A cool bright morning greeted us at our meeting spot at Terra Nova in Richmond. One of the first birds we found was a Band-tailed Pigeon at the top of a conifer beside the parking lot, reinforcing the first rule of birding: bird the parking lot. As we headed out, a Northern Harrier was seen soaring fairly high overhead. We headed to the pond and found two Mallards and a Gadwall, as well as a Pied–billed Grebe. Looking to the…
A cloudy, cool morning with a bit of a breeze greeted us at the parking lot. As we set off, right at the trailhead we were treated to two adult Cooper’s Hawks in a snag. They then flew about for a few minutes before disappearing into the forest. We set out and were accompanied by Chestnut-backed Chickadees as we headed towards Yew Lake. Stopping to check out plants along the way, we noted Bunchberry berries, Copperbush berries, Pearly Everlasting in…
There were surprisingly few insects as we headed out on the trail and came across some Fireweed, Deer Cabbage and Copperbush right at the start of the path. A Townsend’s Warbler was spotted and then chickadees of both species, Black-capped and Chestnut-backed, soon appeared. A little way further along we came across four Olive-sided Flycatchers, possibly a family group. While we were watching these birds, four juvenile Red-breasted Sapsuckers were spotted in the snag next to one of the flycatchers….
Just around sunrise, six people joined the walk co-leaders Ly and Neill to listen to the dawn chorus on the edge of the woods at the 62nd Avenue entrance to Everett Crowley Park. For about 20 minutes we listened to American Robins, Song Sparrows and a strident Spotted Towhee singing close by for all they were worth. Distant Swainson’s Thrushes could also be heard. By only 5:30 the intensity of song had diminished significantly. At this point Ly did an…