Delta Naturalists Society

Eight of us met at the Iona Beach parking: Glen, Lidia, Herb, Terry, Lee, Margaret, Mike, Roger.

Terry had a quick scan of the beach but the tide was way out so we decided to wait for later to look out there. The main pond was quiet, a few Mallards and a Great Blue Heron, Red-winged Blackbirds in the marsh reeds and (very friendly) juveniles flying around us. Large flocks of European Starlings swooped in and out of the trees and grasslands.

The bird life was quiet as we walked toward the lagoons. There were Cedar Waxwings, Song Sparrows, Spotted Towhees, American Goldfinch, Anna’s Hummingbirds (and more Herons). We heard and caught a glimpse of a Common Yellowthroat. The best part was the Blackberries, many of them fully ripe and, if you got a tart one, just have another and it will be sweet. The views of the ponds (north and south from the trail) are almost completely obliviated by the reeds in the water, a real shame because it meant we couldn’t see any of the hundreds of species of duck which were surely out on the water.

Near the entrance to the (all locked up) lagoons we saw several Willow Flycatchers all in the same spot, leading us to assume these were adults and juveniles near the nest area. We continued down the trail to the road and up on to the pipe to look in to the lagoons. The SW one was full of water but no ducks. We heard later that a few shorebirds had been seen there using a scope. We went back up the trail, heading for the river. In the trees there we saw a Black-headed Grosbeak, heard a Swainson’s Thrush and saw a Willow Flycatcher.

Along the riverside trail we saw Purple Martins, though few seemed interested in the nest boxes, and Northern Flickers, a Bald Eagle, House Finches (and more Herons). It was the bug life that grabbed us here. Terry spotted a dragonfly clinging to a branch, eating a bee, which was still trying to escape from its jaws. And as we got to the sandier soil we saw the green-eyed American Sand Wasps digging their holes in the sand. Other dragonflies were elusive and wouldn’t sit still for a picture.

To prove that we’re really Naturalists and not just a birding group who likes bugs we also spent some time on the plants. Notably the Blanket Flower (Gaillardia) which is so showy all along the trail. We noted some clumps showing all stages of development through to the round seed heads which turn to fluff like a dandelion and then sprout. Along the riverside walk there was an increasing amount of the American Dune Grass (Leymus mollis) with its fresh green fronds, opening in a fan shape like an Agave and sending up a tall stem of seeds. I didn’t mention the fungi because we didn’t see any. Did I mention the Blackberries?

As we returned to the parking lot, we could see that the tide was still pretty far out. But in the shallows nearer the shore we saw 2 Greater Yellowlegs and with them were 2 smaller Lesser Yellowlegs. Lesser Yellowlegs have a shorter bill – about as long as the head.

Lee kept an eBird list as we were walking and it shows 27 species. Not a bad showing for a 3 hour walk that threatened to be cool and cloudy but ended up hot and sunny.
Glen Bodie

Lee’s eBird checklist

Photos on Flickr