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Post by kenneth2019 on Oct 31, 2022 19:32:39 GMT -8
I had four Red-breasted Merganser swim by today at Breakwater Beach, Rockwell drive, Harrison Lake. I was hiding from the wind behind the breakwater and still had to hold the scope and tripod up. I was trying to look at a raft of ? unknowns, but they disappeared. I thought there were a couple of Common Mergansers coming down the edge of the Lake, very close to the shore. They kept coming along the shore until they turned into RBME. They kept coming and swam past, very close to shore and went out to the end of the breakwater where a windsurfer came by and they were gone. I could not find them again.
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Post by Gord on Oct 31, 2022 21:46:35 GMT -8
Nice ones, Ken.
Very timely as I have a Red-breasted Merganser sighting to share as well from today. Some might know, that Cultus Lake Provincial Park has a giant male Red-breasted Merganser carving near Entrance Bay. The birders in the family always scoff at this as we drive by "would be more accurate to use Common Merganser...Red-breasted is rare and has it been seen on Cultus Lake?" Well, this morning in a nervous mixed flock of ducks out on the lake was a female-type Red-breasted Merganser. The reason for the nervousness was a pair of Bald Eagle were tag teaming a scaup not too far away.
I should add that Paul and Ed have both recorded one as well on the lake. That carving is slowly becoming accurate.
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Post by paulos on Nov 1, 2022 10:28:19 GMT -8
Gord, I know what you mean about that sign at Cultus. I did have a female there once. Has anyone seen a male? That would make the sign actually accurate.
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Post by kenneth2019 on Nov 9, 2022 21:16:27 GMT -8
I was back at Harrison today, in the lagoon it was the same birds as reported lately with a good number of Barrow's Goldeneye added.
I went up to Location Sasquatch Provincial Park--Harrison Lake, as normal very few birds. On the way back into Harrison I spotted a Red-breasted Merganser close to shore, with a safe pullout. It only moved off slowly when I got out so I had good view.
Heading home I thought about Gord's Harris's Sparrow at East Sector so I made a quick turn when I saw the sign. There were a bunch of Junco's on the gravel road at the last turn. Decided to do a quick look, turned out to be a bunch of birds right there.
The surprise was Townsend's Warblers, one adult male in its bright yellow and black plumage and two female/immature, all in the bright sunlight low in the trees.
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