Delta Naturalists Society

Nine Delta Nats met at 8am – Dottie, Margaret, Jacquie, Bob, Mike, Lee, Lorna, John and Terry. The tide was still quite far out and so were the ducks and shorebirds. In the scope we could see a Common Loon and large flocks of Black-bellied Plovers with their short bills and black armpits.

A Bald Eagle was watching from a treetop before flying down to pick up some seaweed. There was a Raven on the foreshore that interacted with the eagle. A Cooper’s Hawk sat briefly on another treetop and there were herons on both sides of the dike. While we waited for the tide to bring the water birds closer, we were kept busy watching birds in the bushes along the dike – House and Purple Finches, Robins, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Towhees, Juncos, Red-winged Blackbirds, Starlings, Flickers, Crows, Yellow-rumped Warblers and some other yellow birds that did not settle for photos.

The rising tide soon brought the Black-bellied Plovers close to shore – along with a couple of Greater Yellowlegs and mixed flocks of Northern Pintail and American Wigeon. American Pipits were feeding in the dry seaweed. Liz and Alan joined us and helped identify Pectoral Sandpipers (yellow legs and orange at the base of their bills). Photos also showed Baird’s Sandpipers (black legs and long wings).

We watched farm workers harvest massive truck loads of beets. On the shore near 96th were three Caspian Terns – two adults and a juvenile. There was also one Dowitcher that showed its bill briefly. On a power pole were two Eurasian Collared-Doves. A large flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and a Brown-headed Cowbird were active in the bushes. On our way back to 104th we added a pair of Common Yellowthroats and three Semipalmated Plovers (single breast stripe).
Terry Carr

Photos on flickr

eBird checklist

Next Tuesday and Wednesday our outings are to the Tsawwassen Ferry Causeway and Reifel.
Meet on the ferry causeway at 8am. The parking pullout is part way along the north side of the causeway.
Meet at Reifel at 9am. DNS is booked as a group. Non-Reifel members will need to pay admission.