Delta Naturalists Society

An excellent outing to Joe Brown Park. The biggest challenge was parking – we took over all the space along the side of 125A Street right to the bottom of the hill. There were 16 of us with almost no carpooling – Ken and Anne were back! and Jean too! plus Angela, Ontario Brian, Gabriele, Jacquie, Johnny Mac, Lidia, Mike and Lorna carpoolers, Margaret, Marion, Richard H, Bryan DeB and Glen. That’s enough people who hadn’t seen each other in quite a while that we needed a round of introductions.

We started off on the Jim Arnold Trail through the woods. Lots of birding by ear (and by Merlin) but not too much that came out to be seen. There were Pacific Wren, Steller’s Jay, Brown Creeper, both Chickadees, Willow and Pacific-slope Flycatchers and Swainson’s Thrush. At the first junction we decided the bugs weren’t too bad, so continued on through the forest till we reached the baseball diamond. There on the infield and the outfield were at least 15 Robins, maybe 20. Must be good grass for worms.

Continuing on down the road, we ran into Liz out walking the dog, and she told us where we might see an Owl further along our path. We walked on and heard some Black-throated Gray Warblers and spied a Bewick’s Wren. We looked for the Owl, but no luck – we saw only a bunny, and continued on to the meadow. On the side loop off the meadow we heard a pair of Western Tanagers calling. Then Brian and Bryan caught up with us again to say that they had found the Owl. So we retraced our steps a little to see the small Barred Owl perched up on a bare branch offering good looks, but bad lighting.

We continued on past the dog enclosures and down the hill to the Delta-South Surrey Regional Greenway Trail. Lots of activity in the trees – many of them were Robins, but Chickadees, Towhees and Swainson’s Thrush as well. Overhead we saw a pair of Red-tailed Hawks flying circles along the edge of the ridge. The smaller one is the male, and the larger one is the female, and the inter-play between them in the air may be just a little foreplay before another brood.

The last stretch of the Greenway trail leading to Colebrook Road runs along a small stream, and is always a good spot for birding. This day wasn’t brilliant, but we did see Cedar Waxwings, a Brown-headed Cowbird, a Common Yellowthroat, heard quite a few Willow Flycatchers, some indeterminant Swallow, a female Black-headed Grosbeak and a Hairy Woodpecker.

The group had spread out quite a bit by this point, either not wanting to come down the hill (and therefore having to go back up) or just trying to get some time out of the direct sun. The last stragglers (you know who you are) made it back up to the horse corral to find almost everyone else sitting in the shade at a picnic table, waiting. Glen forced everyone to help create the eBird list, we took a group picture (unfortunately minus a few earlier departures) and made our way back to the cars. Thanks to all for a nice morning of birding.
Glen Bodie

Photos on Flickr

Here follows our eBird list:
Traveling – 3.26 km – 170 minutes – 35 Species

2 Mallard
1 Anna’s Hummingbird
1 Rufous Hummingbird
1 Bald Eagle
2 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Barred Owl
1 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker
X Northern Flicker
1 Olive-sided Flycatcher
X Willow Flycatcher
X Pacific-slope Flycatcher
1 Hutton’s Vireo — Heard only
2 Warbling Vireo
2 Steller’s Jay
1 Common Rave
X Black-capped Chickadee
2 Chestnut-backed Chickadee
2 swallow sp.
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch
1 Brown Creeper
1 Pacific Wren
1 Bewick’s Wren
X Swainson’s Thrush
X American Robin — Fields full
5 Cedar Waxwing
X House Finch
2 American Goldfinch
X Song Sparrow
5 Spotted Towhee
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
1 Common Yellowthroat
3 Black-throated Gray Warbler
2 Western Tanager
1 Black-headed Grosbeak