Eleven intrepid adventurers met in Maple Ridge Park on a cold and cloudy morning to stalk our not very elusive quarry. Shortly before our official start time, two American Dippers landed nearby, sang a bit and briefly displayed their characteristic dipping behaviour before flying further downstream. The trip began with introductions, after which we went downstream to see if we could find the dippers again. Under the bridge we found not two, but four dippers, along with a couple of…

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With rain threatening, 17 people joined us for a morning bird walk at Everett Crowley Park. After an introduction to a little of the history of the park, we did a go-around of introductions, and learned this was a first bird walk for several folks. Heading off into the park, the first birds we encountered right near the start were Black-capped Chickadees. The flock also included some Golden-crowned Kinglets. All the birds were up high in the trees giving our…

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With rain threatening, four intrepid birders joined us at Reifel for a morning outing. Three Sandhill Cranes greeted us right by the entrance office along with several Anna’s Hummingbirds flitting about the feeders. Sandhill Cranes Stopping by the house pond we observed Gadwalls, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shovelers, Ring-necked Ducks and of course Mallards. Moving along, an expected Black-crowned Night Heron was snoozing in its usual hang out while many House Sparrows hopped around the path and feeders. Passing Fuller Slough,…

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Trip report & photos by Christine Balkwill Our small group of 6 started out on a cool, overcast day from the north end of Kits Beach.  We had some intermittent rain but not enough to spoil the birding.  A Pacific Wren called from the bushes while we completed introductions and we quickly found a trio of sparrows near the old totem pole site – Golden-crowned, White-crowned and Song.  We took our time identifying a lone drake Mallard in eclipse plumage…

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Trip report by Jan Lowcock The September 28th birding field trip, led by Jan Lowcock and John Chandler, at Iona Beach Regional Park began with light winds and cloud cover, slowly breaking way to sunny skies by the trip’s end. A group of 13 set out from the parking lot, scoured the outer pond and southern inner pond from the walkway. The ponds held a few species of dabbling ducks, Pied- billed Grebes and American Coots. Three large flocks of…

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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…

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