Cheam Lake Wetlands Oct 5

[Gord]

Did a bit of birding around Cheam Lake Wetlands Park just east of Chilliwack Wednesday morning. Highlights included horned grebe, red-necked grebe and a cinnamon teal (late record for the area). I saw a northern flicker who, instead of the usual pinkish-red underwing and tail, it was more of a yellowish-orange. Perhaps a hybrid between the yellow shafted sub-species? It was a male with red malar stripe (stripe from beak extending just past the eye like a mustache) while pure yellow-shafted males have a black stripe. Might be a hybrid, or just an oddly coloured northern flicker. I also observed an adult red-tailed hawk chasing an immature red-tailed hawk from tree to tree, apparently driving it away?

The list:

Pied-billed grebe (12)
Horned grebe (2)
Red-necked grebe
Great blue heron
Canada goose (45)
Am. Wigeon (20+)
Mallard (30+)
Blue-winged teal (2)
Cinnamon teal
Northern shoveler (8)
Green-winged teal (6)
Ring-necked duck (70+)
Red-tailed hawk (2)
Belted kingfisher (2)
Downy woodpecker
Hairy woodpecker
Northern flicker (2)
Steller's jay (2)
Black-capped chickadee (8)
Bewick's wren (2)
Marsh wren
Golden-crowned kinglet (3)
Ruby-crowned kinglet (4)
American robin (flock of 16)
Yellow-rumped warbler (25+)
Common yellowthroat (2 females, also a late record for the area)
Spotted towhee (6)
Song sparrow (10)
Lincoln's sparrow (group of 4)
Red-winged blackbird