Trip report by Sarah-Jane McAuley

Trip leaders Michelle Baudais, Harvey Dueck, and Sarah-Jane McAuley had a full house of enthusiastic birders on a beautiful spring day in Jericho Beach Park.

Beginning at the beach, we were lucky to spot Horned Grebes in their striking breeding plumage, a large raft of Red-breasted Mergansers, and a few Bonaparte’s Gulls. As we continued along the beach, a few distant Red-necked Grebes appeared, and the raft of Red-Breasted Mergansers swam close to the beach, offering an excellent view.

From here, we turned inland to unsuccessfully search for sparrows in the bushes near the Sailing Club. After a quick hello to a couple of feral rabbits, we wandered south towards the songs of White-crowned Sparrows. Just past the tennis courts, a male Anna’s Hummingbird perched in an ideal location for excellent views of its iridescent gorget, to the delight of all attendees.

Heading toward a marshy area, the practiced ear of a skilled birder helped us spot a bright American Goldfinch hiding between the emerging leaves. With some patience, we spotted additional Goldfinches–including a female and a male in mid-molt–perched both high atop trees and in the mud beside a shallow pond.

Continuing into the forested section of the park, we came across a busy flock of Ruby-crowned Kinglets and an Anna’s Hummingbird searching for insects in a Western Red Cedar. Heading towards the ponds and the songs of the Red-winged Blackbirds, we were pleasantly surprised to hear the loud, distinctive song of a Virginia Rail. While we didn’t spot this often elusive bird, it was a treat to hear it so clearly from its hiding spot in the bulrushes.

In the concluding stretch of the walk, we were fortunate to see a Northern Flicker popping in and out of a possible nesting cavity near the bridge over the ponds.

We recorded 32 species in two and a half hours: https://ebird.org/checklist/S225333438