler
reported.  In the distance were sizable collections of Gulls, and way to the
West we saw a large number of Snow Geese, some of which flew overhead.  The
shorebirds included Dunlin, Sanderling and Plovers, and suddenly an Eagle (or
a gust of wind) raised the lot and they put on quite a display.  Much of the
view was looking in to the morning sun or against grey clouds with poor
light so it wasn’t the best day for the photogs.

We went as far as the pilings and by then the tide was quite close so we
turned around to get the wind at our backs and see what the tide had brought
in.  Some of the peeps were settled on the few remaining logs and grassy
islands, and some of the ducks had come in, but there was nothing new to be
seen on our return trip.

Most people left (for a warm coffee or a tee time) but a few stayed on and
went to the North 40.  It was much more sheltered but we were blanked on the
Owls here too.  Robins, Kinglets, Sparrows and Chickadees were seen or heard,
and dogs were everywhere.  We wrapped up just before noon.

*We 10 were: Colin and Stephanie, Warren and Lynne, Margaret G,  Roger,
Nicki, Glen and sleepy-heads Brian and Louise. Thanks to Brian for the 2
eBird checklists.
Glen Bodie

Photos on flickr

eBird list
Boundary Bay – 96th to 104th Sts., Delta, Metro Vancouver, British Columbia,
CA Oct 27, 2021 9:28 AM – 10:45 AM
Protocol: Traveling  1.46 mile(s)
Checklist Comments:     Very windy, high tide
15 species
Snow Goose              700
Northern Shoveler       1
American Wigeon         300
Northern Pintail        300
Eurasian Collared-Dove  12
Black-bellied Plover    X
Sanderling              X
Dunlin                          X     Thousands
Glaucous-winged Gull    150     Flyover
Northern Harrier        1
Bald Eagle              11
Merlin                  1
American Crow   X
American Robin          8
House Finch     4

Delta–North 40 Dog Park (old wireless station), Metro Vancouver, British
Columbia, CA Oct 27, 2021 11:18 AM – 12:07 PM
Protocol: Traveling   1.015 mile(s)
7 species (+1 other taxa)
Glaucous-winged Gull            6
Bald Eagle                      3
Northern Flicker                1
Golden-crowned Kinglet          1
Ruby-crowned/Golden-crowned Kinglet  3
Varied Thrush                   1
American Robin                  12
Song Sparrow                    2