The south-west corner of Burnaby Lake is a favourite low-key birding spot for Harvey and Michelle in late May to early June.  The paths near the Burnaby Lake Rowing club attract a good selection of late migrants like Cedar Waxwings, and the boggy ground and resulting open forest means that you have a better chance of seeing birds that you might otherwise only hear.

This Saturday was no exception.  After picking up a couple of participants from 29th Street Station, we drove to the parking lot near the rowing club to wait for the other birders.  Here we were greeted by a Warbling Vireo singing from a bare branch overlooking the lot! The vireo quickly vanished, but we continued to be serenaded by American Robins as we dealt with the paperwork and decided to begin by heading east on the path around the lake.

We didn’t have to go far before we began to see and hear more birds.  A male yellow warbler perched just over our heads to show off his red-striped breast, and we encountered a new male rufous hummingbird every few steps. Towhees trilled from the thickets, and a group of five band-tailed pigeons soared overhead.  Pretty good for the first 100m!  Especially given that we also kept spotting small groups of Cedar Waxwings, who sometimes stopped close enough to admire their crested heads and charming masks.

By the time we reached the first viewpoint over the lake we had accumulated 25 species.  That list was soon supplemented by a singing Marsh Wren who showed itself to a few lucky participants, and a Cinnamon Teal hanging out with a small group of ducks who were almost hidden by the thick mat of lily pads carpeting the lake.  As some of us admired the teal, James wandered further down the path, only to encounter a Pileated Woodpecker excavating a snag at eye-level, only 15 feet off the trail. It was hard to pull ourselves away from the excellent views of the entirely unconcerned woodpecker.  

From here we circled back on the biking trail next to the number 1 highway so that we could catch a peek of the new Burnaby Lake Pedestrian Overpass, before returning to the lakeside path and views of both female and male Black-headed Grosbeaks (a first visual sighting for at least one of our participants).   

Two hours and a whole 1.5 km into our walk, we decided to finish with a visit to the docks by the rowing club.  Here we had a wonderful chance to observe bird behaviour.  Highlights were watching a young Great Blue Heron catch and consume a tasty fish treat, and seeing several Barn Swallows gathering mud from the lakeshore to use for nest repairs. Although some might argue that the best part was watching a Marsh Wren spend an extended period of time singing in plain sight, and who am I to argue?

Thanks to all 10 of the birders who joined us today, and especially to Istvan for sharing his extensive knowledge of the birds, plants, and butterflies of Burnaby Lake.

In total we found 42 species in 2.5 hours: https://ebird.org/checklist/S350488822