Month: December 2010

Surfbirds at Lighthouse Park

My last birding destination for 2010 was Lighthouse Park with Debra and Harley the dog, in a calm, sunny day, -1°C. Old Harley was watching the squirrels and Debra and I were scanning the waterbirds.

After a few hours on the rocks of Eagle Point, with seven or more Bald Eagles hovering above and calling, we were rejoiced to see a flock of 20+ chirpy Surfbirds, an uncommon, stocky shorebird of the Pacific coast.

The Surfbirds put my Metro Vancouver bird species count for the year at 160 (starting from scratch in July!).

A large, mixed flock of Suft Scoters and Goldeneyes was also present, as well as a Loon, who chose to remain unidentified. Harley had some good squirrels too.

Tomorrow’s a new year.

Reifel short report


Rough-legged Hawk

Rough-legged Hawk on the road to Reifel (Photographer: Mike Bailey)

Well hidden in the conifers on the eastern trail were four Northern Saw-whet Owls and a pair of Great Horned Owls. Other birds Jonathan and I met: a Northern Shrike, a Merlin, ten Sandhill Cranes… at least four thousand Mallards… and more!!!! wow!

Raven rolling in the snow

Background: me and Andrew made it to Cypress Mountain. the plan was cross-country skiing, but it was raining there and no discount for skiing in the rain. So I went for a walk around, hoping to see some birds (specifically, I was trying to get the Gray Jay who haven’t made it to my year list since I started birding). I took the free trail around the skiing area up till the first slope down, nothing. On the way back, almost at the trail head, a flock of 8 or 9 Chestnut-backed Chickadees and a single call by a Red-breasted Nuthatch. and a Raven.

Back on the road, as our attention was arrested by a Raven who kept shoving his beak into the snow, a second Raven came and start rolling over in the snow: tilting to one side, then laying on his back with feet in the air, and coming back up through the other side… The bird repeated this maneuver about a dozen times (admittedly, I cheered every time), before both Ravens flew elsewhere.

I can’t tell whether the Raven was taking a snow bath or playing – M. Brazil in his article Common Raven Corvus corax at play; records from Japan (Ornithol. Sci. 1: 150–152, 2002) reckons it’s the latter.

Smart Raven – the people on the other side of the hill were paying exuberant prices for snow tubing – but no prices were posted for just rolling over in the snow.

Snipe in a snap

My contribution to the Vancouver Christmas Bird Count was Wilson’s Snipe. Long was this bird hiding among the grasses from me. Today’s sighting was short – I flashed the bird, and observed it as it flew away.

From all places, I found it in the Hastings racecourse infield – a habitat which is slated to become a parking lot in a 20 years redevelopment plan for Hastings Park. Contended with this plan are The Friends of Hastings Park, who would like to have a real park in the neighborhood.

So what if I’m not a Canada Goose

Canada Goose x Graylag Goose

Canada Goose x Graylag Goose hybrid at Hastings Park racetrack

Snow Goose

Juvenile Snow Goose at Deer Lake Park

Monday Alaksen

While the weather is still cooperative, I must bird! Rose early for another bicycle/public transit 2 hours commute (one way). Destination: Alaksen National Park. This park is adjacent to Reifel, so I passed Westham Island Road on the way, but no Northern Hawk Owl this morning.

Bird Studies Canada man Pete Davidson found a Yellow-breasted Chat at Alaksen National Park as he was looking through his office window a few days ago.
I’m not chasing after rare birds, but… the Yellow-breasted Chat breeds in areas across the United-States and also in south-central BC, and winters in Middle America from Mexico to Panama. The lower mainland BC is somewhat out of his normal range in summer, with only a few records per year. So what is it doing here in December?!

When I arrived, a few photographers and no Yellow-breasted Chat, so I went for a walk around Alaksen. It was birdy, and there were at least a thousand Mallards standing on the furrows of one plowed field. Apparently that’s what they grow there.

After a couple of hours I came back to the office area. On 13:15pm, a short stroll in the grassy field across from the said office – a bird – pale gray-olive above and a bright yellow breast – the Chat! I signaled the other photographers and we all started following the bird around as it flew from one thicket to the next, hiding and appearing by turns. All the while a Red-tailed Hawk was screaming, a male Northern Harrier and a Bald Eagle flew overhead and Marsh Wrens where calling.

Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-breasted Chat

After a couple of hours of Chat I headed back home. On Westham Island Road, I spotted the Northern Hawk Owl perched on a tip of a tree before I spotted the photographers (as they were not perched so prominently). The Owl moved from one perch to another, scanning the area, undisturbed by his human admirers.

Northern Hawk Owl

Northern Hawk Owl

Suddenly he dived to the ground a short distance from me, with spread wings and face down! Soon he flew back up to perch on another tree; now there was a rodent in his claws. He munched on it. All of a sudden a Merlin appeared and swooped the Owl! I was told the Merlin is a local and has territorial claims here. The Owl flew about and eventually landed on top of a utility poll, and got swooped by the Merlin again!

What a day. Very tired on the way back, and a tired, loyal, bicycle with a flat tire, that luckily exerted itself only when I was comfortably back home.

Sunday Reifel

If you want to see rare birds, you must learn to recognize the subtle clues in your environment:
Photographers

A Northern Hawk Owl was perch on a tree on Westham Island Road, bathing in the attention of a flock of photographers:
Northern Hawk Owl

According to the Vancouver region checklist of rare birds, the Northern Hawk Owl has been recorded here only 5 times within the last century!

From there I proceeded to the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, where I was stalked by Mallards and attacked by a Sandhill Crane.
Mallards

Sandhill Crane

I was trying to proceed on a road where 3 Sandhill Cranes were pecking the grass (one of them was a chick only a few months ago), and got jabbed by one! I backed up slowly, and got jabbed twice more! There were no rules posted anywhere on how to behave when attacked by a bird. Maintaining eye contact and talking to the Crane in a low voice, I managed to pass by him – slowly.

Sandhill Crane

Four Black-crowned Night Herons were at their usual perch at the entrance of the sanctuary, a Great-horned Owl was sleeping high on a tree, Bald Eagles were disturbing the thousands of Snow Geese on the far west, Trumpeter Swans were blowing their trumpets, Northern Harriers were flying over the fields, and more. Below are a few song birds who agreed to be photographed.



Golden-crowned Sparrow


White-crowned Sparrow

White-crowned Sparrow


Fox Sparrow

Fox Sparrow


Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

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