Delta Naturalists Society

Twelve birders met at Brydon Lagoon in Langley on a crisp morning. (From left to right, Bob, Lidia, Lauris, Mike, Lee, Angela, Dottie, Grant, Lorna, John, Roger) Photo by Terry.

On the small pond near the parking area were Red-winged Blackbirds, a Great Blue Heron, a Hooded Merganser and an American Coot. Brydon Lagoon had a nice variety of duck species – Mallards, Common & Hooded Mergansers, Bufflehead, Wood Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwall, American Wigeon and a Pied-billed Grebe. In the surrounding bushes were Song Sparrows, Golden and White-crowned Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncos, House Sparrows, American Robins, Bushtits, Red-winged Blackbirds, European Starlings, Northern Flickers, Anna’s Hummingbirds and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. A Great Blue Heron was intently watching the creek. A Canada Goose was sitting in the the eagle nest. How will the goslings get to the ground? Will the eagles come back?

After negotiating a large puddle we crossed the Nicomekl River which is very narrow here. At the Hi-Knoll parking lot we saw two Cooper’s Hawks flying back and forth across the road carrying branches. We decided that they were builhding a nest. We always come to Hi-Knoll Park at this time of year to see the Fawn Lilies and Trilliums. But they are late this year. The Fawn Lilies had not opened yet but a few Trilliums were blooming. Bleeding Heart was in leaf, Indian Plum and Skunk Cabbage were in full bloom and some Salmonberries had flowers.

The group became spread out on our way down the powerline. Part of the group saw Rufous Hummingbirds and the other part saw a pair of Belted Kingfishers. We regrouped at the Hi-Knoll parking lot and searched for the Cooper’s Hawks again. They were high up in a tree across the road and we were surprised to see them mating. We crossed the Nicomekl River again and walked along the other side of Brydon Lagoon to the parking lot.

Five of us decided to stop at Surrey Lake Park on our way home. We saw a variety of ducks in the lake. Highlights in the bushes were Anna’s Hummingbirds, Black-capped & Chestnut-backed Chickadees and a Yellow-rumped Warbler.
Terry Carr

Photos are on flickr.

Lee’s Brydon Lagoon/Hi-Knoll ebird checklist

Grant’s Surrey Lake eBird checklist