Trip Report by Jan Lowcock

Fifteen Nature Vancouver birding enthusiasts joined Jan Lowcock for a walk in Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park on Thursday April 28. The walk began in the rose garden and adjacent walkways under cloudy but dry conditions. We had a quiet start but were soon rewarded with good views of a Pacific-slope Flycatcher, which Harvey Dueck was able to capture in his scope.   (Thanks Harvey, for carrying and setting it up for the group).  The sun began to emerge as we moved toward the upper parking lot and  along the rim of the large quarry.   White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows were around, but not in the numbers seen the day previous.  On the lookout for warblers, we found Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warblers and one Wilson’s Warbler.   Highlights from the western part of the park were observation of the nesting and mating activity of a Northern Flicker pair, and watching an Orange-crowned Warbler sing.  We spotted a co-operative Red-breasted Nuthatch who hung around at about eye level, giving our necks a rest from warbler hunting.

Our final count of twenty-six species included Ruby and Golden- crowned Kinglets along with Pine Siskins, all seen in abundant numbers in the park.  The route went quiet again, but we had a spectacular finish with aerial combat between a Cooper’s Hawk and an American Crow.  

Thanks everyone who leant their eyes, ears, and cameras.  Vicki Earle has kindly shared two photos. Thanks as well to Michele Baudais for tracking our count on eBird and for sharing a couple of useful links for learning and using eBird.

This is a link to a page on “getting started with eBird”: https://support.ebird.org/en/support/solutions/articles/48001158707-get-started-with-ebird

Here is a direct link to the eBird essentials class: https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/product/ebird-essentials/