PHOTO: Northern Shoveler & Ruddy Duck by Terry Carr….
Ten DNCBers met at Brydon Lagoon i Langley – Terry, Arthur, Cole, Alaina, Christine, Dottie, Connie, Bryce, Bob and Dorothy.
We left Tsawwassen in sunshine but the sunshine did not arrive in Langley until the end of our outing. The cool, cloudy weather kept some of the birds hidden to begin with. The pond near the parking lot had only Canada Geese with Red-winged Blackbirds in the bulrushes. The walk to the lagoon added House Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Robins, Anna’s Hummingbirds, Starlings and Towhees. Here, and on the whole outing, we heard the “whitchety, whitchety” call of the Common Yellowthroat – but they never did show themselves. Starlings went inside a Barn Owl nestbox. A pair of Wood Ducks posed for photos.
The bushes by the lagoon had Yellow-rumped Warblers and Brown-headed Cowbirds. Swallows were zipping overhead. The lagoon had its usual neat collection of waterfowl – Mallards, Wood Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, Coots, Gadwall, Hooded Mergansers, Common Mergansers, Common Goldeneye, Pied-billed Grebes, Gulls and Canada Geese. The highlight was a gorgeous Ruddy Duck in breeding plumage. He was sleeping with his bill tucked in – but when we returned to the lagoon at the end of the outing his bright blue bill was finally on view.
The walk around the wooded area added more Anna’s Hummingbirds, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Robins and Towhees. A pair of Wood Ducks were standing on a post with bat boxes and a Wood Duck box. The female went into the box while the male stood on top. Salmonberry, Bleeding Heart, Skunk Cabbage, Stork’s-Bill, Elderberry, cherries and plum were all in bloom.
While taking our usual detour into the wooded area beyond the lagoon, no sooner had I said that we sometimes see owls in here, when Christine spotted a Barred Owl. We all had a good clear view of it sitting on a branch watching us. We were told that a pair is nesting there.
Gravel has been added to path to Hi-Knoll Park so it is no longer muddy. Near the bridge crossing the Nickomekl River was a small beaver dam. We heard a woodpecker tapping and then saw a Downy Woodpecker busy at the top of a snag.
We try to time an outing to Hi-Knoll park when the Fawn Lilies and Western Trilliums are in bloom. This year the timing was perfect. There were lots of both in full bloom. In the brush along the powerline were Chickadees, Pine Siskins, Bushtits and an Orange-crowned Warbler. There were both Anna’s and Rufous Hummingbirds. In the woods beyond the powerline were even more Trilliums.
When we returned to the lagoon we walked along the other side for more views of the waterfowl – now in sunshine. A coot was watching a Red-eared Slider Turtle.
Report by Terry Carr
Photos are on flickr
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (April 22 & 23) the outings are to Joe Brown Park in Surrey.
Meet at 8 AM at 5381 125A St. There should be enough room to park below the traffic circle on 125A St.
NATURE CHALLENGE WALKS:
Saturday, April 26: Delta Nature Reserve in North Delta
Meet at 10 AM at the SE corner of Planet Ice parking lot,10388 Nordel Court, North Delta.
Saturday, April 26: Deas Island Regional Park in Delta
6090 Deas Island Rd (off River Rd east of the Massey Tunnel
Meet at 10 AM in the parking area near the rowing club.
Sunday, April 27: Centennial Beach, Tsawwassen
Meet at 10 AM in the concession/washroom parking lot.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 