Post by martin on Sept 7, 2011 20:14:50 GMT -8
Well I had planed and started in the valley, got to GBHNR early but they were not open, waited half a hour and realized its holiday Monday maybe they were opening late. Went to Sardis pond for a photo shoot with the grebes, sorry will have to wait for the pics. Headed back to GBHNR still not open strange?? it was well after 8:00 waited for an hour but no one came, chatted with Bruce and Joanne as they had turned up and waited too.
It was almost 9:30 and still not open (?? squared). Its funny how a small hic-cup can put a wrench in your plans. I quickly checked the tides at Boundary Bay and decided to head there, as it was already getting warm I thought the beach and a cool breeze, I did not want to waste the day.
Finally got there and decided to Park at 104th? (the small airport park). Hooked up the Hubble to my camera, I decided to call my 500mm lens this as when ever I go out in the public I always get, wow that's a huge lens, or can you see the moon or I never seen a lens that big.
( my wife says I'm trying to make up for something else, what does that mean
? ;D ;D )
Well back to the post got up to the dyke and decided to go East first toward White rock. The tide was still out a ways and guess I mixed up my heights as it would not come in much more, but I was there and it was nice and cool with the breeze.
Saw my first birds well ducks must have been hundreds, they were quite a ways out and I could not id, did look like mallards though.
The only thing close were a few Savannah's and what I thought were A. Pipets, there legs were lighter though, after checking stokes bird book it
says there's a SSP ( a Buff-Bellied, pacificus). If anyone can confirm this thanks in advance.
Got almost as far as I wanted to go and not to many shorebirds there was a small flock but they got spooked by a Peregrine
before I could get there. I turned around and headed towards the pilings closer to 96th, always seems to be more there.
Came across my first flock lots of Black bellied Plovers and what I think is a Semipalmated Sandpiper.
As I looked down the dyke there was quite a gathering of glass and tripods a little farther, thought it might be something interesting.
There was a Whimbrel close to shore and I was Able to get a few quick shots before it flew off. What was funny about it was I had just walked by where it was and did not notice it as I was staring out towards the water edge.
I had nailed it down to that or Curlew, the bill was all I could ID. :)This confirmed id was simple I was told what it was, by everyone there.
The camera did have a hard time focusing though, this was my best shot and it was just within my lenses reach.
I was next told there was a Bar tailed Godwit a little ways out in a group of birds.
Now this proved a little harder to find and it was pointed out to me, in fact I wouldn't have seen it even if it had come up to me and
said I'm a Bar-tailed Godwit. . A scope definitely would have helped see them better as they were a ways out.
and a cropped shot.
I watched for a while and the flocks got spooked again by a raptor. i started back towards a newly form flock just landing and got this shot.
Upon scanning there seemed to be three different birds, again if they were in front of me with name tags on I still would not be able to ID them.
Here's the shot for fun anyway.
Even though id-ing was near impossible,I had a great day.
It was almost 9:30 and still not open (?? squared). Its funny how a small hic-cup can put a wrench in your plans. I quickly checked the tides at Boundary Bay and decided to head there, as it was already getting warm I thought the beach and a cool breeze, I did not want to waste the day.
Finally got there and decided to Park at 104th? (the small airport park). Hooked up the Hubble to my camera, I decided to call my 500mm lens this as when ever I go out in the public I always get, wow that's a huge lens, or can you see the moon or I never seen a lens that big.
( my wife says I'm trying to make up for something else, what does that mean
? ;D ;D )Well back to the post got up to the dyke and decided to go East first toward White rock. The tide was still out a ways and guess I mixed up my heights as it would not come in much more, but I was there and it was nice and cool with the breeze.
Saw my first birds well ducks must have been hundreds, they were quite a ways out and I could not id, did look like mallards though.
The only thing close were a few Savannah's and what I thought were A. Pipets, there legs were lighter though, after checking stokes bird book it
says there's a SSP ( a Buff-Bellied, pacificus). If anyone can confirm this thanks in advance.
Got almost as far as I wanted to go and not to many shorebirds there was a small flock but they got spooked by a Peregrine
before I could get there. I turned around and headed towards the pilings closer to 96th, always seems to be more there.
Came across my first flock lots of Black bellied Plovers and what I think is a Semipalmated Sandpiper.
As I looked down the dyke there was quite a gathering of glass and tripods a little farther, thought it might be something interesting.
There was a Whimbrel close to shore and I was Able to get a few quick shots before it flew off. What was funny about it was I had just walked by where it was and did not notice it as I was staring out towards the water edge.
I had nailed it down to that or Curlew, the bill was all I could ID. :)This confirmed id was simple I was told what it was, by everyone there.
The camera did have a hard time focusing though, this was my best shot and it was just within my lenses reach.
I was next told there was a Bar tailed Godwit a little ways out in a group of birds.
Now this proved a little harder to find and it was pointed out to me, in fact I wouldn't have seen it even if it had come up to me and
said I'm a Bar-tailed Godwit. . A scope definitely would have helped see them better as they were a ways out.
and a cropped shot.
I watched for a while and the flocks got spooked again by a raptor. i started back towards a newly form flock just landing and got this shot.
Upon scanning there seemed to be three different birds, again if they were in front of me with name tags on I still would not be able to ID them.
Here's the shot for fun anyway.
Even though id-ing was near impossible,I had a great day.
