Post by Chris on Jul 28, 2010 19:31:28 GMT -8
I woke up early this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep. I had been thinking about going to the coast to do some birding soon, so since I woke up early, I decided to go today. The weather was fantastic.
My first stop was Blackie Spit which is very close to White Rock. As I was driving in there was a flock of approximately thirty Ring-billed Gulls sitting in the parking lot. I started walking and a Bald Eagle scared up a large shore bird. I thought Curlew or Whimbrel. I scoped it out and it turned out to be a Long-billed Curlew. Here’s a heavily cropped photo of it.
As I was watching him, and scanning the area, I turned around and saw five Harbor Seals swimming in the water. About ten minutes I saw a Caspian Tern fly overhead. I have seen a lot of them in Oregon and Washington but never one in B.C. I saw three while I was at Blackie Spit.
I walked to another area in Blackie Spit and I head and saw two Purple Martins flying. A new bird for me! They make a cool noise. I continued walking and heard a few Greater Yellowlegs calling. I couldn’t believe how many were there. I counted at least 33 of them. The majority of them seemed to be Greater but I did spot at least two Lesser Yellowlegs. I took picture of some of them but for some reason there were all extremely blurry.
My next stop was Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Turnstones and Oystercatchers seem to be common here so I was hoping I would see some. I have never been here before so I had no clue where to park and where to look. I turned left, right before the terminal and parked on some gravel strip and walked along the road into the terminal. A few minutes into walking, I saw a Willet. Another new bird. It seems that it might spend the winter here again.
I continued walking and heard a familiar noise. It turned out to be five Black Oystercatchers. I have seen them in Washington before but not in B.C. They flew away before I could get a decent picture of them. I walked a little bit furthe,r and just as I was going to turn around, I heard a different noise. It was Black Turnstones. I don’t know what it is, but I find these birds very entertaining to watch. I have seen a few in Oregon but not in B.C. so another new B.C. bird for me. I couldn’t believe my luck up to this point.
I have seen reports of a Ruddy Turnstone being seen here as well. I scanned the flock of turnstones but didn’t see it. I wasn’t expecting to see it, but I looked behind me and there were a few turnstones that I didn’t see. Among the small group was the Ruddy Turnstone. A lifer for me and a remarkable bird as well. I was impressed with its plumage.
When I was entering my sightings into Ebird it turned out that the Ruddy Turnstone was my 200th bird in B.C. for this year. I set a goal of 200 bird species at the beginning of the year, but I kind of changed that to trying to get to locations that I had never been to, or locations I have been to, but at different times in the season. Other birds seen were Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Herons, Glaucous-winged Gulls and I believe a few California Gulls as well.
My next stop was Reifel. I have never been there this time of year so I was looking forward to see what I could find. Although I didn’t plan on it originally, since the other two locations produced shorebirds, I began really focusing in on them.
There were a lot of Mallards at Reifel. I would estimate at least 150. A few Waxwings flew overhead along with a Bald Eagle, and Great Blue Herons. I only saw one warbler species and that was a Common Yellowthroat. There were two American Wigeons. I’m not sure if they stayed there for the summer or early migrants.
Now to shorebirds. The first shorebird I saw was a Greater Yellowlegs. I walked a little further and saw a little sandpiper. I started setting up the scope and he disappeared! A few minutes later he came out from where he was hiding. It had black legs so I believe it is a Semipalmated Sandpiper. I could be wrong though. There was also two Killdeer nearby.
I walked near the observation tower and the western portion of the refuge where normally shorebirds like to hang out. I wasn’t disappointed as I saw at least forty Long-billed Dowitchers, a Least Sandpiper, Killdeer and Greater Yellowlegs. There was also a Spotted Sandpiper there which seemed to be injured.
Long-billed Dowitchers
Semipalmated Sandpiper (I Believe)
I also saw this shorebird but I am not sure what it is. I was thinking Wilson’s Phalarope. It was acting like a Phalarope.
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i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm285/bundy8717/112-1.jpg[/IMG]
I always find it fascinating how some birds are almost in their winter plumage, and some are still in their breeding pumage.
My first stop was Blackie Spit which is very close to White Rock. As I was driving in there was a flock of approximately thirty Ring-billed Gulls sitting in the parking lot. I started walking and a Bald Eagle scared up a large shore bird. I thought Curlew or Whimbrel. I scoped it out and it turned out to be a Long-billed Curlew. Here’s a heavily cropped photo of it.
As I was watching him, and scanning the area, I turned around and saw five Harbor Seals swimming in the water. About ten minutes I saw a Caspian Tern fly overhead. I have seen a lot of them in Oregon and Washington but never one in B.C. I saw three while I was at Blackie Spit.
I walked to another area in Blackie Spit and I head and saw two Purple Martins flying. A new bird for me! They make a cool noise. I continued walking and heard a few Greater Yellowlegs calling. I couldn’t believe how many were there. I counted at least 33 of them. The majority of them seemed to be Greater but I did spot at least two Lesser Yellowlegs. I took picture of some of them but for some reason there were all extremely blurry.
My next stop was Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Turnstones and Oystercatchers seem to be common here so I was hoping I would see some. I have never been here before so I had no clue where to park and where to look. I turned left, right before the terminal and parked on some gravel strip and walked along the road into the terminal. A few minutes into walking, I saw a Willet. Another new bird. It seems that it might spend the winter here again.
I continued walking and heard a familiar noise. It turned out to be five Black Oystercatchers. I have seen them in Washington before but not in B.C. They flew away before I could get a decent picture of them. I walked a little bit furthe,r and just as I was going to turn around, I heard a different noise. It was Black Turnstones. I don’t know what it is, but I find these birds very entertaining to watch. I have seen a few in Oregon but not in B.C. so another new B.C. bird for me. I couldn’t believe my luck up to this point.
I have seen reports of a Ruddy Turnstone being seen here as well. I scanned the flock of turnstones but didn’t see it. I wasn’t expecting to see it, but I looked behind me and there were a few turnstones that I didn’t see. Among the small group was the Ruddy Turnstone. A lifer for me and a remarkable bird as well. I was impressed with its plumage.
When I was entering my sightings into Ebird it turned out that the Ruddy Turnstone was my 200th bird in B.C. for this year. I set a goal of 200 bird species at the beginning of the year, but I kind of changed that to trying to get to locations that I had never been to, or locations I have been to, but at different times in the season. Other birds seen were Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Herons, Glaucous-winged Gulls and I believe a few California Gulls as well.
My next stop was Reifel. I have never been there this time of year so I was looking forward to see what I could find. Although I didn’t plan on it originally, since the other two locations produced shorebirds, I began really focusing in on them.
There were a lot of Mallards at Reifel. I would estimate at least 150. A few Waxwings flew overhead along with a Bald Eagle, and Great Blue Herons. I only saw one warbler species and that was a Common Yellowthroat. There were two American Wigeons. I’m not sure if they stayed there for the summer or early migrants.
Now to shorebirds. The first shorebird I saw was a Greater Yellowlegs. I walked a little further and saw a little sandpiper. I started setting up the scope and he disappeared! A few minutes later he came out from where he was hiding. It had black legs so I believe it is a Semipalmated Sandpiper. I could be wrong though. There was also two Killdeer nearby.
I walked near the observation tower and the western portion of the refuge where normally shorebirds like to hang out. I wasn’t disappointed as I saw at least forty Long-billed Dowitchers, a Least Sandpiper, Killdeer and Greater Yellowlegs. There was also a Spotted Sandpiper there which seemed to be injured.
Long-billed Dowitchers
Semipalmated Sandpiper (I Believe)
I also saw this shorebird but I am not sure what it is. I was thinking Wilson’s Phalarope. It was acting like a Phalarope.
i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm285/bundy8717/112-1.jpg[/IMG]
I always find it fascinating how some birds are almost in their winter plumage, and some are still in their breeding pumage.
