Tag: Northern Hawk Owl

Glaucous-winged Gull @ Reifel

The highlight of today’s visit to the Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary was a first year Glaucous-winged Gull. The young Gull was begging for food of an adult Gull; The latter yielded and regurgitated a large amorphous ball.
Unfortunately, I was eating a sandwich at that time, but oh well.

Now, this Gull is not a spring chick anymore, I assume?
Time to get independent?

The Northern Hawk Owl was still at his usual place (coupled with another rare sighting of Birder Marc, who was keeping to more northern latitudes throughout the last winter month), and at Boundary Bay a Short-eared Owl was flying around.

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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