Submitted by Leona Axbey

On Sunday, March 6, 2022, we had a bright, sunny day for our bird walk at Vanier Park. There were 12 of us, ranging from experienced birders to beginners, a good combination. Together, we spotted a total of 28 species and 192 individuals. These were all posted on eBird. There was some reminiscing about our departed friend Adrian and what a truly great birder he was.  

The first bird to greet us at our meet-up spot was an Anna’s hummingbird, atop the highest tree.  (Note to self: the totem pole that was used as a meeting point on the south side of the Maritime Museum is no longer there.) From there we headed to the two freshwater ponds north of the Planetarium, which was filled with many different species of ducks. A walk along the gravelled sea walk provided views of many cormorants flying by. We looped south at the Coast Guard station to see the old location of the bald eagles’ nest and then the new location of a nesting pair in the cottonwood forest. Vanier Park provides diverse habitats which makes for a rich birding experience.

The highlights of the trip were a Eurasian wigeon, and the pair of bald eagles on their nest.  

Some of us finished the outing by eating lunch in the sun at the meet-up spot.  (It’s still kind of nippy out there.)

Until next time.  Many thanks to Janet for her support and ID skills, and to Rob for all his great spotting.