Sept 17 2013 Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Overcast with Sunny breaks.

Male Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)
As soon as I arrived at the Reifel parking lot a Belted Kingfisher flew over my head. I followed it to the warming hut where it had alighted on a nest box about 100 metres away. I just had to be patient until it decided to take off, a trait I picked up from when I used to fish for specimen Carp and Tench back in the UK. Birding and angling have a lot in common but I have come to the conclusion that birding has less impact on the creatures we both seek.

The same bird but in a different location on the outer dyke. 

Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)

Same bird different background.
 I prefer the first shot but that is just my style. I like an uncluttered background unless it is to tell a story about the bird's habitat. 

Greater Yellowlegs, I think?

Marsh Wren (Cistothorus palustris)

Sora (Porzana carolina)
A Sora makes a dash for cover near the Tower at Reifel. A pair of Sora were present as well as a Virginia Rail.

Good Birding.

A Mixed Bag and a 'Lifer' to Boot!

9.00 Leave home after leisurely breakfast


Mar 8th, 2013 Burnaby Mountain. Blue skies and sunny.


9.30 A.M.
A few feet above me a flock of Pine Grosbeaks are gorging themselves. I can't believe I've found them on my first try. It wasn't a question of finding the quarry myself as much as locating another photographer who had already found the birds! I suppose that's just another facet of the 'Total Birding' experience. anyway I digress....I best shut up and just take pictures!

Female Pine Grosbeak (Pinicola enucleator)

The Pine Grosbeak is a beautiful bird, even though the more brilliant male was missing from the flock  the females with their yellow-olive heads were stunning. I spent an hour with them.

Pine Grosbeak feeding on cherry buds.

The flock spent a good hour eating the tender cherry buds, disregarding some very loud groups of tourists passing directly underneath them. The flock kept on feasting, eventually retreating into some higher branches andout of range, most probably to take a rest from eating.. or to take a break from us humans!



11.30 A.M.  Deas Island Regional Park Sunny

Deas Island would seem to be the perfect resting place to go bird watching. The Fraser River skirts one side of the park, another sheltered body of water inside the park is used by the local rowing club offers shelter to ducks, herons and kingfishers. High above gulls and bald eagles circle in the air. A very vocal Winter wren makes checks me out, coming within inches of my shoulder, high above a flock of Yellow-rumped warblers search for insects and scores of Black-capped chickadees and Ruby-crowned kinglets flit from tree to tree.
The rattle of a kingfisher draws my attention away. There are so many branches obscuring the bird but eventually I find a small opening to shoot through. The aperture is set at F4, later I am surprised by the clarity of the files despite all the branches in the way.

Belted-kingfisher (Mecaceryle torquata

2.00 P.M. Ladner Trunk Rd.72nd Ave
Having found nothing of note at the base of 72nd Ave I decided to make my way home. As I reached Ladner Trunk Rd I spot a Red-tailed hawk perched up on a snag. I managed one static shot before it took off and I 'lucked out' with this flight shot.

Red-tailed  hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

4.00 Arrive Back Home after yet another wonderful days birding in the Lower Mainland.