Despite the rain, eight hardy birders met trip leaders Harvey Dueck and Michelle Baudais for Dipper Quest in Maple Ridge on Sunday — including Larry Cowan, who led this walk himself for 14 years.

Thanks to Larry’s expertise and Josh’s keen eyes, we were successful in finding Dippers!  We had the pleasure of watching a pair of Dippers pose on rocks and logs, preen, pop into the water searching for salmon eggs, and surf down the river. Other highlights at Maple Ridge Park included two mallards, a common merganser on the wing, and a Belted Kingfisher that we flushed from under the bridge.  

By the time we finished walking the length of the river the rain had stopped, so we decided to continue on to Jerry Sulina Park.  Here we began by examining the large mixed flock of ducks feeding in the field across from the entrance. This flock included a pair of Gadwall and a pair of Northern Shovelers as well as dozens of Mallards, American Wigeon, and Canada Geese — all watched over by a Red-Tailed Hawk in a nearby tree.  

It began to drizzle as we entered the park. This didn’t stop us from finding more ducks, an American Coot, a Great Blue Heron, American Crows, and a tiny raptor perched high in a dead tree.  After much discussion and viewing from different angles, we finally decided that this bird was a Merlin and not an immature Kestrel.  A flock of 50 geese flew past in the distance.  They weren’t Canada Geese: their necks were too short and the colour was wrong, but they weren’t white enough for Snow Geese and there was no black on their wingtips.  Could they have been Greater White-fronted Geese?  It would be unusual to see such a large flock of them here.

It began to rain harder as we walked through the shrubbery of the dog park, so we took only a quick walk down the dike before calling it a morning.   

Thanks to everyone who was willing to get a little wet while looking at some fascinating birds. 

Bird List

• American Dipper
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Common Merganser
• Mallard
• Belted Kingfisher
• Gadwall
• American Wigeon
• Northern Shoveller
• Canada Goose
• Cackling Goose
• Glaucous Winged Gull
• Red-Tailed Hawk
• American Coot
• Wood Duck
• Great Blue Heron
• American Crow
• Merlin
• Common Goldeneye
• Pied-billed Grebe
• Hooded Merganser
• Bald Eagle
• Greater White-fronted  Goose (maybe?)