PHOTO: Barred Owls by Chris McVittie…….
Ten DNCBers met at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park on a sunny morning – Margaret, Tess, Lidia, Jim, Mei, Lorna, Christine, Chris, TK and Terry. Most of us found free parking outside the park.
This is the highest point in Vancouver and it is an important stopover site for migrants. Named after Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, when she and King George VI visited in 1939, it was the site of a former quarry.
We heard and then saw a Yellow-rumped Warbler disappear toward the pickleball courts. Lidia showed us a Cooper’s Hawk perched near the top of a pine tree. It was very quiet bird-wise until we were below the restaurant where we got brief glimpses of Warbling Vireos, Wilson’s Warblers and Anna’s Hummingbirds. We were surprised to find that the duck pond was completely dried up. Just a week ago there were ducks and ducklings there.
While we were heading up to the quarry gardens, Tess spotted a pair of Barred Owls sitting close together on a bare branch. We all had good views of them preening and then kissing?
There was more bird activity around the love locks sculpture. An Olive-sided Flycatcher, perched at the top of a snag, was joined briefly by a House Finch and another Olive-sided Flycatcher. We had more fleeting views of Warbling Vireos and Wilson’s Warblers. A Western (Pacific-slope) Flycatcher put in a brief appearance. TK spotted a Western Tanager and then more us got a quick view of it when it stopped again.
As we continued along the path above the quarry gardens, Christine spotted a Bushtit going into a well camouflaged nest. At the Bloedel Plaza we admired the flowers and the views to the North Shore mountains. There was no sign of construction for the zipline and canopy tree walk that will go from there toward the duck pond. These were recently approved by the Vancouver Park Board despite opposition from environmental groups. (CBC Report).
We returned to the rose garden where some roses were already blooming and where we watched a very vocal White-crowned Sparrow before heading back to the cars.
Report by Terry Carr
Photos are on flickr
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (May 19 & 20) the outings will be to Campbell Valley Regional Park, Langley (16th Ave entrance) 20290 16th Ave.
Meet at 8 AM in the parking lot on the south side of 16th Ave.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 