Post by Chris on Jan 1, 2012 17:30:12 GMT -8
My parents have been bugging me for a few months to take them to the Delta area. Our first stop was White Rock Pier. There were less than normal numbers of Scoters than I usually see there. Among a small raft of Scoters was one female Black Scoter. A new species for me.
A few White-winged Scoters
The highlight for myself and my parents were male two Long-tailed Duck in their winter plumage. There were two females as well. We got good scope views of them. Not many grebes, only saw Horned Grebe.
There were a flock of Dunlin on the rocks. Wishing thinking on my part that maybe a Surfbird was present but unfortunately there wasn't.
List for White Rock. Most of the numbers are really rough estimates.
Canada Goose 25
American Wigeon 6
Lesser Scaup 7
Surf Scoter 25
White-winged Scoter 15
Black Scoter 1
Long-tailed Duck 4
Bufflehead 7
Common Goldeneye 3
Common Loon 4
Horned Grebe 3
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Bald Eagle 2
Dunlin 120 (I'll count the ones in my picture later tonight or tomorrow to see how close my estimate was)
Glaucous-winged Gull 15
Rock Pigeon 15
Next stop was Blackie Spit. It was pretty quiet and cold here. As a result, we were not here long. I didn't see the Curlew or the Godwits. Lots of Pintails and American Wigeons with a few Eurasian Wigeons mixed in.
We started at 64th st and walked east along the dyke at Boundary Bay. The bird activity was very good. Lots of waterfowl and sparrows. We saw the Snowy Owls. I counted 25 of them. Beautiful birds and also a new species for me. Hopefully they are doing well there and eating lots. I don't think that small patch of habitat can support that many for too long though. Interesting how the ones closest to the dyke face away from the dyke and the ones further out generally are facing the dyke.
Other highlights at Boundary Bay were 2 Short-eared Owls, Black-bellied Plovers and Brant. I am certain I saw Sanderling but they were a little too far out there to get 100% ID.
Male Northern Harrier. Lots of Harriers around
Snowy Owl
Short-eared Owl
List for Boundary Bay
Brant 8
Eurasian Wigeon 10
American Wigeon 500
Mallard 300
Northern Shoveler 6
Northern Pintail 200
Green-winged Teal 30
Hooded Merganser 1
Great Blue Heron 7
Bald Eagle 12
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 12
Dunlin 200
Snowy Owl 25
Short-eared Owl 2
Northern Flicker 1
Northwestern Crow 50
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Marsh Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
American Robin 20
European Starling 100
Spotted Towhee 2
Song Sparrow 12
White-crowned Sparrow 15
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Red-winged Blackbird 7
House Finch 10
A few White-winged Scoters
The highlight for myself and my parents were male two Long-tailed Duck in their winter plumage. There were two females as well. We got good scope views of them. Not many grebes, only saw Horned Grebe.
There were a flock of Dunlin on the rocks. Wishing thinking on my part that maybe a Surfbird was present but unfortunately there wasn't.
List for White Rock. Most of the numbers are really rough estimates.
Canada Goose 25
American Wigeon 6
Lesser Scaup 7
Surf Scoter 25
White-winged Scoter 15
Black Scoter 1
Long-tailed Duck 4
Bufflehead 7
Common Goldeneye 3
Common Loon 4
Horned Grebe 3
Double-crested Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 1
Bald Eagle 2
Dunlin 120 (I'll count the ones in my picture later tonight or tomorrow to see how close my estimate was)
Glaucous-winged Gull 15
Rock Pigeon 15
Next stop was Blackie Spit. It was pretty quiet and cold here. As a result, we were not here long. I didn't see the Curlew or the Godwits. Lots of Pintails and American Wigeons with a few Eurasian Wigeons mixed in.
We started at 64th st and walked east along the dyke at Boundary Bay. The bird activity was very good. Lots of waterfowl and sparrows. We saw the Snowy Owls. I counted 25 of them. Beautiful birds and also a new species for me. Hopefully they are doing well there and eating lots. I don't think that small patch of habitat can support that many for too long though. Interesting how the ones closest to the dyke face away from the dyke and the ones further out generally are facing the dyke.
Other highlights at Boundary Bay were 2 Short-eared Owls, Black-bellied Plovers and Brant. I am certain I saw Sanderling but they were a little too far out there to get 100% ID.
Male Northern Harrier. Lots of Harriers around
Snowy Owl
Short-eared Owl
List for Boundary Bay
Brant 8
Eurasian Wigeon 10
American Wigeon 500
Mallard 300
Northern Shoveler 6
Northern Pintail 200
Green-winged Teal 30
Hooded Merganser 1
Great Blue Heron 7
Bald Eagle 12
Northern Harrier 4
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Peregrine Falcon 1
Black-bellied Plover 12
Dunlin 200
Snowy Owl 25
Short-eared Owl 2
Northern Flicker 1
Northwestern Crow 50
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Marsh Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
American Robin 20
European Starling 100
Spotted Towhee 2
Song Sparrow 12
White-crowned Sparrow 15
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Red-winged Blackbird 7
House Finch 10
