This lifer came knocking on my door, or rather, calling from the bush beside my window. I went outside to work on my road bicycle when I heard the call. Fetching my binoculars, I was in for a treat.
MacGillivray’s Warbler!
I investigated ebird and found that this bird was just seen at the close by Hastings Park, so I went there and relocated it.
I was succumbed by chirpiness all day.
Category: Birding
The Burnaby Mountain forest was quiet most of the time, with the occasional worthwhile sighting.
The first bird I saw was a lovely, tiny rodent.
The second bird was a dazzling Pileated Woodpecker in flight, who perched to allow a novice birder an identification.
As I was trying to ID some sparrows on a tree, handsome Wilson’s Warbler popped-up and said: “Hello! Are you trying to see ME? Here I am!”
These Sparrows were hiding, but I had 3 Savannah Sparrows at Centennial Park.
A Raven called, first from a distance, then getting nearer; he then came flying and landed on a nearby tree and I saw his tail; he saw me, got a little scared and had to leave right away.
Turning from Mel’s trail to Trans Canada trail I encountered a Black Bear!
The bear wished for a quite trail. I made noise. A cyclist showed up and ventured in the reported bear direction, then a couple of hikers. I figured the bear went to seek some privacy elsewhere and continued my walk.
After the bear came a small Coyote, an Eastern Gray Squirrel and a Douglas Squirrel. In some trips the mammals are as good as the birds.
On summer 2010 I hiked with people with disabilities. That’s me at the front carrying a trailRider. I discovered new local parks and usually stayed after the hike to do some birding.
For more information about the program in case you’re interested to hike in a trailRider or to volunteer, check out the British Columbia Mobility Opportunities Society.
I had to return some books to the SFU library which is on top of Burnaby Mountain, so I brought my binoculars and toured around. Signs of woodpeckers but I saw none. Fresh Bear scats right on the edges of campus. But no Bear welcomed me on the trail either.
The best spot of the day was at a small place near UniverCity where there’s access to a river. Some tiny rodent scurry near my feet there. I saw Wilson’s Warbler, American Goldfinch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Pine Siskin and some other little birds I couldn’t identify. On the trail itself I hardly saw anything.
An American Robin almost attacked me.
His companion Robin managed to call with two berries in his/her beak.
The seeds were sown at Burnaby Lake Park over the months of May and June 2010. I discovered nature in the middle of the urban jungle. I longed for more.
By July 1st 2010 I was an earnest birder.
May birds abound,
Sigal Blay
I was riding my bicycle to Burnaby Lake Park, early in the morning (According to my standards at the time; I had to set my alarm clock for 8AM to allow time for a long bike ride). Event: raking some sand at a turtle nesting site.
At 9:45am on the side of Winston street, past the intersection with Sperling Ave, I stopped my bike to pay respect to a female Mallard duck who was there with a couple of fluffy ducklings. Suddenly I realized that quackings are coming from down the storm drain, over which mommy duck was walking back and forth. The two last little ones were following mom faithfully and one by one fell down through the sewer grate too…
At Burnaby Lake Park I met a couple of wildlife animal rescue members, and together we launched “Operation Duck”. As the three of us were hovering over the storm drain, mama duck walked to the middle of the highway; we tried to get her to walk back, so she flew high up a far away tree.
Dave managed to lift the grate and had a pasta strainer handy to scoop the young ones.
Ducklings are safe and reunited with mom.
I’m a hero.
