PHOTO: Ruby-crowned Kinglet by Glen Bodie….
On a sunny, but cool to start, Wednesday morning 9 DNCBers met at the 125 Ave entrance to Joe Brown Park: Colin and Stephanie, Warren and Lynne, Freddie (sans Claude), Richard, Margaretha, Anne and Glen.
There were lots of species along the forest path, though most were hard to see against the sun-dappled new leaves: Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-capped Chickadee, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Robins, Spotted Towhee, Purple Finch and Rufous Hummingbird. We crossed over the baseball diamond looking for hawks in the tree tops, but found only some Brown-headed Cowbird. Checking out the bridge added only some Song Sparrow so we continued down the trail looking for owls in the large evergreens but there were only a few Red Crossbills. The open clearing was loud with a Robin calling – the only other thing we saw there was American Goldfinch.
We went past the new dog parks and down the hill to the Greenway trail adding European Starling, Dark-eyed Junco, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Flicker and Anna’s Hummingbird. The flat trail along the stream is always a good spot. We could tell that some work had been done on the stream to clear it of debris and open it up, and a beaver dam had been “discouraged”. In the trees there we had better looks at more Goldfinch and Yellow-rumps plus Common Yellowthroat, Tree Swallow (looked like they were inspecting tree cavities for nest sites), White-crowned Sparrow and some Bald Eagles which circled effortlessly above us on the thermals. Still a bit early for the Flycatchers we often see along there.
The return trip did not add many more species. At the dog parks we took the east side route adding a House Finch. We returned to the start along the road and then back in to the forest trail. Freddie and Glen took a side trail and found Bushtit and a Pacific Wren. The rest stayed on the main trail and saw a Ruby-crowned Kinglet and a Hutton’s Vireo. We ended the day with 35 species on a nice morning walk.
Report by Glen Bodie
Photos are on flickr
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (April 29 & 30) the outings will be to Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen.
Meet at 8 AM in the concession/washroom parking lot.
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 