PHOTO: Spotted Towhee by Susan Gemeinhardt…
Nine Delta Nats met at the Brunswick Point parking lot on River Road in Ladner – Richard, Stephanie, Colin, Susan, Teresa, Connie, Margaret, Dorothy and Terry. Despite the forecast of showers it was a glorious clear, cold fall day. Although we complain about the new parking lot being so far from the beginning of the trail, it is a very birdy walk.
The river was very high and rough. There were Eagles and Herons on the buildings, in the fields and flying past. Also in the fields were flocks of Wigeon and Mallards. Small groups of ducks, gulls, Trumpeter Swans and Cormorants flew past along with several large flocks of mixed shorebirds – small Dunlin with long beaks and larger Black-bellied Plovers with short beaks and black armpits.
We soon added House Finches, Robins, Towhees, Starlings, Flickers and Eurasian Collared-Doves. Double-crested Cormorants were perched on the pilings in the river. Two Eagles were perched in a nest and then flew off. Northern Harriers were patrolling both sides on the dyke path – and one flew off carrying a rodent. We did not see any Short-eared Owls. Twenty Trumpeter Swans were in the river, and more flew in to join them. We added Song Sparrows, Golden-crowned Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows and a Fox Sparrow.
Trumpeter Swans by Colin Huggett
Walking back to the parking lot, we saw more of the same birds, and added a flock of Common Mergansers flying up the river. It had been a gorgeous walk under clear blue skies with snow-capped mountains in the distance.
Three of us then drove to the Tsawwassen ferry causeway. The tide was high and the water was rough, so there was no space for Oystercatchers or Whimbrels on the shore. We did see Surf Scoters, Harlequins, Red-breasted Mergansers, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead and a Common Loon.
Report by Terry Carr
Photos are on flickr
eBird checklists
Brunswick Point
Ferry Causeway
Next Week (Tuesday only) December 23 the outing will be to Centennial Beach in Tsawwassen.
Also Sunday December 28.
Meet at 9 AM in the concession/washroom parking lot for both.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 