Monday, May 29, 2017

Pitt Lake Monday with Mary-Jean

I booked this Monday off from work as I had a golf outing at Pitt Meadows Golf Course in the afternoon. I arranged with my friend Mary-Jean to meet me at the golf course early in the morning so that we could go birding at Pitt Lake.

She was commuting in from Chilliwack for work and took the morning off. We did the same thing last year and had a very good morning, hopefully this would be similar.

We took a quick side trip down a road where I'd seen an American Kestrel in January. There were no Kestrels, but I finally got a photo of a Barn Swallow. I'd seen one in January, but none since then.


Barn Swallow - Ladner Rd. Pitt Meadows BC

The next stop was Catbird Slough on the way to Pitt Lake. This area has a dike that looks down on the Alouette River as well as a few smaller ponds. There is often a good collection of birds here, and they are tolerant of human activity.

There are a number of Swallow boxes on the dike, this one had been put to good use.


Tree Swallow - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC

We briefly heard and saw a Willow Flycatcher with it's familiar fitz-bew call. We'd get better photos later in the day. Here's what I took at the time.

Willow Flycatcher - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC - 2017 Bird #152

Then I spotted another flycatcher, an Eastern Kingbird. This was a lifer for Mary-Jean but she could not see it initially. I'd called out Kingbird, but she'd only ever seen a Western Kingbird. She was looking for a bird with Brown and Yellow colouring whereas the Easter is mostly Black, White and Brown. Fortunately, she did see it and added it to her life collection.

Eastern Kingbird - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC

Next up was a Rufous Hummingbird perched on a tree. This male had probably completed his mating obligations and left the female to raise the young.


Rufous Hummingbird - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC

Unknown to me, Mary-Jean had spotted and photographed a Yellow Warbler. I'd yet to see one this year and missed out on this one. I'd get one a few days later in the Okanagan. I believe she saw her lifer of this species a few days earlier in Chilliwack.

Yellow Warbler - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC - Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur

We then saw another Warbler, a Common Yellowthroat. Mary-Jean took the better photo, a common occurrence for the morning.


Common Yellowthroat - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC - Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur

Catbird Slough has its name for a reason, it is one of the rare places in the lower Mainland where you can see a Gray Catbird. I heard one singing it's never-ending song and together we spotted it in a tree overlooking the river. This was another lifer for Mary-Jean, and once again she took the best picture.

Gray Catbird - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC - Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur - 2017 Bird #153

I did zero in on the bird and took this video with the Nikon::




We weren't quite done with Catbird Slough yet, there were Cedar Waxwings in the area. The first photo is by me with the Canon, the second is Mary-Jean with her Nikon.

Cedar Waxwing  - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC


Cedar Waxwing - Catbird Slough, Pitt Meadows BC - Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur

We had exhausted Catbird Slough and moved on to the Nature Trail right at Pitt Lake. As we were walking in, with Mary-Jean in front, I saw a bird on the ground near the foot of the trail. At first i thought Sparrow, but then changed my mind and said Thrush.

Mary-Jean was blocking my angle for a photo and she did not recognize the bird as a Thrush (she was thinking the brightly coloured Varied Thrush). I dodged around her and took one shot. As I suspected, it was a Swainson's Thrush.


Swainson's Thrush - Grant Narrows Regional Park, Pitt Meadows BC - 2017 Bird #154

This is my fourth photo ever of this common, but elusive species. You can hear them in any forest in spring and summer, but they skulk around in the underbrush and are very hard to see.

As we walked along the path we noticed a load background humming noise. I believe this was from Honey Bees, they are used in the nearby Blueberry fields for pollination. We saw quite a few like this one along the trail.



We had a brief flyover by an Osprey, a fairly common sight around Pitt Lake.


Osprey - Grant Narrows Regional Park, Pitt Meadows BC

It was quieter on this trail compared to Catbird Slough. We did find one spot where a Willow Flycatcher was posing on a snag for us. Here's a photo from each of us, ladies first.


Willow Flycatcher - Grant Narrows Regional Park, Pitt Meadows BC - Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur


Willow Flycatcher - Grant Narrows Regional Park, Pitt Meadows BC

Mary-Jean nailed this one of a Cedar Waxwing.


Cedar Waxwing - Grant Narrows Regional Park, Pitt Meadows BC - Photo by Mary-Jean Payeur

I caught a couple of shots of a Crow just as it took off from a perch. Here's the best of that series.

Northwestern Crow - Grant Narrows Regional Park, Pitt Meadows BC

Finally, as we headed out we saw a Bullock's Oriole. It was too brief to even raise cameras, but this was Bird # 155 for me. I'd have pictures a few days later in the Okanagan.



Saturday, May 27, 2017

Creeper at Sandpiper Golf Course

This is a real short post. While playing golf on the 18th hole at Sandpiper golf course in Harrison Mills, my friend Gary hit a shot into the trees. This area of the course had primarily coniferous trees - a likely place to see a Brown Creeper. I tried to get a photo with my IPhone, but the bird was constantly on the move.

I'd brought my Nikon and ran back to the cart to retrieve it. The bird stayed in the area and I got one shot that had decent focus.


Brown Creeper - Sandpiper Golf Course, Harrison Mills BC - 2017 Bird # 151

The only other photo I took was this shot from inside the on-site restaurant.



The food is very good here if you're ever in the area.

Monday, May 22, 2017

Victoria Day at the Colony (Farm Regional Park)

I decided to concentrate on only one location on this holiday Monday, as it seemed I was spending as much time driving as birding on some weekends. It was about this time last year that the Black-headed Grosbeaks arrived here, so they were my target bird for the day.

The walking trail that parallels the Lougheed Highway was where I had success previously. It didn't take long for me to hear a Grosbeak song, similar to a Robin but more melodic. For a large bird, they can be hard to find high up in the treetops. My first photo was a bit obscured, the second one caught the bird in the open.


Black-headed Grosbeak - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC - 2017 Bird #149

The male is quite different looking from the female, she is more brownish with no black to speak of. I only saw the singing males on this day. This photo is a better capture.


Black-headed Grosbeak - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

Also present were numerous Cedar Waxwings, but they were also high up in the trees. This is a long distance zoom with the Nikon.

Cedar Waxwing- Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

The north end of the park is bordered by the Coquitlam River, quite a bit below my vantage point. Looking down, I saw some movement and found a Spotted Sandpiper on the shoreline. I had to use the super zoom again. I did not realize until I saw this photo on the computer that there were two of them.

Spotted Sandpiper - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

Here's a closer look at one of them. As mentioned in my previous post from Iona, it's a treat to see them in breeding plumage. In Fall they are just brown and white.


Spotted Sandpiper - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

On my way back to where I'd parked, I took some more shots of the birds I'd seen on my way in.

Black-headed Grosbeak - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

Cedar Waxwing- Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

I moved east to the main parking lot and met another birder and his wife. We spent some time looking for Lazuli Bunting but had no luck. They had parked on the far east side of the park and mentioned they had seen Eastern Kingbird on the way in. I decided I could do some more walking and headed that way with them.

The park is bounded by the Coquitlam River. This is the main bridge for crossing from west to east. That's the Port Mann bridge in the background.


We did spot the Kingbird, but it was quite distant. I couldn't locate it with the Nikon, so this cropped photo from the Canon was the only one that turned out. I knew I'd see more of them on my upcoming trip to the Okanagan in early June. This was my 150th species of the year!

Eastern Kingbird - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC - 2017 Bird # 150

There's a marsh area on the east side of the park where there are plenty of Blackbirds. 

Red-winged Blackbird - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

On my way back I saw a couple of our more common Sparrows.

Song Sparrow - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

White-crowned Sparrow - Colony Farms Regional Park, Coquitlam BC

I'd spent nearly four hours in the park and the heat in the afternoon meant it was time to head for home.


Sunday, May 21, 2017

Sunday at Queen E and Iona Regional Parks

This Sunday had a real mix of places and birds. The last stop would be the best by far.

I started out at John Hendry Park (better known as Trout Lake) chasing some bird report that I don't even remember as I write this. There were very few birds there, so I changed course and headed for Queen Elizabeth Park.

I always park near the golf course and tennis grounds and was greeted by the sounds of a Chickadee as I got out of the car.


Black-capped Chickadee - Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver BC

Near the pitch and putt course I met some Asian birders who were busily snapping photos. I saw what they were shooting - Bushtits. I took a couple of decent shots of this always entertaining small bird.

Bushtit - Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver BC

Bushtit - Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver BC

I made my way across the park towards the Duck Pond hoping to see some flycatchers or warblers, but there were none. The migration bonanza appeared to be over. 

My next stop was Richmond where I visited Iona Regional Park near the Airport. I was hoping to see some migrating shorebirds and possibly some late Warblers. I entered the gate by  the sewage ponds and immediately spotted a pair of Gadwall ducks, first the male and then the female.

Gadwall - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

Gadwall (F) - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

Another species of duck that can be seen on the ponds in late spring is the Blue-winged Teal. Today was my lucky day, I spotted some with my scope, but they were too far away for photos.

As I made my way to the end of the pond, near the gate to the rest of the park, a pair took flight. This shot shows how they get their name, the female is leading the way.

Blue-winged Teal - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC - 2017 Bird #146

I went through the gate and headed north towards the path along the Fraser River. There are nesting boxes for Purple Martins mounted on pilings in the river. I was able to get some better photos than the ones in previous posts from Blackie Spit in Surrey.

Purple Martin - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

The darker birds are males, the ones with white breasts and head are females. Here's a cropped close-up of a pair.

Purple Martin - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

Some of the boxes are used by Tree Swallows, the Martins don't seem to mind them.

Tree Swallow - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC


On my way back to the Sewage Ponds I spotted a familiar Spring migrant, the Cedar Waxwing. The photo quality is poor, I'd get some better ones in the coming weeks.

Cedar Waxwing - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC - 2017 Bird #147

As I re-entered the Sewage pond area I was very fortunate to see that a few Cinnamon Teal had arrived. Although their plumage is very different, this species is very closely related to the Blue-winged Teal. In fact they sometimes interbreed, producing hybrids. The plumage on the male Cinnamon Teal is unmistakeable.


Cinnamon Teal - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

You can see the similarities in the two species in this shot, both males.


Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

Here's a couple of male Blue-winged:


Blue-winged Teal - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

As I was about to leave I met up with another birder and we walked out together. We disturbed a Killdeer as we passed and it made the usual fuss that they are famous for.


Killdeer - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC

We then "spotted" another mid-sized shorebird. A quick check with the scope showed that it was a Spotted Sandpiper. In spring breeding plumage the spots are very evident. In Fall, the bird is a basic brown and white.


Spotted Sandpiper - Iona Regional Park, Richmond BC - 2017 Bird #148

It was mid-afternoon by now and time to head for home.

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Saturday evening visit to Point Roberts

It was a spur of the moment decision to take an after dinner trip to Point Roberts and Lighthouse Marine Park with my wife Edith. I didn't expect much in the way of birding, but took the more compact Nikon with me just in case.

Early on we saw some Surf Scoters near the shore.


Surf Scoter - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA

While we strolled towards the local campground, I kept alert for any other birds. Suddenly I noticed a Loon fairly close from the shoreline and zoomed in. It was a Pacific Loon, probably getting ready to head north for breeding.


Pacific Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2017 Bird #145

I followed the Loon back towards the parking lot, trying to get the sun at my back. But every time it dove and resurfaced, it had outpaced me. This is the best shot I took during the chase.


Pacific Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA

That was it for birding excitement, we filled up with gas and headed home.

Saturday, May 13, 2017

Saturday Evening at Blackie Spit

I played golf earlier in the day and Sunday was Mother's Day, so this was my only chance to get out on this weekend. Blackie Spit at Crescent Beach is only 15 - 20 minutes away from home, so I made a quick visit after dinner.

I was hoping to see some Eurasian Wigeon, even though it's late in the year for them. However, there was no wildlife on the spit, so I moved over the the Nature area on the southeast side of the park.

It was a nice evening and the tide was in.



I checked to see if the Purple Martins that I'd seen in April were still around. It was a little sparse, but I spotted a few. I could also hear them overhead as they hunted for insects. A female was on a nest box, possibly guarding some nestlings.


Purple Martin (F) - Blackie Spit, Surrey BC

There were swallows overhead as well and I was very lucky to catch a Violet-green as it flew over.


Violet-green Swallow - Blackie Spit, Surrey BC

Another long distance photo of the Martins, the male had returned.


Purple Martins - Blackie Spit, Surrey BC

While looking across the water at the Martins I noticed some movement in the water. It was a Harbor Seal enjoying the fading light of the day.


Harbor Seal - Blackie Spit, Surrey BC

In the next photo you can see the nictitating membrane that protects the eyes when the seal is under water. It shares this adaptation with some birds, such as the American Dipper.


Harbor Seal - Blackie Spit, Surrey BC


This video shows the membrane quite well. It also reflects the tranquility of those few minutes that we shared.




It was a beautiful ending to the day.