It was a cloudy morning, threatening rain, but eight of the sign-ups showed up in a timely fashion at the parking spot at the end of Brunswick Point. Roger was forgiven for being late as he had awesome pictures of an American Kestrel that he had spotted on “Superman’s House” – the film set location nearby.
So the rest of us who had been introducing ourselves nicely were one species down right away! Not to worry, as there was soon lots to entertain us.
A pair of Bald Eagles spent the entire morning sat at the top of a rather spindly poplar, mourning the loss of their nest tree which had fallen in a winter gale. We wondered what they were going to do, as they looked disconsolate.
After intros and the usual chat fest that follows seeing long lost friends, we headed down the dyke trail. Double-crested Cormorants were gathered on the pilings of the old cannery as usual and flocks of Trumpeter Swans and Snow Geese, could be seen and heard in the distance. A Ring-necked Pheasant in the field was an unexpected pleasure for some. A few starlings and robins flitted around, but there was a definite dearth of sparrows in the bramble bushes. The cool, damp weather was keeping them low.
Gradually as we walked along the trail, the weather improved, and birds emerged. Song Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds were particularly active, and a few Great Blue Herons were seen in the ditches. Northern Harriers cruised over the marshes looking for rodents. One Fox Sparrow showed itself beside a bramble bush. The tide was slowly receding, and Dunlin flocks started moving in, swirling around in huge flocks, and numbering in the thousands. The dense clouds of birds, swirling and twisting in close coordination to avoid predation, are one of the great highlights of birding in the Fraser estuary. We tried to estimate the total flock size – definitely in the thousands, perhaps more than the approximation of 10,000 we settled on.
Once we reached the foreshore area close to the farmhouse, the flocks were coming in really close and we watched them feed rapidly, then nervously taking to the air, then resettle to feed on the mud again. They do this repeatedly, the flocks shifting all the time, very wary of predators. Eagles sit near the tide line waiting for carcases or weakened birds. One stretch of mud had a small flock of larger shorebirds: Greater Yellowlegs, together with about 20 Black-bellied Plovers, some of which were giving their plaintive calls. We noted how the plovers stand a little apart rather than crowding together in close flocks like Dunlin.
Near the farmhouse, the bushy trail was unusually quiet for birds, and the shallow water was mainly filled with Green-winged Teal, a few Mallard and American Wigeon. The white vertical stripe on the teals’ sides showed up well in the rather muted light. One solitary Pintail sailed by. At this point, thoughts of coffee were filling my head, but Lee surpassed herself by spotting the local Great Horned Owl perched in a cottonwood tree. It posed obligingly for photos.
Other than a couple of House Finches singing, this area was also rather quiet for land birds, other than Song Sparrows and a few American Robins. The winter-resident Shrike failed to appear, but a few more Bald Eagles and another Northern Harrier (the fourth on our list) were seen, before we headed uneventfully back to the carpark.
I recorded 27 species on eBird (plus Roger’s kestrel = 28 observed). We completed our walk at 11am. Thanks to all who participated: Roger M, Johnnie Mac, Jim K, Jacquie and Lee from the far end of the bay, Dottie U., and Robert W.
Anne Murray
Photos on flickr.
Delta Naturalists Society 
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