PHOTO: Dunlin & Black-bellied Plover by Terry Carr……
18 DNCBers met on Boundary Bay dyke at 104th. It was cold and windy but the wind was keeping the rain clouds away. The tide was far out so the ducks and shorebirds were far out on the tide line. There were huge flocks of Snow Geese near the tide line as well – some on the sand and some in the water. Every so often huge murmurations of all three swirled through the air – an awe-inspiring sight. The tide came in so fast that the birds did not have room to land as close to shore as we had hoped. Some flew to the fields and back again, crowding onto small, sandy islands. The large flocks of shorebirds were mainly two species – Dunlin and the larger Black-bellied Plovers with their short bills and black armpits. Neither species were in their breeding plumage – when both have black bellies. Mixed in were a few Sanderling and Western Sandpipers. With a scope we picked out an American Golden-Plover in a field.
There were a few Northern Shovelers near the shore and flocks of Northern Pintail flew over. Our group was spread out – so only some saw a Merlin fly by and a very healthy looking coyote walking in the field. In the bushes were White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Robins, House Finches, Starlings, Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds and Kinglets. There were Bald Eagles keeping watch on sandbars and from treetops. Ravens seemed to be playing in the wind and it was giving punk hairdos to the Eagles. Herons were lined up along a flooded field. The last 3 people to leave the dyke were lucky enough to see a Northern Shrike.
After a stormy few days, we all enjoyed spending a dry morning outside in pleasant company. It was lovely to see the large flocks of geese, ducks and shorebirds arriving – and that the eagles were returning. We even had to move a few woolly bear caterpillars off the path to safety.
Report by Terry Carr
Photos are on flickr.
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (Oct 29 & 30) the outings will be to Point Roberts, USA
Bring PASSPORT or NEXUS.
Meet at 9 am at Lighthouse Marine Park (811 Marine Drive). Some people may stop first by Kiniski’s at the west end of Gulf Rd.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 