Surrey Lake with Langley Field Naturalists

Feb 11/2016 Surrey Lake Overcast 7c

Over the years I have been on numerous outings with the Langley Field Naturalists (LFN) 

Some trips have been for up to five days long but most are morning or afternoon walks. I have trekked in the Chilcotins and Caribou where we conducted bird counts for Bird Studies Canada. On other occasions I joined them for day long trips to the Skajit Valley and other Lower Mainland locations. This weeks trip was closer to home at Surrey Lake.

Below is a shot of the signage which outlines the Surrey Lake trail system. Entry is off 152 St just north of 72nd Ave.

 Langley Field Naturalists are lucky enough to have a number of top notch naturalists to guide the neophyte's among us. 

One advantage about joining a group like LFN is the chance to learn from more experienced naturalists. Some group leaders like noted naturalist Al Grass will help putting a name to most any tree, fungi, plant or critter.

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As we walked around the lake we noted a number of diving and dabbling ducks, mallard, green-winged teal, buffleheads, canvasbacks, northern pintail, lesser scaup. mallard, common and hooded merganser and in the Surrey Golf Course pond a gadwall and a single redhead. The redhead is not that common in the Lower Mainland so that was an extra special sighting.

ID shot of the redhead in the golf course pond (north of the bridge) with two mallards and gadwall. The above shot is taken from 152nd St as there is no legal access to the pond. I asked at the golf club and there is a liability issue. Please don't trespass and besides golf balls can really hurt! 

Tour leader Gareth Pugh (left in picture) and the group. I'm on the right with camera gear. A passerby was kind enough to photograph us. For walks like this I take the Nikon P900 instead of a scope for ID purposes and a Nikon 200mm-500mm in case there are any good photo opportunities. Also the lightweight set-up allows me to keep with the group.

As we walked around the lake and after the dogs walkers had departed the ducks soon dropped their defences and gave us excellent views. If only the owners would clean up and leash their pets everyone would be a lot happier, especially the birds. I hope these images  show some of the potential for birding at Surrey Lake. On previous visits I have also seen virginia rail and later in the year warblers and nesting woodpeckers.

Canvasback.

Normally trumpeter swans are found in flocks so it was a surprise find a lone specimen at the lake. Several things come to mind. Was it injured, had it ingested lead shot, perhaps it was just an old bird which no longer had the energy to migrate or perhaps none of those things. On close inspection the bird seemed to be in good health and was actively feeding so it remains a mystery, hopefully it will join a passing flock soon.

Trumpeter Swan

We left the lake behind us and walked the trail past a floodplain. A single second growth tree hosted a pair of bald eagles. A red-tailed hawk's nest was in another smaller tree. As we headed through the woodland section of the park the lack of birdlife made one wonder what would the world be without  birds. As we stopped and listened the forest began to give up its secrets. The sounds of ruby-crowned kinglets and chickadees filled the air, a Bewick's wren skulked in the undergrowth.
Out of the woods and under hydro towers a flock of male house finches fed in a tangle of himilayan blackberries. An anna's hummingbird came to check us out and three fox sparrows scratched back and forth in an effort to unearth insects from the undergrowth.

The walk had ended and as I packed away my camera and was saying my goodbyes a belted kingfisher landed in a tree close-by. When bird plunged into the watery ditch I took the opportunity to grab my camera to move a little closer. She went back and forth five or six times but only once was she on an unobstructed perch. I moved to include as much of the tree trunk into the background as possible. It's one of my better kingfisher shots and perfect way to end the day.

 Female Belted Kingfisher

I'm glad I made the effort to get out on what was a miserable day, by the end of the walk I felt the morning was well spent. Now all I had to do was remember where on earth I had put the shopping list my other half had given me!

Come join us on sometime, we even have a kid's club for the youngsters and check out the LFN Facebook page and website for more details. New members always welcome. Being a member also includes a membership to BC Nature and a quarterly magazine and wealth of information not available elsewhere.

Langley Field Naturalists

https://www.facebook.com/LangleyFieldNaturalists/

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

BC Canada

Four Days/One Blog

Jan 12-14 2014 

Day 1. 112th and  Hornby Drive Delta.  Foggy 6c.

It wasn't the best of weather but I had the next three days free. What's a person to do? Suddenly my bird brain hatched a cunning plan, why not go birding!
First stop was nearby 112th and Hornby Drive. I am not too sure what it is about this location but there always seems to be something interesting. Last year I photographed an escapee budgerigar flying with a flock of Red-winged Blackbirds. There is a very photogenic resident leucistic Eurasian Collared-Dove. It has been hanging around for months and much photographed. This is my second attempt to get a portrait, at least there is some contrast to play with this time, in my previous shot the bird was on a wire against a grey sky.

Leucistic Eurasian Collared-Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

Another reason to visit the farm at the corner of 112th was the report by Melissa and Liron (two of the best young birders this side of the Rockies) of a hybrid White and Golden-crowned Sparrow. A real oddity. Although I saw the bird briefly I was unable to snag a pic. Next time perhaps, I did however get to see the Rusty Blackbird for my 70th species of the year.

Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus)
Rusty Blackbird (centre) feeds amongst a mix of Brewer's, Red-winged Blackbirds and European House Sparrows

I spent the rest of the day photographing Yellow-rumped Warblers and a flock of six American Tree Sparrows.

Day 2 Alaksan and Reifel: Foggy, Overcast and Sunny Breaks

Another foggy day, it was grey and the light was flat. I hadn't walked very far when a small flock of sparrows flashed by. One of them was whiter than the rest and a dead give-away, it was the Harris's Sparrow, a bird that has attracted many photographers, myself included. I hadn't yet managed a shot of the bird on a branch, all my shots were of the bird feeding on the ground. This time I managed a different pose.

Harris's Sparrow (Zonotrichia querula)

Finally the sun came out so I made my way to nearby Alaksen National Wildlife Area

At the parking lot I heard a bird calling from the bushes, it turned out to be a Bewick's Wren.

Bewick's Wren (Thryomaners bewickii)

 The sun had begun to peek through the fog bathing the bird in afternoon sun. Finally it came out of the thickets to continue feeding before a passing car scared it away.

Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus)
On the way out I photographed this Hermit Thrush from the car window.

I had two more species to add to my year list. The fog by this time had enveloped what little sun there had been. Time to head home.

Day 3 Jan 14 2015 Elk View Rd Chilliwack. Sunny 8c.

It was my second attempt to find the Northern Pygmy Owl but with the help of Mel, Peter and Floyd we were successful. Not only did we find the owl we found two. One male and one female. We weren't alone, there was a mini twitch going on as the news spread and the bird's location spread across the interweb. The birds for their part seemed completely unperturbed by the whole circus going on around them.

I composed this shot in the camera. With a little cropping I bisected the frames to aid the composition.
Careful consideration went into the background. Even with lots of forethought I still wasn't able to frame a shot with owls and forest that made any sense. Either the owl was way too small so I went for this composition as my favourite of this series.

This quick snap shot (1 of 3 frames) picture taken with a $300 Canon SX50HS.
All others taken with slightly more expensive Nikon 500mm F4!
The blown out details I think has a lot to do with the file processing.

Northern Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnome)
The Pacific race of the Northern Pygmy Owl are more reddish than
their interior cousins. I used backlighting and exposed for the bird.

Disclaimer: All owl pictures taken from the road. No birds were pushed, coralled or harassed. While it might be important to get a good photo, please let these birds feed in peace. Trampling over their hunting territory not only disrupts their feeding regime but scares away prey. The owls rely on unsuspecting voles and other creatures so when a dozen or so photographers are clambering through brush up to their waists just get a little nearer it makes the owls life that much more difficult.

Remember it was a birder who first let us know about these beautiful birds, he was there this week and wishing he had kept the location secret. Most probably there are many other birds out there that the finder(s) won't want to share and for good reasons.

Day 4 Jan 16/14 Blackie Spit Sunny (it was forecast to rain ) and 12c

I hadn't meant to go birding today but I was conducting a one on one photography class at Blackie Spit. During the session this Ruby-crowned Kinglet popped into a tree beside me. It was hawking insects. I used my Tamron 150mm-600mm with the lightweight Nikon D7100.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula)

All the other pictures were taken with the Nikon 500mm F4 with the D7100 or D3s.

It was a full week and a welcome break from the hectic pace of the 'real world' I'm sure after a few days rest it will be time to head out again, until then..it's never too late to start birding!

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Blackie Spit Bird Count Dec 18th 2014

Dec 18 2014 Blackie Spit, Crescent Beach Surrey BC

On Thursday I joined small group of birders at Blackie Spit. Despite the wind and rain there were plenty of birds. Gareth Pugh leads a trip to the South Surrey spit every Thursday at 1p.m.
The ad hoc group meets at the small pier near the parking lot. Newcomers are always welcome, just bring a cheerful disposition.
I add Gareth's bird list here out of interest for readers who may or may not have visited Blackie Spit Park Nature Trails or who are just interested in which winter species occur there. Spring and Fall birding can be realy good with numerous species of warblers passing through. Occasionally a Solitary Sandpiper can be found or a Horned Lark in the short grasses of the spit. In November I photographed three Snow Buntings and recently a single Bohemian Waxwing was spotted. One bird I had hoped to see on this visit was the Surfbird after one had been spotted on last weeks walk. I was in luck.

Full frame handheld shot with Nikon D7100 and Tamron 150mm-600mm zoom.
I cropped in to see more detail (Below) to confirm indentification. Photographed in the Farm slough at high tide.

The walk for me was a special one as I added a surfbird to my life list. Surfbirds are usually found near rocks so it surprised quite a few of us that it could after a few weeks still be found in the marsh habitat. Thumbs up to White Rock birder Leona Breckenridge who first spotted the bird few weeks ago. She and her crew hope it will still be around for the White Rock CBC Dec 28th.

Surfbird (Aphriza virgata)
This is good enough for ID purposes but I wouldn't want to print it. However when blogging you can get away with anything! 

Anyway I am glad I braved the wind and rain and joined the group at the spit. As for photography logistics the Tamron stayed in a sling bag for all but ten minutes of the two hour walk, only coming out to grab this shot from about 60 metres away. The Canon SX50HS or 60 would have had a greater reach but the image quality would have been much, much less.

 Below is the list Gareth submitted to ebird.

Marbled Murrelet	0
Pigeon Guillemot	0
Canada Goose	0
Brant	0
Mute Swan	0
Wood Duck	0
Gadwall	0
Eurasian Wigeon	14
American Wigeon	400
Mallard	54
Northern Shoveler	0
Northern Pintail	250
Green-winged Teal	92
Canvasback	0
Greater Scaup	0
Lesser Scaup	0
Ruddy Duck	1
Surf Scoter	1
White-winged Scoter	0
Black Scoter	0
Long-tailed Duck	3
Bufflehead	3
Common Goldeneye	4
Barrow's Goldeneye	0
Hooded Merganser	0
Red-breasted Merganser	7
Common Merganser	0
Pacific Loon	4
Red-throated Loon	1
Common Loon	9
Horned Grebe	4
Red-necked Grebe	2
Western Grebe	0
Double-crested Cormorant	14
Great Blue Heron	2
Northern Harrier	0
Sharp-shinned Hawk	0
Cooper's Hawk	0
Bald Eagle	4
Red-tailed Hawk	0
Osprey	0
Black-bellied Plover	0
Killdeer	0
Greater Yellowlegs	17
Lesser Yellowlegs	0
Whimbrel	0
Long-billed Curlew	1
Marbled Godwit	5
Red Knot	0
Dunlin	0
Sanderling	0
Western Sandpiper	0
Least Sandpiper	0
Pectoral Sandpiper	0
Sharp-tailed Sandpiper	0
Spotted Sandpiper	0
Short-billed Dowitcher	0
Long-billed Dowitcher	0
Wilson's Snipe	0
Surfbird	1
Red-necked Phalarope	0
Mew Gull	1
Franklin's Gull	0
Ring-billed Gull	75
Glaucous-winged Gull	8
Western Gull	0
Bonaparte's Gull	0
Parasitic Jaeger	0
Arctic Tern	0
Caspian Tern	0
Rock Pigeon	20
Band-tailed Pigeon	0
Eurasian Collared Dove	2
Mourning Dove	0
Anna's Hummingbird	0
Rufous Hummingbird	0
Belted Kingfisher	2
Downy Woodpecker	0
Northern Flicker	2
Pileated Woodpecker	0
Merlin	0
Peregrine falcon	0
Northern Shrike	1
Steller's Jay	2
Western Scrub Jay	0
Northwestern Crow	10
Horned Lark	0
Western Wood Pewee	0
Pacific Slope Flycatcher	0
Willow Flycatcher	0
Tree Swallow	0
Violet-green Swallow	0
Barn Swallow	0
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	0
Cliff Swallow	0
Purple Martin	0
Black-capped Chickadee	2
Chestnut-backed Chickadee	0
Bushtit	0
Bewick's Wren	0
Pacific Wren	1
Golden-crowned Kinglet	4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	0
Hermit Thrush	0
Swainson's Thrush	0
American Robin	3
Varied Thrush	0
European Starling	30
Cedar Waxwing	0
Bohemian Waxwing	0
Lapland Longspur	0
American Pipit	0
Snow bunting	0
Common Yellowthroat	0
Yellow-rumped Warbler	0
Wilson's Warbler	0
Yellow Warbler	0
Orange-crowned Warbler	0
Spotted Towhee	1
Savannah Sparrow	0
Fox Sparrow	1
Song Sparrow	4
Swamp Sparrow	0
Lincoln's Sparrow	0
White-crowned Sparrow	0
Golden-crowned Sparrow	1
American Tree Sparrow	0
Chipping Sparrow	0
Dark-eyed Junco	6
Red-winged Blackbird	20
Western Meadowlark	0
Brown-headed Cowbird	0
Western Tanager	0
Purple Finch	0
House Finch	17
Pine Siskin	0
American Goldfinch	0
House Sparrow	1
Black-headed Grosbeak	0
Total species	46	0	0

It's never too late to start birding

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale