PHOTO:
We were a small group – Glen joined by newbie Clara and her 9 year old son Mason. Mason’s a smart kid, knows his birds, and he and Clara help at Reifel with nest counts and banding. The day started cloudy but that burned off and it was just hot and dusty for our 2-hour walk around Blackie Spit and the Rene Savenye area.
The tide was WAY out so there was nothing along the shorelines, no ducks, no shorebirds. Walking out to the point we saw a Bald Eagle, Canada Geese, Savannah Sparrows, Gulls (but not sure which one), Crows and a Killdeer. We also heard some Spotted Towhees and White-crowned Sparrows and saw a couple of bunnies. Along the trail to the Savenye area we started identifying plants: Thistles, Common Cow Parsnip, Hardhack, Morning Glory, Evening Primrose, Blanket Flower, Mahonia, Black Hawthorn, Cottonwood tree fluff and a worm that might have been an inch worm.
In the sandy ground near the entrance to the Savenye area we saw lots of Sand Wasps with their green eyes, digging holes. The birds we saw there were American Robin, Anna’s Hummingbirds (doing their big J-dives), Northern Flickers, Starlings, Purple Martins, American Goldfinches, a few Great Blue Herons overhead and juvenile Brown-headed Cowbirds.
We’d had enough at that point and cut the trip short, returning through the forest full of Horse Tails and along the beachfront back to the Parking. Not bad – 16 bird species (plus bunnies, plants and bugs) with 3 sets of eyeballs in 2 hours on a hot day when the birds like to hide in the shadows!
Photos are on flickr
Next Tuesday & Wednesday (June 30 & July 1) the outings will be to Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver.
Meet at 8 AM at the High View Lookout on the road up to Cypress. There is a large parking area and we may see some birds there. Then park at the cross country ski area and walk into Hollyburn Lodge and Lake. Then park at the downhill area and walk the Yew Lake loop.
To sign up for an outing, click on the DNS bird outing schedule sheet.
Delta Naturalists Society 