PHOTO: Steller’s Jay with Acorn, by Susan Gemeinhardt….
Five Delta Naturalists met (casually, of course) in the Blackie Spit parking lot on a beautiful morning: Bob, Dottie, Connie, Colin and Susan. Given that there had been heavy rain the day before and more was predicted in the evening, we felt lucky to feel the sun on our faces and see the clouds clearing. If only there were birds.
The tide was out and the mudflats looking inland were empty. Two Common Loons and a seal were near to shore, but everything else was gathered on distant sandbars— a white patch presumably of gulls and a brown area of hauled up seals. On the point of another sandbar was a gathering of Great Blue Herons, with a few more standing out in the middle of the bay, the water level just over their knees. Huddled by the side of the sandbar was a long, dark line formed by hundreds of ducks — too far out for binocs but they looked to be American Wigeon in the cameras. Flying over were Canada Geese and Glaucous-winged Gulls. Connie saw a small group of Short-billed Gulls and Susan was first to spot a Caspian Tern.
Heading to the Rene Savenye Environmentally Sensitive area, we saw Greater Yellowlegs on the mud in the distance, and a lot of agitated Crows chasing something we couldn’t identify. Inside the area were Black-capped Chickadees, an Anna’s Hummingbird, Song Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrows and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Starlings were on the Purple Martin boxes, and further out, over the water, a flock of Snow Geese was flying in, the first of the year for all of us. In the mud looking towards the pump house were two Killdeer, but no herons or other shorebirds. Completing the loop of the Savenye area we saw a group of Black-bellied Plovers, (juveniles, with white bellies), on the shore and a Red-tailed Hawk posing in a tree for pictures – probably what the crows had been after. We added Dark-eyed Junco, Towhees and American Goldfinches on the way out, and Colin snagged a photo of a Peregrine Falcon flying overhead.
Walking along the lagoons towards the pump house we saw Goldfinches, House Finches, Towhees and a well-lit Anna’s Hummingbird in the bushes and a group of seven Stellers’s Jays moving through the young oak trees, feeding on acorns. Mallards were in the ditch to the left.
Continuing on to the community gardens we added an adult Bald Eagle, but no other new birds. Hummers and Chickadees were active in the garden where flowers were now the stars –sunflowers, calendulas, zinnias and cosmos and so many gorgeous dahlias in so many gardens.
Report by Dottie Uhlman
Photos are on flickr
On Saturday, October 4, Thea will lead an outing to Reifel Bird Sanctuary.
Meet at Reifel at 9 am. DNS has been booked as a group. You do not need to book parking – just tell the gatekeeper that you are part of the DNS group booking. Non-Reifel members will need to pay admission.
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (October 7 & 8) the outings will be to the Tsawwassen Ferry Causeway & Reifel Bird Sanctuary.
Some people may meet on the ferry causeway at 8 am before going to Reifel. The parking pullout is part way along the north side of the causeway.
Meet at Reifel at 9 am. DNS has been booked as a group. You do not need to book parking – just tell the gatekeeper that you are part of the DNS group booking. Non-Reifel members will need to pay admission.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 