A Few Hours at Boundary Bay

Jan 19 2014 72nd Ave Boundary Bay Sunny 11c

I spent the morning and early afternoon conducting a one on one photography course in White Rock. It was gratifying to see someone find their creative side and begin to explore the possibilities that digital photography can offer. 

There were still a few hours of daylight left so I headed down to nearby 72nd Ave to see the Golden Eagle. I needed it for my year list which now stands at 81 species for 2015. To keep things simple I'm only counting birds within Canada. I've even acquired a scope which I put into good use yesterday to get close up views of the Golden Eagle at sunset. I've even started scoping flock of gulls, slowly but surely I have been completely sucked into the birding bug!

Watching such a magnificent bird through a quality scope was magical. Free of the restraints of camera and lens, the experience was quite different from what I am used to. I could study the golden nape, the intricate feathers, and chattering call, the sheer power and mystical quality of the bird was jaw dropping. I tried unsuccessfully to digicope, looking at the results i'll need a lot, lot more practice.

Red-tailed Hawk 

Meanwhile while waiting for the 'Sweet Light' this light phase Red-tailed Hawk flew reasonably close. I took my Tamron 150mm-600mm so I could handhold and give my tennis elbow injury a rest. My doctor told me not to carry a big lens and tripod for six more weeks. Who would have thought i'd get injured photographing birds!

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

This looks like a second year bird as it flies into a favoured perch, a Lombardi Popular tree. It spends its day hunting ducks, harassing Bald Eagles and delighting scores of photographers who if they stay any longer will have to change their postal code.

Yarrow and sunset.
The sun sets over the horizon after another perfect day in paradise.

"It's never too late to start birding"


John Gordon
Langley/Cloverdale

Sunny Day Birding

Nov 12 2014 Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary Sunny 6c

The weather in the Lower Mainland has been fantastic. Sunny and cooler than normal, the blue skies and crisp mornings make it perfect for birding. So with all the gardening chores over the only commitment was to feed the garden birds and change the hummingbird feeder. We have two resident Anna's Hummingbirds who come to feed each morning. To make sure they'll survive the winter I bring in one feeder at night so it doesn't freeze. 

After our recent group visit to Reifel I decided to go back on my own just to enjoy a quiet walk and enjoy the solitude.

The chattering of a kingfisher and a native crab apple tree festooned with Cedar Waxwings greeted me as I drove into the parking lot. By now the sun was warm enough to dispense with my hat and scarf.

Snow Geese and assorted ducks are disrupted by hunters. A dredger works to keep shipping lanes open.

 Pine Siskin (Carduelis pinus) with seed.

 Juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax)

In all my visits to Reifel I have seen adult but never a juvenile night heron. Near the warming hut I spotted this juvenile bird bouncing around from branch to branch. The four adults, sleeping nearby ignored its antics completely. Night herons usually sleep during the day and forage at night so seeing this bird bopping around in broad daylight was quite a treat.

By noon it was time to move along and visit one of my favourite birding locations 64th Ave. Moments after leaving my car I heard the rattling of a Belted Kingfisher coming from the greenhouse pond. Sure enough a female bird was actively hunting what appeared to be sticklebacks. 

Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

My eye was drawn to the cobalt blue of the water, the rusty coloured pipe and the wide open bill. 

"The Catch"

These images took two hours of waiting and waiting by which time the sun was waning and my toes were becoming numb, time to go home for a nice cup of tea.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Langley Field Naturalists Visit Reifel

Nov 8 2014 Reifel Sunny and 5c

Oops! This blog was lost in cyberspace so here it is again with story by Langley Field Naturalist's Anne Gosse.

The walk was led by all-round naturalist Al Grass. Check out the Langley Field Naturalists website for more of our walks. We meet the third Thursday of the month at the Langley Music School. Newcomers welcome. Here is one account of what we get up to when we have too much time on our hands!

Owls! two types of secretive Rails! two hunting Northern Shrikes! plus two “Lifers” for several of our group – including myself! Seventeen members from three different naturalist clubs joined our leader Al for another great birding adventure in Reifel Refuge on a warm sunny day. Before we had travelled a 100 feet into the bird sanctuary we had checked off nearly 20 species!  A fantastic day’s search then followed as we wandered the trails spotting and counting. The usual gang of Black-crowned Night Herons are back wintering. The Sandhill Cranes gave a low saluting flying bypass to Kathleen’s trilling – then they greeted us along the paths. Several species of sparrows and waterfowl were seen diving and dashing for cover as a predatory Merlin sped by. Song, Fox and Golden-crowned Sparrows, plus Towhees, Juncos, American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Golden Crowned Kinglets were all duly recorded plus many more usuals. Great views of the Red-breasted Nuthatches and Rufous Hummingbird were given on the feeders. We stopped to adore the small wide-eyed Saw-Whet Owl high up in the fir branches. In all the excitement two birders were knocked off the trial into the bramble bushes in the rush! On the outer dykes we excitedly spotted two Northern Shrikes and heard the Virginia and Sora Rails amongst bullrushes answering Al’s call. With John G’s help we got to view a Swamp Sparrow – giving many of us a “Lifer”!  Thanks John! 

Swamp Sparrow (Melosspiza georgiana)

Lovely Wood Ducks, graceful Pintails, black-bottomed Gadwall, diving Canvas Backs, busy Northern Shovelers, Buffleheads and Pied-billed Grebes and my favorite Hooded Mergansers along with Ring-necked Ducks and blue-footed Coots were seen. We also watched Red-tailed Hawks, Common Raven, and a Sharp-shinned Hawks along the outer dykes. Caught up in this exhilarating day of plentiful sightings, we all set off to see the wayward Tropical King Bird with John guiding us to Brunswick Point. This wonderful yellow-coloured flycatcher was atop a bush busy catching flies and giving great views to birders and photographers. We all were quite enthralled. Unexpectedly we found a Barn Owl in the trees behind us – and in the same tree a Great Horned Owl!  It was then agreed we just as well record the Short-eared Owls on Brunswick Point dyke as well – so off we went!  Three lovely butterfly winged Short-eared Owls were seen out on the foreshore along with flocks of Dunlin, and Meadowlarks. Then along the dyke Marsh & Bewick’s Wrens, White-crowned Sparrows, and Orange-crowed Warblers along with Bushtits and House Sparrows were found. However, on this day we did not find the Wagtail or the Townsend Solitaire that had been seen in this area. Our day’s count ended up with an astonishing 66 different species!  We were so excited about our adventures that some forgot the time and had to phone spouses to check in – (a marathon 7 hour birding day!).  

Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)

Whee – what a day! These are the days you remember and they make you feel alive! We send our thanks to Al for leading our group.

Anne Gosse

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon
Langley/Cloverdale

Fraser Valley Birding

Nov 11/14 Sumas Prairie Abbotsford BC Cold 1c

American Pipit (Anthus rubescens)

Driving around Sumas Prairie in sub zero temperatures looking for raptors can be a frustrating experience. On calmer days American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks and even the odd Golden Eagle can make it an exciting place to bird. We did find a dark phase intermediate Red-tailed Hawk but the buffeting winds made holding the camera still somewhat of a challenge. The American Pipit (above was shot from the car window from about twenty-five metres with the Tamron 150mm-600mm. I bought the lens for situations like this when a larger lens would have been too cumbersome to set up in the cramped quarters of a small car. With no Black-backed Gull to be found we headed toward Mission to find Bald Eagles that had congregated to feed on spawned out salmon.

Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius)

Another car window shot with the Tamron. The lens is so light and agile it can be very useful in situations where a wary bird like the Varied Thrush can only be approached by using the car as a blind. Plus it was really windy and cold outside.

Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus)
An adult Bald Eagle (left) clashes with a 2nd year bird on Nicomen Slough. The spent salmon the eagles were fighting over can be seen in the water below the birds.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley Cloverdale

Wagtails/White and Pied

Nov 5 2014 Ladner, BC Canada Cloudy 6c

My notes from  Nov 5.

"White Wagtail, good scope views-no photos and big twitch"

I found this file buried deep within a series of other shots. The Wagtail was so far way I didn't bother to check if it was even in focus. I was quite happy to have seen the bird through one of the scopes set-up at the site. Recently someone asked me if I had a record shot of the White Wagtail, so with much trepidation here it is.
The first year White Wagtail drew numerous birders and photographers to a muddy field in Ladner. It was a decent sized twitch with people booking off work, skipping school, many had come down with a mysterious ailment that birders sometimes contract when a rarity turns up!
This tiny black, gray and white bird was a lifer for many, including myself or so I thought. As it turns out this little guy is closely related to the Pied Wagtail of the UK which I photographed on several occasions, so it turned out not to be a lifer after all. It SUCKS!

White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

The White Wagtail is a very rare visitor to BC while the sub-species the Pied Wagtail/White Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii/alba) a British subspecies (below) is quite common in the UK. 

The  Ladner bird (Motacilla alba) inhabits the continent from Western Europe to Japan. 

Pied/White Wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii/alba) photographed in the Wye Valley near Tintern Abby. Gwent Wales.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon
Langley/Cloverdale

Two in One Week, Leucistic That Is!

Oct 27 2014 Brookswood Langley. Francis' Back Yard Overcast

Morning Session 10-11 A.M.

It has been quite a week for Leucistic birds. The Eurasian Collared Dove last week in Delta and now a Black-capped Chickadee. All thanks to a tip from Francis, a fellow member of the Langley Field Naturalists who alerted me to the bird coming to her feeder. I was able to photograph this beautiful chickadee with hot coffee in one hand and the other on the shutter button. Did I mention Francis bakes awesome homemade cookies! Thanks Francis for the bird, the hospitality and the cookies.
See the previous blog for a link to Leucism in birds.

Leucistic Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla)

The back view shows off the beautiful plumage of this unusual bird.

In the afternoon I spent an hour at the Richmond Nature Park (more bird feeder shots) followed by a  few hours at Delta's 68th Ave. Please check the next blog which i'll post later.

I don't know where all the hours go when I bird. Time seems to take on a quality all of its own. Time is neither long or short, only the changing position of the sun (when it peeps from behind the Pacific North-West clouds) gives away that the day is quietly fading away. A reminder to return home and reflect on a day well spent.

"It's never to late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley /Cloverdale

A Mixed Bag

112 St and Hornby Drive Delta B.C. Overcast 13c
The escapee budgerigar is still flying with a mixed flock of Brewer's Blackbirds and Starlings. It has been there all summer after 'flying the coop' in Ladner. A few weeks back the owners contacted me via vanbcbirds asking me about the bird's location. Good luck catching it!  I am told the bird could still survive our harsh winters as long as it can find grain and seeds. A nearby barn which houses livestock should provide shelter and food. No picture this time but as I was watching the bird in flight a Leucistic Eurasian Collared Dove landed on a wire a few feet away.

Leucistic Eurasian collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)

A nice blue sky would have improved this image but until then this adds to my collection of leucistic species. So far I have photographed leucistic:
Mallard, Canada Goose, American Crow, White-crowned Sparrow, Steller's Jay, Starling and Red-winged Blackbird.
More about Leucism

The dove wasn't the only reason I was at the corner of 112th. Thanks to a tip from friend and fellow birder Gareth Pugh I was able to photograph a flock of Snow Geese that contained a family of the  dark morph variation.
They were quite far away but I did manage a few pix.

Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens)
The dark morph adult is on the left and two juveniles are on the right. 

Both variations for comparison. 

Spooked by an eagle the trick was to locate the dark morph's out of a flock of 400 as they flew across the cornfields.

Even though it was lousy light for photography, the birder in me enjoyed the entire experience. Back home in front of a warm fire I reflected on another day well spent.

"Its never too late to start  birding"

John Gordon

Langley  Cloverdale

Ignoring the Weather Forecast Pays Off!

Oct 20 2014 Boundary Bay/Blackie Spit. Overcast with sunny breaks

It was supposed to be pouring rain all day!

Sanderling (Calidris alba)

I arrived at the base of Delta's 112 St flood tide. Out in the bay thousands of Northern Pintail, Mallard and American Wigeon were feeding. Keeping them company were hundreds of Black-bellied Plovers, a single American Golden Plover, numerous Western Sandpipers, Sanderlings and perhaps two thousand Dunlin.

As the tide rushed in something spooked the flock, most of the sandpipers and plovers flew off. I knew it was time to leave when a beachcomber and dog arrived on the scene. I decided to visit nearby Crescent Beach and Blackie Spit which is a only a ten minute drive away. I had heard there was a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper among the peeps.

A flock of Dunlin and a few Black-bellied Plover are spooked by a Bald Eagle but soon come back to rest.

As the tide rose a dozen Greater Yellowlegs and about 30 Least Sandpipers began to feed quite close to the pathway that leads out to the end of the spit. American and Eurasian Wigeon (possibly hybrids) joined the sandpipers to feed on the submerged grasses.

Dunlin and Least Sandpipers flock together.
Note some of the birds have yellow legs, they are the Least Sandpiper our smallest sandpiper. There is one at the top of the frame as well as a few others.

Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos)

From a distance I thought I had found the Sharp-tailed but as it immersed into the open the speckled breast gave it away as being a pec. Better luck next time.

Marbled Godwit in flight. I'm not too sure what the other bird is, perhaps a Dunlin?

Black-bellied Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)

All in all it was a great day outdoors and had I listened to the weatherman I would have stayed home and missed out on a glorious afternoon. It was just one of those quiet days out in nature, hardly a thought to bother me, oblivious of everything except the birds. Life can be sweet at times!

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon
Langley/Cloverdale

Tropical Kingbird at Brunswick Point

Oct 19 2014 Brunswick Point Cloudy with sunny outbreaks.

I had intended to spend the morning watching the Man City game on the telly. Outside the grey morning was turning into a beautiful sunny Fall afternoon so I decided to make my way to Brunswick Point. My birding buddy Raymond had texted me to say the flycatcher was still around. When I arrived there were already a number of birders and interested bystanders watching in fascination. The brilliantly coloured Tropical Kingbird was very active catching one insect after another. The clouds were clearing and patches of blue sky were appearing.
I decided to give it an hour of two to see if I could get some flight shots as well some perched shots with a decent backgrounds.

For the first hour the bird made a few forays to feed but always landed deep into foliage making photography difficult. It looked like that was going to be all until a Merlin flew by and scared it off. The colourful bird then flew along the dyke trail. Handholding my Tamron 150mm-600mm I was able to pick off a few shots as the bird bopped around the shrubs and bushes.

Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus)

Finally the bird began to feed again, hawking insects in the brisk wind. I have included a few shots of the bird feeding although they are technically flawed they do show something that is difficult to observe in the field.

 Even with a high shutter speed freezing the action is difficult. These cropped pictures shot in manual mode to make sure I had decent exposure for cropping.

Anyway, I did get to see my game and also have a fantastic few hours outdoors before returning to the 'Man Cave' for the Arsenal v Hull game. By then it had become cloudy again and a contented feeling that the day had been very, very well spent.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Forest and Mountain Birds

Oct 8 2014 Cypress Mountain, Vancouver BC Foggy with occasional clearing.

Bird wise, the climb up to the Bowen Island lookout was uneventful, mostly because of the thick fog that blanketed the mountainside. The hope for blue skies never materialized and the Northern Pygmy Owl was a no show, at least for me. It did turn up just after I left. Murphy's Law, Eh!
However the day wasn't completely futile especially when fellow birder and 'eagle eye' Mike Tabak spotted a Sooty Grouse skulking around in the undergrowth. The bird finally came out in the open and at times was too close for some of us with long lens. A point and shoot would have worked just fine. That was a special bonus for all of us..Thanks Mike.

Blue Grouse (Dendragapus obscures)
Pacific (Sooty) Subspecies )

The grouse was an unexpected surprise and after birding Boundary Bay the rarified air of Cypress Mountain was a welcome change of scenery.
Next up was a pair of Sharp-shinned Hawks whose acrobatic displays were magical to watch. Several times they came flying by like two fighter planes commanding the sky, dive bombing each other.

Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipter striatus)

These two very long distance shots of the sharp-shinned hawk turned out way better than I had imagined.

On my way back to the car I walked through the forest near Yew Lake when I heard a rustle in the bushes. I 'phissed' a few times and a Swainson's Thrush popped out to give me a great view. Two shots and it was gone, thank goodness for autofocus.

Swainson's Thrush (Catharus ustulatus)

Before I could go home to catch up on some sleep I attended a book signing at the Walnut Grove Library with three other Langley authors. My second book, The Langleys is almost sold out with just seventy copies of the original three thousand remaining. The event celebrated the library's and the Walnut Grove Recreation Centre's 20th anniversary. It was a long day and now fourteen hours later it's time to go home. Thanks and good birding.

It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society Volunteer Reception

I am an honoured to provide this picture to help publicize the below event. It should be a lot of fun rain or shine. See you there.

What's Wrong With This Picture ?

Sept 20 2104 112th and Hornby Drive, Delta BC Sunny 20c

I was returning from 104th and Boundary Bay after a fruitless search for the Dusky flycatcher when at the corner of 112th and Hornby Drive a flock of Brewer's Blackbirds flew overhead. Nothing unusual about that except amongst the flock was a Blue Budgerigar. The budgie landed on a wire away from the rest of the flock, it then dropped to the ground and began to feed on the flowering fronds of corn.

Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulates) Brewer's Blackbird and Eurasian Collared Dove.

Below is a record shot taken from one hundred metres away. All images Tamron 150mm-600mm handheld.

Although this budgie may have been caged at one point it is very wary.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

Rare BC Flycatcher

Sep 14 2014 104 St Boundary Bay Delta B.C.

When the news of an Ash-throated Flycatcher at 104 St in Delta surfaced I decided to go down and have a look. Myself, the novice and two really experienced birders scanned every bush without much success. Finally after an hour or so the bird flew from a small fir tree onto a dead branch. It spent several minutes dispatching a darner, eventually maneuvering it head first down its gullet.

Ash-throated Flycatcher (Myiarchus cinerascens)

The Ash-throated is a larger flycatcher is rarely seen in BC, very few records exist over the last ten years so this was a special treat to all who have managed to seen it. The bird was again seen Sept  17/14. Coincidentally a few years back another flycatcher, a Tropical Kingbird also spent a few weeks at the same general location.

I like this image because of the clean background. The head looking back into the frame tells us that the bird is on the lookout for food or perhaps wary of a predator.

What a way to spend a Sunday morning!  Our never ending summer has brought all kinds of birding surprises to our doorstep and for me and many other another "Lifer" to enjoy.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

In Search of the Sharpie

Sat Sept 6 2014 Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Delta B.C Sunny 26c

It was early in the morning, the lesser travelled outer dyke's path was still festooned with dew laden spider's web.

 In the distance a Belted Kingfisher dove for a fish, too far away for a decent photo but just one of those moments that gets indelibly etched into a birder's brain.

Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon)

The main objective of the morning was to locate the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper that had recently been seen in one of the ponds. I had a distant look at one last week at 'The Mansion' so I was hopeful of seeing one again albeit a little closer this time.
When I arrived there were both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs feeding in the shallows of the West Field, their distinctive feeding patterns would help me locate the other sandpiper species that might be present. Some species seem to peck the water, others like the Stilt Sandpiper use rapid stabbing motions, the Yellowlegs feed like American Avocets. It wasn't long before the Yellowlegs spooked themselves (something they tend to do) and flew off leaving a single sandpiper feeding close to the bullrushes..bingo, there was the Sharpie I had been looking for. Still, the bird was quite a distance away but as these shots hopefully demonstrate close-up aren't always the best option. I prefer shot #1 over the close-up, I feel it has better story telling.

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata)
Rather than zoom in more than I already have I chose to leave some of the pond's vegetation. The bull rushes leaning toward the bird forces the eye of the viewer toward the bird while providing information about the bird's habitat.

This closer picture of the Sharpie tells little more than it inhabits a watery environment. The reflection does give the image an"artsy" feel. Handheld with the Tamron 150mm-600mm VR enabled.

Turkey Vulture:A Bonus Shot

10.30 A.M.

As I left Reifel for home and camera packed away (always a bad idea) when I spotted Turkey Vulture flying above the sanctuary entrance. I have heard vultures have an incredible sense of smell. As I stood out in the open the bird flew closer and closer, eventually circling around and above me, at one point it was joined by a Northern Harrier. It might be a crazy theory but I think that bird was checking me out for a potential meal!

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)

 These could be a little sharper which I put down to operator error or the bird is just too far away or a combination of both. I would hate to blame the Tamron but shooting at F6.3 and 600mm (900mm equivalent on my D7100 handheld might be pushing the limits. I still like the lens a lot and as I have mentioned I have already secured numerous 'keepers' purely because of its portability.

* check some of the same pictures on my Flickr.. I feel they are a tad sharper

I'm not sure but this may me a juvenile as the head is not very red but that could be a trick of the light.

I'm glad I took the effort to spend a few hours out on Saturday morning especially as there was no 'Footy" on the telly. Something to do with the international break for the European championships. These days with the PVR (best invention ever) I can watch the games anytime I like and not miss the birds.

"It's never too late to start birding or anything else for that matter"

Refusing to take life too seriously...

John Gordon 

Langley /Cloverdale

Tamron 150mm-600mm Walking the Serpentine

Sept 4 2014 Serpentine Wildlife Management Area Sunny

I had a few spare hours Thursday morning so I decided to walk the Serpentine Wildlife Management Area in Surrey. It is close to my home and there is usually something interesting to photograph.  

I took my Tamron 150mm-600mm which allowed me to walk the trails without the hindrance of a bulky tripod and heavy lens. Coupled with the Nikon D7100 the walk covered a couple of kilometres.

Merlin (Falco columbarius)

Purple Finch I think ? There were females nearby so I think it's not a house. What do you think?

Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens)
At the look-out tower overlooking the river, you can shoot into the canopy of trees from above. There are often birds feeding on seasonal fruit. This downy flew in as I photographed Song Sparrows.




All these shots were taken handheld with VR enabled. I still have my Canon SX50HS which I now use for video while the Tamron has now become my go to'Walkabout' lens. Would I have been able to react so quickly to the Merlin flying by if I had been burdened by a tripod, I doubt it and for that reason alone I'm glad I have it.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley Cloverdale