Tag: Peregrine Falcon

Westham Island

40% chance of showers was the best I could get, so I headed out to Ladner again. This time I made a detour in an attempt to have a look at a single Northern Mockingbird who was visiting the area. Nothing! Coyotes were roaming the distant fields. Like every frustrated bird watcher, I made a call to the bird complaint department. “I told you I’m coming. Way to treat a client.” The public relations representative twittered. She asked for my location and my destination, and said she’ll try to arrange something.

Within a short while I noticed a Peregrine Falcon perched on a tree, and nearby 5 Eurasian Collared-Doves. I was still on River Road. I was pleased. I entered Westham Island, and a male Northern Harrier performed an air show together with a Rough-legged Hawk. The bird department was making an effort to keep their clients happy.

In a yard at the intersection of Westham Island Road and Kirkland Road there were 6 male Ring-necked Pheasants. Reportedly these were introduced from Alberta by a different kind of bird watchers who enjoy, ahmm…, shooting their birds.

In Reifel nothing new. At 2pm the promised showers had arrived and by 4pm the showers were turning into rain, and I was heading back on my bike, binoculars packed, no more birding today, and getting soaking wet. Guess no Hawk Owl today. The Hawk Owl has appeared in all the local newspapers and gained the status of a celebrity by now.

At 2 minutes past 4pm I passed the first bend on Westham Island Road. Through my raindrop covered glasses, perched on a 2 meter high signpost right in front of me, there he was! I wasn’t used to see the Northern Hawk Owl without all the crews and cameras. The few cars passing by didn’t stop, and for 10 minutes it was only me and him! He flew from the signpost to an adjacent powerline, dived down and caught a rodent in front of me. Then he flew to some tree and bid me a safe ride. What a dude!

Lifer #141: American Pipit!

The American Pipit is a small brownish bird who “Breeds in arctic and alpine tundra. In migration and winter uses coastal beaches and marshes, stubble fields, recently plowed fields, mudflats, and river courses.”
On a trip to Boundary Bay we had a couple of dozens of them.

As the guided trip came to its end, a Peregrine Falcon hovered over a mixed flock of Black-bellied Plovers and Western Sandpipers, startled them all to flight and left with a Sandpiper in its claws.

A day in Iona

Epic day. Took my bicycle on the skytrain to the airport and from there – a ride to Iona Island – where I spent the rest of the day (8 hours).

Walked about half the jetty. Blue sea on four sides below, blue sky above.

A Peregrine Falcon gave me and a few other passersby a good show on the jetty, sitting and having a bird for lunch.

Dozens of Surf Scoters in breeding plumage, some in very close range.

I was surprised by a female Varied Thrush on the middle of the jetty. Hope she’ll find her way to some trees soon.

Had a nice view of a couple of Caspian Terns, a lone Snow Goose flying overhead and four Ring-necked Ducks.

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