Tag: Harlequin Duck

Splendid Stanley Park

An American Dipper chose the Beluga pond in the Vancouver Aquarium as its habitat. The Dipper feeds on small flies who visit the algae at the edge of the pond.
The earliest mention I found of this Beluga pond bird was on winter 2007.
One of the Beluga whales, who is a bird watcher, like me, shows interest in the Dipper. Here’s a video of the Beluga whale observing the American Dipper.
The Beluga and the Dipper can be watched from the periphery of the Vancouver Aquarium for free.

Thanks to a fellow birder, I saw my first Long-tailed Duck among over two thousands Surf Scoters off the shores of the Stanley Park peninsula.

A variety of other ducks were present, males parading their striking breeding plumage: Wood Ducks, Buffleheads, Harlequin Ducks, Hooded Mergansers and Barrow’s Goldeneyes.

A Black Oystercatcher was pecking at the rocks, and an adult Golden-crowned Sparrow was well decorated as his name suggests.

Great Blue Heron

Ring-billed Gull

Harlequin Ducks

Pelagic Cormorants on Siwash rock

Irresistable ducks en route Jericho Park

In Granville Island a passionate pair of Mallards were nodding their heads up and down in synchrony, and soon engaged in a brief copulation.

In the small pond at Charleson Park, among the Mallards and the Glaucous-winged Gulls, there was a male Hooded Merganser in breeding plumage; three other Mergansers, a drake and two hens, were floating nearby at False Creek.

A viewpoint to English Bay from Volunteer Park revealed 37 American Wigeons, a Northern Pintail, a pair of Grebes at the distance and ten Harlequin Ducks, 3 males in breeding plumage among them.

In Jericho Park I flushed all the shorebirds and was left with the Geese. 5 Snow Geese, too good for the Geese crowds at Reifel, were on the north lawn; on the west side of the park, among 39 Canada Geese were 7 Cackling Geese.

As I was about to leave, the Crows got all excited. Their nemesis this time turned out to be a Racoon, perched midway up a tree, who gave me an uncomfortable look.

On the way back I ran into a group of people who were operating a stand for free grilled cheese sandwiches. The business model was simple: hand out scrumptious sandwiches to passerby, on a road full of ravenous cyclists who can use any extra calorie. If someone offers you money, refuse. That’s the kind of economical model you learn at the Burning Man festival. Go figure. I had four of these sandwiches. Thanks guys!

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