PHOTO: Redhead (left) & Canvasback (right) by Terry Carr….
Because the Tuesday weather forecast was very wet, 3 Tuesday birders – Terry, Teresa and Dottie – switched to Monday and met at the Surrey Lake parking lot. In fact it was so bright that it was difficult to see and photograph the birds on the lake.
Near the beginning of the trail were Mallards, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Bufflehead and Pied-billed Grebes. There were hundreds more in the far corner of the lake – Mallards, Green-winged Teal, American Wigeon, Bufflehead, Northern Pintail, Scaup, Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Coots, Canada Geese, Cackling Geese and Double-crested Cormorants. There were also 3 less common ducks – several Ruddy Ducks, 2 Canvasbacks and a Redhead. We did not see the Eurasian Green-winged Teal. We saw Bald Eagles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Song Sparrows, a Downy Woodpecker and a Brown Creeper, and we heard a Bewick’s Wren and a Belted Kingfisher.
Two of us then drove to the nearby Green Timbers Park and walked around the lake there. We were greeted by Bald Eagles and Crows, and a Northern Harrier flew by. Again the bright sunshine made it difficult to see and photograph the birds on the lake. They were Mallards, Wood Ducks, Common Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Bufflehead, Pied-billed Grebes, Coots, Double-crested Cormorants and a female Common Goldeneye. One of the Mergansers had a fish that it managed to get into the right position for swallowing.
We had two very enjoyable walks around two waterfowl-filled lakes on a cool, sunny morning.
Report by Terry Carr
Photos are on flickr
eBird checklists:
Surrey Lake
Green Timbers
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (January 13 & 14) the outings will be to Jackman Wetlands in Langley.
Meet at 9 AM in the disc golf parking lot on the west side of 272nd St between 16th Ave & 8th Ave. Raptors Knoll Disc Golf Park, 1111 272 St, Langley (across from Langley Transfer Station).
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 