Tag: Golden-crowned Kinglet

Eurasian Wigeons at Ambleside Park

Ambleside Park is just a pond (and I like ponds – you can almost swim with the ducks), but among the predominant Mallards and American Wigeons there were two Eurasian Wigeons, a male and a female. I noticed anybody who gets to see an Eurasian Wigeon tells about it with a rusty glare in his eyes.

Also in the pond I noticed 7 Buffleheads, 3 Hooded Mergansers, 3 Lesser Scaups and a domesticated black Swedish Duck who I met there a month and a bit ago. A bench near the pond invited an adult White-crowned Sparrow and two young Golden-crowned Sparrows, and next to another bench a Pacific Wren called and granted me a look.

My bonus bird was a Red-breasted Sapsucker in the small tree stand east of the pond.

After Ambleside I decided to explore the trail west of the Capilano River, which, according to Translink’s Metro Vancouver Cycling Map, started just north of Hwy #1. The map seem to think you can cross the river eastward at the north end of the trail. This point on the map is actually Capilano suspension bridge – but I didn’t realize it at the time. Of course, no access there. Somehow I ended up at Rabbit road. Take this map with a grain of salt.

Cycling trail west of Capilano river crosses it - really?

The trail is a place to visit again when there are more daylight hours – surrounded by tall conifers, with some side trails going down the Capilano river. It reminded me the days when I was hiking aimlessly instead of chasing birds.

Suddenly I run into an ambush of Kinglets – I noticed Rudy-crowned, Golden-crowned – if there were only two of them I could have handled it, but they were hiding behind the bushes and I couldn’t estimate their numbers. The situation was intense, and you know how these things usually end up. Luckily a Hermit Thrush passed by. I recognized him, and the Kinglets backed down.

Hastings Park Conservancy

It has a 6 lane traffic vain to the south known as Hastings Street, and an amusement park on the east known as the PNE. Yet, the habitat was created with birds in mind and birds who have heard of the park visit and stay.

The MacGillivray’s Warbler has been seen there for the last month (I was delighted to see him today personally for the second time, and fairly late in the season for our region).

The Hastings Park Conservancy offers free guided birding tours once a month. Our tour this morning started with two Cooper’s Hawks chased by a small flock of concerned Crows, ample of Golden-crowned Kinglets who wanted to see how pretty we were from a close range, a Belted Kingfisher who showed us one of his acrobatic maneuvers, and more.

It was after our group of birders dispersed when I got to see the MacGillivray’s Warbler; I also had the privilege of spending some time in the company of a new and exciting park visitor: an American Dipper, a black songbird who dives into water streams and feeds on small fishes and aquatic invertebrates. Below is an image of the same bird, taken a week later by H.D. Cooper; with permission.
American Dipper

After birding I joined a demonstration by the Friends of Hastings Park who are striving to expand the natural habitat of the park.

Here’s the birds’ list for Hastings Park.

More birding at Burnaby Mountain

After a meeting at SFU I went birding at Burnaby Mountain, but this time through the residential area. Scanning some trees at the edge of a big parking lot I finally got my first view of the Golden-crowned Kinglet, a tiny 4″ bird who usually resides at the top of trees.

Just when I ruminated, “well, I saw all the birds I had last week on the forest trails except for the Pileated Woodpecker“, I saw a Pileated Woodpecker. It was standing on a large tree stump, close by, splendid as always.

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