PHOTO: Red-tailed Hawk by Terry Carr…..
Ten Delta Nats battled traffic and construction to meet at the Burnaby Lake Nature House. Although it was very cold when we arrived it was clear and the sun soon warmed things up.
David, Noreen, Terry, Dottie, Jacquie, Christine, Colin, Lidia, Margaret and Bob (not in the photo).
Christine pointed out hair ice, which was a phenomenon new to most of us. Wikipedia says that hair ice forms on moist, rotting wood from broadleaf trees when temperatures are slightly under 0 °C and the air is humid. The silky hairs are brittle, but take the shape of curls and waves. The fungus Exidiopsis effusa prevents the small ice crystals from recrystallizing into larger ones. The fungus shapes the ice into fine hairs and likely stabilizes it by providing a recrystallization inhibitor similar to antifreeze.
Hair Ice by Terry Carr
We were very disappointed to find that access to Piper Spit was closed so that Wildlife Rescue could capture a sick Wood Duck. So we started at the viewing tower where, on the lake, we could see Canada Geese, Wood Ducks, Mallards, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes, Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, Gulls and a large flock of Long-billed Dowitchers. Thankfully, at the bridge, we had a closer look at some of the ducks.
On our walk to Cariboo Dam we had Juncos, Towhees, Song Sparrows, Fox Sparrows, Robins, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed Chickadees, Red-winged Blackbirds, noisy Steller’s Jays, Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Pacific Wren and Anna’s Hummingbirds. There were welcome signs of spring – Pussy Willows, Indian Plum, Skunk Cabbage and the sound of frogs. Just before the dam we had more Wood Ducks, Mallards and Canada Geese – and added a pair of Bufflehead, a pair of Hooded Mergansers and a male Common Merganser. At the dam we looked in vain for Dippers and Kingfishers.
On the way back we spotted a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk sitting in a tree. It soon started circling above us and we strained to watch it without falling over backwards. Along the route were many Douglas Squirrels, one Eastern Grey Squirrel and a Eastern Cottontail. Some saw a Cooper’s Hawk fly over.
Arriving back at Piper Spit, we were disappointed to find that it was still closed. Some called it a day. A few of us did another short loop hoping that the spit would reopen after that. It did not.
In spite of that, it was a good outing on a gorgeous morning.
Report by Terry Carr
David’s eBird checklist (33 species)
The Saturday March 9 outing has been cancelled.
Outings on Tuesday March 12 & Wednesday March 13 will be to Brunswick Point in Ladner. Meet at 9 am in the new parking lot near the south end of River Road West in Ladner – past the Westham Island Bridge. Parking is no longer allowed at the end of River Road. The parking lot is 1 km before the end of River Rd near 30B St at 3150 River Rd.
The outing on Saturday March 16 will be to Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley (16th Ave entrance). Meet at 9 am in the parking lot on the south side of 16th Ave. 20290 16th Ave, Langley.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 