Tag: Hooded Merganser

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!

Shoreline Park, Port Moody

A one way 3km trail hugging the east end of the Burrard Inlet. The trail was busy with dog owners, but birds were still to be seen. The Ducks were a bit far – the Burrard Inlet is not a pond – but one can do without a scope. I was treated to a few male Hooded Mergansers in breeding plumage as well as a Red-breasted Merganser. A female Belted Kingfisher with a fish in her beak was smacking the fish body on a tree branch she was perched on. Multitude of Crows gathered just before dusk, probably due to the presence of a Barred Owl. Dusk brought over 3 hundred Canada Geese who were flying west to roost.

The weather’s great… if you’re a duck

After two days taking cover indoors and checking the weather forecast every half an hour, I figured clouds and drizzles is the best I’m going to get, so I ventured outside in 9oc for a test run, and birded Maplewood flats.

I arrived at high tide. There were three good spots:

1) The east-most viewpoint of Maplewood Flats looking over the mudflats and the Burrard Inlet (you can’t get there from the trails going from the Nature House, you have to continue east along Dollarton Hwy. That was the first point I visited with my bicycle, then I headed back and parked near the nature house).
At this viewpoint I had 5 Common Mergansers, 2 Hooded Mergansers, a Greater Yellowleg, 20+ Mew Gulls and some other Gull who didn’t identify themselves.

2) The Nature House window, where I was warming up. I had 12 species just looking out the closed window, including a Belted Kingfisher and a Varied Thrush.

3) The inner pond. I was delighted to see a variety of ducks there, the few dabbling ducks I saw on the mudflats were too far for me to identify. Three male bachelor Ring-necked Ducks were among them (I point that out for the benefit of all bachelorettes Ring-necked Ducks who may be reading this blog).

Other pleasing sights were a couple of Pine Siskins visiting the bird feeders and a flock of about 200 Canada Geese flying south in two arrowheads.

I was wearing 6 layers that would keep me roasting on any sunny day… but thankfully there was a kind volunteer at the Nature House who provided me with hot tea and cookies when I stepped inside shivering. Looks like I should adjust my attire in future birding trips. I’m just not sure how at the moment.

The Conservation Area at Maplewood Flats is preserved thanks to the Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia. Free birding trips happen every second Saturday of the month. Here are the list of reported birds and a site guide for Maplewood Flats.

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