Delta Naturalists Society

Some Delta Nats took part in the annual Christmas Bird Count. This is a short report on Area I – Tsawwassen south of 56th Street.

At the Beach Grove Golf Course ponds, Chris, Jim and I had Mallards, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, Ring-necked Ducks, and a Kingfisher. Feeders at one house had Bushtits, Nuthatches and both Chickadees. Dave Robinson showed us the two Barn Owls on camera in the Earthwise Barn. There were large flocks of ducks on the Southlands fields and 3 Red-tailed Hawks in trees. There was a Sharp-shinned Hawk in a tree on Eden Crescent and 5 Golden-crowned Kinglets posed at our feet.

At and around Beach Grove Park, Roger, Rose & Mike had a Great Horned Owl, Shrike, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Peregrine, 1000 Scaup, 300 Sanderling.

Kathryn & Debbi had an Orange-crowned Warbler at their feeder. Debbi saw 2 Wilson’s Snipe, Lincoln’s Sparrow and heard a Virginia Rail at the park behind Boundary Bay School, and saw all 3 Scoters at the beach.

On the trails around Centennial Beach, Alan, Liz and Laura had Shrike, Peregrine Falcon and 2 small flocks of Common Redpolls.

Along the shore at Centennial Beach, David, Noreen & Margaretha had Shrike (maybe the same one), Peregrine, Cooper’s Hawk, large flocks of Sanderling, Brant, Scaup, Wigeon, Mallards, Green-winged Teal, White-winged Scoters, Sanderling and Yellowlegs. They returned to the Bert Brink trail at 4pm and added Short-eared Owl and Rough-legged Hawk, and heard 2 Virginia Rails. On the way out of the park they saw a flock of Cackling Geese leave the field, and a Barn Owl cross the road and over the new hops poles.
Terry Carr

Photos on Flickr