PHOTO: Long-tailed Duck by Christine Gaio…..
16 Delta Nats met on White Rock Pier – Claude, Jim, Jacquie, Lee, Freddie, Connie, Teresa, Lorna, Mike, Dottie, Dorothy, Bob, Lidia, Christine, Susan, Terry. We had hoped to see the feeding frenzy that had been going on for several days. Birds, Seals and Sea Lions have been feeding on anchovies. The large groups were gone, but there was the usual nice variety of seabirds along with some Seals and Sea Lions.
Close to shore were Mallards, Wigeon and a Great Blue Heron. Close to the pier were flocks of Gulls, Surf Scoters and White-winged Scoters, along with Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Mergansers, Harbour Seals and Sea Lions. Large flocks of Double-crested Cormorants flew over and in the distance were flocks of Common Mergansers. Along with the large Ring-billed and Glaucous-winged Gulls were flocks of the much smaller Bonaparte’s Gulls. The resident flock of Rock Pigeons was on the Pier and Crows and Eagles flew over. Beyond the breakwater we were very pleased to see Long-tailed Ducks and Pacific Loons.
We rushed back to the cars before the free parking ended at 10am, and drove to Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach. Here Langley Nats Gareth and John joined us. Beside the spit were huge flocks of Northern Pintail and American Wigeon with some Eurasian Wigeon, Mallards and Green-winged Teal mixed in. On the shore were a few Dunlin, Dowitchers and Black-bellied Plovers. At the end of the spit we watched Bonaparte’s Gulls diving for anchovies. There were also Common Loons, Horned Grebes, Cormorants, Mergansers, Scoters, Bufflehead, Eagles, Herons and a Long-tailed Duck.
As we were heading back along the spit Teresa spotted a male Ring-necked Pheasant. We were able to get a bit closer to it and wondered how it had arrived here. We soon added Song Sparrows, House Finches, White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows, Towhees, Juncos, Starlings, Chickadees, Hummingbirds and Robins. Some saw a Kingfisher and Bushtits. Several Flickers were flying around. We heard and then saw a Steller’s Jay looking for acorns. Flocks of Cormorants and Canada Geese flew over. At the end of the Savenye area we added more Black-bellied Plovers, ducks, Flickers, Cormorants and Herons. Merlin confirmed a Pileated Woodpecker. On the way to the pumphouse we looked for recently reported Scrub Jays – with no luck. We did see more of the same, including more Flickers and Steller’s Jays. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet appeared briefly as it flitted in the blackberries.
We returned to the cars after another very enjoyable outing.
Report by Terry Carr
Photos are on Flickr
eBird checklists:
White Rock Pier
Blackie Spit
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (November 25 & 26) the outings will be to Boundary Bay Dyke at 104th St in Delta. Meet at 9 AM at the south end of 104th St. Park at Delta Heritage Air Park.
On Saturday, November 29 there will be an outing to Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen.
Meet at 9:30 AM in the concession/washroom parking lot.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 