PHOTO: Wilson’s Warbler (f) by David Hoar…..
14 keen Casual Birders met up at Ladner Harbour Park on a rather cool, grey morning, determined to see newly arrived migrant birds. Participants today were Roger, Noreen and David, Lynne and Warren, Stephanie and Colin, Glen, Lidia, Lindly, Margaretha, Douglas and Christine McG, and me (Anne).
The weather had greatly improved since yesterday’s cancelled outing and was cool, cloudy, and dry. We did the Shirley’s Walk loop first, returning via the entrance road, and then checked out the harbour area before walking back through the woodland. The mix of habitats at this park are one of the reasons it consistently produces a good variety of seasonal birds. It has also hosted some really rare birds in the past (Lesser Goldfinches, Acorn Woodpecker) so it is fun to bird. This morning it was rather quiet after the big wind storm yesterday, and the birds were taking awhile to get moving. The action started out in the sunlit bushes along Shirley’s Walk – Yellow Warblers were giving their descending trill calls and occasionally making themselves visible between the leaves. Several other warbler species were also identified: a couple of Wilson’s, Yellow-rumped, and one Orange-crowned Warbler. These three are all common in the delta on migration. Nesting Song Sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds and Marsh Wrens were very vocal. We didn’t hear any Common Yellowthroats, which was odd. A solo Brown-headed Cowbird perched on the dead tree at the corner, a favorite hang out for these birds. Two Great Blue Herons were in the water channels, posing for our photogs. Hummers buzzed by quite frequently, but we only saw Anna’s Hummingbirds, no Rufous.
Just after the corner lookout we were faced with a huge obstacle: a fallen tree with large branches was completely covering the trail. Some of our intrepid birders sprung into action, breaking off branches with their bare hands and hauling the trunk aside, enough for us to clamber over. This area of the park seems to be particularly prone to trees falling, perhaps undermined by the beavers that live in the marsh. We failed to find the Bewick’s Wren that lives in the blackberry bushes near the carpark, and we didn’t see or hear any elsewhere this morning. I guess they are hunkered down on eggs, although I have had one singing in my garden the last few days. The waterway was quiet today.
Passing by the carpark, we were surprised by a big group of crows making a tremendous racket, obviously targeted at something in the mid-storey foliage. The “something” turned out to be a Great Horned Owl, one of the residents of the park. It did not look happy to be surrounded by crows going crazy and was hiding as best it could close to the tree trunk. A couple of singing Warbling Vireos signalled spring migration, and a newly arrived Black-headed Grosbeak sang from a tall tree. A few Bald Eagles soared overhead, and later we watched a nest with a young eagle and two attentive parents.
The waterway was quiet except for various swallows darting to and fro, and under the wooden dock. It was good to see eight Barn Swallows as well as Tree Swallows and a couple of Violet-greens. I was really keen to spot flycatchers though, as Ladner Harbour is usually a great place to find them. We often first locate them by their calls, but we were coming up dry. Finally, someone with sharp ears (David? Noreen?) heard and saw a Western Wood-Pewee perched upright on a distant bare tree. This spot was a favourite for the species in previous years. Eventually, three were seen and heard, in total, as well as one Western Flycatcher (formerly Pacific-slope Flycatcher now “lumped” back in with Cordilleran Flycatcher).
We returned to our cars via the woodland trail. It was still rather quiet, no singing Swainson’s Thrushes as yet, just a few American Robins. Remembering to look for Brown Creeper for our list, someone spotted one right away. How many did we miss while chit-chatting, I wonder! The owl had moved to a quieter spot while we were in the forest, and the noisy crow flock had dispersed. The clouds were beginning to clear but we had been out birding for 3 hours, had travelled 2.65 km, and had watched and recorded 35 bird species so were ready to call it a day.
Report by Anne Murray
Photos are on flickr
The next Saturday outing (May 25) will be to Colony Farm Regional Park, Colony Farm Rd, Port Coquitlam.
Meet at 8 am at the Community Gardens parking lot. From Port Mann Bridge take the exit to Hwy 7 east (Lougheed Hwy).
The next Tuesday & Wednesday outings (May 28 & 29) will be to UBC Botanical Garden in Vancouver.
The Garden and parking lot open at 10. We can do some birding on Old Marine Drive and in the garden parking lot before they open. Meet at 9 am at the end of Old Marine Drive below the garden (free parking). Or park in the garden parking lot when it opens at 10. Some may want to meet at the garden at 10.
You access Old Marine Drive by turning left before the Garden (when approaching from the south). See Old Marine Dr Lookout on Google Maps.
Admission: Adults $11, Seniors $9. Parking in the garden parking lot is $1.50 per hour or $6 all day.
To sign up for future outings go to the signup form and put an x by your name.
https://tinyurl.com/dncb-signup
Delta Naturalists Society 