PHOTO: Least Sandpiper by Bob Winston….
Thirteen Delta Nats met at Centennial Beach on a gray, still, and mild, early fall morning — Anne, Dottie, Bob, Lorna, Connie, Vicky, Roger, Jim, Lynne, Warren, Lindly, Freddie, and David. Only crows were active near the parking lot, although later we did see a small flock of Brewer’s Blackbirds fly into one of the taller trees. On the pond were Mallards and a single Gadwall pair. From the beach you could see hundreds of dark silhouettes floating quietly off-shore, stretching the whole extent of the park. Nearly all appeared to be Mallards, with some American Wigeon intermixed, thought the quality of the light made identifications difficult. The sand was quiet except for a few crows and a dead seal.
Taking the path towards the pump house, we heard a Bewick’s Wren and a Flicker, and caught sight of Spotted Towhees, Savannah Sparrows, House Finches, Black-capped Chickadees and an Anna’s Hummingbird. A Great Blue Heron cruised by overhead, and we saw a female Northern Harrier in the distance. A sizeable flock of Red-winged Blackbirds were in the cattails, with Savannah Sparrows nearby. When the birds were few and far between some looked to the plants — Goldenrod, Douglas Asters and the striking dried seed heads of Big-headed Sedge (Carex macrocephala) – others to the full-sized ripe apples and pears.
At the lagoons, four Killdeer were picking through the mud, along with a solitary Least Sandpiper (with its yellow legs). There was a group of Savannah Sparrows on the rocks by the out-flow pipe, as well as more Killdeer. Further out were Glaucous-winged and Ring-billed Gulls, Canada Geese, Greater Yellowlegs, Green-winged Teal and more Mallards and American Wigeon.
On the return trail we saw more Great Blue Herons, an Anna’s Hummingbird, Black-capped Chickadees, Robins, Golden-crowned Sparrows, and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. Warren spotted a raptor grooming itself in a far tree, hard to tell at a distance but likely a Harrier from its facial features. You could see bars on its tail when it fanned it out for us. From then on, at least one female Harrier was visible in the air almost the whole way back to the parking lot.
As always, a nice walk was had with great people.
Report by Dottie Uhlman
Photos are on Flickr
Next week Sept 16 (Tuesday only) the outing will be to Serpentine Fen in Surrey.
Meet at 8 AM in the parking lot on King George Blvd by the bridge over the Serpentine River.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 