Blakeburn Lagoons Park

[nickinthegarden]

Yesterday morning I finally made it to Port Coquitlam to check out a new location; Blakeburn Lagoons Park is a short distance north from the Costco off Lougheed Highway. It was once sewage lagoons and the city has done a great job of restoring it to a more birder friendly location. Of course there are lots of walkers and some dogs but it is well worth the visit, it is level and easy access for those who might have some mobility challenges. They also have several platforms which extend into the lagoons which are very similar to the one at Willband Creek Park.

I arrived to see many Canada Geese, which mostly left shortly there after. There were many feathers on the water and on the shore; I suspect some of the geese were molting. A number of mallards in eclipse plumage were also hanging out. 

I was surprised at just how many Killdeer I saw. I was use to seeing a couple maybe with one baby. I counted 9 in one area and then moved around to another lagoon where there had to be at least another 5 or 6. 

One of the birds I was hoping to see was a Solitary Sandpiper. It took a l little bit of looking but I did locate it.

Solitary Sandpiper by Nick, on Flickr


Another very similar Sandpiper was the Spotted Sandpiper. I saw no breeding adults but I did see a couple that were either juveniles or non breeding adults.


Spotted Sandpiper by Nick, on Flickr


There was lots of smaller birds; Song Sparrows, White-crowned Sparrows, Savannah Sparrows, Annas Hummingbird, Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Flickers, Eurasian collared Doves, Willow Flycatchers, Red-winged Blackbirds.

There was also a Great Blue Heron, there had been Green Herons seen there but not when I was there. There was a not quite Adult American Bald Eagle surveying the ponds who eventually went fishing and came up with a very small fish. He did a great job of scaring the Killdeer who settled right back down again.


Blakeburn Lagoons Park Bald Eagle by Nick, on Flickr


The planting around the water's edge are mostly new so the views are easy, I suspect in a few years they will grow up and it will be more of a challenge to see wildlife but they do have those excellent viewing platforms. For those who live near to that location or have reason to visit that area it looks to be a great birding location. The location is just behind Blackburn Elementary on Riverside Drive.

[murraybrown]

Nick, good report and that sounds like a nice spot you have discovered. On the sandpiper, did you consider a juvenile Pectoral at all?

[nickinthegarden]

Thanks Murray I did not consider Pectoral Sandpipers at all. They seemed to have a more striking or dramatic plumage than the birds I saw. Part of my assumption was based on the fact that much more knowledgeable birders than myself had seen both Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers just recently at that location. I did use the guides to try and find appropriate markers on the birds to be sure that I had seen the right birds. I am still pretty much a rookie on Sandpipers. I need to take multiple images and compare them at home to see if what I saw is what I think it was.

[Ben]

I 100% agree on your ID of solitary sandpiper. The white spots on the back, white eye-ring, and greenish legs all point to solitary.

If someone thinks otherwise, care to explain why?