It had been “a dark and stormy night”, but the rain stopped by 8:00 AM when 11 enthusiastic birders gathered at the west parking lot of Terra Nova Park. This was the first outing since Daylight Saving Time, and there was a lot of grumbling about how it was really 7:00 AM. Participants were Roger, Mike B, Louise, Brian, Lorna, Johnny Mac, Lee, Lindly, Dottie, Jacquie and Robert.
Just as we were introducing everyone, two flocks of Trumpeter Swans flew over, 18 directly overhead and a large group of about 45 to the west. A single female Red-breasted Merganser was preening at the river’s edge. There were no cormorants or other duck species evident, very unusual for this spot. Proceeding along, through the playground and paths to the ponds (we had to drag Roger away from the climbing ropes and slide) there were the usual Robins, Towhees and Song Sparrows. A flock of at least 300 Pintails flew overhead out to the marsh. The pond was deserted, perhaps because water was very high, almost over the walkway bridge. Perhaps too deep for dabblers.
Brian spotted and photographered a Red-tailed Hawk that had a particularly red tail. The expected Kinglets and Purple Finches were absent from the hedgerows near the allotment gardens. Golden-crowned Sparrow were everywhere and in large numbers. They were observed feeding on pollen from pussy willows. The paths on the south side of Westminster Highway yielded Bald Eagles, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and the call of a Varied Thrush. Just where the trail turned west at the golf course, Yellow-rumped Warblers (Audubon’s) were spotted foraging in the Alder and Birch trees.
The trail on the marsh side of the dike was extremely muddy and slippery, with debris from winter storms and high tides piled up in the marsh lagoons and onto the trail. Huge flocks of Snow Geese lifting off the Salish Sea and moving to the nearer marsh were a highlight of this section. Mike spotted a Harrier and several Green-winged Teal back on the main trial.
As we headed back through the park, there were Sooty Fox Sparrows scratching in the leaf litter. Upon returning to the parking area there were at least 50 Red-breasted Mergansers observed swimming in single file upstream against the river current.
32 species observed, 3.93 kilometres walked, 180 minutes.
Louise Avent
Delta Naturalists Society 
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