Nature Vancouver

The sky was getting brighter by the second as we gathered just before 5am to listen to the dawn chorus. We were just in front of the Nature House at Piper Spit and the birds were in full song. Circling us, three American Robins sang loudly. So loud in fact, it was hard to hear the other birds. Through the din we could hear a Western Warbling Vireo behind us and at least one, perhaps two Song Sparrows and a…

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A fine morning greeted us at the park. A few birds called as we set off but it was a quiet start. Our first good look at some birds was in a Douglas fir near the parking lot at the top of the park. A Northern Flicker landed in the top of the tree followed by a second bird. We talked about how the Flicker is an odd woodpecker as it likes to forage for ants on the ground. Heading…

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Eighteen eager birders braved a sunny morning by the Serpentine River. Right beside the parking lot, we watched a fishing female Kingfisher (Queenfisher perhaps) and a Great Blue Heron. The Kingfisher struck out, but the Heron had better luck and caught a fair sized catfish, swallowing it in short order. Heading west along the river we saw many Yellow-rumped Warblers in the trees along the river bank. Cackling Geese passed by overhead showing their short necks and small heads very…

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The morning was bright but crisp and bird activity was already high before folks started arriving for the walk. Looking out over the lake from the parking lot, we could see several American Coots, as well as more distant ducks including Buffleheads and a Common Merganser. A flock of about 40 Double-crested Cormorants passed over. An out of town visitor remarked on how dark our Song Sparrows are. Apparently, the pigment melanin, which makes dark colours, is also a fungal…

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A group of 18 birders were greeted by cloudy skies Sunday morning in the parking lot by the pond at Jericho. Looking over the ducks in the pond we found Mallards (of course), some Canada Geese, a lone male Northern Shoveler, and several Buffleheads. An interesting way of looking at duck identification, for the males especially,  by looking for where the white areas are on different species was talked about. At one point, a flyover flock of Canada Geese had…

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The South Arm Wildlife Management Area is a less frequently birded local spot, and was new to most folks on the walk. The trails meander through deciduous woods of mostly alders, down to several lookouts onto the Fraser and over the marsh to the south. Within 10 metres of our start, we found Song Sparrows, Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Dark-eyed Juncos, American Robins, a House Sparrow, an Anna’s Hummingbird, a Brown Creeper, and a Bewick’s Wren. Trying to keep many small birds…

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 With rain threatening but never appearing, nine hardy folks met us in the parking lot at ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park. Several newish and even a couple first timers were in attendance. It’s always great to have new birders along for a walk and several pairs of loaner binoculars were distributed. After some quick introductions we birded the parking lot, but without much success for a change. We noticed a few American Crows and an Anna’s Hummingbird was heard but not seen….

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It’s great when Environment Canada weather forecasts are wrong in the right way. Instead of an 80% chance of rain, the sun was out and there were only a few clouds to greet us. We started the walk at the beach in front of the washrooms. It was high tide and we spotted a group of Green-winged Teal and one immature Glaucous-winged Gull, but no other ducks and no shorebirds. After this less-than-stellar start, we moved on to the base…

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Looking North across the Serpentine River I know I’ve said this before but rule number one of birding, for me, is bird the parking lot. By the time we had all signed in beside the parking lot, I already had 18 species on my eBird list. The sun was out and warming the air as a male Purple Finch noshed on some berries by the parking lot, while a Fox Sparrow searched for something to eat on a lower branch…

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