PHOTO: Cinnamon Teal & Blue-winged Teal by Brian Avent…..
The forecast offered only clouds and a 60% chance of showers. Not surprisingly, a few people cancelled and I showed up at the Ferry Terminal at 8am. Not a lot to see – a Bald Eagle on the lamp post, assorted Gulls and some Greater Scaup and White-winged Scoters in the water. Then I came across two Black Oystercatchers (not unexpected here) sitting up on the rocks near the parking lot, seemingly unconcerned with me being there.
After a short stay, I moved on to the pond on the TFN lands. There were a few Mallards, lots of Red-winged Blackbirds and many Marsh Wrens chattering away. I watched one wren picking fluff off the bull rushes and crossing over to a bush were, I presume, it was nest building, chattering loudly the whole time. I was informed that there were 10,000 sandpipers out at the shoreline and a great many up at Brunswick Point (just on the other side of the Roberts Bank container port), but I had to rush off to Reifel.
Reifel had left the gates open to let anyone in because the reservations for today were so few. I met up with Brian and Louise, Stephanie (Colin was sick), Warren (Lynne was sick), and Roger. The first two things of note were the large number of House Sparrows all along the trail and the large number of Northern Shovelers in every pond. Doing a little outreach, we helped a mother and daughter with Red-winged Blackbird and Wood Duck IDs.
Heading counterclockwise we took a slightly different route through some of the inner trails and still ended up at the Owl corner. We had hoped those inner trails might offer some early warblers and finches in all the close bushes and flowering trees, but either the drizzle was suppressing them, or we were just a week too soon. Hopefully QE Park next week will be better. We did see more Black-capped Chickadees, Sparrows (House, White-crowned, Golden-crowned, Song and Savannah) and a few Spotted Towhees.
No Owls in the trees, and just one Great Blue Heron to be seen from the new blind. We headed off for the tower and saw some recently arrived Purple Martins on their apartment blocks with the sound of Purple Finches and American Goldfinches around us. A school group had taken over the tower so we headed for the outer dike trail. We saw Tree Swallows, Marsh Wrens, Red-winged Blackbirds in profusion, a Northern Harrier out at the foreshore edge, and some Cinnamon Teal, Green-winged Teal and Blue-winged Teal in one of the ponds. At one stop we were entertained by a Tree Swallow, a House Finch and an Anna’s Hummingbird all within a few feet of each other. A rather large Otter popped up from the marsh, on to the trail, and headed off away from us.
At the first opportunity we turned left towards the exit, given that people had other things to do with their time than get wet. On the way we saw Barn Swallows, Buffleheads and Northern Pintails. We helped a couple of mothers with toddlers get past a rather ornery Canada Goose. We finally saw an American Coot in one of the inner ponds, Brown-headed Cowbirds back near the main display panel, and 3 Sandhill Cranes (which we had heard) were waiting at the entrance building.
It was a damp day, without too many people clogging the trails, and we had a good outing. I hope Colin and Lynne feel better next week. Brian’s eBird list (see below) had 43 species plus the Gull sp., Scaup, Scoters and Oystercatchers from the Ferry makes a total of 47.
Report by Glen Bodie
Next Saturday, April 27, there will be 3 outings. They are part of the iNaturalist City Nature Challenge.
1. Centennial Beach, Tsawwassen (498 Boundary Bay Rd, Delta). Meet at 10 am in the concession/washroom parking lot.
2. Deas Island Regional Park, 6090 Deas Island Rd, Delta (off River Rd east of the Massey Tunnel). Meet at 10 am in the parking area near the rowing club.
3. Delta Nature Reserve (Burns Bog). Meet at 10 am at the Planet Ice parking lot,10388 Nordel Court, North Delta.
Next Tuesday & Wednesday, April 30 & May 1, the outings are to Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver. Meet at 9am by the Pitch & Putt. Parking is no longer free in the park. There is free parking below the tennis courts on 37th Ave at Elizabeth St.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 