PHOTO: Cedar Waxwing by David Hoar…..
The forecast rain had soaked everything overnight and discouraged many so we morphed the usual birding outing into a walk with umbrellas. We started at the tower where one Black-capped Chickadee made a brief wet showing and a pair of Double-crested Cormorants did a fly by down river. An occasional crow flew overhead from their night roost in Burnaby and that was the limit of bird activity.
Jeff Smith joined us and we headed along the riverside dyke finding the noise made by the raindrops on the leaves provided white noise making bird sounds only occasionally and transiently evident. A few small birds scurried from one side of the path to the other (probably Song Sparrows) and a Bald Eagle flew over followed by an occasional Glaucous-winged Gull. Recent information indicated the path would be closed over the Deas Tunnel entrance during construction of the new tunnel crossing, but this had not happened yet; however, persistent rain convinced us to turn south and continue back around rather than continuing West. Another Bald Eagle could be heard calling in the area over the tunnel but it was not visible in the mist and rain. We heard more Chickadees amongst the pine trees and saw several along with one Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Intermittently we used Merlin to listen and it only added a Spotted Towhee to that point.
As we came adjacent to the family campground, Jean Michel found us and we four continued listening to rain mostly. A lone Cedar Waxwing perched high on an Alder snag and just sat there looking bedraggled. Where the side trail heads out to the river viewing bench opposite River House Restaurant & Pub we heard and then saw Canada Geese on the far shore along with one lone Great Blue Heron.
As we returned to the main trail the rain slowly trickled out and some bird activity became evident starting with a Northern Flicker. The characteristic call of the Western Wood-Pewee focused out attention on the flitting bird and along with it came the call of a Downy Woodpecker. The only others to join that party were Black-capped Chickadees. A Pacific Slope -oops- now called Western Flycatcher, was calling in the Alder bush but it was not localized. No sign of Thrush or Robin in the daisy and Blanket Flower field but a Bewick’s Wren called in the thick brush along the slough side. As the weather continued to improve we completed our circuit where we had started and although the birds were few in number, it was a reasonable morning for a stroll (with umbrellas).
Report by David Hoar
Blanket Flower by David Hoar
Blanket Flower by David Hoar
Oregon Grape by David Hoar
Slough Wreck by David Hoar
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (August 12 & 13) the outings will be to Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley (16th Ave entrance).
Meet at 8 am in the parking lot on the south side of 16th Ave. 20290 16th Ave.
Delta Naturalists Society 