It was a little more overcast / misty / damp than expected, but not enough to keep Thea, Rosemary, Richard, David, Noreen, Liz, Alan, Anne, Lidia, Pat and Glen off the trail. The greater barrier was the extra kilometer to walk at the start of the route, and again at the end! Thanks Delta! The Fraser was completely still as we arrived with no ripples, and no birds except a few Trumpeter Swans at the far shoreline and a wishful guess of maybe a Red-throated Loon.
That first extra kilometer of walking did have one benefit – we discovered where all the Eurasian Collared-doves go at night. Flock after flock flew out of the trees. We counted so many that eBird asked if we had made a mistake. As we walked on, we added lots of Eurasian Starlings, American Robins, assorted Sparrows (Song, Fox, White-crowned), Spotted Towhees, Dark-eyed Juncos and our first Great Blue Heron. A small flock of Black-bellied Plovers flew overhead. Still nothing on the river until we saw a few Double-crested Cormorants on the pilings.
As we approached the bench at the first corner there was a loud beating of wings – Dunlin! Several separate huge murmurations of them leaving the shoreline area ahead of us, swooping over the fields and heading up river. I forgot to even raise my camera. Wow! At the corner we met a fellow from Vancouver Island who was there to photograph Short-eared Owls. He had seen one, but none appeared as we were there talking with him. We did add a Downy Woodpecker.
Continuing towards the farm we added a Northern Shrike, Northern Flicker, Northern Harrier and some more Trumpeter Swans flew overhead. High tide was scheduled for about noon so there was nothing to see at the shoreline, but we heard a huge flock of Snow Geese way off in the distance near the Roberts Bank terminal – we just couldn’t quite see them through the mist.
Approaching the farmhouse, we saw 2 more adult Bald Eagles and some falcon which, when it called out to complain about the eagles, was determined to be a Peregrine Falcon. There was finally a flock of ducks off-shore ahead of us. We added Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Mallard, Gadwall and a few Northern Pintail. No shorebirds due to the high tide. In the foreshore bushes we added some Bushtits, Chickadees, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Bewick’s Wren.
On the way back the mist seemed to roll in more heavily, feeling quite wet, and obscuring what little view we had to start with. We did finally pick out a Short-eared Owl perched on a stump out in the flats, and the Shrike made another appearance. The long walk back to the cars covered all the same species except we added some Mergansers out in the water, but not sure if Common or Red-breasted. Our total was 39 species.
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (Dec 12 & 13) the outings will be to
Boundary Bay Dyke at 64th St.
Meet at the south end of 64th St at 830 am.
SUNDAY Dec 17
LADNER CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT (including Tsawwassen).
If you can help in Tsawwassen please contact Anne Murray birdingannie@gmail.com
For other areas in the Ladner count contact Yousif Attia ysattia@gmail.com
Delta Naturalists Society 
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