A Good Long Walk

Jan 28 2015 Reifel and Brunswick Point, Delta BC. Sunny 12c

It promised to be a bountiful day of birding. The day began a Reifel with a Swamp Sparrow, albeit quite a long way off even for my 500mm. It didn't matter, is was another species for my Canadian year list which now stand at 89. On my way into Reifel all the Black-crowned Night Herons were sleeping, on my way out this juvenile was wide awake and posed nicely for the camera.

Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus)

Near the coal port I found this Rough-legged Hawk bathed in the most glorious afternoon sunshine, only when a passing truck flushed it did I notice the tag. Thanks Liron for alerting me to my mislabelling of the species, at least someone is listening.

R8 was probably re-located from the Vancouver Airport where he was deemed a danger to planes.
This one was near the coal port.

Horned Grebes (Podiceps auritus) fishing at Brunswick Point

At Brunswick Point a large flock of thirty or so Golden-crowns Sparrows had found something interesting to feed upon. They ignored me completely. Out in the Marsh a Short-eared Owl bullied a Northern Harrier (usually the other way around) out of it favourite hunting grounds.

A Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) tussles with a Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) at Brunswick Point.

Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana)

The distant Swamp Sparrow shot does show the white chin and chest spot. All three sparrows were taken at Reifel.

Harris Sparrow (Zenotrichia querula) eating greens. Just what the doctor ordered.

Golden-Crowned Sparrow (Zenotrichia atripcapilla)

It was the perfect day and what better way to get a good workout. I probably covered four of five kms during the day which can't be that bad for old ticker!

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale