PHOTO: Red-tailed Hawk by Chris McVittie……
The fog was lifting as 7 DNCBers gathered at the Serpentine Fen at 09:00 – Richard, TK, Nick, Chris, Jim, Margaretha and Glen. The sun all morning warmed us much more than the predicted 2C would have suggested. Richard arrived early and had seen the resident Kingfisher fly off, but we never saw it again. The river had a good assortment of ducks: American Wigeon (didn’t see a Eurasian all day), Mallards, Green-winged Teal, Scaup, Common Merganser. Several Great Blue Herons lined the opposite shore. The bushes were mostly quiet until we got well around the trail.
Several groups of Canada Geese floated by – going in the opposite direction to everyone else – some of which appeared smaller and darker so we deemed them Cackling Geese. The Wigeon continued in large numbers as we passed the first observation tower. There were a few Northern Pintails on the water, and more Mallards and a few Scaup. The bushes now showed a few Purple Finches on the berries. Far in the distance, through the remaining mist, we could see a Bald Eagle perched and also another hawk, probably a Red-tailed. As Terry had promised, there were Evening Grosbeaks near the old dock pilings, flitting between several trees and enjoying the berries, chittering away just to make sure we noticed them.
Further along the river we saw Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers and Common Goldeneye. In the ponds around the second observation tower we also saw Bufflehead and an American Coot. The fields far across the water were strewn with Mallards. In the bushes we saw Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird and heard a Marsh Wren. The trail along the highway gave us Eurasian Collared-Doves, House Finches, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Spotted Towhee. The electrical towers buzzed and huge flocks of Starlings chattered away from the top. In the pond at the third observation tower we added a pair of Northern Shoveler. Northern Harriers patrolled the fields.
On the last leg of the route we saw Golden-crowned Sparrows on the trail, and more assorted Finches and Robins in the trees eating berries. They all scattered as a Red-tailed Hawk swooped in. It was about to perch in one of the trees when it saw us on the trail and took off across the fields to sit indignantly on a far-off pole. The ponds between there and the Highway were very empty. We ended the day with 39 species. We did not solve the problems of the world, though we tried.
Report by Glen Bodie
Photos are on Flickr
The outings next Tuesday & Wednesday (January 21 & 22) will be to Point Roberts, USA.
Meet at 9 AM at Lighthouse Marine Park. Bring passport or Nexus. 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 