By Ly Hoang

On a beautiful, post rainy morning, bird life was abundant at Iona. As we were waiting for participants in the parking lot, we saw a big flock of Ring-billed Gulls and a siege of Great Blue Herons. We officially started our teen walk with a land acknowledgement created by Indigenous physician, Dr. Ellie Parton. Dr. Parton encourages us to use our senses, our mindful awareness and intentional spirit to be present with the beauty of nature and all beings. 

Just as we were checking the main outer pond, a committee of Caspian Terns flew noisily overhead. On the pond, there were a couple of Pied-billed Grebes, scruffy looking Mallards and more Great Blue Herons. Throughout the morning, small flights of Double-crested Cormorants flew overhead. Walking towards the banding station, we heard Marsh Wrens, Common Yellowthroats and Tree Swallows busy in the reeds and sky. One Tree Swallow had a downy soft feather of a Great Blue Heron in its beak that it didn’t quite manage to hang on to in flight. As Neill finished sharing that Tree Swallows like to line their nest boxes with collected feathers, we spotted one nest box spilling over with all types of feathers. 

Feathers bursting out of a Tree Swallow nest box. Photo by Ly Hoang.

Continuing on to the Fraser River side of the park, we heard and then saw a Willow Flycatcher. A Northern Yellow Warbler sang beautiful and clear but was not spotted in the woods. We were treated to a cacophony of Purple Martin songs, which were full of watery gurgles, chirps and clicks. A Belted Kingfisher announced itself as it flew past us. In the grassy fields, well over 100 house finches flitted about, feeding their young or more like the youngsters harangued their parents until they were fed. Meanwhile, a couple of Savannah Sparrows were quietly foraging along the ground. 

Great Blue Heron body feather. Photo by Ly Hoang.

Great Blue Herons hanging out on the south jetty with Ring-billed Gulls in the background. Photo by Neill Vanhinsberg

For the second half of the walk, Neill brought out his spotting scope and we went to check the southwest inner pond for shorebirds and were not disappointed. Everyone oohed and ahhed at the very cute Killdeer chicks, which were mostly legs and tiny puffs of feathers with eyes. Without the scope, it would have been hard to distinguish between the Western Sandpipers and the slightly darker Least Sandpipers. We also spotted Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, Black Bellied Plovers (these were out on the mudflats off the causeway), and Long-billed Dowitchers. I did the happy “lifer” dance when I spotted a Semipalmated Plover amongst all the other peeps. 

We ended our walk sharing highlights and savouring the experience of being able to witness birds just being birds. One teen participant, visiting all the way from Oakland, California shared that his highlight was seeing a Spotted Towhee sitting up and singing loudly in the open. He shared that in California, Spotted Towhees are more shy and quiet, preferring to hide in the shrubbery, so it was a treat for him to hear their song. Another participant shared that his highlight was experiencing sympathetic joy for how happy I was to see a lifer. Neill’s highlight was seeing a Greater Yellowlegs still in its breeding plumage. 

In total, we saw 45 different bird species. You can check out our trip bird list here. https://ebird.org/checklist/S373631296