PHOTO: Long-billed Dowitchers by Glen Bodie……
It didn’t matter that some snow was falling in Tsawwassen … we were going to Burnaby! It looked cold but actually felt warmer than the thermometer said, and the sun came in and out all morning. Lorna, Lindly, Brian and Glen did our normal route, and we were lucky that the injured Wood Duck had been handled and we were allowed out on the boardwalk.
We were mobbed by Red-winged Blackbirds and the racket of way too many crows. The water was full of Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintails, American Coots, Canada Geese, Glaucous-winged Gulls and Lesser Scaup. Further along we saw the expected Long-billed Dowitchers and … guess what? There were 48 of them, exactly as many as were seen the day before! Further out in the lake we saw Double-crested Cormorants, Bald Eagle, Bufflehead and a Ruddy Duck. The bushes were full of Sparrows (Song, Fox and Golden-crowned), Spotted Towhees, Juncos, Black-capped Chickadees and the aforementioned Blackbirds.
Just off to the side of the boardwalk in the grasses we spied an old sleeping bag, or a pile of clothes or something – then it moved and Lorna almost leapt out of her boots. It was Camo Guy, stretched out on his belly, photographing something further up in the reeds that we couldn’t see from the boardwalk. One hypothesis – the nest of a Rail? Who knows? We didn’t disturb him/her (except for a little shriek from Lorna). (S)he was gone by the time we got back.
Our walk to the dam added a few more species – Red-tailed Hawk, Bushtits, Steller’s Jay, Brown Creeper, American Robin. We were entertained by the Douglas Squirrels taking full advantage of whomever it is that spreads seeds all along the trail (thanks!). And where the squirrels were feeding we also saw Chickadees, Towhees and Jays. An Anna’s Hummingbird put in an appearance. There was minor interest in some fungi on the rotting trees, but really nothing too exciting … it is still early in the season. What was exciting was seeing the number of trees and bushes just starting to blossom – a sure harbinger of Spring.
We were blanked on the Dipper (we seem to say that every time) and blanked on the Kingfisher (much to Lorna’s dismay) and we didn’t even see a Great Blue Heron (which left Glen in a funk). Even scanning all the dead pecker-trees along the trail came up empty until Brian saw a Pileated flying past, and Lindly saw a Downy on a very close branch (which then saw her and disappeared into the bush before we got a picture).
All said, quite an enjoyable morning outing – good company, good weather, and a respectable count of species: 32.
Report by Glen Bodie
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 