Nature Vancouver

Trip Report by Thomas Plath Another great outing for shorebirds was had at Reifel Bird Sanctuary for the 13 participants. This was an early morning high tide that was dropping and to my dismay the Reifel manager Kathleen, informed us of a Peregrine that had flushed the shorebirds out of West Field. The House pond had the usual fall gathering of dozens of Greater Yellowlegs and Long-billed Dowitchers but also present were two juvenile Pectoral Sandpipers much like a large version of…

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Trip Report by Thomas Plath Despite the rain seven people showed up at 104th Street, Boundary Bay at 3PM. We walked up to the dike and in front of us were hundreds of Black-bellied Plover, several Semipalmated Plovers, some peep, and a distant Short-billed Dowitcher. An adult female Peregrine flew in leisurely offering great looks, eventually flushing the shorebirds. It was still raining steady with no end in sight so we decided to change plans and head to the Tsawwassen Ferry…

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Trip Report by Thomas Plath Seventeen observers enjoyed a great afternoon of birding at Reifel Refuge. The sanctuary manages the ponds for shore birds during fall migration and they did not disappoint. The sanctuary is a RAMSAR site and one of the best places to view shore birds during fall migration in our region. The house pond gave us close, leisurely views of Long-billed Dowitchers and both species of yellowlegs. Overhead the buzzy calls and chattering of Purple Martins were…

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Trip report by Tom Plath Twenty-two participants enjoyed a somewhat hazy and cool evening studying shorebirds along the Boundary Bay dike between 104th and 96th Street. Initially the shorebirds were far out along the tide line however the rising tide pushed the birds in. Amongst the few hundred breeding and non-breeding plumaged Black-bellied Plovers were a few other wader species. A breeding plumaged Red Knot was wandering about the plovers but unfortunately was far and views poor, even with a scope. A couple…

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Trip Report by Tom Plath The ten of us walked from the foot of 104th Street, Boundary Bay towards 112th Street and it couldn’t have been much better. A beautiful August evening and a mere 25-30 meters from the dyke were several species of juvenile shorebirds roosting and feeding. We enjoyed excellent leisurely looks, comparing Western, Least and Baird’s Sandpiper from each other, the big size difference between Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs noticeable when together, and identification features of a Stilt Sandpiper…

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