Delta Naturalists Society

With the rain drumming down and the wind howling in the Douglas Firs outside my apartment, we made the call on Wednesday morning to cancel our bird trip, and thank goodness we did because today’s outing to Queen Elizabeth gardens was a smorgasbord of sunshine, warblers, and flycatchers!

Gabriele, Margaretha, Marion, Glen, Kirsten, and I started out at the rose garden outside the Pitch n Putt, where an Anna’s Hummingbird twinkled from its perch atop a bare, skyward-bound branch; a Northern Flicker drummed on a nearby light box, making a territorial racket; Golden-crowned Sparrows flitted about; and bright yellow warblers moved restlessly within the upper boughs of the trees.  We suspected Wilson’s Warblers but only got a confirmed sighting later on.

We saw a flycatcher that pretty much embodied the typical Empidonax description: a drab, olive-grey little passerine with a crest, tear-drop eyes, and wing bars.  And as we scurried (in vain) to identify it, another one popped out of the cedars, this one completely grey, with no discernable markings. Comparing the two side-by-side, we suspected a Dusky Flycatcher.  The photos are on Flickr if anyone would care to throw their opinion at it.

Further on, in a large clearing framed by creaking trees, we chased warblers, finally getting confirmed ID’s on Wilson’s Warblers and Orange-crowed Warblers.  We also got a great sighting of a Warbling Vireo and a Yellow Warbler, with its rich, sumptuous yellow plumage and delicate chestnut streaks.  I heard White-crowned Sparrows around (with my actual ears … not Merlin) and Glen and Marion saw American Goldfinches.  Two House Finches flew over.

Across the road and heading down a steep path, Kirsten spotted a medium-sized passerine hanging out in full view at the top of a dead branch.  Its upright posture, kingbird-like appearance, tuxedo suit of darker plumage, and lofty vantage point gave it away as an Olive-sided Flycatcher, who sat quite contentedly for ages (in birdwatching years).  After oohing and aahing at it for quite some time, we continued down the path only to see another Olive-sided Flycatcher hunting for insects in the same patch of garden as a Hammond’s Flycatcher.  And from this point onward, flycatchers seemed to be everywhere!

You know, there was a point in my bird education that I didn’t think I’d ever be able to tell the difference between the Empidonax flycatchers, but with flycatchers capitalizing every new section of garden we came across,  I feel I now have a decent grasp on what a Hammond’s looks like, with its darker vest, pale yellow belly, and overall olive plumage.  Of course, we can’t assume every flycatcher we saw to be a Hammond’s, and indeed there were quite a variety of subtly different flycatchers about so, once again, take a look at Flickr and let the debate rage!

With all the excitement, we were held up for quite a bit on this path so I decided to scout ahead to the tall stand of cedars, where we saw the Barred Owl on our previous trip.  Alas, no owl, but abundant bird song seduced me out onto the open field adjacent to the duck pond where a gorgeous Western Tanager immediately caught my eye.  (Don’t you think their plumage looks like a fruity Tequila Sunrise cocktail?)  I ran to call the others, and mercifully the tanager decided to hang around.  There were also Black-capped Chickadees and Pine Siskins about.

The pond had Mallard Ducks, one snow-white domesticated duck, and a handsome Gadwall.  But it was the reeds and trees embracing the pond that were of special interest: in addition to the seemingly ubiquitous Hammond’s Flycatchers that kept bursting from the bushes to snap up insects mid-air, there were numerous Yellow-rumped Warblers trilling about.  And then we heard the keening “pee-wee” of a Western Wood-Pewee: two actually.  And within a few minutes of straining through our binoculars, we caught sight of the little dark flycatcher.

A Hutton’s Vireo sunned itself at the top of the bush, its feathers splayed out and head drooping to the side, as though falling asleep.  At first we thought perhaps it was sick but Marion assured us it was normal.  I guess the sun has the same anesthetic effect on birds as it does on humans.

The central pond in the quarry was ripe with Wilson’s and Yellow-rumped Warblers, who performed aerial acrobats to catch insects, flashing their buttery bright plumage in the sunshine.  We also heard and saw Bushtits, Dark-eyed Junco, and a Song Sparrow.  Further on, a Yellow-rumped Warbler with a large fluffy, downy feather in its beak attracted my attention.  I watched it land on a branch and stuff the feather into what looked like a pile of moss.  Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a nest!  Spring has sprung!

On the walk out, we heard the monotonous peeping of Red-breasted Nuthatches in a pine tree, one of which flitted across the road onto another tree, where we could all see it hanging upside down from a pine cone.  And then just as I was about to close off my eBird list, a European Starling flew overhead, bringing our total for the day to 33 species.  (32 If we discount the suspected Dusky Flycatcher).

Air Traffic Report*: Glaucous-winged Gulls of various stages of maturity; small swooping flocks of Tree Swallows; Canada Geese; Mallard Ducks; and two American Bald Eagles being harassed by American Crows.  Actually, the second Bald Eagle we saw had both crows and a Common Raven on its tail, giving us a nice side-by-side appreciation of the size difference in body and beak.

*I will start including an “Air traffic report” from now on, which provides a brief account of all the birds seen flying overhead, on their way to work or back from the nail parlour but not actually stopping in or hanging around our birding location.
Thea Beckman

Photos are on Flickr

Thea’s eBird list